Running low on cash this Father’s Day? If you have a rewards card, you could spoil dad courtesy of your rewards points without spending a cent by using frequent flyer points.
Do you hear that? That’s the sound of countless unorganised children rushing to grab socks, beer and novelty ties in preparation for Father’s Day this Sunday. If you’re running low on funds, time or ideas this dad’s day, you could use points from your frequent flyer rewards account to cover the cost of a gift for your papa. From travel discounts and entertainment to gadgets and gift cards, you can use your rewards points to spoil your dad with just about anything this Father’s Day. Browse through our list of credit card providers to see what you can pick up for dad with your rewards points this year. (Physical gifts probably won't be delivered ahead of the day, but you can blame Australia Post for that. Travel and experiences don't need delivery, so you're golden.)
Westpac - Altitude Rewards
Westpac cardholders can redeem their Altitude Points for a variety of rewards via the online store or with Westpac’s many airline partners.
Altitude Rewards online store
The Altitude Rewards online store is home to gifts for every type of dad. Whether he’s a handyman, movie buff, gadget guru or fitness fanatic, your Altitude Rewards could get you into dad’s good books this year. Here’s just a few of the products you’ll find:
Gardening & DIY. If your dad’s the kind of guy who spends most of his time in the tool shed, a Bosch 18v 2 Piece Essentials Drill Kit pack (45,025 Altitude) points could be up his alley. If you’re craving for a barbeque lunch this Father’s Day, a Beefmaster 6 Premium barbeque (200,750 points) could be a gift to the whole family.
Gadgets. If your dad considers himself a bit of a tech wiz, redeem an iPad mini (99,975 points) or Apple TV (28,125 points) with your points. If you overestimated his abilities, we’ll warn you that you may be spending all of Sunday teaching him where the power button is.
Sports and leisure. With summer just around the corner, fitness equipment might be the first on your dad’s wish list. Your dad can track his performance with a new Fitbit Charge Tracker (35,175 points) or get a full workout with Nike’s Ultimate Men’s Strength Pack (37,050 points).
Experiences. What’s better than the gift of family time? Let your dad release his inner kid with a one-day pass to Dreamworld (17,275 points), or, if he’s not afraid to get in touch with his feminine side, a two-hour Endota spa package (46,000) could come in handy.
Altitude Travel Rewards
If the options available on the Altitude Rewards online store fail to strike your fancy, you can always transfer your points for a getaway with dad.
Travel packages. The Points+Pay options lets you use a combo of points and cash to redeem a trip away for dad. From weekends spent hot air ballooning in the Hunter Valley (70,000 points + $299 per person) or four nights in Hawaii (100,000 points plus $399 per person), Altitude Rewards’ travel packages offer something for everyone.
Travel vouchers. If you don’t have quite enough points or cash to shout dad a holiday away, you could always opt for a Altitude Travel Voucher. Starting at $50 (9,100 points), these can be redeemed for accommodation, flights and more.
Other travel perks. Altitude Rewards members can also redeem their points for other travel perks such as car rental, accommodation and direct frequent flyer transfers. If your dad already has a trip in mind, this gift could be the cherry on top!
Compare Commonwealth Bank credit cards here
St.George - Amplify Rewards
St.George customers can access their own exclusive perks within the Amplify Rewards program.
Amplify Rewards Online Store
St.George Amplify Rewards members aren’t strapped for choice when shopping for dad’s pressie on the online store. From entertainment and experiences, sports, DIY and tech, Amplify Rewards has all the bases covered.
Entertainment and experiences. Give dad the memory of a lifetime with a Sydney Harbour Bridge BridgeClimb voucher (40,700 points). If heights aren’t his thing, there’s always the five-day long Snowy Mountain horse riding and camping trip (324,350 points).
Gadgets. A TomTom GO 510 5” GPS Navigation (50,750) could be perfect for all dads who refuse to ask for directions on those family holidays. Or you can let your dad blast his bad, old-school music on a Panasonic SC-AKX200 2.0 Channel 400W Mini System (59,950 points). If you have any cash left, you may want to gift yourself with some earplugs for the last one.
Community. For the man who already has everything, donating your points to his favourite charity would be nice alternative. From $20-$200 donations to Oxfam Australia (3,400 to 16,700 points), The Children’s Hospital (8,350 points) to $50-$100 donations to the Cancer Council Australia (8,400 to 16,700 points), you’re sure to find something worthy of your points on the Amplify Rewards community page.
