Qantas Cash travel card revises frequent flyer earning rates
By Chris C., March 16 2017
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The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.
When it comes to earning frequent flyer points on your Qantas Cash card, the Red Roo giveth and the Red Roo taketh away.
Qantas is revamping the points-per-dollar rate on its own-branded debit card which is baked into Qantas Frequent Flyer membership cards.
From July 1 2017, transactions made within Australia will see your earn rate halved from the current 0.5 Qantas Points per dollar to 0.25 Qantas Points per dollar – meaning you’ll need to spend $4 on the card to earn a solitary Qantas Point.
It's better news for travellers, however, with foreign currency payments – including those made via online shopping to overseas stores – from May 1 2017 getting a 50% boost from today's one Qantas Point for the equivalent of each Aussie dollar to 1.5 Qantas Points per Aussie dollar.
That's as high as some top-tier credit cards such as the American Express Qantas Ultimate Card.
As is already Qantas Cash policy, frequent flyer points are not awarded on any ATM cash withdrawals or ‘cash out’ transactions: only on purchases made directly with businesses via the MasterCard network.
Did you know? Compared to the new Qantas Cash earn rate in Australia, slipping a Qantas American Express Discovery Card into your wallet can yield up to four times as many points per dollar on your everyday spends at home.
There's no annual fee to pay either, so you could use it in tandem with Qantas Cash: whipping out the AMEX wherever it's accepted to maximise your frequent flyer points, and relying on the Qantas Cash card for those times where MasterCard is more welcome.
Disclaimer
Executive Traveller may receive a commission when you apply for these credit cards via our links.
The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
02 Dec 2015
Total posts 30
wow what a shocking point earnign rate and this is coming from Qantas' own card. I use this as a back up card because the points were sufficient reward for spend but under the new rates, it isn't worth anyone's time.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1385
The card is free - so to be expected. I suspect they lose money on people using it for AUD only
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Mar 2017
Total posts 1
agree, the exchange rates are very poor which in effect has you paying directly for the points. Did a few loads on the card until I did the maths.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Oct 2016
Total posts 143
Agree - The conversion rates are generally shocking, I would suggest more than 3% as there is a big gap to my CBA travel card, although I note they have a special on at the moment
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 May 2013
Total posts 34
Off to velocity global walet
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 56
Good for me because this is my card when I travel and shop online from overseas websites.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 387
You're still better off using your credit card to earn points and cop the 3% with a much better exchange rate than any of these travel cards. If you don't care about points go with 28 degrees and no 3%.
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 12
Only if you have a credit card, I don't and so I use this card all the time.
09 Jan 2016
Total posts 44
Was always a rubbish card with a terrible exchange rate. Applied for one but have never used it once I compared the rates.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Oct 2014
Total posts 681
According to QF's Annual Report, the 'conversion' rate of QFF actually 'activating' their QFF cards to Qantas Cash has been IMHO fairly 'ordinary'. This move to slash domestic rates is guaranteed not to encourage further signups. An odd way to promote the product indeed.
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