One of the simplest ways to earn more points is to divert your shopping to retailers who will offer you points for the purchases you were going to make anyway. This guide will showcase some of the key ways you can earn points from these transactions.
Point Hacks has a tool to summarise all of these retailers and bonus point opportunities into a single list—which we’ve now updated with recent changes across a number of the online malls where you can earn points.
How and why to use online malls?
Given there is a range of frequent flyer and credit card programs, plus more complex ways of earning points such as by buying gift cards with bonus points for online or in-store payment, earning the maximum points from purchases quickly becomes tricky.
This is why we also have this tool to help you ensure you are earning as many points as possible from your purchases.
As to which online mall to use? Well, this is a combination of which points currency you prefer, plus the number of points you’ll earn.
Some online malls have higher earn rates than others, time-limited promotions or a different retailer mix.
The tool collates the points earn opportunities from:
- Qantas Shopping
- Velocity eStore
- KrisFlyer Spree
- Asia Miles iShop
- ANZ Bonus Points Mall
- Gift Card retailers at Coles/Woolworths via American Express Platinum Edge
How to use
- Search for a retailer or product category using the text search box
- Compare the possible points earn opportunities in the results table, sorting by program if needed
- That’s it—go purchase!
An example points ‘win’ from using this tool
Say you were planning on buying some clothes from Bonds. Searching for Bonds in the table will show that you can pick up 6 Qantas or Velocity points per $1 for shopping through Qantas Shopping or the Velocity eStore, which is a fairly high rate.
Plus, you can earn an additional 3 Membership Rewards points per $1 for purchasing a Bonds gift card at a supermarket if you have the American Express Platinum Edge and using the gift card for payment, a method called ‘points stacking’.
We can’t guarantee all the earn rates and partners will be up to date 100% of the time but we’ll do our best!
Notes
- The earn rates shown are standard, not bonused with different promotions—if there is a promotion running, the earn rate will be different (and probably higher)
- There might be more gift cards available than what’s listed in the table
- Make sure to verify bonus points with the respective online portals before making a purchase, especially if it’s a large one
How to make a purchase from an online mall
Online malls work by tracking the purchases you make at participating retailers, so it can credit you with points for each dollar you spend. Make sure to enable cookies when using Google Chrome, Modzilla Firefox or Safari.
We will use Qantas Shopping as an example, but the process should be similar to each of the other online malls. Also, note that at times these shopping malls provide one-off bonuses, such a previous promotion shown below that offered triple points at The Iconic.
- To start, head to the Qantas Shopping home page and log in to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account.
- Click on the retailer you wish to shop at. The page will tell you how many Qantas Points you can earn per dollar, plus any applicable promo codes you can use.
- Complete your purchase on the retailer’s website. Do not visit other websites during this time, or your purchase might not track.
- When you have checked out, that’s it! Sit tight and wait a few weeks (or months) for the points to credit.
Summing up
Checking out our bonus points earn tool before making an online purchase can earn you some points on something you were going to buy anyway. You may get lucky with a special offer like double or triple points running at the time of your purchase.
You may also be interested in earning cashback on online purchases with Cashrewards. This gives you a cash rebate for each purchase, rather than more points. You can’t use both an online mall and Cashrewards for the same transaction, as they both track your purchases the same way.
The ‘points stacking’ will not work in the example you gave. You cannot earn bonus points from Qantas Online Shopping Mall if your payment method is a gift card. The T&Cs from the website are as below
‘Terms & Conditions
Bonus Qantas Points (6 points instead of the usual 4 points per AU$1 spent) will be earned for purchases on the Bonds online store in Australia only made through the Online Mall between 12.01am Monday 1 June 2020 (AEST) to 11.59pm Tuesday 30 June 2020 (AEST).
Qantas Points will be earned on the price of the goods only and not on any GST, delivery charges or taxes. Qantas Points will not be earned on the purchase of a gift card; where a gift card or voucher is used as a payment method (whether for full or part payment); or where a coupon or discount code is used (unless that coupon or discount code is valid and listed on Qantas Shopping). Qantas Points will not be earned on cancelled, amended or refunded transactions. Individual retailer terms and conditions apply.’
truly peaked my interest. I will book mark your
website and keep checking for new information about once per week.
I subscribed to your Feed as well.
PS I prefer Bunnings for its hardware rather than Clothes and Fashion
Nevertheless this is a great tool. Thanks for the effort in putting this together.