We can earn points on just about any products and services these days – insurance, groceries and even meal kit deliveries. But even though most people have a mobile phone and a plan, there are surprisingly no long-lasting tie-ups with telcos and loyalty programs.

As of November 2021, Optus is your best bet for earning points with a phone plan. In fact, you can pocket up to 20,000 Qantas Points or 30,000 Flybuys Points. We also look at Telstra, which has its own in-house Telstra Plus rewards program.

1. Earn Qantas Points with Optus

Last checked: 23 November 2021

With the new Optus/Qantas partnership, you can earn bonus points if you sign up for a new plan. These are SIM-only plans, so be sure to bring your own mobile phone.

Qantas Optus
Qantas/Optus plans as of November 2021.
  • $39/month plan: Earn 5,000 Qantas Points after three months + five points per $1
  • $59/month plan: Earn 10,000 Qantas Points over six months + five points per $1
  • $79/month plan: Earn 20,000 Qantas Points after 12 months + 10 points per $1

Bonus points are awarded in 5,000-point instalments every three months. So if you take out the $79 plan, you’ll get 5,000 points after three months, six months, nine months and 12 months. These plans are all month-to-month, so you can leave anytime. But keep in mind, you won’t get any more bonus points if you leave early.

20,000 Qantas Points is worth around $380.00 based on our latest valuations. With that bounty, you could fly return in Economy between Sydney and Melbourne, or even one-way in Business Class!

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2. Earn Flybuys points with Optus

Last checked: 23 November 2021

If Flybuys and Velocity are your preferred points programs, then Optus still has you covered. These plans are tweaked to the slightly more budget-conscious – and do have a 12-month minimum term. Once again, you’ll need to BYO mobile phone.

At the top end, 30,000 Flybuys Points is worth 15,000 Velocity Points, or $150 at the checkout. That’s almost enough to fly return Economy between Melbourne and Hobart, or one-way in Business.

3. Earn Telstra Plus points with Telstra

Telstra Plus is a different beast altogether. Firstly, it’s not a frequent flyer program. But that doesn’t stop us from talking about it! Any Telstra customer (18+) with an eligible business or consumer account can join.

You earn 10 points per $1 on eligible payments, including prepaid recharges and plan fees. You can be elevated to Silver status with a $1,500 annual spend, and Gold status if you drop more than $3,000 on services.


Hot tip: Budget prepaid carrier Boost Mobile is part of the Telstra network, and you can earn Telstra Plus points while saving money. Win-win!


Telstra Plus points can be redeemed for rewards – mainly tech. Shop the latest mobiles, gadgets, accessories and more. The program often has sales of 50% off or more, so keep your points handy for those occasions.

Summing up

It’s a shame we don’t have more opportunities to earn points on what is (almost) an essential expense in today’s digital world. Having said that, Optus has two active partnerships right now, which are certainly worth checking out.

In the past, Vodafone partnered with Qantas Frequent Flyer, while Telstra offered Flybuys points. You could also previously earn Velocity Points with Optus!

It seems in this landscape, the telcos and frequent flyer programs are shuffling around continuously. Who knows what they’ll come up with next?

Earning points on phone plans in Australia was last modified: November 24th, 2021 by Brandon Loo