There are a few things to know about earning points for your business. Here, I’ll break down the essentials, as well as how much value you can expect to get out of your points.
Making sure you’re earning points on advertising costs
You can earn up to 3 Amex Membership Rewards points per dollar on ad spend with big hitters like Amex’s Business Gold Plus credit card. But, not all advertising merchants deliver points on credit cards, and there might be caps or limits to what you can earn.
So, first I’ll explain:
- How to check you’ll earn points on business advertising
- What constitutes official advertising spend
- Checking for caps and limits on points
How to check you’ll earn points on business advertising
Retailers that accept credit cards are assigned a 4-digit Merchant Category Code (MCC). The code tells the bank what type of business it is. For example:
| Business | MCC Category | MCC Codes |
|---|---|---|
| Jetstar | Airlines | 3000-3299 |
| Coles | Grocery Stores, Supermarkets | 5411 |
| Childcare | Child Care Services | 8351 |
| Google Ads | Advertising Services | 7311 |
When you purchase something from a supermarket, the credit card system reads the MCC and applies the relevant earn rate. So, you’ll only earn points on a purchase when the MCC matches the categories your card has designated as “points earning” categories.
What constitutes advertising spend?
Major platforms like Google, Meta, and LinkedIn should charge under the “advertising services” MCC. Amex credit cards will generally accept this MCC for earning points, and Visa and Mastercard too - but it’s always a good idea to check.
⚡ The American Express Business Gold card earns bonus points per dollar for advertising with Xero, Google Ads, Meta, Amazon Web Services and Dell.
Be aware that if you pay through a 3rd party platform or agent like a PR firm, you may not receive any advertised bonus points for the “advertising spend” category that cards like Amex Business cards may offer.
Checking for points caps and limits
Some credit cards may limit or tier the amount of points you can earn in a calendar year. For instance, the American Express Business Gold Plus card drops the standard earn rate from 1.5 points per dollar to 1 after you’ve earned 200,000 points each year. Other cards, like the Amex Platinum Business, don’t have any limits on the amount of points you can earn.
What are the points actually worth?
A better question is actually: how would you use the points and how much money would that save you? Some businesses might love gift cards even if it has a lower tangible value than redeeming points for flights. And, it depends on how flexible your rewards program is.
For example, if you earned points in the Amex Membership Rewards program, you could use the points for:
- Flights with partner airlines
- Purchasing from a range of online stores
- Paying off credit card purchases
- Redeeming for gift cards to give ultimate flexibility
If your business involves travel, you may get the most value out of flights and travel perks.
OPTION 1: For instance, you can transfer Amex Rewards points for these airline loyalty programs at the following rates:
| Program / Reward | Point Conversion (as of April 2025) |
|---|---|
| KrisFlyer | 3 MR Points = 1 KrisFlyer Mile |
| Skywards | 3 MR Points = 1 Skywards Mile |
| Marriott Bonvoy | No change |
| Hilton Honors | 2 MR Points = 1 Hilton Honors point |
| Gift cards | 20,000 MR Points = $100 gift card |
| American Express Travel | 13,500 MR Points = $67.50 at American Express Travel |
| Select + Pay with points | 1,000 MR Points = $5 credit |
| Points for credit | From 13,500 MR Points = $67.50 |
Membership Rewards Ascent and Premium Ascent
| Program / Reward | Point Conversion (as of April 2025) |
|---|---|
| Velocity | 2 MR Points = 1 Velocity Point |
| Qantas (Ascent Premium only) | 2 MR Points = 1 Qantas Point |
| KrisFlyer | 3 MR Points = 1 KrisFlyer Mile |
| Skywards | 3 MR Points = 1 Skywards Mile |
| Marriott Bonvoy | No change |
| Hilton Honors | 2 MR Points = 1 Hilton Honors point |
| Gift cards | 20,000 MR Points = $100 gift card |
| American Express Travel | 10,000 MR Points = $50 at American Express Travel |
| Select + Pay with points | 1,000 MR Points = $5 credit |
| Points for credit | From 8,000 MR Points = $40 |
