Business credit cards for Qantas and other frequent flyer points

Get up to 150,000 bonus Qantas Points and take advantage of airline lounge passes, concierge services and higher credit limits.

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Name Product Bonus points Rewards program Rewards points per $ spent Purchase rate Annual fee
American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card
120,000
Qantas Business Rewards
1.25
0% p.a.
$0 annual fee for the first year ($450 p.a. thereafter)
ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Receive 120,000 bonus Qantas Points and $0 first-year annual fee when you spend $3,000 in the first 2 months.
NAB Qantas Business Signature Card
100,000
Qantas Frequent Flyer
0.66
18.5% p.a.
$295
Receive 100,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $4,000 on everyday business purchases in the first 60 days. ABN required.
American Express Business Explorer Credit Card
100,000
Membership Rewards Gateway
2
3.99% p.a. for 6 months, reverts to 19.99% p.a.
$149
ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Get 100,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, 2 airport lounge passes.
American Express Platinum Business Card
400,000
Membership Rewards Ascent Premium
2.25
0% p.a.
$1,750
ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Get 400,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you spend $12,000 in the first 3 months.
NAB Rewards Business Signature Card
100,000
NAB Rewards
1.25
18.5% p.a.
$175
Get 100,000 bonus NAB Rewards points when you spend $4,000 on everyday business purchases in the first 60 days. ABN required.
American Express Velocity Business Card
120,000
Velocity Frequent Flyer
1
0% p.a.
$249
ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Receive 120,000 bonus Velocity Points and 120 Velocity Status Credits when you spend $3,000 in the first 2 months.
American Express Gold Business Card
100,000
Membership Rewards Ascent
1.5
0% p.a.
$169
ABN holders w/ $75,000 revenue. Get 100,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points when you spend $1,000 within the first 2 months.
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If you run a business, you can choose from a range of credit cards that offer both frequent flyer rewards and money-management features. This includes Qantas business credit card options, which are linked to your personal frequent flyer account or a Qantas Business Rewards account. There are also business credit cards with rewards you can transfer to partnered frequent flyer programs.

You can use this guide to compare business frequent flyer credit cards on the market, find out about the key features to consider and learn the traps to avoid.

How do business frequent flyer credit cards work?

Just like other frequent flyer cards, these cards earn points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases. They may also offer thousands of bonus points on sign up, as well as travel perks such as lounge passes. The difference is that many personal frequent flyer products don’t consider business spending as part of the eligible purchases that earn points, whereas business credit cards do.

Business credit cards are usually designed for small to medium sized businesses, but you can find cards for larger corporations. To apply for one of these cards, you usually need to have an Australian Business Number (ABN), meet a minimum annual turnover and provide details about your business.

How to compare frequent flyer credit cards for your business

If you’re deciding which frequent flyer credit card will boost your business rewards, these are some of the questions to ask yourself before you apply:

Which program is the card connected to?

If your business already earns points with a particular program, you can narrow down your credit card choices based on the loyalty scheme that’s linked to the card. Depending on the card, it will be linked to Qantas Frequent Flyer, Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer or a flexible rewards program such as American Express Membership Rewards or Citi Rewards.

You can also get a business credit card that partners with a corporate frequent flyer program, such as Qantas Business Rewards, which allows you to pool points for your business and then decide how to use them.

How many points can I earn?

These cards earn a set number of points per $1 spent on eligible business transactions. How many points you’ll earn will vary, but at least 1 point per $1 is a competitive offer. The number of points you’ll earn per $1 may also vary based on the transaction. For example, you might be able to earn 1.25 points on everyday eligible purchases and only 0.5 points per $1 spent on your ATO bill or other government transactions.

Some business frequent flyer credit cards also come with thousands of bonus points on sign up. So you can also compare cards by the bonus points offered and the spend requirements you need to meet to score these points, as they’re an easy way to boost your business rewards balance.

How can I use the points?

You should only collect points if you know there are rewards that are valuable to you. So compare credit cards by the types of rewards you can get. If you and your colleagues regularly travel for work, a frequent flyer credit card that’s directly linked to an airline loyalty program could reward you with free flights or upgrades. Whereas if you’d prefer to redeem your points for cash back or gift cards, you might want to consider a card that’s linked to a bank rewards program.

Who qualifies for the credit card?

