Start here: Westpac Altitude Rewards — choosing a program, earning points, redeeming and keeping them

Step 1: What Westpac Altitude is and who it suits

You will learn: what the Altitude terms cover, who is responsible for each kind of point, and who the program is for.

The Westpac Altitude Terms & Conditions bind you when you activate your Altitude Card, or when you or an Additional Cardholder first make a transaction [1]. They govern earning points on an Altitude Card issued by Westpac and redeeming Altitude Points for a reward [1]. Frequent Flyer Points redemptions follow the terms of the applicable Frequent Flyer Program, and card use is also subject to separate card terms [1].

Westpac is not responsible for any Frequent Flyer Program, including the impact if one changes or is discontinued [1]. Altitude and these terms may change at any time with at least 30 days' prior notice, except for changes needed to restore or maintain system or account security, changes required by law, an official directive or regulator requirements, changes to a Frequent Flyer Program, non-material changes, or changes beneficial to you [1]. The program may be terminated at any time with 90 days' notice unless impractical, with a pro-rata refund of program fees for the current membership year, and the terms let 'we' assign their rights under them, while you may not assign yours [1].

In the terms, 'we' or 'us' is Altitude Rewards Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Westpac Banking Corporation, for earning and redeeming Altitude Points, and Westpac Banking Corporation for earning Frequent Flyer Points [1]. Altitude Rewards is for holders of a Westpac-branded Altitude credit card, where the Account Holder is the person who opens the Card Account, and these terms describe no status tiers [1].

Go deeper: Start here: cards and transfers for how card points and transfers fit together.

Step 2: Choosing and switching your Altitude program

You will learn: how the three Altitude programs differ, what a switch does to points already earned, and what the frequent flyer options need from you.

When you apply for your Altitude Card you choose one program to apply to your Card Account: Altitude Rewards, to earn Altitude Points; Altitude Qantas, to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer Points; or Altitude Velocity, to earn Velocity Frequent Flyer Points [1]. You may request a switch between programs available to your Card Account; once processed you stop earning points in the previous program, and points earned before the switch are not converted [1]. Fees apply for each program and are disclosed in the Card Account's Financial Table [1].

On Altitude Qantas or Altitude Velocity you must be a member of the associated Frequent Flyer Program, give a valid membership number and have matching first and last names, otherwise points show on your statement as 'earned' but not 'transferred' and are forfeited unless corrected within four months of opting in [1]. Membership of that program is subject to its own terms and fees may apply [1]. Altitude communications go to your postal or email address on record and, for cards issued by Westpac, may also come through Westpac Online Banking; points are not property or money, cannot be transferred to another person and have no cash value [1].

Go deeper: Westpac Altitude Rewards programme hub, Start here: Qantas Frequent Flyer and Start here: Velocity.

Step 3: How earning works

You will learn: which transactions earn Altitude Points, what suspends earning and redeeming, and how points per transaction are calculated.

You earn points for each transaction on your Card Account unless it is ineligible, and points are deducted when a transaction is refunded or reversed [1]. The earn rate that applies is the one in force on the day the transaction is processed [1]. No points are earned on fees and interest charges, Cash Advances, Balance Transfers, purchases declined on your PartPay Card, transactions made using bill payment services such as BPAY or Post Billpay, or Government Related Payments [1].

A Cash Advance includes withdrawing cash, paying for items treated as equivalent to cash such as foreign currency, traveller's cheques or stored value cards, transferring funds to another account or stored value card other than as a Balance Transfer, paying bills over the counter or through a third party other than BPAY, and paying merchants that provide gambling services and products including lottery tickets [1]. A Government Related Payment is a purchase from or payment to a local, state or federal government or government related agency, including the Australian Tax Office, Australia Post or motor vehicle registries; both are classified using card scheme information [1].

