Paying Tax or BAS for Airline Points in Australia: 4 Offers Compared

Updated 24 October 2026

Pay a tax or BAS bill through a payment platform and you pay a fee, usually around 1%, in exchange for points. On its own that is rarely good value. Add a signup bonus and it can become a cheap way to buy airline points: under half a cent each in the best case below. Here is how the four current business offers compare, how much of a bill to route through each, and when to just pay the ATO directly.

Compare the four offers

Each offer needs a different amount to qualify. The table uses an illustrative $20,000 business bill and routes only the minimum qualifying amount through each provider. Pay any remainder directly by bank BPAY.

Minimum qualifying payment for each offer. Fees are in AUD including GST; points include the signup bonus.

Compare	pay.com.auNAB40 · bank Core	SniipBONUS20K · eligible debit	pay.com.auVABF50 · bank Core	B2Bpay PointsBank Account Earn Max
Pay through the provider	$10,000Pay the other $10,000 directly	$20,000The full bill	$20,000The full bill	$10,000Pay the other $10,000 directly
Total fee including GST	$110	$130	$220	$205.70
Airline points: base + bonus	5,000 + 20,00050,000 PayRewards converted at 2:1	2,000 + 20,000Velocity bonus	10,000 + 20,000Lower ($20k) bonus tier	10,000 + 10,000Velocity bonus after conversion
Total airline points	25,000Velocity or Qantas0.44 cents per point	22,000Velocity0.59 cents per point	30,000Velocity0.73 cents per point	20,000Velocity1.03 cents per point
Qualification window	Pay within 30 days of verification. Offer ends 1 October 2027, 11:59pm AEST.	Pay within 30 days of registration. No fixed end date in the linked terms.	Pay within 30 days of opening. Join by 16 November 2026, 11:59pm AEDT.	Join, earn and convert at least 10,000 B2B Points by 30 November 2026.
Who qualifies / key restrictions	NAB customer offer for eligible new businesses. Existing, former or linked pay.com.au accounts excluded; can’t combine with other pay.com.au signup offers.	New customer with an ABN. Link Business Flyer and enter BONUS20K before paying. Australian Visa/Mastercard debit qualifies; bank payments don’t.	New pay.com.au customer with linked Business Flyer. Can’t combine with NAB40; the $20k and $50k tiers don’t stack.	New Points customer with linked Business Flyer. Paying isn’t enough: the conversion must finish in the offer period. Bonus can take 60 days after it ends.

Fees include GST. Points show base + bonus after conversion.

Offer / required payment	Total fee	Airline points
pay.com.auNAB40 · bank CorePay $10,000	$1100.44c / point	25,000Velocity or Qantas5,000 base + 20,000 bonus
SniipBONUS20K · eligible debitPay $20,000	$1300.59c / point	22,000Velocity2,000 base + 20,000 bonus
pay.com.auVABF50 · bank CorePay $20,000	$2200.73c / point	30,000Velocity10,000 base + 20,000 bonus
B2Bpay PointsBank Account Earn MaxPay $10,000	$205.701.03c / point	20,000Velocity10,000 base + 10,000 bonus

Eligibility and deadlines

NAB40

Pay $10,000 within 30 days of verification; offer ends 1 October 2027, 11:59pm AEST. For eligible new businesses that are NAB customers. Existing, former or linked pay.com.au accounts excluded; can’t combine signup offers. The bonus is 40,000 PayRewards, which converts to 20,000 airline points at 2:1.

Sniip

Pay $20,000 within 30 days of registration; no fixed end date in the linked terms. New customer with an ABN. Link Business Flyer and enter BONUS20K before paying. Australian Visa/Mastercard debit qualifies; bank payments don’t.

VABF50

Pay $20,000 within 30 days of opening; join by 16 November 2026, 11:59pm AEDT. New pay.com.au customer with linked Business Flyer. Can’t combine with NAB40; the $20k and $50k tiers don’t stack.

B2Bpay

Join, earn and convert at least 10,000 B2B Points by 30 November 2026. New Points customer with linked Business Flyer. Paying isn’t enough: the conversion must finish in the offer period. Bonus can take 60 days after it ends.

Direct-payment baseline: paying the $20,000 directly by bank BPAY earns no provider points and costs nothing in provider fees, assuming your bank charges no fee.

NAB40 is the cheapest way to a bonus here if you qualify. Routing a further $10,000 through it costs another $110 for only 5,000 more points, so see the combination table below before putting the whole bill through.

Rates and offers checked 24 October 2026. These are business offers: you need an ABN and, for the Velocity bonuses, a linked Virgin Australia Business Flyer account. Points from Business Flyer offers go to the business account, not your personal Velocity account. Provider links are direct, not affiliate links. This is general information, not tax or financial advice.

How the numbers are worked out: fees are gross (including GST) at each provider’s published bank or debit rate, points are counted on the bill amount only, and bonuses are assumed to be awarded. There is no allowance for card rewards, points on fees, tax deductions, GST credits or subscription costs. Check the fee shown for your actual payment before you authorise it: pay.com.au pricing, Sniip pricing, B2Bpay Points pricing.

