Cathay Pacific’s Cathay loyalty program is one of the most useful programs for redemptions in Business and First Class with Cathay Pacific and other oneworld member airlines like Qantas and Japan Airlines.
Cathay is a transfer partner of several bank rewards programs in Australia and, as a result, earning Asia miles from credit card spend is one of the key ways you can get your hands on points. If you happen to put a lot of your day-to-day spend on American Express, Visa or Mastercard, there are some high points earning options out there.
We’ve updated our list of some of the highest Asia miles-earning cards on the market. We’ve included an overview table so you can assess the cards that are out there, versus those you may have in your wallet. We also include some of the current sign-up bonuses for new applicants.
Redemptions on domestic Qantas Business Class flights are one of the best uses of Asia miles.
The highest Asia miles-earning credit cards
| Card | Offer | Cathay mile earn rate / $ spent | Points Cap | Annual Fee ($) | Our Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 American Express Platinum Card ↓ | 0.75 miles on all eligible spend, and 0.33 mile on spend at government bodies | uncapped | $1,450 | Read Here |
 American Express Platinum Business Card ↓ | 0.75 miles on all eligible spend, and 0.33 mile on spend at government bodies | uncapped | $1,750 | Read Here |
 American Express Explorer ↓ | 0.66 mile | uncapped | $395 | Read Here |
American Express Platinum Edge ↓ | 0.33 mile on general spend including utilities and ATO 0.66 mile on overseas spend 1 miles at supermarkets and petrol stations | uncapped | $195 | Read Here |
 Diners Club Card + World MasterCard | 1 mile on Diners 0.375 mile on Mastercard | uncapped | $299 | Read Here |
 ANZ Rewards Black ↓ | 0.66 miles up to $5,000 per statement period, and 0.33 miles thereafter uncapped | uncapped | $375 | Read Here |
 Westpac Altitude Black ↓ | 0.66 miles on everyday spend 1 mile on international spend 0.33 miles on all other eligible spend | $10,000 per statement period, and 0.5 miles per $1 thereafter | $295 | Read Here |
 NAB Rewards Signature ↓ | 0.41 mile on general spend 0.82 mile in department and hardware stores 1.23 miles on overseas spend | uncapped | $295 | Read Here |
 Citi Prestige Mastercard | 0.4 mile on general spend 0.8 mile at major petrol stations, supermarkets and retailers 1.2 miles at major restaurants, airlines and international spend | uncapped | $700 | Read Here |
How to analyse this list
For all the cards and offers listed on this page we are only touching on the ‘effective earn rate’ – this is when points in the parent bank/credit card rewards program are transferred to Asia miles, and is a way to compare the specific points earn rates for each card across various credit card rewards programs that offer different headline earn rates and transfer rates to frequent flyer programs.
Each card has other benefits too, along with other transfer partners, annual fees and terms and conditions – so be sure to check out the full guide to each card.
There’s also the sign-up bonus of a card to consider. A large sign-up bonus may help to offset a lower earn rate on a card, so bear that in mind. It depends how much spend you put on your credit card each month, and how long you keep the card for.
Each card offer, with bonus, fee and other offer information on this page will be up-to-date at the time of publication, however, please note that offers change over time.
Some current offers for key Asia miles-earning credit cards
American Express® Platinum Business Card
- Sign-up Bonus:
- 350,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points*
- Rewards Earn Rate:
- Earn 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 on all eligible business purchases, except for spend with government bodies, for which you will earn 1 point per $1 spent
- Annual Fee:
- $1,750 p.a
- Offer expires
- 14 July 2026
- Earn 350,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points* when you apply by 14 July 2026, are approved and spend $12,000 on eligible purchases on your American Express Platinum Business Card in the first 3 months of approval. The Card is aimed at small and medium-size businesses who want to maximise their points earned, as well as business and travel benefits. T&Cs apply. Available for new American Express Card Members only.
American Express Platinum Card
- Sign-up Bonus:
- 200,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points¹
- Rewards Earn Rate:
- Earn 2.25 Membership Rewards points per $1 on all eligible purchases, except for spend with government bodies, for which you will earn 1 point per $1 spent
- Annual Fee:
- $1,450 p.a.
- Offer expires
- 25 August 2026
- Enjoy 200,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points¹ when you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months. (Offer available to new American Express Card Members only. Offer ends 25 August 2026. T&Cs apply.) Unlock premium perks including unlimited airport lounge access, international travel insurance, Amex Hotels and Resorts benefits, up to $400 in Global Dining Credit¹⁰, and a $450 Travel Credit⁵ each year. Earn up to 2.25 Membership Rewards Points per $1 on eligible spend. The annual fee is $1,450.
ANZ Rewards Black credit card
- Sign-up Bonus:
- Up to 180,000 extra ANZ Reward Points + $100 back
- Rewards Earn Rate:
- Earn 2 ANZ Reward Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases up to $5,000 per statement period, then 1 Reward Point per $1 spent on eligible purchases above $5,000 per statement period
- Annual Fee:
- $375 p.a.
