How to maximise frequent flyer points by using gift cards at JB Hi-Fi

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: supermarket gift card offers are one of the easiest ways to accumulate points without a credit card, especially if you use them to purchase items you were planning to buy anyway.

When those big-ticket purchases come up, check our weekly gift card deals page to see what’s on. If there’s an offer that covers a retailer you can buy the item from, then it’s time to plan.

Earlier this year, my partner wanted to upgrade her aging MacBook Air. And more recently, I had to purchase some additional equipment for work. Fortunately, all the items were available at JB Hi-Fi, and it coincided with weeks when there was a significant variable-load gift card offer. Game on.

Quick recap: how do you earn points from gift cards?

A typical gift card promotion in Australia is 20x bonus supermarket reward points per dollar spent. That’s either 20x Flybuys points, which equals 10 Velocity Points per dollar. Or, in this example, 20x Everyday Rewards points are equivalent to 10 Qantas Points per dollar.

When these offers are on, here’s how many points you could earn:

• $50 card = 1,000 supermarket points = 500 airline points
• $100 card = 2,000 supermarket points = 1,000 airline points
• $200 card = 4,000 supermarket points = 2,000 airline points
• $500 card = 10,000 supermarket points = 5,000 airline points

For example, if I buy 2x $500 gift cards under this offer, I can expect to earn 10,000 Qantas or Velocity Points.

Variable-load cards are your friend

Of course, the greater the denomination of the gift card, the easier it is to use for big-ticket items. That’s where variable-load gift cards come in handy. These can usually be loaded with any amount from $20 to $500, making it easier to tailor to your exact purchase amount. The high $500 limit also drastically reduces the number of gift cards you need to purchase for your item.

However, there are some downsides to consider:

• Variable-load cards are very popular and may run out of stock quickly
• There is often a lower purchase limit of two variable-load cards per day, per member.

Using the TCN Kids variable-load card

The TCN Kids gift card might be targeted at a younger crowd, but it’s a handy tool for JB Hi-Fi purchases. As this card is available as a variable-load card, and is occasionally featured with a 20x bonus points offer, it’s the perfect way to accumulate points faster while minimising the number of cards you need to buy.

For my partner’s MacBook purchase, we simply bought three TCN Kids gift cards. I bought 2x $500 cards on my Everyday Rewards account, while she bought 1x $447 card on her account. I earned 10,000 Qantas Points on my transaction, while she earned the equivalent of 4,470 Qantas Points on hers.

Then, it was a simple matter of going to JB Hi-Fi and asking for a price match down from $1,499 to $1,447 (Officeworks’ competitor price), which was approved. At the counter, it was easy to redeem each gift card with a quick swipe and PIN entry – it took less than a minute to do all three.

That’s it – a combined 14,470 bonus Qantas Points for not much extra work. Incidentally, I paid for the gift cards with my Amex Qantas Ultimate card, which netted a further 1,808 Qantas Points from the card’s standard earn rate.

Together, that’s enough points for a short Economy reward flight (+ fees and taxes) for one, though my preference is to save them towards a bigger trip in international Business Class.

What about Apple gift cards?

If I need to make another Apple purchase in the future, I would consider buying Apple Gift Cards if possible. These can be pre-loaded into an Apple account and then combined with cashback offers if shopping online.

However, note that these cards are usually not available on promotion for a few months after the new iPhone comes out in September. Apple is also more restrictive when it comes to price matching – usually, they can only discount up to 10% of their RRP.

For example, the M4 256GB MacBook Air retails for $1,699. Under Apple’s policy, they may only be able to price match down to $1,529, not $1,499 (JB Hi-Fi) or $1,447 (Officeworks). In summary, buying gift cards that can be used at JB Hi-Fi – and then price-matching Officeworks – could be the best option for some Apple products.

What to be mindful of when using gift cards

• There have been occasional reports of tampering and brute-force attacks on gift cards. Where possible, aim to redeem the gift cards as soon as possible. I typically take them to JB Hi-Fi straight away.
• Keep the gift cards that you use for the purchase. In the unlikely event you need a refund, you may need the original cards. Alternatively, ask for a store credit.
• Check the catalogues closely to see which denominations of gift cards are included. Not all variable-load cards are included. Also check for daily or weekly purchase limits.

Qantas American Express Ultimate

Find Out More & Apply

Read the guide

Sign-up Bonus:

Up to 90,000 bonus Qantas Points¹

Rewards Earn Rate:

1.25 Qantas Points earned per $1 on eligible everyday purchases. 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on selected Qantas products and services in Australia. 0.5 Qantas Point per $1 at government bodies in Australia. After a total of 100,000 Qantas Points is earned in a calendar year, the everyday earn rate will change from 1.25 to 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent.

Annual Fee:

$450 p.a.

Offer expires

13 January 2026

Earn 70,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus an additional 20,000 Qantas Points when you spend a minimum of $1 on your Card within 90 days of paying your second year annual Card Fee¹. (Offer ends 13 January 2026. New Amex Card Members only. T&Cs apply.) This card includes an annual $450 Qantas Travel Credit, two Qantas lounge passes, complimentary international travel insurance, and Qantas Wine Premium Membership (valued at $99). Earn 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 on everyday spend, 2.25 on Qantas purchases, and 0.5 on government payments. The annual fee is $450.

Do you have any supermarket gift card wins? Share them in the comments below.