Do Credit Card Points Work With Discount Codes? Australia 2026

Published: 8 October 2026 · Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Author: Aryan Gaekwad, ShopBack Australia

Yes, in Australia you usually still earn credit card points when you use a discount code on the same order, but on the amount actually charged to your card, not the full price. A $120 order with a $20 code usually earns points on $100. The store sets the code; your card provider sets the points. The only parts that usually miss out are the bits paid by gift card, store credit or another payment method.

ShopBack Australia is a free app and website that returns part of what you spend as cash when you shop at partner stores. You open ShopBack, tap the store, then check out as normal. Going through ShopBack takes a few seconds and adds cash back to the same order. Sign up free before your next discounted order.

---

Do credit card points work with discount codes on the same order?

Usually, yes: a discount code and credit card points come from two different businesses, so one rarely cancels the other. The store decides the code and lowers the price. Your card provider decides the points and awards them on what you actually pay.

Here is how the pieces fit on a typical online order:

What you use	Who provides it	What it affects	What usually limits it
Discount or promo code	The store	The price you are charged	Expiry date, minimum spend, excluded items, one code per order
Credit card points	Your card provider	Points on the amount charged to your card	Excluded purchase types in your card's terms, refunds
Card-linked offer (such as Amex Offers)	Your card provider	A credit or bonus points after you spend	Offer not saved first, minimum spend not met
Store loyalty points (such as Flybuys)	The store's programme	Points from the store	Excluded items in the programme terms
ShopBack	ShopBack	Cash back after the store confirms the order	Store exclusions listed on its ShopBack page

The one thing a code changes is the points total. Points are worked out from the dollar amount on your card statement, so a lower price usually means fewer points. That is still a good trade: a $20 code saves you $20 in cash, while the $20 of spend it removes would usually have earned only a handful of points.

What can reduce points further is how you pay. If you split the payment with a gift card, store credit or a digital voucher, only the part charged to your rewards card usually earns points. If you check out through a third-party payment service, your card terms decide whether that still counts as a normal purchase.

---

Credit card points: how they are earned on an order

Credit card points are rewards your card provider gives you for spending on the card, usually a set number of points for each dollar of eligible spend. They are separate from any deal at the store.

American Express, for example, says you can earn Membership Rewards points on most everyday purchases, with no cap on points earned on eligible spend, and that points can be used for gift cards, travel rewards or to cover recent card charges, according to American Express at the time of writing. Other Australian banks run their own points programmes with their own earn rates and rules.

Three things usually decide how many points one order earns:

1. The amount charged. Points follow the dollars that go through on your card after any code, sale price or voucher.
2. The purchase type. Card terms often list purchases that earn no points or fewer points, such as some government payments, cash advances or balance transfers. Normal retail purchases at stores like Amazon Australia, Temu or Coles usually count as eligible spend.
3. Refunds. If you return an item, points linked to the refunded amount are usually taken back.

Points are not cash. Their value depends on how you redeem them, and the same points can be worth more or less depending on the reward. Your card's rewards page shows what each redemption costs.

---

Credit card points in Australia in 2026: what usually counts

In Australia in 2026, a discount code, a store sale and a store loyalty programme usually all leave your card points intact, as long as the purchase is charged to your card. The table below shows common situations.

Situation	Card points usually earned on	Notes
Full-price order, paid by card	The full amount	The baseline
Order with a discount code	The discounted amount	The code lowers the amount charged
Order on sale	The sale price	Same as a code: points follow the charge
Part paid by gift card	Only the part paid by card	Gift card value is not charged to your card
Part paid by store credit	Only the part paid by card	Store credit is not a card charge
Order later refunded	Usually reversed	Points linked to the refund are taken back

Check your own card's terms for exclusions. Some cards treat certain merchant categories differently, and some earn rates change with spend tiers. The terms in your bank's app or website are the final word.

---

Credit card points best deals in Australia for 2026: getting the most from one order

The best result on one order usually comes from lining up four separate things in the right order: the store's price, a code, a card offer if you have one, and ShopBack before you check out. Check each one's terms, because a code or payment method can affect whether an offer applies.