Jump to: your next BAS · combining offers · offer conditions · deadlines · what a point is worth · checklist · FAQ

Timing it with your September-quarter BAS

The July–September quarterly BAS is due on 28 October 2026 if you lodge it yourself, or 25 November 2026 if a registered tax or BAS agent lodges it for you. Online self-lodgers may get extra time, so check the due date shown in Online services for business.

• Due 28 October: too tight for a first-time account. Signup, verification, provider remittance and up to four business days of ATO processing can easily run past the due date. Pay directly and keep NAB40 for a later bill. It runs until October 2027, so the December-quarter BAS (due 28 February 2027) still works.
• Due 25 November (via an agent): this is the window where the time-limited offers line up. Join VABF50 by 16 November, or pay through B2Bpay early enough to convert your points by 30 November. Aim to have the payment submitted about a week before the due date.
• Monthly lodgers: the October BAS is due 21 November, which also falls inside both windows.

Missing the due date isn’t worth any number of points. The ATO charges interest on late amounts, and since 1 July 2025 that interest is no longer tax deductible.

Why putting the whole bill through can be worse

Take NAB40. On $10,000, bank-funded Core costs 1% plus GST: $10,000 × 0.01 × 1.10 = $110. The payment earns about 10,000 PayRewards points, and the signup bonus adds 40,000, for 50,000 in total.

At pay.com.au’s 2:1 conversion to Qantas or Velocity, that becomes 25,000 airline points. $110 ÷ 25,000 = 0.44 cents per point.

Now route the other $10,000 through NAB40 as well. That adds another $110 in fees but only 5,000 airline points, because the bonus has already been earned. Those extra points cost 2.20 cents each. The whole-bill total ($220 for 30,000 points) still looks fine as an average, but the second half of the bill is poor value on its own.

Splitting is normally straightforward: the ATO accepts more than one payment against the same payment reference number (PRN). Use the same PRN for both, make sure the two amounts add up to what you owe, and record the provider fee separately so it isn’t mistaken for part of the tax payment.

Combining two providers on one bill

NAB40 and VABF50 are both pay.com.au offers, so you can only use one. But pay.com.au, Sniip and B2Bpay are separate providers with separate bonuses. If your bill is big enough, you can use one to reach one threshold and a second provider to reach another, rather than routing more money through a provider that has nothing left to give.

Ways to pay the illustrative $20,000 bill. Fees include GST.

How you split it	Fee	Points	Average cost
NAB40 $10k + direct $10k	$110	25,000	0.44c
NAB40 $10k + B2Bpay $10k	$315.70	45,000	0.70c
NAB40 for the full $20k	$220	30,000	0.73c
VABF50 for the full $20k	$220	30,000	0.73c
Sniip for the full $20k	$130	22,000	0.59c

The NAB40 + B2Bpay split costs more in total, but the extra 20,000 Velocity points cost 1.03 cents each, compared with 2.20 cents for the extra 5,000 you would get by putting the second $10,000 through NAB40. If you would value Velocity points at more than about 1 cent each (see what a point is worth), the split comes out ahead. Convert the NAB40 PayRewards to Velocity and all 45,000 points end up in one program.

Each provider’s terms still apply on their own, and two new accounts means two lots of verification. Only combine offers when there is plenty of time before the due date.

The offers in detail

pay.com.au NAB40: the cheapest route to a bonus

NAB40 is marketed to NAB customers. New business accounts must enter the code when joining, verify during the offer period, and submit and approve at least $10,000 in eligible outgoing payments within 30 days of verification. Businesses linked to an existing or former pay.com.au account are excluded.

The bonus is 40,000 PayRewards points, not airline points. Payments must be remitted within seven days after the 30-day window ends, and the account must stay eligible. The bonus, plus six months of Premium-rate access, is due within 30 days after that. These calculations assume bank Core with no subscription, so check what you will pay once any promotional access ends. Read the NAB40 terms.

Sniip: low debit fee, but you need $20,000 on a debit card

New customers need an ABN and a linked Business Flyer account. Enter BONUS20K in the app’s Rewards section before making any payment, as shown in the official Velocity offer page, then spend $20,000 within 30 days of registration to earn 20,000 bonus Velocity points.

Only an Australian-issued Visa or Mastercard debit card qualifies; bank-account payments don’t. At 0.65% including GST, $20,000 costs $130, and the standard 1 Velocity point per $10 adds 2,000 points, for about 22,000 in total. The catch is your debit card’s daily limit: $20,000 is well above most default limits, so check with your bank before you register and start the 30-day clock. Read Sniip’s bonus terms.

pay.com.au VABF50: look past the 50,000 headline

VABF50 needs a new pay.com.au account and a linked Business Flyer membership. Pay $20,000 within 30 days of opening and you get 20,000 bonus Velocity points; pay $50,000 and you get 50,000 instead. The tiers don’t add together, and you can’t combine VABF50 with NAB40.

