9.2

Finder Score

Excellent

Go to site

Terms and conditions apply

Bonus points: 50,000
Purchase rate: 23.99% p.a.
Reward points per $ spent: 1.25
Annual fee: $450 p.a.

Our verdict

This is an impressive frequent flyer credit card that offers 50,000 bonus Qantas Points, a yearly $450 Qantas travel credit and complimentary lounge invitations.

Finder Awards 2025 winner

The Qantas American Express Ultimate Card is packed with frequent flyer perks and currently offers 50,000 bonus Qantas Points when you apply online by 01 July 2025 and spend at least $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months. It has an impressive Finder score of 9.23 for frequent flyer cards, reflecting its generous bonus points offer, high earn rate and top-value lounge access and travel credits. It won Best Qantas Frequent Flyer Credit Card in the 2025 Finder Awards.

To give you an idea of your points potential, this would be enough to redeem a one-way economy class flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles (41,900 Qantas Points plus fees and taxes) or a one-way business class flight from Sydney to Perth (41,500 points plus fees and taxes).

This card also has one of the highest earn rates on the market, giving you 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 on everyday, eligible spending. And 1 additional point per $1 spent on Qantas products and services, which gives you up to 2.25 points per $1. After the first 100,000 points per year, the everyday earn rate drops to 1 point per $1, which is still competitive with other Qantas credit cards on the market. Other perks includes lounge passes, complimentary travel insurance and an annual $450 Qantas Travel Credit. It charges a relatively high annual fee and interest rate on purchases, so you would need to use and get value from these extras to make sure you got the most value from it.

Pros

50,000 bonus Qantas Points
Up to 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases in Australia, uncapped
$450 Qantas Travel Credit each year
2 complimentary Qantas Club lounge invitations each year
Complimentary travel insurance
Finder Score of 9.23 in the frequent flyer category

Cons

High $450 annual fee
High 23.99% p.a. interest rate for purchases
3% foreign currency conversion fee
Only offers up to 44 days interest-free on purchases (many cards offer 55 days)

The Qantas American Express Ultimate currently offers the highest earn rate amongst Qantas-earning credit cards – with a rate of 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 on eligible spending. This means a purchase of $100 earns 125 points. Added value is available for new card members with a bonus points offer. To get the most out of a card like this, you need to make use of the other travel perks it offers; the annual fee is on the higher side when compared to other frequent flyer credit cards, but you could justify paying the relatively high $450 annual fee when you know you'll receive a $450 Qantas Travel Credit.

Note that the travel credit must be redeemed on the Amex Travel website, and terms and conditions apply around how it can be redeemed; for example, it can only be used once on 1 booking, and the value of the travel you purchase must be at least $450. Its other perks include 2 complimentary Qantas Club lounge invitations and 2 Centurion lounge invitations every year, complimentary travel insurance and complimentary Qantas Wine Premium membership.

Details

Product details

Product Name	Qantas American Express Ultimate Card
Purchase rate p.a.	Purchase rate p.a.23.99%
Interest-free days	Up to 44 days on purchases
Min credit limit	$3,000
Card type	American Express

Eligibility

Available to temporary residents	Yes - Conditions apply
Joint application	No

Rewards

Rewards program	Qantas Frequent Flyer
Bonus points	50,000
Rewards points per $ spent	1.25
Rewards points cap	Uncapped

Fees

Annual fee	$450
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

Congratulations, American Express!

The Qantas American Express Ultimate Card won Best Qantas Frequent Flyer Credit Card in the 2025 Finder Awards.

Full list of 2025 winners

How to apply

If you've compared your options and decided on the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card, you can apply online in around 10 minutes and may get a response within 60 seconds. Before you get started, make sure you meet the eligibility criteria and have all the essential documents and details to complete the application.

Eligibility criteria

New card member. The introductory bonus points offer on this card is only available if you have not held another card issued by American Express in the past 18 months.
Residency. You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or hold a current long term visa (12 months or more). Student visas are not eligible.

