- Big bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus Velocity Points when you apply online by 25 May 2027, are approved, and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months. Points are credited 8–10 weeks after the spend criteria is met. T&Cs apply. New Amex Card Members only — ineligible if you've held any Amex Australia card product in the past 18 months.
- Earn rates: 1.75 Velocity Points per $1 spent on Virgin Australia purchases; 1 Point per $1 on everyday spend; 0.5 Points per $1 at government bodies. After 12,000 Velocity Points earned in a calendar year, everyday rate drops to 0.75 Points per $1.
- $50 Virgin Australia Statement Credit: Get a $50 credit once per redemption period when you spend $50+ on eligible Virgin Australia flights. Offer runs until 31 December 2026.
- Travel benefits: Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance when you use the card for your return trip.
- Other extras: Up to 4 free additional cardholders; Plan It Instalments for spreading repayments; Amex Purchase & Refund Covers; Fraud Protection Guarantee; mobile wallet compatibility.
Hi, I’m a personal finance expert who loves to help you out! I’ll answer your question within a business day. Pinky swear.
American Express Credit Cards
American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card
Updated 5 August 2026
Receive 20,000 bonus Velocity Points when you apply online by 25 May 2027, are approved, and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases on your new American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card within the first 3 months.
T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only.Points Earn Rate (per $1 spent)
1 point
1.75 pts/$1 on eligible VA purchases. After 12k pts/year, earn rate is 0.75 pts/$1
Rewards Program
Velocity Frequent Flyer
Bonus Points
20,000 pts
spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months
Pros and cons
- High interest rate of 23.99% p.a. — best to pay the balance in full to avoid charges
- Everyday earn rate drops from 1 to 0.75 Points per $1 after just 12,000 Velocity Points earned per calendar year
Creditcard.com.au review
Editor Review
American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card
Pauline Hatch
Pauline is a personal finance expert at CreditCard.com.au, with 9 years in money, budgeting and property reporting under her belt. Ask Pauline a Question about this card.
American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card
The American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card is a solid choice for frequent flyers who want to earn Velocity Points quickly and enjoy travel perks. The standout offer is 20,000 bonus Velocity Points when you apply online by 25 May 2027, are approved, and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months. Bonus points are credited to your account 8–10 weeks after the spend criteria has been met. This welcome bonus is available only to new Amex Card Members — Card Members who currently hold, or have held, any card product issued by American Express Australia in the past 18 months are not eligible.
On top of that, cardholders receive a $50 Virgin Australia Statement Credit once per redemption period when they spend $50 or more on eligible Virgin Australia flights (offer ends 31 December 2026).
Points earn rates
- 1.75 Velocity Points per $1 spent on eligible Virgin Australia purchases
- 1 Velocity Point per $1 on everyday purchases
- 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 spent at government bodies in Australia (e.g. ATO, Australia Post)
Note: After you've earned 12,000 Velocity Points in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate decreases from 1 to 0.75 Velocity Points per $1. Card fees and charges — such as annual fees, interest, late payment fees, cash advances, balance transfers, traveller's cheques and foreign currency conversion — do not count as eligible purchases towards the bonus points spend criteria.
Travel & card perks
- Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance when your return trip is paid with the card (conditions, exclusions and age limits apply)
- $50 Virgin Australia Statement Credit per redemption period until 31 December 2026
- Up to 4 free additional cards
- Retail protections: Card Refund Cover, Card Purchase Cover, Fraud Protection Guarantee
- Plan It Instalments for spreading repayments (monthly fee applies)
- Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay compatibility
What's not so great
- Relatively high interest rate of 23.99% p.a. — worth avoiding by paying your balance in full each month
- Everyday earn rate downgrade after 12,000 points per year is a low cap compared to other rewards cards
- Not available to anyone who has held an Amex Australia card product in the past 18 months, and can't be combined with any other advertised or promotional offer
Overall Rating
This card is best suited to those who fly Virgin Australia regularly and want to maximise Velocity Points while taking advantage of travel insurance and statement credits. With a 20,000 bonus Velocity Points offer, $50 Virgin Australia credits, and flexible Amex protections, it's a strong frequent flyer option. Just be mindful of the $95 annual fee, high ongoing interest rate, and the everyday earn cap.
