Our verdict

This no annual fee Amex card offers Qantas Points per $1 spent, but doesn't have many other frequent flyer perks.

The Qantas American Express Discovery Card is one of the only Qantas Frequent Flyer credit cards on the market with a $0 annual fee. It also 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.

While this card doesn’t offer many other bells and whistles, you do get access to refund and purchase insurances, as well as seasonal Amex Offers.

Pros

$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

High 23.99% p.a. interest rate on purchases
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

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. It earns between 0.5 and 1.75 Qantas Points per $1 on eligible spending, which 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.

Details

Product details

Product Name	Qantas American Express Discovery Card
Purchase rate p.a.	Purchase rate p.a. 23.99%
Interest-free period	Up to 44 days on purchases
Min credit limit	$2,000
Card type	American Express

Eligibility

Available to temporary residents	Yes - Conditions apply
Joint application	No

Rewards

Rewards program	Qantas Frequent Flyer
Bonus points	N/A
Rewards points per $ spent	0.75
Rewards points cap	Uncapped

Fees

Annual fee	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	Foreign currency conversion fee 3%
Additional cardholder fee	$0
Number of additional cardholders	4

"The perfect card for those looking to get a few extra Qantas points without worrying about the hassle of an annual fee. Perfect for when you need an AMEX card and it's still widely accepted in a lot of restaurants and bars here in Australia."

Michael Lieu

Finder crew member

How to apply

You can apply for the Qantas American Express Discovery Card online 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

Australian residency 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 and your employer's name and contact details.
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.

Card benefits

$0 annual fee. The Qantas American Express Discovery charges no annual fee, which is rare for a frequent flyer credit card. It also offers up to 4 additional cards for a $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.

Contactless and mobile payments. You can add the Qantas American Express Discovery to Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay, then tap to pay from your mobile device (or with the card).
Complimentary purchase insurances. This card offers card purchase cover for repairs or replacement of eligible items if they are accidentally broken or stolen within 90 days of the purchase. It also offers card refund cover if you're refused a refund on an unused eligible item within 90 days of the purchase.

Rates & fees

Interest rate. The Qantas American Express Discovery card charges a variable interest rate of 23.99% 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.

Sources

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Amy Finder

Editor

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Alan

January 04, 2024

Im on a pension $38k Excellent credit report and only have 9k left on mortgage which i can pay off Just turned 60

Do you think I would qualify and if I dont would this be on my credit report

Sarah Megginson Finder

January 04, 2024

Hi Alan,

Finder is a comparison site so we can’t provide personal advice. However, we can advise that applicants for the Qantas American Express Discovery Card must be 18 years of age or over, and earn a minimum income of $35,000 per annum to apply. Your pension is generally treated the same as a wage income source. Any application for credit (whether approved or not) will show up on your credit report.

Hope this helps!

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Chris

March 07, 2023

Hi, just to clarify with the interest free period. The first 12 months are interest free on purchases so I just need to make the minimum repayment at the end of each billing cycle? Is there a catch to this like minimum transaction amount or all purchases for the first 12 months are interest free?

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Amy Bradney-George Finder

March 09, 2023

Hi Chris,

That’s correct, there is currently a 0% interest rate on purchases for the first 12 months. That applies to all purchases during that period. The key conditions are that you would need to pay at least the minimum amount due on each statement, and any unpaid purchase baalnce at the end of the 12-month period would be charged interest at the card’s purchase rate. Hope this helps!

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November 20, 2022

Hi, can you confirm that the 44 days of interest free purchases applies only after the first 12 months, during which there is no limit of days at interest free?

Amy Bradney-George Finder

February 24, 2023

Hi Cristian,

When there is a promotional 0% interest rate on purchases, it applies for the entire introductory period. This means the standard interest-free days aren’t necessary during that time. Outside of any 0% purchase rate promotions, the Qantas American Express Discovery Card offers up to 44 days interest-free on purchases when you pay the full amount listed on each statement by the due date.

Regards,

Amy

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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!

Jeni Finder

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

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August 07, 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)?

Jeni Finder

August 07, 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

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Qantas American Express Discovery Card

Pros

Cons

How to apply

Eligibility criteria

Required documents

Card benefits

Rates & fees

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