Just like a personal credit card, you’ll need to meet eligibility requirements including a minimum annual turnover, a good credit history and an eligible ABN. Plus, you may need to be in a managerial position to apply for the card on behalf of your business.

How many additional cardholders does that card offer?

If several of your employees require a credit card for work spending, you can request additional credit cards that are linked to the one account. This can make it easier to track and report business spending, and can also help you earn more points for a single account.This is because the points earned on the additional card will be debited to the main frequent flyer account.

While some cards may offer an unlimited number of cardholders, others have a limit of how many supplementary cardholders you can add to the account. Make sure you confirm this before you apply so that you know the account is suitable for your business.

What’s the annual fee?

You can almost always expect your frequent flyer business credit card to come with an annual fee, which can vary from $150 to $450 (or more) depending on the card. You should make sure that your business can afford the annual fee and that the monetary value of the points and the extra perks can justify this cost.

What is a credit limit?

As well as earning points on business spend, a higher credit limit is another perk of choosing a business frequent flyer credit card. Your approved credit limit will depend on a number of factors including your annual turnover and credit history, but you should also compare cards by the minimum and maximum credit limits to ensure they can support your organisation’s spending needs.

Is it a charge card or a credit card?

When you’re comparing cards to earn points on business expenses, you can usually choose between a credit card or a charge card. While you can carry balances from month to month (and will be charged interest) with a credit card, you have to pay off a charge card in full each month otherwise you’ll be charged a fee. Consider whether your business requires a revolving line of credit or a line of credit to free up cash flow to determine whether you’d prefer a credit or charge card.

What are the extra perks?

Frequent flyer business credit cards are higher tier products, so you can usually expect a bunch of extra perks. Depending on the card, it may offer a flight or travel credit, complimentary lounge passes or complimentary international travel insurance. You might also be able to use a complimentary concierge service for everything from booking a restaurant for a business meeting to organising a corporate trip.

Some business cards also come linked with reporting software (such as MYOB, QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel), which you can use to monitor and download your balance sheets and transaction details.

business flight booking on mobile

Pros and cons of a business frequent flyer credit card

Pros

  • Reward your business spending. Unlike other business credit cards, these cards reward you for every $1 you spend on eligible purchases. You can use these rewards to cut costs on regular business expenses (such as business travel) or to reward your employees.
  • Extra perks. These cards also come with extra features like lounge invitations, complimentary travel insurance and concierge services which could help justify the cost of the card.
  • Access credit. These cards usually come with higher credit limits than personal cards and can help your business manage its expenses with a line of credit.
  • Business reporting. You can monitor your business spending under one account and link it with business reporting systems to help simplify the way you manage your finances.

Cons

  • Higher annual fees. While some business cards come with low or $0 annual fees, these cards usually come with higher annual fees.
  • Liability. If you link additional cards to the account, the primary cardholder or the business will be liable for any expenses made on the supplementary cards.
  • Interest charges. If you opt for a business credit card and carry a balance from month to month, you’ll likely collect high interest rates on your purchases.

classy woman with white credit card

How to apply for a business frequent flyer credit card

Once you’ve compared your options and decided on a card, you can apply for a frequent flyer credit card for your business online. Before you begin the application, make sure that your business meets the eligibility requirements and has the necessary information:

Eligibility criteria

  • Age. You must be at least 18 years old to apply for a credit card in Australia.
  • Australian residency status. Depending on the card, you may need to be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident to apply.
  • Credit history. You’ll usually need to have a good credit history with no evidence of bad debts or payment defaults.
  • Corporate spending limit. You may need to meet an annual turnover (such as $10 million p.a.) to receive approval.

Required documents and information

  • Personal details. You’ll need to provide personal information including your full name, contact number and email address. You must also provide the details of your personal pre-tax income.
  • Business details. This will include your business name, contact details, ABN and other business financial information.
  • Frequent flyer account. If your business already belongs to a frequent flyer program, you’ll need to provider the account number to link the card with your loyalty account.

A frequent flyer business credit card can be a great way to reward your spending while you manage your business expenses. There are many business credit cards that earn points on the market, so make sure to weigh up a few options before you apply.

Want to compare other options for your organisation? You can compare more business credit cards and get your finances in order with finder.

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    28 Responses

      Default Gravatar
      DavidMarch 11, 2019

      I am disappointed with the Qantas frequent flyer programme.

