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Qantas has quietly made a range of enhancements to top-up points, making it easier for more Qantas Frequent Flyer members to purchase larger amounts of points. But some Qantas top-up points prices have increased. Qantas is also adding a new fee for purchases made over the phone.
It appears the recent changes to Qantas top-up points came into effect on 24 July 2018. So far, they have gone largely unnoticed.
Changes to Qantas top-up points
Previously it was possible to buy Qantas points in increments of 500 points, up to a maximum of 60,000 points per transaction. The maximum purchase amount has now increased to 150,000 Qantas points per purchase. Qantas has also increased the maximum number of top-up point purchases from two to four within any 12 month period.
However, it’s no longer possible to purchase Qantas top-up points in increments of 500 points. These are now available only in increments of 1,000 points, up to 30,000 points. For purchases above 30,000 points, it’s now only possible to buy in increments of 5,000 top-up points. This means some people will now be forced to buy slightly more points than they actually need.
The cost of 1,000 Qantas top-up points has increased from $40 to $49. But the prices for most other amounts are now either the same or fifty cents higher.
Qantas no longer requires members to already have at least 80% of the Qantas points required for a specific reward in order to buy points. Instead, anyone that has been a Qantas Frequent Flyer member for at least 30 days can now buy Qantas top-up points – even members with no points.
The final change is a new $35 fee for buying top-up points via the Qantas call centre. This charge comes into effect from 24 October 2018. The good news is that Qantas recently made it possible to buy Qantas points online. But the website only accepts Visa and MasterCard; you’ll still need to call up if you wish to pay with an Amex or Diners Club card.
Is buying Qantas points good value?
Overall, buying Qantas top-up points is still poor value. The “per point” decreases as you purchase more points. But even the best possible rate – applicable to purchases over 60,000 points – is 2.37 cents per point. The maximum 150,000 Qantas points would cost you $3,549.
There could be some circumstances where it makes sense to purchase top-up Qantas points. For example, you might be just slightly short of the points required for a valuable reward. And there are some redemptions where you can get more than 2.37 cents per point worth of value – such as flights to Lord Howe Island.
But if you are short on Qantas points, you can often earn just as many points while spending less by buying a Qantas Wine case. The Qantas Wine bonus point offers are very generous, and the Qantas points typically post within a day. Plus, you also get to enjoy a case of wine.
You can earn large amounts of Qantas points for much less outlay by taking advantage of credit card sign-up deals. This month, Qantas is even offering 10,000 bonus points on top of the usual bonus when signing up for a new credit card.
