Qantas and Velocity credit cards with no annual fee
You can get a frequent flyer credit that earns Qantas or Velocity Points without an annual fee. These cards save you money, but you miss out on bonus point offers.
These cards are your ticket to sky-high point earning potential, hefty welcome bonuses, solid ongoing earn rates, and a premium selection of travel-centric perks.
7+
Great
These cards might have slightly less impressive points earning or sign-up bonuses.
5+
Standard
Reliable workhorses for frequent flyers who want a well-balanced card. Enjoy decent point earning potential, competitive rates, and a good mix of practical perks.
0+
Basic
The entry point in the frequent flyer market. Their sign-up bonuses and ongoing earn rates might not be as generous.
How do frequent flyer credit cards with no annual fee work?
Most frequent flyer cards offer a stack of bonus points and features like complimentary travel insurance and airport lounge passes. The annual fees on these cards are around $300–$400.
No annual fee frequent flyer credit cards let you earn Velocity or Qantas Points without paying the annual fee.
But you won't get all the lounge passes or travel insurance. And you won't get a big bonus points offer. These cards are all about letting you earn points on your spending while keeping costs down.
Some frequent flyer credit cards only offer no annual fee in the first year
With these cards you can earn points and ever pay the annual fee.
No annual fee in the first year
Some frequent flyer credit cards waive the annual fee in the first year only. After 12 months you have to pay the annual fee each year.
It's still a nice discount. And you could cancel the card before the 12 months is up if you don't want to pay the fee.
Are no annual fee Qantas and Velocity Points cards worth it?
The higher a credit card's annual fee, the more bonus points, features and perks you can get. So while you pay more for some cards, the high fee cards offer more value.
If you use them.
If you don't take advantage of perks like lounge passes and complimentary travel insurance, and if you don't meet the spend criteria to get the bonus points, you're paying a big annual fee for nothing.
Our expert says: No-fee frequent flyer cards are all about the earn rate
"You don't get bonus points offers with these cards. So you can't earn 100,000 bonus Qantas Points when you sign up. But you do earn points on spending. So look closely at the earn rate. 1 point per dollar spent is a good rate. No fee cards often have lower earn rates, but there's no fee. It's still a cheap way to earn points. "
How long will it take me to earn enough points for a reward flight?
Bonus points sign up offers are the best way to earn stacks of points. But no annual fee Qantas and Velocity cards don't have bonus points. So you have to figure out how many points you can earn on your spending.
Example
Let's say a reward flight between Sydney and Melbourne, booked in advance, costs around 8,000 Qantas or Velocity Points (that's roughly accurate).
Earn rate of 0.5 points per dollar spent. You have to spend $16,000 on eligible purchases to earn 8,000 points.
Earn rate of 0.75 points per dollar spent. You have to spend $10,666 on eligible purchases to earn 8,000 points.
Earn rate of 1 point per dollar spent. You have to spend $8,000 on eligible purchases to earn 8,000 points.
How to compare frequent flyer credit cards with no annual fee
Is the no annual fee for life or just 12 months? Check whether the $0 annual fee is for the first year only or an ongoing feature of the card
What is the earn rate? The amount of points you'll earn per $1 can help you figure out how much value you'll get from the card based on your typical spending.
Are there interest-free days? Check how many (if any) interest-free days you get. This gives you a bit of time before interest charges apply.
What is the card's interest rate? If you pay your card balance off in full you can avoid interest charges. If not, a lower purchase rate means lower interest charges.
What other perks can you get? Look at any other benefits like travel discounts, complimentary insurance, lounge access and cashback.
9+ Excellent - These cards are your ticket to sky-high points earning potential, hefty welcome bonuses, solid ongoing earn rates, and a premium selection of travel perks.
7+ Great - These cards might have slightly less impressive points earning or sign-up bonuses than the best cards on the market.
5+ Satisfactory - Reliable workhorses for frequent flyers who want decent points earning potential and some mix of perks and benefits.
Less than 5 – Basic - the entry point in the frequent flyer market. Their sign-up bonuses and ongoing earn rates are lower.
How does the Finder Frequent Flyer Score work?
The Finder Score is an easy way you can figure out which frequent flyer credit cards are worth the trip, and which ones aren't worth getting out of bed for.
Here's how the score works:
We analyse over 250 credit cards and assess 8 features, giving a score for each one.
Then we combine these scores using a weighted methodology (because some features are more important than others).
This gives us a final score out of 10: the Finder Score.
In the frequent flyer category we only consider credit cards that:
Link to the Qantas Frequent Flyer or Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer program.
Let you earn points directly based on spending.
Are available to general consumers.
Scores are category-specific. So one credit card could receive a score of 9 in the balance transfer category but a score of 8 in the frequent flyer category.
The Finder Score methodology is designed by our insights and editorial team. Commercial partners carry no weight, and all products are reviewed objectively.
Keep in mind there is no best for everyone, and we encourage you to consider your own financial circumstances when making a financial decision.
Frequent flyer credit cards - score weightings
Feature
Definition
Assessment
Weight
Earn Rate
Points earned for every dollar spent on eligible purchases
Points awarded per dollar (up to 1.5)
28%
Sign-Up Points
Bonus points earned for signing up and meeting spending requirements
Total bonus points offered (up to 150,000)
25%
Purchase Rate
Interest rate on new purchases
Lower rates receive higher scores (up to 23.99% max)
Yes, the Qantas American Express Discovery Card and the BankVic Qantas Visa Credit Card both earn Qantas Points and have a $0 annual fee for life. You can also compare current introductory offers to see which Qantas Frequent Flyer credit cards offer a waived or reduced annual fee in the first year.
