The five best credit cards for earning Virgin Australia frequent flyer points

When used responsibly, credit cards are a great tool for notching up frequent flyer points on money you'd be spending anyway. Here are five credit cards to skyrocket your Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer points balance.

1. NAB Velocity Rewards Premium

With an affordable annual fee of just $150, NAB’s Platinum-grade Velocity Rewards Premium American Express card is great for everyday transactions, serving up 1.5 Velocity points per dollar wherever AMEX is accepted on spends of up to $20,000 each month.

That's paired with a Visa to use everywhere else included with the same annual fee, netting 0.5 Velocity points per dollar with spends on this card also counting towards the monthly $20,000 threshold.

While certainly less impressive than the AMEX, the duo is boosted with a generous 60,000-point bonus deal: just apply by April 30 2016 and spend at least $1,500 on either card within 90 days of opening the account.

2. Diners Club + World MasterCard

Next in line is the Diners Club + World MasterCard combo which balances more frequent flyer points earned per dollar spent against generally lower Diners Club acceptance outside of the big chains and brands, and too comes with a 'backup' card when the primary card isn't welcome.

You'll pay a $389 annual fee which covers the lot, after which you can earn three Diners Club Rewards points per dollar spent on the Diners card (= 2 Velocity points) and 1.25 Diners Club Rewards points per dollar via the MasterCard (equal to 0.83 Velocity points).

There's no limit to the number of points you can earn via either card, and although Diners Club also offers a standalone Diners card (sans the companion MasterCard), adding the MasterCard to your account oddly gives you more points when you pay with Diners Club.

3. American Express Business Accelerator card

Consultants, business owners and sole traders, meet the American Express Business Accelerator card – churning our 2 Membership Rewards Ascent points per dollar spent – equal to 2 Velocity points – with an annual fee of just $160.

Following AMEX's usual conventions, transactions made with most insurance providers, utilities and government bodies accrue a lower 0.5 MR points per dollar spent, and after earning 100,000 MR points in a year, your 'everyday' earning rate lowers to a still-reasonable $1=1 MR point.

As hinted by the name, you'll need an ABN to apply for this card but with a minimum income requirement of only $24,000/year, you don't need to be running a multi-national to slip this one into your pocket.

4. ANZ Rewards Black

Don't like annual fees but still want a truckload of points? Take a look at ANZ Rewards Black, pairing an American Express and a Visa on the one account but with no annual fee in the first year (usually $375) and a bonus 75,000 ANZ Rewards points for new customers.

When converted on a 2:1 basis to Velocity, that's an easy 37,500 Velocity points up for grabs for cardholders who spend at least $2,500 on everyday purchases in the first three months. On top, you'll also earn the equivalent of 1.5 Velocity points per dollar spent on the AMEX with no capping or tiering.

Through recent changes to ANZ's credit card line-up, whipping out the Visa now also nets 0.625 Velocity points per dollar (1.25 ANZ Rewards points), also with no cap.

5. Virgin Australia Velocity High Flyer Visa

There's one rather important caveat to the great earning rates of the cards above, and that's the acceptance of premium cards like American Express and Diners Club, which many larger businesses welcome but some smaller outlets may not.

How you'll fare depends on your spending habits, but if you're frequently reaching for another card type, consider something like the Velocity High Flyer Visa Signature from Virgin Money: yours for $144 in the first year and $289 thereafter.

From April 1 2016, cardholders can earn 1 Velocity point per dollar on spends of up to $10,000 per month, after which they'll get 0.5 Velocity points until their next statement cycle begins.

What's more, from the same date you can earn 3 Velocity points per dollar when booking Virgin Australia flights (currently 1.25 Velocity points per $1 on all spend), with 20,000 bonus Velocity points up for grabs after spending $10,000 within three months of card approval.

Also read: Virgin Australia tweaks Velocity Frequent Flyer points scheme

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Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.