American Express revamps rewards on Qantas cards
Credit card giant American Express has rethought its rewards scheme for spenders with a Qantas card, and it’s good news for some cardholders - but not all of them.
The changes, which affect the American Express Qantas Discovery, Premium and Ultimate cards, mean that while everyday points earning rates and bonus point offers are higher, shoppers used to bagging up to triple points by dining out or shopping at major supermarkets will be left in the lurch.
“The cards still offer good value rewards to flyers and shoppers - the only customers who might miss out in a major way are those relying on spends at big supermarkets or petrol stations to plump up their points balance,” said Mozo Product Data Manager Peter Marshall.
Changes to the Amex Qantas Discovery Card:
| Previous rewards | New rewards | |
|---|---|---|
| Points earnt on eligible purchases | 1 point per $1 spent | 1 point per $1 spent |
| Points earnt on bills | 0.5 point per $1 spent on utilities, telecommunications, government services and insurance | 0.5 points per $1 spent on government charges |
| Points earnt on Qantas products and services | 2 points per $1 spent | 2 points per $1 spent |
| Bonus points | 7,500 | None |
While the changes to the Discovery Card were minimal - new cardholders will no longer score the 7,500 bonus Qantas points that were previously on offer - the Premium and Ultimate cards underwent more changes.
The bonus point offers on both cards have been bumped up by as many as 30,000 points, and the ordinary points earn rate on both cards has been increased as well. Plus, for the first time, Aussies opting for the Ultimate card can also snag 75 Qantas Bonus Status Credits when they sign up, book flights and travel within certain dates. On the other hand, shoppers will no longer score extra points for shopping at certain businesses.
Changes to the Amex Qantas Ultimate Card:
| Previous rewards | New rewards | |
|---|---|---|
| Points earnt on eligible purchases | 1 point per $1 spent | 1.5 point per $1 spent |
| Points earnt on bills | 0.5 points per $1 spent on utilities, telecommunications, government services and insurance | 0.5 points per $1 spent on government charges |
| Points earnt on Qantas products and services | 3 points per $1 spent | 2.5 points per $1 spent |
| Points earnt with eligible airlines, accommodation, cruise and tour operators, and foreign currency spends | 2 points per $1 spent | 1.5 point per $1 spent |
| Points earnt at partner restaurants | 3 points per $1 spent | 1.5 point per $1 spent |
| Bonus points | 50,000 bonus points | 75,000 bonus points |
| Bonus Status Credits | None | 75 |
READ MORE: You can now earn Qantas Status Credits on ANZ and AMEX credit cards
As the table above shows, Ultimate cardholders will no longer earn extra points when shopping at thousands of restaurants across Australia, select airlines, accommodation options, cruise and tour operators, or on foreign currency spends. However, they’ll see their bonus points boosted to 75,000.
Whereas Premium cardholders will no longer earn 2 points per $1 spent at major supermarkets or petrol stations but will also see their bonus points boosted to 60,000 points.
Changes to the Amex Qantas Premium Card:
| Previous rewards | New Rewards | |
|---|---|---|
| Points earnt on eligible purchases | 1 point per $1 spent | 1.25 point per $1 spent |
| Points earnt on bills | 0.5 points per $1 spent on utilities, telecommunications, government services and insurance | 0.5 points per $1 spent on government charges |
| Points earnt on Qantas products and services | 2 points per $1 spent | 2.25 points per $1 spent |
| Points earnt at major supermarkets and petrol stations | 2 points per $1 spent | 1.25 points per $1 spent |
| Bonus points | 30,000 bonus points | 60,000 bonus points |
So are the changes good news? In the end, it comes down to how you use your credit card to earn rewards points.
“With the bonus offers and higher earn rates on offer, I think ultimately, more people will get more value out of the cards now,” Marshall said.
Shoppers interested in earning rewards and frequent flyer points can search for the best offers on the market using Mozo’s Rewards Revealer tool.