When it comes to redeeming rewards for travel, the Citi Premier Velocity Credit Card offers excellent value, especially if you’re flying with Virgin Australia and its partners. Whether you’re saving for a Business Class upgrade or planning your next island getaway, using your card smartly can make your points stretch further.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to earn and redeem Velocity Points with the Citi Premier Velocity, so you can maximise your travel rewards every step of the way.
Earn Velocity Points on everyday spend
The Citi Premier Velocity is one of the few non-American Express credit cards in Australia that effectively earns a full 1 Velocity Point per dollar with online purchases. As a Mastercard, you’ll usually find the card is accepted at the vast majority of merchants, often without any surcharges.
It’s not just online shopping that earns big. Even certain expenses, such as some bills, gift card purchases, and more, will earn the equivalent of 1 Velocity Point per dollar, as long as you use the card online.
Points earn rate:
- 2 Citi Points per $1 spent on eligible online purchases, uncapped.
- Reduced earn rate of 1 Citi Point per $1 on all other purchases, uncapped.
Citi Points are directly transferable to Velocity Points at a 2:1 rate. This makes it easy to turn your everyday expenses – such as groceries, dining, and streaming services – into your next flight reward.
Point Hacks Pro Tip: Citi to Velocity transfers occasionally have bonuses of 10-20%, earning you even more points just by timing things right. Keep an eye on the Point Hacks website for the next transfer offer.
Fast-track your balance with a well-timed sign-up
The Citi Premier Velocity usually comes with a sign-up bonus offer, sometimes as high as 110,000 Velocity Points. These bonuses are typically awarded after you meet a minimum spend requirement within the first few months of approval, assuming you are eligible for the bonus as a new customer.
A strong sign-up offer coupled with strong online earning potential makes the Citi Premier Velocity an invaluable tool for your points arsenal.
Redeem smartly: get the most from your Velocity Points
The real value of the Citi Premier Velocity card comes when you redeem Velocity Points for Virgin Australia flights, upgrades, or rewards. Good-value redemptions to look out for include:
- Domestic flights on Virgin Australia (starting from 6,900 points + taxes)
- Business Class upgrades on Virgin Australia short-haul international flights
- Partner airline flights with Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, United and more.
For example, 110,000 Velocity Points is enough for a one-way Business Class flight from Australia to anywhere in Asia with Singapore Airlines. Or save up to 158,500 Velocity Points to fly to any destination served by a Virgin Australia partner in Business Class, including Europe and the USA.
While the card offers excellent travel potential, be aware of:
- Annual fee: Typically $300
- Foreign transaction fees: 3.4%. It’s higher than most, so use this card mainly within Australia.
Is the Citi Premier Velocity worth it?
If you fly Virgin Australia regularly or want an accessible way to earn Velocity Points on everyday spend, the Citi Premier Velocity is a solid travel companion. With its direct Velocity earn, frequent bonus offers, and points-friendly perks, it’s a strong option for frequent flyers and savvy point hackers alike.
Pair it with smart redemption strategies and Family Pooling, and you’ll be well on your way to your next reward seat or upgrade. There’s also many other perks such as two Priority Pass lounge passes annually.
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