      I wish to utilise Kris Flyer points. Can you inform me of current best deals with credit cards AUD spent to Kris Flyer points?

      Currently, I use NAB credit cards linked to Qantas frequent flyer automatically.

      Presumably, I can notify NAB to cancel this agreement and use this card for conversion to Kris Flyer points?

      I believe Citi Bank used to have the best conversion to Kris Flyer. Is this still the case?

      Business expenditure such as tax etc and other gov. depts; can you advise best card utilisation for points accumulation using which card to pay these bills? I note that some cards have exclusion clauses for payment to gov. institutions.

      Many thanks in anticipation of your reply.

      David

        Avatarfinder Customer Care
        JoshuaMarch 13, 2019Staff

        Hi David,

        Thanks for getting in touch with Finder. I’m sorry to hear about how you are disappointed with the Qantas Frequent Flyer programme.

        As of this time, there aren’t any credit cards in Australia that currently directly earn Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles and that includes NAB. However, many reward credit cards such as NAB allows you to earn points for your everyday spending, which you can then transfer to your KrisFlyer account (or to another partnered frequent flyer program). With this option, you usually need to earn a minimum number of credit card reward points before you can redeem them for KrisFlyer Miles.

        With this in mind, what you can do is notify NAB that you want to earn reward points instead. When you have enough reward points, then you can convert them into KrisFlyer Miles points.

        Citibank allows you to get 1 KrisFlyer mile for every 1.5 Citi Reward points. However, you would first need to check with your provider to confirm since this may change from time to time.

        As of now, American Express gives you a 1:1 transfer ratio from American Express reward points to KrisFlyer miles. You may also refer to our list of Singapore Airlines credit cards to know the other banks and how much points they give for 1 Krisflyer miles point. Please read details under the subheading, “Which banks can transfer rewards points to Singapore KrisFlyer Miles?”

        It is worth noting though that many rewards programs exclude utility payments and government charges from earning points, or offer a reduced rate of points for these types of payments. To help you, see our guide about paying bills with a credit card to know each provider with reward programs that let you earn reward points for most everyday purchases as well as the types of transactions that are not eligible for earning points.

        I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out again.

        Have a wonderful day!

        Cheers,
        Joshua

      Default Gravatar
      MarkJune 11, 2017

      I am looking for an uncapped card that gives me the best redemption rate for qantas points, where I can spend $60,000 plus per month and I don’t want American Express. Can you advise which is the best at the moment, also with sign on points?

        Default Gravatar
        JonathanJune 11, 2017

        Hi Mark!

        Thanks for the comment.

        You can read more about how to earn uncapped rewards points and get a detailed comparison review of the cards that may meet your preferences. Select the “Go to Site” button to proceed with your application of your chosen card issuer.

        Take note that if you need information beyond this page or the status of your application, you need to contact the bank for further advise.

        Hope this helps.

        Cheers,
        Jonathan

      Default Gravatar
      SamAugust 3, 2016

      Can you advise the best business credit card, i want to just pay my quarterly BAs with this card. I have been told you can accuse Qantas points from these payments?

        Avatarfinder Customer Care
        DeeAugust 4, 2016Staff

        Hi Sam,

        Thanks for your question.

        You can check our article about earning points when paying taxes. You’ll be able to compare business credit cards that let you earn rewards and Qantas points when you pay to the ATO.

        Cheers,
        Anndy

      Default Gravatar
      MarkMarch 20, 2015

      Is Amex the only business card to offer points on Govt dept purchase (i.e. RTA), currently 0.5 per dollar sent but going to 0.25 per $ from July 1.
      Thanks

        Avatarfinder Customer Care
        JonathanMarch 23, 2015Staff

        Hi Mark,

        Thanks for your inquiry.

        That is correct. You may also refer to our guide to compare credit cards that have rewards points earnings and allow payments to the ATO and see points per $1 for government charges.

        Cheers,
        Jonathan

      Default Gravatar
      SimonJanuary 1, 2015

      which frequent flyer cards are not capped at present (2015)

      Thanks

        Avatarfinder Customer Care
        ElizabethJanuary 5, 2015Staff

        Hi Simon,

        Thanks for your question.

        You can compare and apply by reading through uncapped frequent flyer credit cards.

        I hope this will help.

        Thanks,

        Elizabeth

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