Earning rewards points on business spending

How business points work

There are three main ways a business earns points:

1. Business loyalty programs, where the business has its own account.
2. Personal or store loyalty programs used for business purchases.
3. Payment methods, such as rewards credit cards, that earn points on whatever you buy.

Many businesses use more than one. The trick is to earn points on spending you’d do anyway, without paying more for the privilege.

Business travel programs

Australia’s major airlines run programs for businesses:

• Qantas Business Rewards says businesses can earn and use Qantas Points on flights and everyday business expenses with its partners.
• Virgin Australia Business Flyer is free to join for eligible Australian businesses with an ABN, according to Virgin Australia. The business account earns Velocity Points on eligible flights and with business partners, and travellers who are Velocity members can still earn personal points and status when they fly for work.

Things to check:

• Joining fees and eligibility
• How points are earned: flights only, or partners such as car hire, hotels, fuel and office supplies
• Who can use the points: the business, key contacts, or staff
• Member discounts on fares, which may be worth more than the points.

Supermarket, fuel and supplier programs

Many businesses buy groceries, cleaning supplies, fuel and office goods from big retailers.

• Flybuys: Coles says you can add your Flybuys card to a Coles business online account and collect points when you shop online, just like in store. Flybuys is also accepted at other partner businesses.
• Other programs may work differently for business accounts. Some offer business benefits such as delivery deals instead of points. Check the terms of each.
• Suppliers and wholesalers sometimes run their own rewards or volume rebates. Ask your main suppliers what’s available.

Card payments and payment platforms

Rewards credit and charge cards earn points on purchases. Some payment platforms let you pay suppliers, bills or other business expenses by card when the payee doesn’t accept cards, in return for a fee. For example, pay.com.au says businesses can use it to pay expenses such as the ATO, payroll, rent and suppliers by credit card, even when the payee doesn’t accept cards, and earn rewards points.

Before you go down this path:

• Do the maths. Moneysmart says to check the value of rewards against higher fees and rates, and warns that rewards cards can cost more, especially if you don’t pay the full balance each month.
• Pay in full every month. Interest quickly wipes out the value of any points.
• Check payment platform fees. A fee of even 1% or 2% on every payment can cost more than the points are worth.
• Check caps and expiry: many programs limit how many points you can earn or how long you can keep them.
• Watch cash flow. Paying by card can delay cash leaving your account, but it’s still debt.

Card surcharges: the Reserve Bank explains that surcharging on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa ended on 1 October 2026, and American Express, UnionPay and PayPal also removed surcharging. This doesn’t cover service fees, weekend or public holiday surcharges, or fees charged by payment platforms for their services.

This guide doesn’t recommend any card, platform or program. See Business credit cards, credit scores and managing debt.

Are points worth it?

A simple test:

1. Estimate what a point is worth to you, for example by comparing the points cost and cash price of a flight or gift card you’d actually use.
2. Add up a year’s points from your normal spending.
3. Subtract every cost: annual fees, joining fees, platform fees, interest, and any higher prices you pay to earn points.
4. Compare with simply buying where it’s cheapest.

The ACCC suggests weighing up whether using points is actually the cheapest way to buy something, checking for fees and expiry, and being wary of buying things just to earn points.

Set a points policy

If staff travel or spend on behalf of the business, write down:

• Which programs the business uses, and who manages the accounts
• Who owns points earned on business spending: the business, the individual, or a mix
• That staff must choose the best-value option for the business, not the one that earns them more points
• How points are used: business travel, staff rewards, or other purposes.

Points can have tax implications for the business and for staff. This guide doesn’t cover tax. Ask your accountant.

Look after your data

Loyalty programs collect a lot of information about what you buy. The ACCC notes that programs may combine this with other data and use it for targeted advertising. Read the privacy terms, and watch for emails about changes to the program and its rules.