Think you need to max out a rewards credit card each month to earn a good amount of frequent flyer points before Christmas? There are multiple ways you can earn at least 20,000 points before Christmas just by using your debit card, knowing which essential services to switch your regular spending to, and tapping into hacks that double or triple your point earnings in the one transaction.
Point Hacks (pointhacks.com.au) is an independent platform that brings together one of Australia’s biggest communities of airline rewards enthusiasts. Its team comprises some of Australia’s most knowledgeable frequent flyer experts, who have researched the Qantas Frequent Flyer and Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer programs to bring you 9 high-earning non-credit card point hacks.
Daniel Sciberras, Point Hacks’ spokesperson and frequent flyer expert, says: “When redeemed for economy flights, 20,000 frequent flyer points are worth around $400. You can really think of this as bonus money to spend on flights, because our hacks prove that you don’t need to spend more to earn points. Qantas, Velocity – and many other rewards programs – have multiple partnerships in place that enable you to earn points simply for using essential services such as gas and electricity, doing your regular grocery shopping, going to the movies and paying your mobile phone bill.
“You can use your 20,000 points to book flights for your 2019 summer holiday. This amount of points will enable you to book a return flight from Sydney to Byron Bay, Launceston or the Gold Coast, or a return flight from Melbourne to Sydney or Hobart.”
9 hacks to earn at least 20,000 frequent flyer points before Christmas – on your debit card:
- Earn up to 2000 points when booking an Uber. If you’re a Qantas Frequent Flyer member, you can earn 2000 Qantas Points when you link or set up an Uber account via the Qantas app, then take an Uber trip. Alternatively, earn 1-3 Qantas Points when booking an Uber to or from eligible Australian airports using the Qantas app.
- Eat out once a fortnight? You can earn 1200 points. Did you know Qantas has a restaurant booking portal that allows you to choose from 4000 restaurants across Australia? Each time you book at Qantas Restaurants, you will earn 100 points per diner. If you eat out with your partner once a fortnight, in three months you’ll earn 1200 points.
- Double or triple your rewards at supermarkets – to at least 2000 points. Earn 1 extra flybuys point for every $1 you spend at Coles if you hold a Coles personal insurance policy. For instance, if you hold two Coles insurance policies – say, comprehensive car and contents insurance – you will earn 3 flybuys points for every $1 spent at Coles. If you spend $500 a month on your grocery shopping, you’ll earn 4500 flybuys points – that’s worth almost 2000 Velocity Points.
- Taking a domestic trip before Christmas? You could earn 2000 points. Never forget to input your airline rewards membership number when booking flights. A Sydney-Melbourne return flight can earn you 1600 Qantas Points. For every $1 spent on a Virgin Australia flight will earn you 5 Velocity Points – that’s 2000 points for a $400 return flight. Earn 4 Qantas Points for every $1 spent on Avis and Budget car rentals when booking through the Qantas Store. If you’ll be overseas before Christmas, a Velocity Global Wallet can earn you 2 Velocity points per $1 AUD spent.
- Earn up to 20,000 points on your mobile phone plan. Sign up or upgrade to a Vodafone Plus Plan, selected Red Plan or selected 12-month SIM Only Plan online and earn up to 20,000 Qantas Points. You can earn 2 points per $1 spent on eligible Vodafone Postpaid Mobile Phone, Mobile SIM or Mobile Broadband plans until 31 October 2019.
- Earn at least 450 points for movies or music. Become a HOYTS Rewards Bronze member to earn 1 Qantas Point for every $2 spent on tickets or snacks. If you spend $50 a fortnight at the movies, that’s 450 points before Christmas. Purchase tickets for concerts and major events with a red ‘P+’ icon through the Ticketek website, and earn 1 Velocity Point per $1 spent. Earn 2 Qantas Points per $1 spent on iTunes through the Qantas Mall website.
- Earn up to 10,000 points when you switch your home energy plan. Sign up for a Qantas Red Plus energy plan through the Red energy websiteand link your Frequent Flyer number. Take up electricity and gas to earn 10,000 and 5000 points respectively, plus earn up to 7 points per $1 spent on your bills. Or earn 10,000 flybuys points if you switch to AGL Energy and link your flybuys membership, plus 1 flybuys point for every $1 spent on your bill. The flybuys bonus alone will translate to 4350 Velocity Points.
- Earn around 500 points filling up your car. As a Velocity member, you can earn 2 Velocity Points per litre or $1 spent in-store at participating BP service stations. If you spend $80 a month on petrol, you’ll earn 480 points.
- Refinance your home loan and earn 3000-150,000-plus points. With lenders now increasing interest rates, you might be thinking about switching your home loan. Consider the Virgin Money Reward Me Home Loan. Velocity members will earn 1000 points per loan account per month when they sign up through the Velocity website. If you are a Qantas Frequent Flyer member and apply for a home loan with Macquarie Bank, you can earn 80,000 bonus points upon application, 10,000 points for every $100,000 drawn down at settlement, and 1000 points each month.[1]
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