Qantas Partners MasterCard to Launch Innovative New FFP Card

Qantas partnered MasterCard to launch the new Qantas Frequent Flyer membership card.

The innovative new card allows members to store foreign currency, access cash worldwide via ATM withdrawals, and earn points on spending in Australia and overseas.

Members will start receiving the chip-enabled cards from today (29/8/2013), with almost 500,000 Qantas Frequent Flyers pre-registering to be among the first.

Qantas Group Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said the new inbuilt features, particularly Qantas Cash, would make the new generation card indispensable for the millions of Australians who already carry a Frequent Flyer card in their purse or wallet.

“The feedback from our members since we first announced this new Qantas card has been fantastic. The concept of a single card to check-in for your flight, access lounges, store foreign currency and make purchases at home or overseas has really struck a chord,” Mr Joyce said. “When you consider all the different things it does, this really is the Swiss Army knife of cards.”

Using the card’s Qantas Cash functionality, members can load funds, choosing up to nine different currencies and lock in exchange rates. Members can use the card to make purchases anywhere MasterCard is accepted electronically and earn points on all eligible spend at a rate of 1 Qantas Point per $1 spent in foreign currency or 1 Qantas Point per $2 spent in Australian dollars.

“There is no doubt Australians are moving away from cash to electronic payments and MasterCard is determined to lead that trend with advance payment technology,” said MasterCard Australian SVP & Country Manager, Andrew Cartwright. “It makes sense to combine everyday spend and travel with fast check-in functionality, Qantas Cash gives convenience and security for those heading abroad – as well as for use here at home.”

Qantas Loyalty Chief Executive Officer Lesley Grant said the new card was expected to attract new people to Qantas Loyalty as well as encourage existing members to take full advantage of the program’s benefits.

“There is a broadening understanding among our members that the Qantas Loyalty program now extends well beyond travel, with members able to engage with the program in so many ways,” said Ms Grant. “The more useful the Qantas Loyalty program becomes the more we can drive growth. Last financial year we exceeded our membership target by 200,000 to reach 9.4 million members and we are on track to reach 10 million in this financial year.”

Among the key benefits of the new Qantas Frequent Flyer card:

• The membership card can be activated with Qantas Cash, a prepaid facility which offers:

- fee free funds load and reload

- ability to load up to nine currencies and lock in exchange rates

- free domestic withdrawals

- New points earn opportunities. Qantas Cash will allow members to earn Qantas Points for eligible purchases while shopping at over 35 million locations worldwide where MasterCard is accepted electronically. The new card also delivers the speed and ease of paying with MasterCard PayPass and provides the convenience and security of paying with a card versus cash.

- The ability for Bronze members to use their card to check-in at domestic airports and as their boarding pass (currently only available to Silver, Gold and Platinum card holders)

The new cards will be gradually mailed to eligible Qantas Frequent Flyer members by the end of this year.