Business reward cards can be a figurative gold mine in the right hands. Normal consumer credit cards generally don’t award you points on transactions of a business nature (e.g. paying a big supplier bill).

So if you happen to be an SME owner or even a sole trader with regular expenses, a business credit card is the way to go. Card applications are based on your business revenue rather than personal salary, except in the case of sole traders (criteria may vary between banks).

Depending on your preferences, you can choose between directly earning Qantas or Velocity Points in Australia, or perhaps opting for a flexible rewards program such as American Express Membership Rewards which gives you a wider range of partners.

Here is our updated list of some of the highest business points-earning cards on the market. We’ve included an overview table so you can compare earning rates and current sign up bonuses for new card applicants.

The highest-earning business credit cards

CardEarn rate per $1
(* equivalent)
Rewards ProgramPoints CapAnnual FeeOur Guide
Qantas Frequent Flyer
American Express Qantas Business Rewards
American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card ↓
1.25 Qantas Points on general spend including utilities and telecom
2.25 Qantas Points with Qantas
0.5 Qantas Point per $1 on government spend
Qantas Business Rewards500,000 Qantas Points per calendar year soft cap$450 p.a.Read Here
American Express Platinum Business Card
American Express Platinum Business ↓
1.125 Qantas Points on all eligible spend,
and 0.5 Point on spend at government bodies *
Amex Membership Rewards Ascent Premiumuncapped$1,750 p.a.Read Here
ANZ QBR
ANZ Qantas Business Rewards Card ↓
0.75 Qantas Points on eligible spend
1 additional Qantas Point with Qantas
0.5 Qantas Points on government payments
Qantas Business Rewards11,250 Qantas Points per statement period soft cap$300 p.a.
+ $75 Rewards fee
Read Here
NAB Qantas Business Signature
NAB Qantas Business ↓
0.67 Qantas PointQantas Frequent Flyer33,500 Qantas Points per statement period$295 p.a.Read Here
Westpac Altitude Business Platinum
Westpac Altitude Business Platinum ↓
0.5 Qantas Point on domestic spend
1 Qantas Point on overseas spend
0.25 Qantas Point on government transactions

Altitude Rewardsuncapped$200 p.a.Read Here
Velocity Frequent Flyer
American Express Platinum Business Card
American Express Platinum Business ↓
1.125 Velocity Points on all eligible spend, and 0.5 Velocity Point on spend at government bodies *Amex Membership Rewards Ascent Premiumuncapped$1,750 p.a.Read Here
American Express Velocity Business
American Express Velocity Business ↓
1 Velocity Point on general spend,
2 Velocity Points with Virgin Australia
Velocity Frequent Flyeruncapped$249 p.a.Read Here
American Express Business Explorer
American Express Business Explorer ↓
1 Velocity Point on general spend and 0.5 Velocity Point on government spend *Amex Membership Rewardsuncapped$149 p.a.Read Here
American Express Gold Business
American Express Gold Business ↓
0.75 Velocity Point on general spend 0.5 Velocity Point on government spend *Amex Membership Rewardsuncapped$169 p.a. plus $80 Membership Rewards enrolment fee (optional)Read Here
NAB Rewards Business Signature
NAB Rewards Business Signature
0.62 Velocity Points on general spend *NAB Rewardsuncapped$175 p.a.N/A
Westpac Altitude Business Platinum
Westpac Altitude Business Platinum ↓
0.33 Velocity Point on domestic spend
0.66 Velocity Point on overseas spend *
Altitude Rewardsuncapped$200 p.a.Read Here
KrisFlyer miles
American Express Platinum Business Card
American Express Platinum Business ↓
1.125 KrisFlyer miles on all eligible spend, and
0.5 KrisFlyer Miles on spend at government bodies *
Amex Membership Rewards Ascent Premiumuncapped$1,750 p.a.Read Here
American Express Business Explorer
American Express Business Explorer ↓
1 KrisFlyer miles on general spend and
0.5 KrisFlyer miles on government spend *
Amex Membership Rewardsuncapped$149 p.a.Read Here
American Express Gold Business
American Express Gold Business ↓
0.75 KrisFlyer miles on general spend
0.5 KrisFlyer on government spend *
Amex Membership Rewardsuncapped$169 p.a. plus $80 Membership Rewards enrolment fee (optional)Read Here
Westpac Altitude Business Platinum
Westpac Altitude Business Platinum ↓
0.33 KrisFlyer miles on domestic spend
0.66 KrisFlyer miles on overseas spend *
Altitude Rewardsuncapped$200 p.a.Read Here
* Effective earn rate when transferred from linked flexible program

The offers displayed on this page are selected from a range of products across pointhacks.com.au as at the time of publishing this article. The use of terms “Best” and “Top” are derived from the highest bonus points offered.

What is the best business credit card for rewards points?

Find below a roundup of some business rewards points earning cards with noteworthy bonus offers to know about this month.

What are the best ways to earn rewards points with a business credit card?

As usual, there are two main ways to earn rewards points with a credit card.

1. Direct earn: These credit cards directly earn Qantas or Velocity Points on eligible spend for your business. Note that Qantas-branded business cards usually earn into a Qantas Business Rewards account first. But those points are transferable to any personal account (including your own) on a 1:1 basis.

2. Transfer from other rewards programs: If you take out an American Express Membership Rewards or a bank-affiliated business rewards card, you’ll most likely earn points into a flexible points program first. These usually allow transfers to partner airlines at varying rates once you’ve accumulated enough points.

