Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to earn Qantas Points with credit cards
Qantas Points credit cards are Australian-issued cards whose rewards land in a Qantas Frequent Flyer account. Qantas lists credit cards among the ways members earn Qantas Points [2], and its programme rules draw a line between points earned on a Qantas Points earning card and rewards points on a credit or charge card that are transferred or converted into Qantas Points [4]. Only the first kind counts towards Status Credits earned on the ground [4]. Apart from Qantas-branded products, these cards are not Qantas products: they are offered and issued by partners holding an Australian Financial Services Licence or Australian Credit Licence [2].
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Credit cards are one of Qantas's listed earning categories, and you must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn and to redeem Qantas Points [2] [3].
- Qantas's rules separate points earned on a Qantas Points earning credit card from card rewards points that are transferred or converted into Qantas Points; both reach the same account, but only the first counts towards Status Credits on the ground [4] [5].
- Sign-up bonus amounts differ between cards, apply to new cardholders only, and come with possible minimum spend, retention, credit and eligibility criteria, fees and charges [2].
- Status Credits on the ground launch on 8 December 2026, with up to 140 Status Credits a Membership Year across ten categories, and card bonus points are excluded [4] [5].
- Qantas describes keeping a points balance active by earning or using Qantas Points within 18 months, in accordance with the programme terms [5].
How a card earns Qantas Points
Qantas groups credit cards alongside flights, hotels, banking and home loans, everyday shopping, insurance, home utilities and car hire as ways to earn [2]. Membership comes first: you must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn and use Qantas Points, and a joining fee may apply [2] [3]. Qantas also states that, except for Qantas-branded products, the card products it refers to are not Qantas products and are not offered or issued by Qantas, but by the relevant Australian Financial Services Licence or Australian Credit Licence holders, and that Qantas itself holds neither licence [2].
The programme names real co-brand examples. Qantas says members may earn over 200,000 bonus Qantas Points by taking up multiple eligible products and services, citing the Westpac Altitude Qantas Black credit card and a CommBank Digi Home Loan, with points offered under the applicable partner terms and conditions and possible minimum spend requirements, eligibility criteria, conditions, fees and charges [2]. Qantas also describes a "double dip": shopping with Qantas and its partners using a Qantas Points earning credit card can earn points twice [2].
Sign-up bonuses and who sets the terms
Bonus points are a card feature rather than a programme-wide rate: Qantas says the bonus points offered vary between cards and that the offer is for new cardholders only [2]. Minimum spend, retention, credit and eligibility criteria, terms and conditions, fees and charges may all apply, and each product carries its own maximum [2]. Qantas states that points are offered by the relevant programme partner and under that partner's terms and conditions [2]. Qantas also warns that it may withdraw or extend an offer at any time in the context of its partner offers [2].
Where a card is a welcome bonus product, the points arrive as a lump sum, but they carry no status weight: bonus points from any Qantas Points earning credit card are excluded from Status Credits on the ground, and so are credit or charge card rewards points that were transferred or converted into Qantas Points [4] [5].
What card spend does for status
From 8 December 2026, Qantas Frequent Flyer members can earn up to 140 Status Credits each Membership Year "on the ground" by collecting Qantas Points across ten categories, one of which is credit cards, defined as all Qantas Points earning credit cards [4] [5]. The points target for each category has not been published: Qantas says Status Credits will not be awarded for any activity until the feature launches, when more information about the targets will be communicated [4]. Once a category target is met, Status Credits are credited within eight weeks, and members cannot see which categories they have completed until 8 December 2026 [4].
- Which membership year counts depends on timing: members whose Membership Year ends between 31 August and 30 November 2026 have their next Membership Year counted, while those whose year ends on 31 December 2026 or later have their current Membership Year counted, including activity before 8 December [4] [5].
- Status Credits on the ground count towards Lifetime Status, but not towards Loyalty Bonus, Platinum Bonus Reward, Platinum One Bonus Reward or Status Accelerator and Challenge requirements [4] [5].
- Status Credits are not the same as Qantas Points: they reset at the start of each new Membership Year, while Qantas Points remain in the account and are kept active by earning or using them [6] [5].
When Qantas Points suit your redemptions
Qantas Points are worth holding only if you will use them, and Qantas publishes several distinct ways to spend them. Classic Flight Rewards are subject to capacity controls, availability is limited, some flights may have no reward seats, and taxes, fees and carrier charges are payable in addition to the points [3]. oneworld Classic Flight Rewards let members choose from 1,000 destinations, flying to five or fewer cities with two or more oneworld airlines [3]. Classic Upgrade Rewards can be requested on eligible flights including premium cabins, are not available from all fare types, and are also capacity controlled [3].
For part-cash bookings, Points Plus Pay lets a member choose how many points to redeem above a minimum of 2,000 and pay the rest on an accepted payment card, for flight bookings, hotels, Qantas Marketplace purchases and Qantas Wine [3]. Family Transfers move Qantas Points instantly between eligible family members who are also Qantas Frequent Flyer members [3].
Exceptions and limits
- Status Credits on the ground are excluded for several card-adjacent sources of points. Alongside card bonus points and transferred or converted card rewards, Qantas excludes Family Transfers, Qantas Business Rewards points transfers, Top Up Points, and bonus and milestone rewards including Points Club, Green Tier, Platinum and Platinum One bonuses [4] [5].
- Qantas can change the eligible activity. Qantas says it may change what points earning activity is eligible for Status Credits on the ground at any time, with the activity in effect published on qantas.com [4] [5].
- Location can reduce the ceiling. Members who do not live in Australia remain eligible for Status Credits on the ground, but Qantas notes that location may limit some of the ways they can earn Qantas Points, so they may not be able to earn the full 140 [4] [5].
- Points Club is closing. Points Club, Points Club Plus and Green Tier are retired on 8 December 2026, the last day to attain Points Club or Points Club Plus is 7 December 2026, and members who attain or retain before that date keep their benefits until the end of their next Membership Year [5].
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. The material here covers Qantas Frequent Flyer in the Australian market only; other Australian card programmes, Velocity Points and bank rewards currencies are not covered on this page, and card-specific terms from individual issuers were not part of the sources used. See credit cards in Australia for the wider card landscape.
- Qantas Frequent Flyer — Earn Points, checked 18 October 2026
- Qantas Frequent Flyer — Use Points, checked 18 October 2026
- Qantas Frequent Flyer — Earn Status Credits on the ground, checked 18 October 2026
- Qantas Frequent Flyer — Program changes, checked 18 October 2026
- Qantas Frequent Flyer — Status from flying, checked 18 October 2026