On bank Core, the $20,000 tier gives 10,000 ordinary plus 20,000 bonus Velocity points for $220. That is exactly what you would get by putting the full $20,000 through NAB40, but NAB40 can reach its bonus with half the spend. VABF50 makes most sense if you aren’t eligible for NAB40. Pick your offer before you register, because you can’t switch afterwards. Read the VABF50 terms.

B2Bpay Points: the bonus depends on converting in time

This offer is for new B2Bpay Points customers who link Business Flyer and convert at least 10,000 B2B Points to Velocity (at 1:1) during the promotional period. The bonus is 10,000 Velocity points.

Bank Account Earn Max costs 1.87% plus GST: $10,000 × 0.0187 × 1.10 = $205.70. That earns 10,000 points, plus the 10,000 bonus, for 20,000 Velocity points. Making the payment isn’t enough on its own: the points need to land in your account and be converted by 30 November. The bonus can then take up to 60 days after the offer ends to arrive. Read the B2Bpay Points Velocity terms.

Dates to put in your calendar

• VABF50: sign up by 11:59pm AEDT, 16 November 2026 (8:59pm Perth time). Your 30-day payment window starts when the account opens.
• B2Bpay Points: sign up, link Business Flyer, earn and convert at least 10,000 B2B Points between 9 October and 30 November 2026.
• Sniip BONUS20K: no fixed end date in the linked terms. Your $20,000 window is 30 days from registration; add the code and Business Flyer link before paying.
• NAB40: closes 11:59pm AEST, 1 October 2027. Your payment window is 30 days from verification, then the seven-day remittance condition above.

An offer’s payment window never changes your ATO due date. Don’t leave account verification or a points conversion until the last day.

After the signup bonus, the maths changes

Without a bonus, using the same bank or debit methods:

• pay.com.au bank Core: 1.10% fee ÷ 0.5 airline points per dollar = 2.20 cents per point.
• B2Bpay Points bank Earn Max: 2.057% ÷ 1 Velocity point per dollar = about 2.06 cents per point.
• Sniip eligible debit: 0.65% ÷ 0.1 Velocity points per dollar = 6.50 cents per point.

That is why one good first transaction doesn’t justify using the service for every BAS. Higher-earning rewards packages change the numbers again, so compare the extra fee with the extra points, and add any subscription cost once promotional access ends.

Work out what a point is worth to you

Start with a cash fare you would genuinely buy, not a premium fare you would never pay. Subtract the taxes and charges on the reward booking, then divide by the points needed.

Example: a flight you would pay $300 for costs 20,000 points plus $60 in charges as a reward booking. You save $240. $240 ÷ 20,000 = 1.20 cents per point.

Against that, points bought at 0.44 cents are a clear saving, points at 1.03 cents are a small one, and points at 2.20 cents cost more than they are worth. Seat availability, expiry and booking restrictions all reduce real-world value, and points you never use are worth nothing.

Points in a business loyalty account aren’t automatically usable for a personal trip. Check who can book with them, any transfer rules and processing times before you count on them.

What about paying with a credit card?

Every example above uses bank funds or a debit card, so none of them rely on credit card rewards. A payment platform saying you can earn card points doesn’t override your card issuer’s rules.

For example, NAB’s personal Qantas rewards terms (clause 7.1) exclude ATO and BPAY transactions, and anything NAB reasonably decides is wholly or partly for a business purpose. Routing a business BAS payment through a different merchant doesn’t make it eligible.

Whether a payment counts towards a card’s signup spend target is a separate question again. Check your card’s terms, ask the issuer if unsure, and add card fees, payment fees and any interest before comparing. Carrying a balance to earn points wipes out the saving fast.

Before you pay: a checklist

1. Confirm eligibility before joining. Check prior accounts, linked businesses, the ABN requirement, the right offer code and your Business Flyer link. Each provider’s terms stand alone.
2. Save the quote. Note the payment amount, rewards package, total fee including GST, deadline and expected points. Make sure you have cash for the tax and the fee, and check bank and debit card limits.
3. Use the right PRN. Take the payment reference number from the current payment instructions for the account you are paying. Your ABN or TFN is not a substitute. See the ATO’s BPAY instructions.
4. Allow for two processing steps. The provider has to remit the money, then the ATO has to process it. The ATO allows up to four business days for BPAY payments to appear. An in-app receipt doesn’t mean your tax account has been credited.
5. Reconcile afterwards. Keep the provider receipt, check your ATO account balance, and track split-payment totals. Check separately that the bonus arrived and any conversion went through.
6. Decide on gross fees. Don’t assume the fee is deductible or attracts a GST credit; ask a registered tax agent. Refunds or reversals can cost you the bonus.

So, is it worth it?

Yes, once per provider, if you qualify, have time to set up before the due date, already have the cash, and have a realistic use for the points that is worth more than they cost. Route only as much as the bonus needs, then compare the extra cost of anything more.

No, if you aren’t sure you qualify, the due date is close, or you won’t use the points. And after the bonus, paying the ATO directly is usually the better deal.

Frequently asked questions

For everyday bill savings, see the MoneyHackHQ guide to cashback on bills. When weighing a reward flight against a cash fare, check how travel-booking cashback works so the cash option is priced fairly too.