The ‘effective earn rate’ is an important number which standardises the number of points you could earn from different flexible rewards programs, after earning rates for spend and transfer rates to those programs are taken into account. 

The numbers in this table are already calculated as ‘effective earn rates’, which means you can more easily compare those cards to ‘direct earn’ cards. 

What do I look for when searching for the best business rewards frequent flyer card?

In addition to the business card’s effective earn rate, you should also consider:

  • Unique benefits offered, such as travel insurance for employees. Good business reward cards should also offer ancillary benefits for you and those working for you.
  • Other transfer partners that flexible rewards programs have, apart from Qantas and Velocity Frequent Flyer. For example, if you fly to Asia often, transferring to Asia Miles or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer could be beneficial.
  • Whether free supplementary cards can be offered to your employees. This is useful if you want some of your employees to hold their own business rewards cards when making transactions on behalf of your business.
  • Cash flow days and flexible payment options are useful for keeping your cash in your bank account for longer, before having to pay bills.
  • Google and Apple Pay capabilities, which are becoming increasingly handy when you’re on the go and don’t necessarily have your card with you.

A large points signup bonus might be rewarding enough to help offset a lower earn rate or a higher annual fee on a card, so bear that in mind.

Each card offer and other information on this page should be up to date at the date of publication, however, please note that we update offers over time. If you need more information with comparing different cards, check out our overview table for detailed information on rewards.

What should I be mindful of with business rewards credit cards?

There are some restrictions and caveats with holding a business rewards credit card. You should consider the following when deciding which card is right for you.

  • Annual fees on business rewards credit cards may be higher than those on comparable personal codes. Factor this cost into your decision.
  • Minimum business revenue amounts that may apply (or personal income for sole traders). If you’re a smaller business that doesn’t turnover as much money each year (say, less than $75,000 p.a.), then you might not be eligible to apply for higher-tier business credit cards with greater rewards.
  • ABN requirements and whether you need to be registered for GST. Business credit card holders require a valid ABN to apply, as a minimum. Some cards may need your business to also be registered for GST purposes.
  • Credit card surcharge fees may be charged by your various suppliers compared to using a bank transfer.

How do I apply for a business credit card?

Done all the research? Now it’s time to apply. Here are some steps you could follow to get the process rolling.

  1. Review the best business credit card offers on this page and pick one that is best suited to you.
  2. Go to the card’s summary page on Point Hacks to learn more about various fees, benefits, sign-up bonuses and any catches to be aware of
  3. If you’re ready to apply, follow the red button to go to the card issuer’s application page
  4. Fill in the required business and personal details
  5. The card issuer will assess your application and give you a response within their stated times

How can I earn business rewards points after I get my credit card?

Once you (and possibly your employees) have received the business rewards credit card, be sure to meet the minimum spend requirements to unlock the advertised sign-up bonus, if any. Then follow these strategies to keep on earning lots of points.

  • Put all your business transactions on the card: from supplier’s bills to paying the Christmas party tab, if it’s work-related it should go onto your card.
  • Save up and take advantage of transfer promos: if you earn into a flexible points program, it might be worth hoarding your points and waiting for a large transfer promo before sending those points to a frequent flyer partner. In some cases, you could end up with a 40% bonus or more!
  • Consider using a third-party payment platform such as pay.com.au to make payments to suppliers through your rewards credit card, even if they only accept bank transfers.

Finally, although this guide is tailored to a specific American Express card, we have a four-part series on some of the benefits of holding a business rewards credit card. Some are specific to Amex, but some are universal across the other cards too.


Summing up

The focus of this guide is to outline the highest-earning business credit cards out there on a per-dollar basis. With the right card, sole traders and small business owners alike can take advantage of great points-earning rates on business transactions.

Not only can you manage your cash flow more effectively with interest-free days, but flexible payment options and accounting integration offered by some cards will make your business life a lot more easier.

Some of the best business rewards cards will directly earn points into Velocity Frequent Flyer or Qantas Business Rewards at attractive rates. But flexible points programs such as American Express Membership Rewards can give you a lot more options when it comes to rewarding yourself and your employees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has the best business credit card?

The best business credit card is very subjective as different products will have different rewards and fees. Start by deciding which rewards program you want to earn into, and then see what card options on our site might suit you the best.

What is the best credit card for a small business?

While we can’t recommend a specific card, the best business credit card for a small enterprise is usually one with low annual fees, a lower threshold for annual revenue, and the ability to issue free supplementary cards to your employees (if any).

What is the easiest business credit card to get?

The easiest business credit cards to get are generally the ones with a lower business revenue threshold for application (or personal income for sole traders). However, these cards also tend to have a lower rewards-earning potential too.

Are business credit cards worth it?

Yes, business credit cards can be worth it for any reasons. It helps manage your cash flow days so you don’t need to pay big invoices upfront. You’ll have the potential to earn hundreds of thousands of rewards points if your business is doing well. Finally, some cards might have useful perks such as travel insurance for your employees.

Which credit card gives you the most frequent flyer points?

This can vary depending on the card type and current sign-up bonus. See the top of this page for the latest deals on business rewards credit cards with the most points.

Which credit card gives you the most Qantas Frequent Flyer points?’

Generally, direct-earn Qantas business credit cards will give you the most Qantas Points. We usually feature a few at the top of this page, so you can compare the different options.

Can you earn frequent flyer points on a debit card?

Most debit cards do not earn frequent flyer points.

The Best Business Points-Earning Credit Cards was last modified: January 23rd, 2024 by Evin Tan Khiew