Business cards thatfund the next trip.

G’day, business owner. What if your biggest expenses — supplier invoices, rent and that dreaded quarterly BAS payment — could be actively funding your next Business Class flight?

1. The big decision: choose your allegiance

Before picking a card, you need to pick a team. There are three main paths for a business in Australia.

A) The Qantas route (the domestic powerhouse)

Perfect for businesses whose travel is mostly within Australia, thanks to an unmatched domestic network. See the ultimate guide to Qantas points cards.

B) The Velocity route (the value-driven challenger)

A savvy choice for companies that value flexibility and key international partners like Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways. See the ultimate Velocity points guide.

C) The flexible route (the expert’s choice)

The smartest way to play. Earn points with a bank’s flexible program (like Amex Membership Rewards) and transfer them to over 10 different airlines. Here’s why flexible points are a game-changer.

2. The top picks for your business wallet

The tax bill titan: NAB Qantas Business Signature

Perfect for: any business with a significant ATO bill.

• Killer feature: This card earns points on eligible government payments, including the ATO (but not via BPAY). It turns your single largest business expense into a massive points haul.
• Earn rate: 1 Qantas Point per $1.50 on everyday business spend, plus 1 bonus point per $1 on eligible Qantas services. Points are capped at $50,000 of spend per card per statement period.
• Annual fee: $295 per card.
• Current offer: 150,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $10,000 on everyday business purchases in the first 90 days, plus 50,000 more if you keep the account open for 15 months.

The Velocity vanguard: American Express Velocity Business

Perfect for: sole traders or small businesses loyal to Virgin Australia.

• Key perks: 1 Velocity Point per $1 on everyday business spend (0.5 on ATO and government payments), 2 points per $1 on Virgin Australia, and two Virgin Australia lounge passes a year.
• Annual fee: $249. It’s a charge card, so you pay the full balance every month. Employee cards are $99 each, up to 99.
• Current offer: 200,000 bonus Velocity Points for new Amex Card Members who apply by 27 October 2026 and spend $6,000 in the first 3 months. This is advertised through partner links; it isn’t shown on the Amex page itself.

The flexible scaler: American Express Business Gold Plus

Perfect for: businesses that spend on software, advertising and cloud services.

• Secret weapon: Up to 3 Membership Rewards points per $1 at selected vendors like Xero, Google Ads, Meta, AWS and Dell, and 1.5 points per $1 on everyday purchases. The earn drops to 1 point per $1 after 200,000 points in a calendar year.
• Annual fee: $395. It’s a charge card. Two employee cards are included, then $75 a year for each extra card.

The Amex Business Explorer, our old pick here, closed to new applications on 27 February 2026.

3. Can your business apply?

All three cards want an established, GST-registered business, and you must be 18 or over and an Australian citizen or permanent resident. The differences are in the detail:

	NAB Qantas Business Signature	Amex Velocity Business	Amex Business Gold Plus
ABN and GST	Valid ABN, registered for GST	Valid ABN, registered for GST	Valid ABN, registered for GST
Time trading	At least 12 months	Not stated	Not stated
Annual turnover	$75,000 or more if you’re new to NAB	$75,000 or more	$75,000 or more
Who applies	Sole traders, partnerships of up to two people, companies with up to five directors, eligible trusts	A director or controller of the business	A director or controller of the business
Also needed	ATO payments and loan repayments up to date	Good credit history, no defaults	Good credit history, no defaults

NAB also turns away applications where an applicant, director, partner or shareholder with 25% or more has lived overseas in the past three years. Just registered your ABN? Wait until you’re past 12 months of trading and $75,000 in revenue, or start with a personal card from our top 3 beginner picks.

Eligibility as listed on the NAB, Amex Velocity Business and Amex Business Gold Plus pages on 23 September 2026.

The golden rule: never, ever pay interest

Final approach: what’s your move?

• If your biggest bill is from the ATO, the NAB Qantas Business Signature is your champion.
• If you’re a small operation flying Virgin, the Amex Velocity Business offers fantastic value.
• If you want flexible points and spend big on software and ads, the Amex Business Gold Plus is hard to beat.