Qantas Launches High Points Earning Credit Card

The Qantas Premier Mastercard®, issued by Citi, will reward Qantas Frequent Flyer members with an earn rate of up to two Qantas Points per dollar spent.

Key points earn features include:

• 60,000 bonus Qantas Points upon sign up when you spend $3,000 within 90 days of card approval[1] (opens in new window) - which is enough for an Economy Classic Flight Reward from Sydney to London[2] (opens in new window)
• 2 Qantas Points per $1 spent on Qantas, such as flights, Qantas Club membership, and purchases through the Qantas Store
• 1.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases overseas
• 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent on eligible purchases in Australia
• uncapped points earning potential.

In addition, cardholders will receive exclusive Qantas travel benefits including:

• up to 20 per cent discount on selected domestic companion fares once a year when booking with the Qantas Premier credit card through the Qantas Premier Concierge (which also provides services like restaurant recommendations and reservations and booking tickets to special events)
• two complimentary lounge invitations each anniversary year
• complimentary travel insurance.

The Qantas Money platform has also been announced today and will bring together Qantas Premier, Qantas Cash[3] (opens in new window) - the popular prepaid travel money card - and the new Qantas Money app.

Qantas Loyalty CEO Lesley Grant said the new credit card offers Qantas Frequent Flyers the opportunity to earn more points and access some great benefits when they travel.

"We know the option to earn Qantas Points influences consumer behaviour and so we expect the high earn rate attached to this card to make it very popular," said Ms Grant.

"The card has extra appeal for those who fly regularly, because of its ability to access fare discounts and lounge passes.

"From our perspective, this is an important next step in evolving the Qantas Loyalty business. It's an expansion of the financial products we offer and opens the opportunity for us to share directly in the card economics," added Ms Grant.

Citi Australia's Head of Cards and Loans Alan Machet said: "We are delighted to partner with Qantas to be the exclusive issuer of their new premium credit card. This partnership reflects our strategy to accelerate the growth of our cards business in this market and bring world-leading financial services capabilities to Australians."

"We're excited to partner with Qantas on the launch of the Qantas Premier Mastercard that provides consumers with the ability to earn greater rewards and experiences through everyday transactions. Mastercard is committed to offering a wide range of payment options and through this partnership we are able to bring enhanced value to Qantas Frequent Flyers," said Andrew Cartwright, Country Manager at Mastercard Australia.

Qantas Loyalty already competes in the financial services market, with 35 per cent of credit card spend in Australia earning Qantas Points on Qantas Frequent Flyer co-branded cards. Qantas also has a 17 per cent share of the prepaid travel card market with Qantas Cash. Since its launch in August 2013, around 670,000 cards have been activated and almost $3 billion of funds loaded.

Qantas Premier will offer zero per cent balance transfers for 15 months[4] (opens in new window) and a reduced annual fee of $149 for the first year and $299 each subsequent year.

Cardholders will be able to manage their Qantas Premier account through the Qantas Money app while they're on the move. The app allows users to see their balance, statements, transaction history and more, plus connect their accounts with other financial institutions to help them see their overall financial position. In addition, it will help users keep better track of their spending habits by categorising spend.

The launch will be supported by a campaign inspired by Dr Seuss's poem 'Oh, the places you'll go!' to showcase how far everyday spend on the Qantas Premier credit card could take Qantas Frequent Flyers. The video can be viewed below.