Qantas American Express Discovery Card

Offers 10,000 bonus Qantas Points and no annual fee ever, with a 20.74% interest rate for purchases.

The Qantas American Express Discovery is suited to people who want to earn points for their everyday spending without paying a credit card annual fee. Right now, you can also get 10,000 bonus Qantas Points when you apply online by 27 October 2021 and spend $750 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months from card approval. But you do need to be a new American Express card member – meaning you won’t be eligible if you’ve had an Amex card in your name in the past 18 months.

The Qantas American Express Discovery also earns between 0.5 and 1.75 Qantas Points per $1 on eligible spending – with 0.75 points per $1 earned on most of your everyday purchases. This is competitive with other frequent flyer cards that have low or no annual fee. In comparison, cards with higher annual fees usually offer more perks like airport lounge passes or insurance – so think about whether you’d get more value from these features or from paying no annual fee.

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Amy Bradney-George

Last Updated Sep 1, 2021

10,000

Bonus points

20.74% p.a.

Purchase rate

0.75

Reward points

Per $ spent

$0 p.a.

Annual fee

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Details

Product Name	Qantas American Express Discovery Card
Rewards program	Qantas Frequent Flyer
Purchase rate	20.74% p.a.
Annual fee	$0
Interest-free period	Up to 44 days on purchases
Min credit limit	$2,000
Card type	American Express
Foreign currency conversion fee	3%

Minimum income	$35,000
Available to temporary residents	Yes - Conditions apply
Joint application	No

Pros

10,000 bonus Qantas Points
Ongoing $0 annual fee
Complimentary purchase and refund protection
Earn 0.75 Qantas Points per $1 spent and 0.5 points per $1 with government bodies in Australia

Cons

Charges a 3% foreign transaction fee
Only offers up to 44 days interest-free on purchases, as compared to other cards that offer 55 days

Rewards program	Qantas Frequent Flyer
Bonus points	10,000
Rewards points per $ spent	0.75
Rewards points cap	Uncapped

Annual fee	$0
Minimum monthly repayment	2.5% of the closing balance or $30, whichever is greater
Late payment fee	$30
Foreign currency conversion fee	3%
Additional cardholder fee	$0
Number of additional cardholders	4

Go to American Express's site More info

Review by

Amy Bradney-George

[email protected]

Amy Bradney-George has been writing about personal finance for more than 13 years – including over 600 articles as a senior writer for Finder. Her work has also appeared in publications including Money Magazine, The Sydney Morning Herald, Financy, ABC News Australia and Equity Magazine. Amy has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Drama from Griffith University.

Expert review

The Qantas American Express Discovery Card is one of the only Qantas Frequent Flyer credit cards on the market with an ongoing $0 annual fee. It earns 0.75 Qantas Points per $1 on everyday, eligible spending and 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 with government bodies. And you’ll get the maximum earn rate of 1.75 points per $1 when you use it to pay for select Qantas flights or other eligible products and services. It’s 10,000 bonus Qantas Points offer is lower than some other offers currently on the market, but you only need to spend $750 in the first 3 months – which is lower than a lot of other spend requirements.

The Qantas Amex Discovery also offers refund and purchase insurances and offers the compatibility of Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay – but not many other bells and whistles. It has a 20.74% p.a. variable interest rate for purchases, which is at the higher end of the scale for credit cards in Australia. But if you can pay the full balance by the due date on each statement, you'll get up to 44 days interest-free on purchases.

How to apply

You can apply for the Qantas American Express Discovery Card in around 10 minutes. Before you get started, make sure you meet the eligibility criteria and have all the required information on hand.

Eligibility criteria

Minimum income. Your pre-tax or gross income must be at least $35,000 p.a.
New cardholder. To be eligible for the bonus points offer, you must not hold or have held an American Express credit card in the last 18 months.

Residential status. You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or holder of a current long-term visa (12 months or more, not including student visas) to be eligible to apply.
Credit history. You must have no history of bad debt or payment default to receive approval. If you don't know your credit score or what's on your file, you can get a free copy of your credit report through Finder.
Age. You must be at least 18 years old to apply for this card.

Required documents

Personal information. This includes your full name, residential address, email address and driver's licence number.
Employment information. This includes your position, salary and your employer's name and contact details. You may also be required to provide several recent payslips.
Financial information. This includes any assets you have, such as shares, investments or savings. It also includes any existing debts from cards or loans, and ongoing financial commitments such as bills, rent or household expenses.
Qantas Frequent Flyer number. If you are an existing member of the Qantas Frequent Flyer Program, you will need to provide your membership number. If you are not yet a member, you can join for free.

