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The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.
The Jetstar Mastercard follows the lead of its own airline's brand in being a basic, no-frills product that's within reach of most people – but one that provides an opportunity to earn Qantas Points for free flights or Qantas business class upgrades, or to earn Jetstar Dollars to save money on your next holiday.
Without premium extras like international travel insurance, this credit card could instead save you money when booking Jetstar flights online or over the phone, or when purchasing drinks and snacks on board Jetstar flights.
Without a shiny Gold or Platinum coating, the entry-level Jetstar Mastercard delivers either 0.5 Qantas Points per dollar spent up to 25,000 Qantas Points per year, or $0.01 in Jetstar Dollars per real dollar spent up to $500 Jetstar Dollars per year.
Regardless of which option you choose, you'll earn no further rewards after spending $50,000 on the card in any given year – unlikely a problem for the low-to-moderate spenders that this card targets, but something for higher spenders to be mindful of.
Choose to earn Qantas Points and you'd have enough in the kitty for a one-way Sydney-Melbourne flight with Qantas (8,000 Qantas Points) after spending $16,000 on the card – plus a payment of around $35 when you book – or if using your points to fly with Jetstar instead (6,400 Qantas Points), you could zip between the same cities after spending a lower $12,800 on the card.
Your other option is to earn Jetstar Dollars, in which case you'd have enough of them to book a comparable one-way Sydney-Melbourne flight after $10,000 spent, assuming the fare is priced at an even $100.
That's both the advantage and the disadvantage to the Jetstar Dollars scheme: when the price of paid tickets is low, the Jetstar Dollars you've earned can take you further – but when fare prices increase, you'll need more of them to book your flight.
These features aren't typically included on entry-level credit cards, so it's no surprise to find them absent from the Jetstar Mastercard.
However, when using your Jetstar Mastercard to book flights on jetstar.com or via the Jetstar call centre, the airline's usual 'payment fee' (credit card surcharge) will be waived – and if using the card to purchase food or beverages on board a Jetstar (JQ) flight, you'll save 10% on the purchase total every time!
If you fly Jetstar often, those savings could exceed what you're paying in annual fees, or at least make the fee less 'costly'.
Priced at $69 per year when earning Jetstar Dollars or $99 per year with Qantas Points, the basic Jetstar Mastercard is simply that: a basic, no-frills credit card that earns points, without other extra like travel insurance and airport lounge access thrown in.
However, it does have some great features which aren't offered by other card issuers, such as a credit card surcharge waiver when booking Jetstar flights and ongoing discounts on inflight purchases, which is great to see from an entry-level card.
An annual points cap of 25,000 Qantas Points is on the lower side compared to other products in the Australian market, although we do appreciate that it's a single annual cap rather than a lower monthly cap.
That's because there are months where you'll spend more (such as when booking a holiday or making large purchases) and other months where you'll spend less – so you won't be 'penalised' in those higher months: earning points on every dollar spent, provided you remain within the total overall yearly cap.
Executive Traveller may receive a commission when you apply for these credit cards via our links.
The information provided on this page is purely factual and general in nature. You should seek independent advice and consider your own personal circumstances before applying for any financial product.
