If you have a Qantas Frequent Flyer card, chances are that you also have a Qantas Cash card. This is the debit card on the back of your frequent flyer membership card. The airline advertises Qantas Cash as a “travel money” card, but is it a viable option as an everyday banking card to use at home?
I have the Qantas Cash Prepaid debit card and have been wondering if anybody uses it for everyday purchases in Australia regularly? I know the exchange rates are poor for overseas use but what about having my weekly pay deposited directly onto it and paying bills and using it for general expenses?
Interested to hear your thoughts as it seems like an easy way to get points without too much fuss.
The short answer is “yes”. But, after recent devaluations to the Qantas Cash earning rates, there may be better options.
Our members tend not to recommend Qantas Cash as a travel money card. You do earn 1.5 Qantas points for every dollar (in foreign currency equivalent) spent overseas. But the exchange rates are relatively poor, compared to the Citibank Plus debit card or 28 Degrees MasterCard.
As a debit card to use within Australia, Qantas Cash could be an attractive alternative for somebody that is unable to – or does not wish to – get a credit card that earns Qantas points. The card now earns 0.25 Qantas points per dollar spent within Australia, and there are no ongoing account fees. You can also deposit your salary onto the card, however there are ATM fees for withdrawing cash.
I know of people who used it domestically as an alternative to for them unobtainable rewards Credit Cards. Now even at ¼ point per dollar, I suppose it better than nothing.
As it is a debit card, and not a credit card, Qantas Cash does come with some limitations. For example, it is not recommended for things like hotel pre-authorisations and does not work with Uber.
I used to do this until they changed the points earn – it used to be 1 point for every $2 spent, so it kind of lost its shine for me. It works perfectly well though! There are a few issues though as it is a prepaid card – you can’t use it on the uber ap for example.
If you’re looking for a point-earning debit card to use in Australia, there are a couple of alternatives. For collecting Velocity points, the Velocity Global Wallet card awards 0.33 points per dollar spent within Australia. There’s also the Bankwest Qantas transaction card, which awards 5 Qantas points for every purchase.
Join the Qantas Cash discussion HERE.
