Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to buy Qantas Points
Buying Qantas Points means adding Qantas Points to a Qantas Frequent Flyer account by paying Qantas for them, rather than earning them from flights, credit cards, groceries or hotel stays. [1] You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn and use Qantas Points, a joining fee may apply, and both membership and points are subject to the programme terms and conditions. [1] [2]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- A direct purchase adds Qantas Points to a Qantas Frequent Flyer account, and only members can earn and use Qantas Points. [1] [2]
- Qantas Points and Status Credits are separate: Status Credits reset at the start of each new Membership Year. [5]
- Qantas says a points balance stays active if the member earns or uses Qantas Points within 18 months. [4]
- Points Club, Points Club Plus and Green Tier are retired on 8 December 2026, the same date Status Credits on the ground begin. [4] [6]
What can you do with Qantas Points you buy?
Qantas organises the ways to spend points around flights first, then accommodation, car hire, entertainment and other rewards. [1] Earning works through a much wider set of partners: Qantas says members can collect points with more than 500 partners, including groceries, credit cards, flights and hotels. [1] A purchase sits outside that network, because the points arrive in exchange for payment rather than for a transaction with a partner, and the programme terms and conditions govern the transaction. [1] [2]
Because the points land in the same balance as everything else, they are spent the same way. If you are topping up towards a particular award, the planning notes in buying miles for a specific trip apply just as well to Qantas Points, and the other routes to a balance are set out in earning Qantas Points without flying.
Do bought Qantas Points count towards status?
Qantas treats points and status as two different currencies. The airline says Status Credits differ from Qantas Points, and that while a member may earn both on the same flight, Status Credits reset at the start of each new Membership Year. [5] Status Credits are what move a member through Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One, and they are earned on eligible Qantas, Jetstar, oneworld member and partner airline flights, subject to fare type and booking class. [5]
From 8 December 2026, Qantas Frequent Flyer members will also be able to earn up to 140 Status Credits each Membership Year by collecting Qantas Points across ten categories of everyday spend, including credit cards, banking and home loans, insurance, car, home utilities, hotels and accommodation, holidays and experiences, everyday shopping, retail and lifestyle, and sustainability. [4] [6] The exclusion list Qantas publishes for that feature names “Top Up Points” alongside credit or charge card rewards points converted into Qantas Points, family transfers, QBR points transfers, and bonus and milestone rewards. [4] [6] That list applies to Status Credits on the ground, and Qantas says it may change which points-earning activity is eligible at any time. [4]
How long do Qantas Points stay usable?
Qantas frames the rule around activity rather than a fixed shelf life: members keep a points balance active by earning or using Qantas Points within 18 months, in accordance with the programme terms and conditions. [4] Qantas also states that receiving a Status Credit rollover does not reset a member’s Qantas Points expiry date. [4] Members can follow points activity in the Activity Statement in My Account or in the Qantas App. [4] Check the date showing against your own balance before planning around purchased points, since the 18-month window runs from your account activity, not from the purchase itself alone. [4]
What changes on 8 December 2026?
Qantas Frequent Flyer is retiring Points Club, Points Club Plus and Green Tier on 8 December 2026. [4] The last day to attain Points Club or Points Club Plus is 7 December 2026, and a member who attains on or before that date keeps the associated benefits until the end of the next Membership Year. [4] Qantas describes retaining those tiers by earning 150,000 or 350,000 Qantas Points in a Membership Year, and says a Points Club member can no longer attain Points Club Plus once the retirement takes effect. [4] Vouchers and lounge invitations issued before the retirement date remain valid under the current terms and conditions. [4]
The same date is the launch of Status Credits on the ground, which will be a permanent feature of the programme. [4] [6] Status Credits from that feature are awarded within eight weeks of completing a category, and none are awarded for any activity until the launch. [6] As of 18 October 2026, both the launch and the retirement are scheduled for 8 December 2026. [4]
Limits and conditions
- Membership first. You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer to earn and use Qantas Points, a joining fee may apply, and membership and points are subject to the programme terms and conditions. [1] [2]
- Eligible activity can change. Qantas may change what points-earning activity is eligible for Status Credits on the ground at any time, and publishes the activity in effect on qantas.com. [4]
- Where you live matters. Members who do not live in Australia are still eligible to earn Status Credits on the ground, but their location may limit the ways they can earn Qantas Points, so the full 140 may not be reachable. [4] [6]
- Retirement dates are fixed. Points Club, Points Club Plus and Green Tier end on 8 December 2026, with 7 December 2026 the last attainment date. [4]
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to buy Qantas Points?
Yes. Qantas states that you must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer to earn and use Qantas Points, that a joining fee may apply, and that membership and points are subject to the programme terms and conditions. [1] [2]
Do purchased Qantas Points count towards Qantas status?
Qantas keeps the two separate: Status Credits reset at the start of each Membership Year and are what determine Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One. [5] Qantas’s exclusion list for Status Credits on the ground names “Top Up Points”, so top-ups sit outside that feature. [4] [6]
How long after buying do Qantas Points expire?
Qantas links the balance to activity: earning or using Qantas Points within 18 months keeps a balance active, in line with the programme terms and conditions. [4] Your Activity Statement in My Account or the Qantas App shows the activity that counts. [4]
When does Points Club end?
Points Club, Points Club Plus and Green Tier are retired on 8 December 2026, and the last day to attain Points Club or Points Club Plus is 7 December 2026. [4]
When do Status Credits on the ground start?
The feature launches on 8 December 2026 and allows up to 140 Status Credits per Membership Year across ten spending categories, with Status Credits awarded within eight weeks of completing a category. [4] [6]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Other airline programmes, including Velocity Frequent Flyer, KrisFlyer, Asia Miles and Flying Blue, are not covered here; their purchase rules and status rules are their own.
- Qantas Frequent Flyer: use Qantas Points and buy points, checked 18 October 2026
- Qantas Frequent Flyer terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- Qantas Frequent Flyer program changes, checked 18 October 2026
- Qantas Frequent Flyer: status from flying, checked 18 October 2026
- Qantas Frequent Flyer: earn Status Credits on the ground, checked 18 October 2026