Yes, it is possible. Just make sure you pay the card off in full and cancel it before 12 months have passed. You may even want to call the provider and check what date the annual fee will be charged so that you can be sure you close the account before then.
Qantas Money has its own range of credit cards that lets you earn Qantas Points. NAB is the credit card issuer for these products.
But plenty of other credit cards from different banks let you earn Qantas Points too.
Earning frequent flyer points is worth it if you redeem them for reward flights (you can book regular flights with points too but you pay way more). You can save a fair bit of money this way, especially if you book well in advance.
Plus, if you collect Flybuys at Coles you can convert these into Velocity Points. You can do the same with Woolworths Everyday Rewards Points to Qantas Points.
Richard Whitten is Finder’s Money Editor, with over seven years of experience in home loans, property and personal finance. His insights appear in top media outlets like Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and the Herald Sun, and he frequently offers expert commentary on television and radio, helping Australians navigate mortgages and property ownership. Richard holds multiple industry certifications, including a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking (RG 206) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146), as well as a Graduate Certificate in Communications from Deakin University. See full bio
Richard's expertise
Richard has written 625 Finder guides across topics including:
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 bio
Amy's expertise
Amy has written 532 Finder guides across topics including:
I was going to apply for the new Qantas Premium Credit card but I need to have a Frequent Flyer card first, is that right?
Finder
DeeAugust 16, 2017Finder
Hi John,
Thanks for your question.
You can apply for this card even if you are not yet a member of the Qantas frequent flyer program. However, to receive points, you need to sign up for Qantas membership.
Cheers,
Anndy
EileenApril 22, 2016
Are there credit cards that are better to use when travelling? I used a credit card when I travelled previously and found the costs quite high.
Finder
YsaApril 23, 2016Finder
Hi Eileen,
Thanks for your question and for getting in touch with Finder.
If you are considering other credit card options for your next trip, please refer to our Travel Credit Cards page.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Ysa
steveFebruary 3, 2015
Hi, which frequent flyer card allows use of airline lounges? as well as accumulating points. Or is a different program (card) REQUIRED. Thanks Steve
Finder
JonathanFebruary 4, 2015Finder
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Please see a list of credit cards which include free airline lounge access. You may also refer to a list of Frequent Flyer cards and other airline rewards. The airline lounges’ benefits will vary from card to card, generally possessing higher annual fees for the benefits.
I hope this has helped.
Cheers,
Jonathan
MFebruary 18, 2014
My husband & I are on the aged pension so our income is under $35,000. We pay the majority of our bills on our ANZ QFF Visa card & pay the full balance each month so do not attract interest.
How can we switch to another card eg. Virgin which may be may be of more benefit to us?
Finder
JacobFebruary 18, 2014Finder
Hi M,
Thanks for your question.
You can use our credit card comparison page for a range of credit cards that may be suited to your needs. If you would like to change your current credit card to another provider, you can close your existing account. You can call your card issuer and let them know you would like to close the account once it has been paid in full. Then apply for another card through the application links provided on our credit card review pages. If you have a balance on your current card, you can apply to transfer this balance to your new card under a balance transfer promotion.
Earn KrisFlyer miles on your everyday spending and get introductory bonus points with a credit card linked to the Singapore Airlines frequent flyer program.
Find out if there are any credit card offers that let you earn Qantas Frequent Flyer Status for your eligible spending and learn more about how to reach Silver, Gold or Platinum Qantas status.
From flights and hotel stays to travel packages, gift cards and merchandise, here’s how to make the most of 100,000 Velocity Points based on your lifestyle and goals.
Reward your spending with an air miles credit card and redeem points for your next flight.
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I was going to apply for the new Qantas Premium Credit card but I need to have a Frequent Flyer card first, is that right?
Hi John,
Thanks for your question.
You can apply for this card even if you are not yet a member of the Qantas frequent flyer program. However, to receive points, you need to sign up for Qantas membership.
Cheers,
Anndy
Are there credit cards that are better to use when travelling? I used a credit card when I travelled previously and found the costs quite high.
Hi Eileen,
Thanks for your question and for getting in touch with Finder.
If you are considering other credit card options for your next trip, please refer to our Travel Credit Cards page.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Ysa
Hi, which frequent flyer card allows use of airline lounges? as well as accumulating points. Or is a different program (card) REQUIRED. Thanks Steve
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Please see a list of credit cards which include free airline lounge access. You may also refer to a list of Frequent Flyer cards and other airline rewards. The airline lounges’ benefits will vary from card to card, generally possessing higher annual fees for the benefits.
I hope this has helped.
Cheers,
Jonathan
My husband & I are on the aged pension so our income is under $35,000. We pay the majority of our bills on our ANZ QFF Visa card & pay the full balance each month so do not attract interest.
How can we switch to another card eg. Virgin which may be may be of more benefit to us?
Hi M,
Thanks for your question.
You can use our credit card comparison page for a range of credit cards that may be suited to your needs. If you would like to change your current credit card to another provider, you can close your existing account. You can call your card issuer and let them know you would like to close the account once it has been paid in full. Then apply for another card through the application links provided on our credit card review pages. If you have a balance on your current card, you can apply to transfer this balance to your new card under a balance transfer promotion.
I hope this has answered your question.
Cheers,
Jacob