You can now spend Qantas Points at BP

Qantas and BP are taking their relationship to the next level, with the pair now allowing Qantas Frequent Flyer members to spend their points at the pump.

Previously, Qantas cardholders could only earn rewards at BP. This next stage of the relationship delivers yet another way for Qantas Frequent Flyer members to benefit from their points: and one without too many constraints.

But is it worth spending your Qantas Points at BP? Here’s our view.

What can my Qantas Points buy at BP?

At BP, you can now spend Qantas Points on your regular purchases. This covers not only fuel expenses, but also in-store buys such as coffee, drinks, snacks and other goodies for the road.

To use Qantas Points at BP, your total purchase price just needs to be $10 or more. To offset a $10 payment, you’ll spend 1,900 Qantas Points. By the same token, a $50 purchase requires 9,500 Qantas Points.

Here’s how many Qantas Points you’d require across a broader range of purchase amounts.

There’s no change to the number of Qantas Points you can earn at BP. In fact, when you spend Qantas Points at BP, you’ll even earn rewards based on the cash price you’d have otherwise paid.

You’ll also be able to spend Qantas Points at any BP location where those points can already be earned. If you’re not already earning Qantas Points at BP, be sure to sign up for BP Rewards.

Read more: How to earn Qantas Points at BP

Is spending Qantas Points at BP good value?

We’ve done the maths – every Qantas Point you use at BP provides a cash saving of approximately 0.526 cents ($0.00526). Of course, here at Point Hacks, we value each Qantas Point much higher, at 1.90 cents.

For our money, using Qantas Points at BP isn’t the savviest way to go. But it may still suit some people: particularly those keen to see a return on a small balance of Qantas Points. That’s because at BP, you could use as few as 1,900 Qantas Points, and get instant value out of those rewards in the form of a cash saving.

But here’s another way to look at it.

At BP, you’d need 19,000 Qantas Points to deliver $100 worth of savings. Yet a one-way flight in Qantas Business costs only 18,400 Qantas Points (plus fees and taxes) on popular routes like Sydney to Melbourne. Or for just 16,000 Qantas Points (plus fees and taxes), you could make the same journey in Qantas Economy, and fly round-trip.

Both those voyages cost far more than $100 to buy outright, which is why we usually recommend saving your frequent flyer points to fly.

Still, spending Qantas Points at BP delivers a reward that’s both instant and guaranteed. It comes without the constraints of booking travel, with no difficulties in finding opportunities to spend your Qantas Points. You can simply walk into any participating BP, ring up at least $10 of purchases, and walk out having spent only your Qantas Points.

For those who find themselves points-rich but cash-constrained, it’s good to have the option.

How to spend your Qantas Points at BP

Keen to turn your Qantas Points into savings at the pump? Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. At the BP cashier, scan the digital version of your Qantas Frequent Flyer card. This could be in the Qantas mobile app, Apple Wallet on iPhone, or in Google Pay on Android.
2. When it comes time to pay, the EFTPOS terminal will ask whether you’d like to spend Qantas Points (provided your purchase is $10 or more). The screen will show precisely how many Qantas Points you would need to offset the value of your transaction.
3. To use Qantas Points, select yes on that screen.
4. You’ll then be prompted for a four-digit ‘Reward Code’. Note, this is not your usual Qantas Frequent Flyer PIN. Instead, you’ll spot your Reward Code on your digital Qantas Frequent Flyer card.
5. Once your Reward Code has been entered, your Qantas Points will be deducted immediately, and you’ll be on your way.

For security reasons, your Reward Code changes after every purchase. That’s why you need to scan your digital Qantas Frequent Flyer card, because it’s the only place you’ll find your latest Reward Code.

Summing up

In the two years that Qantas’ BP partnership has been up and running, the airline has already issued billions of Qantas Points to members from those BP spends alone. In fact, over 850,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer cardholders regularly earn Qantas Points at BP.

Being able to spend Qantas Points at BP is the next logical step forward for that tie-up. It’s also a feature that BP provided under the chain’s previous partnership with Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program.

It won’t be for everyone, but with a Qantas Frequent Flyer member swiping their card at BP every four seconds, it’ll be welcome news for some.