Amplify Travel Rewards
From domestic to international flights, accommodation, luggage and travel packages, Amplify Rewards cover all of your dad’s travel needs.
Frequent flyer points. Use the Amplify Rewards Airline Points Calculator to see how many points you’ll need to shout dad a flight discount courtesy of Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia.
Travel packages. As St.George falls under the Westpac umbrella, you can look forward to the same travel package perks here. Chip in with your family and shout dad a surprise trip to Fiji. For 148,500 +$999 per family, two adults and two children could enjoy seven nights at the five-star Warwick Fiji hotel.
Compare your St.George options
Commonwealth Bank - CommBank Awards
Commonwealth Bank boasts Australia’s largest credit card rewards program, so you should have no trouble finding the perfect gift for dad with your points.
CommBank Awards Online shopping
Commonwealth Bank rewards cardholders can pay with points when shopping online with partners, booking their next holiday or looking for gift cards and merchandise.
Points with Partners. CommBank allows cardholders to pay with points when shopping online at Myer or booking flights through Flight Centre. Whether your dad’s wardrobe could do with a good makeover, he has some gadgets on his wish list or he wants to add some new books to his personal library, Myer could be your Father’s Day one-stop-shop.
Gift cards. If you’re unsure what to get dad but you have a vague idea of where he likes to shop, a gift card could come in handy. Starting at $25 (4,900 points) and available up to $500 (93,000 points), you can grab gift cards from Rebel Sport, Sunglass Hut and Dymocks with your CommBank points. For a full list of gift cards, simply browse the Awards page through your NetBank.
Merchandise. Browse NetBank for a full list of merchandise, ranging from housewares and entertainment to gadgets and fashion. For example, if you want to keep your dad’ music taste contained to his headphones, a 16GB iPod Nano (36,000 points) could be a gift that benefits the whole family.
CommBank Travel Awards
The sky is the limit when using your CommBank Awards Points for travel rewards. Transfer points to your dad’s frequent flyer account or turn your points into travel by booking a trip through Flight Centre.
Transfer points. If you’re already a frequent flyer member, you could transfer your CommBank Awards points your preferred frequent flyer program and shout dad a trip away. Transfer your CommBank Awards to your Velocity or Qantas Frequent Flyer account via NetBank.
Points with partners. CommBank customers can look forward to absolute travel flexibility with no blackout dates when redeeming their points with Flight Centre. You can redeem your points instantly to book flights, accommodation, car hire, cruises and holiday packages. Don’t have enough points? Take advantage of Points Plus Pay to combine points and cash. Simply sign into NetBank to redeem your points.
Consider a CommBank credit card
ANZ - ANZ Rewards
ANZ Rewards online store
Similar to some of the other banks, you will have a smorgasbord of options available to you when shopping for dad’s gift on the ANZ Rewards online store.
Homewares. If your dad is an avid coffee consumer, you could grab a Delonghi Nespresso U Milk machine (66,855 points) from the online store. Or if you know your dad likes to cut corners with the chores, maybe a Russell Hobbs R-VAC Robotic Vacuum Cleaner (96,120 points) could come in handy.
Entertainment. Any movie buff dad will appreciate a Cinema Saver double pass (4,760 points). If your dad is a bit of a bookworm, you could give him the gift that keeps on giving with a 12-month subscription to Australian House & Garden magazine.
Vouchers and gift cards. Still unsure what to get dad? A gift card to his favourite store could be the answer to your prayers. Including Bunnings (available from 22,225 points), JB Hi-Fi (available from 5,560 points) and The Athlete’s Foot (available from 11,115 points), you’re spoiled for choice with St.George’s gift card partners.
ANZ Travel Rewards
ANZ Rewards members have quite a few options when it comes to redeeming travel rewards, including domestic and international flights, accommodation discounts and direct transfers for frequent flyer points or miles.
International and domestic flights. Depending on how many points you have saved, you can either pay for the flights using points or a mixture with cash. Use the ANZ flight search tool to confirm how many points you’ll need for your chosen route.
Accommodation. Similar to the above deal, ANZ also lets you receive hotel discounts with your rewards points. Either flip the entire bill with points or use a mixture of points and cash if you’re running short. You can use the online ANZ hotel search tool to confirm how many points you’ll need and to make bookings.