OPTION 2: Australia has a wide range of airline loyalty programs. Here’s a summary:
| Loyalty Program | Airline / Alliance | Key Earning Partners (AU) | Points Expiry | Redemption Options | Notable Perks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qantas Frequent Flyer (QFF) | Qantas Airways / oneworld | Woolworths Everyday Rewards, Qantas Money, BP, credit cards, hotels, car hire | 18 months of inactivity (activity resets expiry) | Flights on Qantas + oneworld partners, upgrades, hotels, gift cards | Qantas Club & lounges, Classic Flight Rewards, Status Credits for tiered status |
| Velocity Frequent Flyer | Virgin Australia / independent (partners with SkyTeam from 2025) | Coles Flybuys, 7-Eleven, BP (via Ampol), credit cards, hotels, car hire | 24 months of inactivity (activity resets expiry) | Flights on Virgin & partners (Singapore Airlines, United, Qatar, ANA), upgrades, gift cards | Family pooling of points/status credits, good redemption rates for premium cabins |
| KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines / Star Alliance | Credit cards (Amex, Citi, HSBC, etc.), Velocity transfer partner, hotel & car hire partners | 3 years fixed (cannot be extended) | Flights on Singapore Airlines & Star Alliance, upgrades, hotels, shopping | Access to premium cabins like Suites & First Class, Changi transit perks |
| Cathay (formerly Asia Miles) | Cathay Pacific / oneworld | Credit card partners, hotel/car hire, Velocity transfer partner | 18 months of inactivity (activity resets expiry) | Flights on Cathay + oneworld, upgrades, hotels | Access to Cathay lounges, premium Asia routes |
| Emirates Skywards | Emirates / independent (partnerships with Qantas, Malaysia Airlines) | Credit cards (Amex, Citi, etc.), Qantas flights, hotels, car hire | 3 years fixed (cannot be extended) | Emirates & partner flights, upgrades, hotels, shopping | Strong redemption options to Europe & Middle East, Qantas partnership |
| Air New Zealand Airpoints | Air NZ / Star Alliance | Credit cards (ANZ, Amex), Air NZ partners, hotels, car hire | 4 years fixed | Flights on Air NZ & Star Alliance, upgrades, hotels | Currency is “Airpoints Dollars” (easy to value: 1 APD = NZ$1), strong NZ domestic value |
| Etihad Guest | Etihad Airways / independent (partners include Virgin Australia, Air France-KLM) | Credit cards, hotels, car hire | 18 months of inactivity (activity resets expiry) | Flights on Etihad + partners, upgrades, hotels | Family pooling, good redemption rates on partner airlines |
| United MileagePlus | United Airlines / Star Alliance | Credit cards (via AU banks), hotel/car hire, KrisFlyer transfers indirectly | No expiry | Flights on United + Star Alliance, upgrades, hotels | No points expiry, often good value to North America |
OPTION 3: You can use this calculator to work out the average value of your points with different airlines. This is the calculator.
Is the cost-to-benefit worth it for businesses?
There are formulas you can use to work out whether your ad spend makes a credit card worthwhile financially.
But, remember that cards come with other rewards besides points that can save money, such as discounts on hotels, lounge passes, free employee cards and introductory bonus points. A basic formula can’t include the complex variables of a card, but it can give you a very general idea.
Calculating your break-even point
You need to compare:
- How many points you could earn per year
- The value of the points (depending on whether you redeem for flights, gift cards or other rewards)
- The card’s annual fee
The formula is:
Break-even spend = annual fee / points value per dollar
To calculate the points value per dollar, use the formula points earned per dollar × value per point.
Here are some examples.
Example 1 - Amex Business Gold Plus Card
- Annual fee: $395
- Earn rate: 1.5 Membership Rewards points per $1 on ads
- Transfer rate to Qantas: 2 MR = 1 Qantas Point
- Value of 1 Qantas Point (average flight redemption): ~1.8c
Calculation:
- Effective earn rate = 1.5 ÷ 2 = 0.75 Qantas Points per $1
- Point value per $1 = 0.75 × 1.8c = 1.35c
- Break-even spend = $395 ÷ 0.0135 ≈ $29,260 in ad spend per year
If you spend more than $30k per year on ads, the rewards value could outweigh the fee.
