Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of Velocity Frequent Flyer hub
GUIDE
How to use Australian card points transfer partners
Australian card points transfer partners is the term used here for the airline programme that Velocity lists Australian cards as earning points with directly, together with the account rules that apply when card points are moved into a partner programme. A transfer starts by linking the card's rewards account to a partner frequent flyer account, and once the points land they are governed by the airline programme's terms rather than by the card's. [6] [9]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- A transfer is a one-way move. American Express says all points transfers are final and cannot be reversed, and that anyone transferring points for a flight should check availability and the number of points needed before completing the transfer. [6]
- The card and the partner account must carry the same name to link, and the partner account must belong to you or to an Additional Card Member whose card was issued at least 90 days before the link is made. [6]
- Velocity Frequent Flyer publishes the cards it treats as eligible Velocity Points earning credit cards; the list it gave as at 2 April 2025 covers American Express, Bank of Queensland, Westpac and Virgin Money products. [9]
How does a card points transfer work?
A transfer begins with a link. To move points, the rewards account attached to the card has to be linked to a participating partner frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programme account. [6] The name on the card and the name on the chosen partner account must be the same for the accounts to be linked and for the transfer to succeed. [6]
The partner account must be held by you or by an Additional Card Member linked to your rewards account, and that Additional Card must have been issued at least 90 days before the link is set up. [6] Once the points arrive, they are subject to the partner programme's terms and conditions, and the cardholder confirms the balance in the frequent flyer account before redeeming directly with the airline. [6]
The transfer mechanics described in this section are the ones American Express publishes for its United States Membership Rewards programme. [6]
Which Australian cards earn Velocity Points directly?
Velocity Frequent Flyer lists the credit cards it treats as eligible Velocity Points earning credit cards on its Virgin Australia partner page, described as at 2 April 2025. [9] The American Express group on that list is the Velocity Gold Card, Velocity Escape Card, Velocity Escape Plus Card, Velocity Platinum Card and Velocity Business Card. [9] The bank and Virgin Money group is the Bank of Queensland Signature Velocity Card, the Bank of Queensland Specialist Platinum Velocity Card, the Westpac Altitude Mastercard Platinum, the Westpac Altitude Mastercard Black, and two Virgin Money Virgin Australia Velocity credit cards. [9] The Business Card appears because Velocity names it on the programme page. [9]
Two of the issuers named there have programme pages on this site: American Express Membership Rewards and Westpac Altitude Rewards.
What do Velocity-earning cards add to Virgin Australia flights?
Holding one of those cards changes the Base Points earned on Virgin Australia domestic and short-haul international flights, including Trans-Tasman routes, when the flight is booked as a Virgin Australia itinerary. [9] The earn depends on when the booking was made. [9]
| Booking made | Member | Points per $1 of all-inclusive fare |
|---|---|---|
| Before 2 April 2025 | All members | 5 |
| On or after 2 April 2025 | Members with an eligible Velocity Points earning credit card | 5 |
| On or after 2 April 2025 | All other members | 4 |
Every rate in that table is applied to the all-inclusive fare, which Velocity defines as the base airfare plus applicable taxes and fees, excluding Flight Extras such as Economy X upgrades, extra baggage, preferred seating and carbon offset. [9] The extra point for cardholders is available to members who earned Points from spending with an eligible Velocity Points earning credit card within the 12 months before flying, and it cannot be earned on Virgin Australia marketed flights operated by a partner airline. [9]
What should you check before you transfer points?
- Award space first. Check availability and how many points the booking needs before completing the transfer, because the transfer cannot be reversed afterwards. [6]
- Name match. The name on the card and the name on the partner programme account must be identical for the accounts to link. [6]
- Whose account it is. The partner account must be held by you or by an Additional Card Member linked to your rewards account, with the Additional Card issued at least 90 days before linking. [6]
- Whose rules apply. From the moment points land in the airline programme, the partner's terms and conditions govern them, and the booking is made with the airline rather than through the card programme. [6]
Work through the steps in our transfer points checklist before you commit, and keep the partner programme's own rules open while you book. [6]
Exceptions and limits
- No route back. Once the transfer is complete there is no cancellation, so the value stays in the airline programme under that programme's rules. [6]
- The Velocity uplift has conditions. The additional Base Point needs card spend that earned Points within the 12 months before flying, and is unavailable on Virgin Australia marketed flights operated by a partner airline. [9]
- Velocity earn exclusions. Velocity Points cannot be earned where the membership number entered is not the membership number of the passenger travelling, on Reward Seat bookings excluding Any Seat, or on any fare type not listed on the programme page. [9]
- Posting delays. Points can take up to 14 days after a flight to appear in a Velocity account, and a missing Points claim can be submitted from inside the account after that. [9]
- Everything here is date-sensitive. The Velocity card list is described as at 2 April 2025, and the earn rates split at bookings made before or on or after 2 April 2025. [9]
- Market boundary. The transfer mechanics quoted on this page are published by American Express for its United States Membership Rewards programme. [6]
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel a transfer from card points to an airline programme?
No. American Express states that all points transfers are final and cannot be reversed, which is why availability and the points required should be confirmed before the transfer is submitted. [6]
Do my card and frequent flyer account names have to match?
Yes. The name on the card and the name on the selected partner loyalty account must be the same for the accounts to be linked and the transfer to go through. [6]
Can I transfer points to someone else's frequent flyer account?
The partner account must be held by you or by an Additional Card Member linked to your rewards account, and an Additional Card must be issued at least 90 days before the link is made. [6]
Which Australian cards earn Velocity Points on spending?
The list Velocity gave as at 2 April 2025 includes the American Express Velocity cards, the Bank of Queensland Velocity cards, the Westpac Altitude Mastercard Platinum and Black, and the Virgin Money Velocity cards. [9]
Do cardholders earn extra Velocity Points when flying Virgin Australia?
Members who earned Points from spending on an eligible Velocity Points earning credit card within the 12 months before flying earn one additional Base Point per $1 on Virgin Australia flights booked on or after 2 April 2025, and that extra point cannot be earned on Virgin Australia marketed flights operated by a partner airline. [9]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Qantas Frequent Flyer transfers, hotel loyalty transfers and the transfer partners of ANZ Rewards, CommBank Rewards and NAB Rewards are not covered here; see the individual programme pages linked above.
- American Express Membership Rewards: how do I transfer points?, checked 18 October 2026
- Velocity Frequent Flyer: flying and earning with Virgin Australia, checked 18 October 2026