• Receive 20,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points as signup bonus
• 2 Qantas Frequent Flyer points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases overseas.
• 1 Qantas Frequent Flyer point for every $1 spent on eligible purchases in Australia.
• 2 Complimentary invitations to the Qantas Club lounge every year.
• Up to 55 days interest free when you pay the full balance by the due date.
• Comprehensive Travel Insurance for Australia and overseas.
• Enjoy a competitive interest rate for 6 months when you transfer balances from other credit and store cards.
• Priority 24-hour customer service.
• All of these benefits for $199 annual fee.
• Read the terms and conditions

• 20,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points just for signing up.
• Get 2 complimentary invitations to the Qantas Club lounge every year.
• Its a Visa card so you’ll not have to worry about dodging American Express surcharges.
• The basic rate of earning Qantas points is at least 1 point per $1 which is really good for Visa cards but the earning rate goes up to 2 to $1 spent when using the card overseas.
• Cardholders get comprehensive travel insurance for Australia and overseas.
• The only big letdown is the higher than average $199 annual fee.

How does the HSBC Platinum Qantas Credit Card compare for rates and fees against an average credit card? Based on the data from our website this credit card comparison scorecard shows:

		Purchase Rate	Cash Adv Rate	Annual Fee	Bal. Transfer Rate	Bal. Transfer Rate Period
	HSBC Platinum Qantas Credit Card	20.99%	21.99%	$199	0%	6 months
	The Average Credit Card	17.13%	21.03%	$95	2.87%	8 months

You can transfer from:



• American Express
• ANZ
• Aussie
• Bank of Melbourne
• Bank of Queensland
• Bank SA
• Bankwest
• Citibank
• Commonwealth Bank
• NAB
• St.George
• Suncorp
• Virgin
• Westpac

You cannot transfer from:



• HSBC
• Woolworths

Are you looking for a credit card that offers frequent flyer points, high earn rates, and a raft of other benefits? If so, you don’t have to search any further – the HSBC Platinum Qantas credit card is the perfect choice.

This credit card is packed full of all the features you have come to expect as a consumer. While this is far from your only option for a Qantas credit card, it is by far one of the best cards for consumers interested in earning points for flights while never missing out on other benefits such as competitive interest rates.

Pros

Many benefits of the HSBC Platinum Qantas credit card are based around the Qantas Frequent Flyer program. These start from the second you sign up for this credit card. Upon signing on the dotted line and taking possession of the HSBC Platinum Qantas credit card, you will receive 20,000 QFF points – one of the best opening bonuses around for any credit card linked with the Qantas Frequent Flyer program.

Speaking of Qantas frequent flyer points, you will earn two points for every $1 spent on eligible overseas purchases, which, assuming you travel a lot, can quickly add up. Along with this, you get a good earn rate ($1 = 1 QFF point) on eligible Australia purchases. In short, no matter where you are spending money you are collecting points that can later be redeemed for flights to domestic and international destinations all over the world with Qantas and affiliated airlines including British Airways, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Jetstar.

One of the most overlooked benefits of this card is the two annual complimentary invitations to the Qantas Club lounge, located in airports all over the world. As anyone who has travelled before can attest, air travel can be stressful at the best of times. Access to the Qantas Club Lounge means you can spend some time relaxing and getting refreshed before your journey begins. Best of all, with the HSBC Platinum Qantas card, it could be free.

Are you interested in transferring an existing credit card balance to save some money? The Platinum Qantas credit card from HSBC may not be the best card for balance transfers, but it is far from the worst. You have access to a competitive 0% p.a. on all balance transfers for 6 months, which is going to be much cheaper than the standard 20% interest you’re probably paying. You can transfer any store or credit card as long as it isn’t issued by HSBC, which includes Woolworths.

Every credit card should come with top notch customer service. Unfortunately, this is not the case. With the HSBC Platinum Qantas credit card you never have to worry about this being an issue. You have access to 24 hour priority customer service so that no matter your question or time of the day, you are always going to get an answer from their dedicated support team. This comes in particularly useful when you are overseas in a different time zone and need to enquire about your account’s status.

Cons

As with all credit cards, there are a couple of negatives associated with the Platinum Qantas card from HSBC.

For a start, the $199 p.a. annual fee turns many consumers off. While this is at the high end of the annual fee spectrum, it is important to note that you do get a lot in return for it. And compared to other Qantas Frequent Flyer credit cards, this is not the worst. Having said that, there are several cards available from ANZ, NAB and American Express cards linked to Qantas with lower annual fees.

Another point of differentiation is that this is a single card account, unlike many other frequent flyer cards where you also get an AmEx to help you earn more points. This will either matter to you, or it won’t. If you put a lot of transactions through the account each month, and shop regularly where AmEx is accepted, then you could be missing out on a higher earn rate. However, AmEx cards are usually charged a higher processing fee that is passed on to the customer, so the savings can vary greatly depending on how much you spend and who with. If you plan on applying for a card to earn rewards for everyday purchases (groceries, fuel, eating out, etc.), then not having an AmEx card is no big loss.

Also worth noting is that although the standard purchase rate (20.99% p.a.) is about average for a frequent flyer card, do bear in mind that there are other cards linked with Qantas that have introductory offers on reduced interest rates for purchases that can save you money. These offers are not always available though.

The eligibility requirements for this card are strict, but that’s often the case for a higher level platinum card anyway. This exclusivity is, for many, one of the main attractions of the card. While you only have to be 18 years old to apply, a substantial minimum income of $60,000 is required. This alone is one of the main reasons why some consumers never consider the HSBC Platinum Qantas credit card.

Conclusion

There are more pros than cons associated with the HSBC Platinum Qantas credit card and it is by far one of the better frequent flyer cards currently available to consumers. Not only will you earn points with every dollar spent, but the rates associated with this card are quite reasonable. When you combine all this with an above average customer service experience, you have a credit card with a lot to offer.