- ANZ is offering up to 180,000 extra ANZ Reward Points (130,000 pts + $100 back when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months from approval & 50,000 pts when card is kept for 15 months from activation) for new cardholders of the ANZ Rewards Black credit card. Includes complimentary insurance plus Apple Pay and Google Pay support.
NAB Rewards Signature Card with Velocity
- Sign-up Bonus:
- Up to 80,000 bonus Velocity Points
- Rewards Earn Rate:
- Earn 1.5 NAB Rewards Points per $1 spent on everyday purchases up to $15,000 per statement period, then 0.5 NAB Rewards Points for every $1 spent, uncapped thereafter²
- Annual Fee:
- $35 monthly fee, can be reversed when you spend $5,000 or more in a statement period.
- Enjoy up to 80,000 Velocity Points for new cardholders (by earning and automatically redeeming 160,000 NAB Rewards Bonus Points) when you spend $5,000 on everyday purchases within the first 90 days of account opening and keep your card open for over 12 months (Offer available to new NAB Cardholders only. T&Cs apply.)
American Express Explorer Credit Card
- Sign-up Bonus:
- 75,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points¹
- Rewards Earn Rate:
- Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 on all purchases except government bodies where you will earn 1 point per $1 spent⁶
- Annual Fee:
- $395 p.a.
- Offer expires
- 19 May 2026
- Earn 75,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points¹ when you apply by 19 May 2026, are approved and spend $4,000 on eligible purchases on your new American Express Explorer® Credit Card within the first 3 months (T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only). Enjoy a $400 Annual Travel Credit², complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounges³ in Sydney and Melbourne, Card, Smartphone and International Travel Insurance⁴, for a $395 p.a. annual fee.
American Express Business Explorer
- Sign-up Bonus:
- 50,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points
- Rewards Earn Rate:
- Earn 2 Membership Rewards Points per $1 spent on eligible business purchases except government bodies where you will earn 1 point per $1 spent
- Annual Fee:
- $149 p.a.
- American Express is offering 50,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points for new American Express Card Members who apply for the Business Explorer Credit Card and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months from approval. Benefits of this card include complimentary American Express lounge access plus a range of insurances and high points earn rates on spend.
Westpac Altitude Rewards Black
- Sign-up Bonus:
- Up to 200,000 bonus Altitude points
- Rewards Earn Rate:
- 3 Altitude Points per $1 on international transactions, 2 Altitude Points per $1 on everyday spend, and 1 Altitude Points per $1 on all other eligible spend up to $10,000 per statement period. Then 0.5 Points per $1 thereafter, uncapped
- Annual Fee:
- $200 card fee for the first year, $295 p.a. ongoing
- The Westpac Altitude Rewards Black has up to 200,000 Altitude Points plus a reduced first year annual card fee on offer for new cardholders, the points can be redeemed for up to $950 in e-gift cards or transferred to Velocity Frequent Flyer, KrisFlyer or Cathay miles at a 3:1 ratio. The card offers high points earn rates plus ongoing benefits, including Priority Pass lounge invites.
American Express Platinum Edge
- Rewards Earn Rate:
- 3 Membership Rewards points earned per $1 spent at major supermarkets and petrol stations. 2 Membership Rewards points earned per $1 on overseas spend. 1 Membership Rewards point per $1 spent everywhere else including ATO, other government charges and utilities
- Annual Fee:
- $0 in the first year, $195 p.a.
- The American Express Platinum Edge Card is offering $0 annual Card Fee (usually $195) in the first year for new Card Members. The card comes with a $200 travel credit each year it is renewed, Smartphone Screen Cover and earns 3 points per $1 at major supermarkets and petrol stations, and 2 points per $1 on overseas spend.
Cards in the table, but not mentioned above
Offers for some of the cards are not mentioned above as they don’t offer a sign-up bonus, or we don’t have a guide for them yet.
The focus of this guide is to outline the highest Asia miles-earning credit cards out there – there are many other cards with differing points earn rates and annual fees that are also linked to Asia miles. Check out the cards table for the list.
Perhaps add HSBC too with 0.5 mile per $.
Looks like Amex website has taken off Asia Miles redemption for some reason, but cannot find any news/publication about it.
Hi John Doe, we’ve approached Amex for comment. It may be a tech issue or a program update – we’ll find out soon.
Hi John, American Express has confirmed that Asia Miles’ disappearance was to allow for scheduled maintenance to take place on Cathay Pacific’s end. These works have now been completed, and points transfers from Amex MR to Asia Miles can be requested once again at the usual 2:1 conversion rate.
another option is to ask amex to link your Explorer card to the Ascent program instead of Gateway – if you also have a Platinum Edge. Makes the earn rate 2/$ instead of 1.5/$.