Frequent flyer transfers. If you have already racked up points with your relevant frequent flyer program, you can directly transfer your ANZ Rewards Points to any of the four supported Frequent Flyer programs. You can transfer your ANZ Rewards Points for Velocity Points (minimum two points), Air New Zealand Airpoints (minimum 1,500 points), Singapore KrisFlyer Miles (minimum 3,000 points), Asia Miles (minimum 1,500 points).
Compare ANZ credit cards
Citibank - Citi Rewards
Citi Rewards credit cardholders can look forward to spoiling dad with a seemingly unlimited selection of merchandise, experiences, gift cards and travel rewards. If you’re unsure what to get dad this year, the Citi Rewards online store should be more than enough inspiration.
Citi Rewards online store
Make every point count by browsing the Citi Rewards online store to find a gift that’s just right this Father’s Day.
Kitchen. Browse the Citi Rewards store to find appliances such as a Tefal “SnackMaker” Waffle & Toasted Sandwich Maker (22,000 points) or a Kambrook Blitz2Go Personal Blender that’ll help dad whip up culinary masterpieces in no time.
Gadgets. Let your dad release his inner Steven Spielberg with a GoPro HD Hero4 4K Action Video Camera (132,800 points) or channel James Bond with a leather Motorola Moto 360 Smart Watch (73,800 points).
Gift cards. Let dad choose his own pressie with a gift card or voucher courtesy of the Citi Rewards program. With partners such as Myer, Coles, Woolworths, JB HiFi and Bunnings to name a few, you’re bound to find something for dad.
Citi Rewards Travel Centre
If you’re a CitiBank customer and have enough points saved, your gift to dad this year could come in the form of a holiday. CitiBank cardholders can visit the Rewards Travel Centre to browse their choices.
Flights and travel packages. If you have a Citi rewards card, you can use the Travel Centre to see how many points you’ll need for your dad’s dream trip. If you’re short on points, you can also pay the difference with cash.
Other travel perks. If dad already has a holiday planned, you could use your points to help him save on extra travel costs such as accommodation and car rental. Browse the Travel Centre to see how far your points can take you.
Compare Citibank credit cards
American Express - American Express Membership Rewards
If you’re an AMEX rewards cardholder, you will have access to a massive range of rewards options with American Express. Whether you think dad would prefer to splurge with partners such as David Jones, shop with the freedom of a gift card or take a holiday courtesy of your points, the possibilities are almost endless.
Shop with American Express Points
Between David Jones’ online store and the variety of gift cards available with American Express’ multitude of partners, you should have no issue finding the perfect gift for Father’s Day with your Membership Rewards.
David Jones. Since DJs offer everything from fashion and homewares to electrical and the latest gadgets, you’re bound to find something suitable for dad while shopping the online store. If your dad is still using a mobile phone that offers polyphonic ringtones, upgrade him to an iPhone 6 with 155,115 points.
Gift cards. Let dad choose his own present with a gift card this year. Between Westfield Gift Cards (from 6,750 to 115,000 points) for shopping, helloworld travel vouchers (from 5,000 to 100,000 points) for holidays or World Vision Donations (from 3,000 to 6,000 points) if your dad is the generous type, the only trouble you’ll have with these gift cards is deciding which one to pick.
Travel with Membership Rewards
AMEX cardholders have several options for redeeming their points for travel perks. If your dad has a holiday on the brain, one of the following rewards alternatives is sure to get you some extra brownie points this father’s day.
Frequent traveller partners. If you or your dad are already a member of a frequent flyer program, you can rack up even more points by transferring your Membership Rewards with any of their frequent traveller partners. American Express has nine frequent flyer partners (including Velocity, Air New Zealand, Asia Miles and Etihad Guest) for you to choose from.
Fly with partners. If you’d like to use your points for a family trip or a weekend trip with dad, use your points to book with American Express Travel Online, helloworld and Webjet. Compare your options to find the alternative that poses the most value for your dad and points.
Browse the available American Express credit cards
As you can see, you’re not doomed to give your dad a homemade coupon book or a cheesy “World’s Best Dad” mug if you’re strapped for cash, time or inspiration this Father’s Day. Using your rewards points is an awesome way to spend your points and spoil your dad this year. To get the good deal for your points, compare your options and see how far your rewards can take you.