Go to American Express's site More info

Card benefits

Bonus points offer. Receive 10,000 bonus Qantas points when you apply online by 27 October 2021 and spend $750 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months from card approval. The bonus points will be credited to your account 8 to 10 weeks after you meet the spend criteria.
$0 annual fee. Rare for a frequent flyer credit card, the Qantas American Express Discovery charges no annual fee for the life of the card. To earn points faster, you can also request up to 4 additional cards for $0 annual fee.

Uncapped Qantas Points. Earn 0.75 Qantas Points per $1 spent on everyday purchases, 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent with government bodies in Australia and 1.75 Qantas Points per $1 spent on selected Qantas products and services in Australia. These points are uncapped and will be credited to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account every month.
Shop Small points offer. Earn 3 extra Qantas Points per $1 spent and support small businesses. Just save the American Express Shop Small offer to your card and spend with participating businesses by 31 March 2022. The offer is valid both in-store and online, and you can earn a maximum total of 40,000 extra points. Check out Finder's news story on Shop Small for a breakdown of how it works.
Contactless and mobile payments. The Qantas American Express Discovery Card allows you to make contactless payments at the checkout and is compatible with mobile payment wallets including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay.
Complimentary purchase insurances. This card offers purchase protection insurance to cover the cost of repairing or replacing eligible items if they are accidentally broken or stolen within 90 days of purchase. It also offers refund protection insurance to cover the cost if you're refused a refund on an unused eligible item within 90 days of purchase.

Rates & fees

Interest rate. The Qantas American Express Discovery card charges a variable interest rate of 20.74% p.a. on purchases. There is no cash advance option available on this card.
Interest-free days. When you pay your balance in full by the due date on each statement, you can get up to 44 days interest-free on purchases.

Currency conversion rate. A 3% fee applies for transactions made in a foreign currency overseas or online.

Go to American Express's site More info

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419 Comments

Amalia
October 17, 2019

Hi,

I’m wondering if I purchase a flight with my Discovery Amex card is their travel insurance with that? And even though there is no lounge freebies, can I purchase a lounge ticket anyway while travelling overseas?

Thank you!

finder Customer Care

Jeni
October 19, 2019

Hi Amalia,

Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.

As of this writing, your Qantas American Express Discovery Card doesn’t have complimentary travel insurance. You may use this card to purchase a lounge ticket while travelling but you need to verify with the lounge if you may purchase access.

I hope this helps.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Jeni

Nav
August 7, 2019

Is the balance transfer offer a one-off promotion or do they typically have an ongoing promotion (e.g. most St George bank cards)?

finder Customer Care

Jeni
August 7, 2019

Hi Nav,

Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.

This Qantas American Express Discovery credit card’s balance transfer offer is just for new application only. To know other promotions they have for existing customers, please contact American Express directly.

I hope this helps.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Jeni

Bryan
October 15, 2018

My Wife and I are { Full } Age Pensioners. Have no debt and own our own home and current Mazda6 Atenza. Pls inform if OK.

finder Customer Care

John
October 16, 2018

Hi Bryan,

Thank you for leaving a question.

For you to apply for the Qantas American Express Discovery Card your pre-tax or gross income must be at least $35,000. If you qualify under this based on the pension you receive, you may call them directly to inquire on applying for this card. Please call 1300 727 065 for further information or click on the “Go to site” button located near the top of the page to be routed directly to their website. Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Reggie

Denis
July 17, 2018

I am a frequent flyer member , If I book and pay for Qantas flights with a travel agent with my Amex Discovery card , do I still receive the frequent flyer points

Nikki
July 17, 2018

Hi Denis,

Thanks for getting in touch!

Yes, you can still earn the frequent flyer points even if this is booked through a travel agent as long as you use your AMEX Discovery card.
Hope this helps!

Regards,
Nikki

Phil
June 26, 2018

Can you use the Q Amex Discovery Card to BPay bills and receive points? Thanks

finder Customer Care

Jhez
June 26, 2018

Hello Phil,

Thank you for your comment.

Upon checking, you can earn 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 when you spend on government bodies or have government transactions and paying your ATO bills using the Qantas American Express Discovery Card.

Regards,
Jhezelyn

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