(Note: The Amex Gold Business Plus card offers bonus points for ad spend with certain merchants that aren’t calculated here)
Example 2 - Amex Platinum Business
- Annual fee: $1,750
- Earn rate: 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 on ads
- Transfer rate to KrisFlyer: 2 MR = 1 KrisFlyer Mile
- Value of 1 KrisFlyer Mile (business class redemption): ~3c
Calculation:
- Effective earn rate = 2.25 ÷ 2 = 1.125 KrisFlyer Miles per $1
- Point value per $1 = 1.125 × 3c = 3.375c
- Break-even spend = $1,750 ÷ 0.03375 ≈ $51,850 in ad spend per year
If your business spends more than $52k per year on ads, you’re likely getting strong value (especially if you redeem for premium flights).
Variables to consider:
Annual fees. High-tier business cards will have higher fees, but will usually come with more extras, a higher earn rate and better business tools. For example, the Amex Platinum Business card is $1750 but comes with a significantly larger amount of benefits than many other cards in the market.
Introductory bonuses: Many credit cards offer a hefty one-off bonus points deal when you sign up as a new cardholder. These might be as high as 300,000 points, which can help offset the cost of the annual fee when redeemed wisely.
Interest rates: Check the card’s interest-free period. Some will come with 55 days, which helps manage your cashflow and avoid interest charges if you pay your card off in full within the interest-free period.
Other extras: High-value business credit cards will include big-ticket extras. Discounts on flights, hotels and car hire, free airport lounge access, deals with business retailers, and free business-related extras are common perks that can help save money or time.
Eligibility for business credit cards
Business credit cards have different eligibility criteria. You’ll typically need:
- A valid ABN or ACN
- Business income over $75,000 per year and be eligible for GST
- To have been in operation for a certain period (12 months minimum, for example).
You can find specific eligibility criteria for each credit card on our reviews.
There will also be the standard credit checks performed, so you need to have a decent credit score without too many rejected recent applications or defaults on your credit history.
Top choices for Australian business earning points on advertising spend
1. American Express Platinum Business Card
With an excellent rewards rate and a suite of premium travel and business benefits, the Amex Platinum Business card offers strong long-term value and flexible redemption options. Points can be transferred to over 10 partner airlines including Qantas and Air New Zealand or redeemed through the Amex Membership Rewards store.
This card earns up to 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on advertising and most other business purchases. Plus, it earns a hefty 300,000 bonus points when you spend $12,000 on the card in the first 3 months (conditions apply).
In travel perks, the Amex Platinum Business card includes $450 annual travel credit, up to $400 in dining credits, global airport lounge access, and elite status with hotel programs such as Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton. It offers comprehensive travel insurance for all cardholders and ALL Accor+ Explorer membership and discounts, including two complimentary nights stay each year.
The Amex Platinum Business also offers a suite of business tools with its $1450 annual fee. It includes up to 99 employee cards at no extra cost and a cashback partnership with Dell Technologies. Your business can benefit from flexible spending limits and easy sync capability with MYOB accounting software.
2. American Express Business Gold Plus card
Truly valuable if you have high advertising costs and want a lower annual fee, the Amex Business Gold Plus card is a B2B-focused card that delivers bonus points with major advertisers and a host of other extras.
For points earning, the Amex Business Gold Plus card earns 1.5 Membership Rewards points per dollar on everyday spending. The big advertising value is in the 3 points per dollar and up to $550 cashback per year with Xero, Google Ads, Meta, Amazon Web Services and Dell.
This card comes with a 200,000 bonus introductory points offer when you spend $5000 within 3 months of approval (conditions apply). Points can be redeemed flexibly through Amex Membership Rewards store or transferred to over 10 partner airlines.
The Amex Business Gold Plus card makes travel cheaper too, with complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, car rental discounts with Hertz, and domestic and international travel insurance.
The earn rate drops to a flat 1 point per dollar after 200,000 points are earned in a calendar year, but small to medium businesses may enjoy the flexibility of this feature-packed business credit card with a low annual fee and plenty of perks.
Visa and Mastercard options
If you’re looking for a card with broader acceptance than Amex or want to earn Q Points directly, you can look at these options:
- NAB Qantas Business Signature: Earn up to 1 Qantas Point per $1.50 spent on everyday business purchases and government spending, plus 1 bonus point for selected Qantas purchases. Includes Qantas Business Travel membership. This card has a $295 annual fee but fewer travel extras.
- CommBank Business Awards: Offers the ability to earn points in Commonwealth Bank's own rewards program or opt to earn Qantas Points directly for an added annual fee. The annual fee is $100 and includes cashback offers through CommBank Yello.