You also earn no points and cannot redeem if you have not paid the Minimum Payment Due in full and on time, if your card or Card Account is blocked or closed, if there is fraud, if the card is reported lost or stolen, if it is used for business related purposes, or if you do not meet important card obligations such as staying within your authorised credit limit; Altitude Rewards Pty Ltd may adjust your balance for points awarded in those cases and may allow redemption at its discretion [1]. Points are calculated on the Australian dollar value of eligible transactions, rounded down to the nearest whole dollar, with fractions discarded, and a cap may apply per statement period [1]. Points per dollar, timing, any cap and bonus points are published at westpac.com.au/ccrewards or on 1300 887 820 [1].

Go deeper: Earning rate for how earn rates are defined and compared.

Step 4: Redeeming Altitude Points

You will learn: where reward information sits, who can redeem, and what cannot be undone once a claim is processed.

Rewards available and the Altitude Points needed are shown in your Altitude Rewards Account through Online Banking or the Westpac App, or via the Altitude Rewards Centre [1]. Rewards are subject to availability and only comparable substitutions are made, and a reward provider's specific conditions prevail over the Altitude terms where the two are inconsistent [1].

To redeem, you must:

• be the Account Holder, as Additional Cardholders cannot redeem rewards [1];
• hold at least 3,000 points unless Altitude Rewards Pty Ltd advises you otherwise [1]; and
• have enough points at the time of your claim [1].

Your Altitude Points can be combined with points on another eligible Altitude Card Account in your name, but not with points on an account in someone else's name [1]. Unless advised otherwise, a claim cannot be cancelled or changed once processed, and a reward cannot be exchanged or returned for a re-credit because you change your mind [1]. Closing the Card Account or switching to another program may change how you redeem — for example, through the Altitude Rewards Centre instead of Online Banking [1]. Altitude Rewards Pty Ltd may also offer Pay with Points, which turns points into a cashback credit after an eligible purchase; the Rewards Available figure uses a conversion rate that may change, and the credit does not count as a payment under your credit contract [1].

Go deeper: Points value calculator for turning a balance into a per-point figure.

Step 5: Keeping and tracking your points

You will learn: when Altitude Points expire, how to check your balance, and how long you have to claim missing points.

Altitude Points do not expire while your Card Account is open and you remain enrolled in Altitude Rewards; if the Card Account is closed, you must use them within 90 days [1]. Points expire on the death of the Account Holder, but if Altitude Rewards Pty Ltd is notified within six months of the death the remaining points become a statement credit at the rate applying to an 'Altitude Card Fee rebate' at that time, available from the Altitude Rewards Centre [1]. Frequent Flyer Points expiry is handled by the relevant Frequent Flyer Program [1].

You can check your Altitude Points balance at any time in the Altitude Rewards Account through Online Banking, the Westpac App or the Altitude Rewards Centre, and, for Altitude Cards issued by Westpac, the card statement shows your points balance for the period, including earned and redeemed points, plus any Frequent Flyer Points credited to your Frequent Flyer Account [1]. If you believe points are missing you must contact Altitude Rewards Pty Ltd within six months of the purchase date, and you may need to send sale receipts or the statement showing the purchase; Altitude Rewards Pty Ltd may adjust your balance if points were incorrectly credited or debited [1].

Go deeper: Card points expiry for how expiry rules differ across card programs.

Step 6: Your first concrete action

You will learn: five checks you can run against your own Card Account now.

• Confirm which Altitude program your Card Account is in, and note that a switch stops earning in the old program without converting points already earned [1].
• On Altitude Qantas or Altitude Velocity, check that your Frequent Flyer membership number is recorded and your first and last names match, because points shown as 'earned' but not 'transferred' are forfeited if not fixed within four months of opting in [1].
• Look up your points per dollar, timing and any statement-period cap at westpac.com.au/ccrewards or on 1300 887 820 [1].
• Pay at least the Minimum Payment Due in full and on time, since missing it stops both earning and redeeming [1].
• Raise missing points within six months of the purchase, and if you close the Card Account use your Altitude Points within 90 days [1].

Next: Westpac Altitude Rewards programme hub, then Guides and Start here.