Age. You must be at least 18 years old.
Credit history. You must not have a history of bad debt or payment defaults. 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.

Required documents

Personal documents. This covers your full name, email address, date of birth, driver's licence number, marital status, number of dependants and contact number.
Frequent flyer number. You'll need to provide your Qantas Frequent Flyer number to collect points with this card. If you're not a Qantas Frequent Flyer member yet, check out our guide on how to join for free.
Employment details. This includes your current employment status, job title and your employer's contact details. You may also be asked for recent payslips, your most recent tax return or your accountant's contact details (particularly if you're self-employed).
Financial details. As well as your provide details of your savings, shares or other assets. You also need to include details of any existing debts and credit accounts, as well as estimates of your regular household expenses.

"I took out the Qantas Amex Ultimate Card specifically for a trip to the US. By booking my flights using this card, not only did I make progress towards the bonus points deal but also qualified for free travel insurance on my trip."

Thomas Stelzer

Journalist

Go to American Express' site More info

Card benefits

50,000 bonus Qantas Points. You'll get 50,000 bonus Qantas Points when you apply online as a new Amex card member by 01 July 2025 and spend at least $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months. Terms and conditions apply. Eligible purchases include most everyday spending but do not include cash advances, interest, fees and charges or traveller's cheques and foreign currencies.
$450 Qantas Travel Credit. You can use this travel credit for eligible Qantas flights (with a QF number) booked through American Express Travel, including international and domestic flights for you or someone else. You can redeem the travel credit once you have paid the annual fee for that year and paid at least the minimum amount listed by the statement due date. When making a booking, you need to log in to your Amex account, select the "Travel Credit" option on the booking page and pay using your Amex card. The travel credit is then added to your account within 3 business days (but may take up to 30 days). As the booking must be made through American Express Travel, note that ticket prices may differ from those listed on the Qantas website or other booking services. You can't use points towards your booking either.

Qantas Points per $1 spent. You'll earn 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on everyday purchases made with this card and 0.5 points per $1 for spending with government bodies in Australia. You'll also earn 1 additional Qantas Point per $1 when you use this card to pay for Qantas flights with a QF flight number through qantas.com.au, or for Qantas Frequent Flyer and Qantas Club membership joining/annual fees. But after the first 100,000 points earned in a calendar year, the earn rate for everyday spending changes to 1 point per $1 spent. This doesn't count points earned through an introductory offer. And all other earn rates stay the same.
Complimentary travel insurance. You'll get complimentary domestic and international travel insurance through this card when you use it to pay for your return trip – including cover for emergency medical expenses, trip cancellations and amendments and some cover for COVID-19. Your partner and dependent children are also eligible for this travel insurance when they're travelling with you and meet the requirements. See Finder's guide to American Express complimentary insurance for more details.
Airport lounge passes. This card gives you two complimentary Qantas Club lounge invitations each anniversary year of your card membership, after paying for selected Qantas products and services in Australia. You will also receive two entries to the Centurion Lounge at Sydney International (Kingsford Smith) Airport T1 or Melbourne International Airport T2 each year.
Complimentary Qantas Wine Premium membership. Qantas Wine offers a waived $99 annual fee on premium membership for Qantas American Express Ultimate card members, giving you access to benefits including free delivery on all orders within Australia and 3 points per $1 spent on wine (in addition to the points earned through your card).
Mobile payments. This card lets you make payments straight from your iPhone, Samsung or Android device when you add it to Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Google Pay.

Rates & fees

Annual fee. This card charges a $450 annual fee.
Interest rate. The Qantas American Express Ultimate Card has an interest rate of 23.99% p.a. for purchases.

Interest-free period. If you pay your balance in full by the due date on each statement, you'll get up to 44 interest-free days on purchases.
Additional cards. You can get up to 4 additional cards for anyone over 18 years of age. Additional cards don't attract an extra fee and additional card members can earn Qantas Points too. However, you will be responsible for managing the account and card balance.
Foreign transaction fee. A 3% fee applies for transactions made in a foreign currency overseas or online.