Sources:
American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card Information PDF
*American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card Benefits terms and conditions
$50 Virgin Statement Credit terms and conditions
American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card insurance
American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card TMD
User reviews
Rates and fees
Interest rates
Purchase rate 23.99% p.a.
Cash advance rate N/A
Interest free period on purchases up to 55 days
Credit limits
Minimum credit limit $2,000
Maximum credit limit $25,000
Fees & repayments
Annual fee $95 p.a.
Additional cardholder fee Up to 4 at no extra cost
Foreign transaction fee 3.5%
Minimum repayment $30 or 2.5% (personal); $20 or 3%, whichever is greater (business)
Cash advance fee N/A
Late payment fee $30
Rewards and points
Rewards program
Rewards Program
Velocity Frequent Flyer
Bonus points 20,000 points
Annual points cap uncapped
Bonus points spend criteria spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months
Earning points with this card
Velocity Rewards points 1 point per $1 spent
Points cap per month 1.75 pts/$1 on eligible VA purchases. After 12k pts/year, earn rate is 0.75 pts/$1
Overseas earn rate same as standard earn rate
Additional features
Complimentary insurance
International Travel Insurance Yes
Flight Inconvenience Insurance No
Transit Accident Insurance No
Smartphone Screen Insurance No
Purchase Protection Insurance Yes
Extended Warranty Insurance Yes
Rental Vehicle Excess In Australia Insurance No
Extras
Eligible with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay
Travel insurance underwritten by Chubb Insurance
Overview
American Express Velocity Escape Plus Card
Key features
- Receive 20,000 bonus Velocity Points when you apply online by 25 May 2027, are approved, and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months. Points are credited 8–10 weeks after the spend criteria is met. T&Cs apply. New Amex Card Members only — not available if you currently hold or have held any Amex Australia card product in the past 18 months.
- Earn 1.75 Velocity Points per $1 spent on eligible Virgin Australia purchases
- Earn 1 Velocity Point per $1 on everyday purchases (except government bodies in Australia where you'll earn 0.5 Points per $1). After 12,000 Velocity Points are earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate drops to 0.75 Points per $1.
- $50 Virgin Australia Statement Credit once per redemption period when you spend $50+ on eligible Virgin Australia flights (offer ends 31 December 2026)
- Complimentary domestic and international travel insurance when you pay for your return trip with the card (terms, conditions, exclusions apply)
- Up to 4 additional cards at no extra cost
- Amex retail protection: Card Refund Cover, Card Purchase Cover, and Online Fraud Protection Guarantee
- Pay off balances in instalments with Plan It (monthly plan fee applies)
- Compatible with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
Minimum criteria to apply for this card
-
Be over 18 years old
-
Good Credit and have not applied for multiple credit cards recently
-
Australian citizen or permanent resident or hold a long term visa (at least 12 months; does not include student visas)
You have your personal details ready to complete the online application
Pauline is a personal finance expert at CreditCard.com.au, with 9 years in money, budgeting and property reporting under her belt. Pauline is passionate about seeing Aussies win by making their money – and their credit cards – work smarter, harder and bigger
Recently Asked Questions
Something you need to know about this card? Ask our credit card expert a question.
Ask a question62 questions (showing the latest 10 Q&As)
cpuld I use this card pay house rent and bill
Hi Xin, good question! Using a credit card for rent or bills really depends on whether the company or landlord accepts card payments. Some do, but many prefer direct debit or bank transfer.
If they don’t take cards directly, you could look into bill-payment services that accept credit cards and pass the payment on (though they often charge a fee). If you want to learn more you can read my guide how to pay rent with a credit card.
For anything specific about how American Express handles these types of payments, it’s best to double-check directly with them on 1300 132 639.
What are the foreign transaction fees with this card?
Hi Marianne, the American Express Velocity Escape Credit Card charges a foreign transaction fee of 3%. Thanks!
Underfraud
14 February 2023Zero fee
Recommends this cardCreditcard.com.au Visitor
1 May 2013Double points when I book Virgin - work give me the flight money and hey presto points for no cost
Recommends this card