Go to American Express' site More info

Sources

Your reviews

Not enough reviews Write a review

Ask a question

To ask a question simply log in via your email or create an account.

Ask a question

Amy Finder

Journalist

Hi there, looking for more information? Ask us a question.

You are about to post a question on finder.com.au:

Do not enter personal information (eg. surname, phone number, bank details) as your question will be made public
finder.com.au is a financial comparison and information service, not a bank or product provider
We cannot provide you with personal advice or recommendations
Your answer might already be waiting – check previous questions below to see if yours has already been asked

Accept and continue

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Tom

February 12, 2025

Hi,

Can i use the $450 travel credit for a hotel instead of flights?

Sarah Megginson Finder

February 13, 2025

Hi Tom,

Your Qantas Travel Credit can only be used towards one single eligible international or domestic Qantas flight (i.e. a QF flight number on your ticket) to the value of $450 or more on your eligible Card, booked and paid through American Express Travel Online.

Tom

February 11, 2025

Hi,

I have a question regarding the travel credit attached to the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card. I noticed on the American Express website it says “If your Card comes with a complimentary flight or Travel Credit, it’ll be available on the anniversary of the date your Account was opened each year, once you’ve paid your annual fee and the minimum payment on your most recent statement.”

Does this mean I can only access the travel credit after having the card for a year?

Thanks

Show more Show less

Sarah Megginson Finder

February 13, 2025

Hi Tom,

The FAQs from Amex state: I’m a new Card Member, when will my Travel Credit be available? In order to redeem the Travel Credit, your Card must be in good standing and you must have paid the annual fee and minimum payment by the due date. This is not 100% clear, but it indicates that you will be charged an annual fee upon opening the account, and provided you pay this in full (along with any minimum payment due) your credit should be available for use right away.

The T&Cs add no further clarity, as they state: As a Primary Qantas American Express Ultimate Card Member, you are eligible for one $450 Qantas Travel Credit each anniversary year. This does imply you’ll have access to a travel credit in the first year of having the card.

You can contact Amex for clarity here.

Hope this helps!

Show more Show less

Ryan

February 01, 2025

If i take this card with me on my overseas trip and spend $5000 overseas, will that count towards the minimum spend

Angus Kidman Finder

February 05, 2025

Hi Ryan, Yes, expenditure overseas on travel, hotels and shopping should qualify, provided it takes place in the 3 months after the card is issued. The one caveat? Any cash advances via an ATM would not count, as those aren’t eligible expenditure.

December 03, 2024

Does the Qantas American Express Ultimate card offer complementary car hire excess insurance?

Sarah Megginson Finder

December 09, 2024

Hi Alan, I reviewed the terms and conditions and I can’t see any coverage for complimentary car hire excess.

You can contact Amex for confirmation by emailing CustomerService.AUNZ@chubb.com or call 1800 815 675.

Hope this helps!

Show more Show less

Shammith

November 21, 2024

Can I use both my Qantas credit and points together in a booking? If yes what’s the process like?

Angus Kidman Finder

November 21, 2024

Hi Shammith, Unfortunately you can’t do this – you have to spend the travel credit on its own.

Amy is an experienced journalist with over 16 years of experience, contributing to major publications like Money Magazine, The Sydney Morning Herald, and ABC News Australia. Specialising in personal finance, she frequently appeared in media outlets and on radio. Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Drama from Griffith University and earned RG146 certifications in Tier 1 Generic Knowledge and Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products, ensuring her expertise is grounded in current financial regulations. Amy was Finder's Senior Writer for Credit Cards from 2016 to 2024. See full profile

Qantas American Express Ultimate Card

Pros

Cons

Congratulations, American Express!

How to apply

Eligibility criteria

Required documents

Card benefits

Rates & fees

Your reviews

Important information about this website

Advertiser disclosure

How we make money

Sorting and ranking products

Terms of service and privacy policy