1. Pick the price. Store events like Amazon's Prime member deals, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, or Coles' weekly specials set the base price.
2. Find a code that works. Use a code from the store's own emails, app or ShopBack page. See how to find promo codes that work.
3. Save any card offer. If your bank app shows an offer for the store, save it before you pay and check that your total after the code still clears its minimum spend.
4. Open ShopBack, tap the store, then check out. Start from ShopBack before you add items to your cart.
5. Pay with your rewards card so the amount charged earns points.

Worked example (illustrative only). A $120 order with a $20 code costs $100. At an illustrative ShopBack rate of 5%, $5 comes back, so your effective price is $95. An illustrative card earning 1 point per $1 adds about 100 points on the $100 charged. The real ShopBack rate changes, so check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page, and check your own card's earn rate.

Cash back lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles. Your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns.

---

Can you earn ShopBack cash back and credit card points on the same order?

You can usually earn ShopBack cash back and your credit card's rewards or bank card promo on the same purchase, because they come from different places. ShopBack cash back also applies on sale prices.

There is one important condition. Some store promo codes or payment methods can void ShopBack cash back, for example a code that did not come from ShopBack or the store's own channels, or paying with certain gift cards or store credit. The rules differ by store, so check the store's terms on its ShopBack page before you apply a code.

ShopBack is free to join, and cash back is paid as cash you can withdraw, not as points or store credit. That makes it different from card points: the value does not depend on what you redeem it for. See cash back vs card rewards for how the two compare in day-to-day use.

---

Amazon vs Temu: credit card points and prices compared for 2026

On both Amazon Australia and Temu, your card points usually follow the amount charged to your card, so the store with the lower final price after codes will usually earn slightly fewer points but cost you less. The two stores suit different shops.

	Amazon Australia	Temu
Store's own programme	Amazon Prime: $9.99 a month or $79 a year after a 30-day free trial, according to Amazon at the time of writing	Deals and coupons shown inside the Temu app and website
Delivery	Prime free delivery on Prime eligible items, excluding select remote areas, according to Amazon	Delivery terms shown at checkout
Sale timing	Prime member events, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, plus early access to Prime eligible lightning deals for members	Frequent time-limited deals through the year
Card points	On the amount charged to your card; gift card balance usually earns none	On the amount charged to your card

Compare the final price after every saving, not the headline price or the points. A few hundred points rarely outweigh a lower price. Amazon suits shoppers who already pay for Prime and want fast delivery; Temu suits shoppers looking for low-priced everyday items.

---

Amazon, Temu and Coles: using credit card points with codes in Australia

Amazon Australia. Amazon lets you enter a promotional code at checkout, and the amount left after the code is charged to your card and usually earns points. If you also hold an Amazon gift card balance, Amazon may apply it first, which can reduce the amount charged to your card. Open the Amazon Australia page on ShopBack before you add items to your cart.

Temu. Temu's coupons and deals are set by Temu and lower the price before you pay. Pay with your rewards card to earn points on what is charged. Open the Temu page on ShopBack, then check out.

Coles. Coles runs weekly specials, and Coles shoppers can collect Flybuys points through the store's loyalty programme. Flybuys points and card points are separate, so you can usually collect both on one shop. Open the Coles page on ShopBack, shop on the Coles website, then check out. The groceries savings guide has more ways to cut the weekly bill.

Other stores where the same rules usually apply include Woolworths, Big W, Myer, JB Hi-Fi and The Iconic.

---

How to use ShopBack on a discounted order: open ShopBack, tap the store, then check out

Check ShopBack before you check out. It takes a few seconds and fits between choosing your items and paying.

1. Open ShopBack Australia in the app or on the website.
2. Tap the store, for example Amazon Australia, Temu or Coles.
3. Add your items and apply a code that the store's ShopBack page allows.
4. Pay with your rewards card to earn your card points.
5. Cash comes back once the store confirms the order. Check the live rate and terms on the store's ShopBack page before you buy.

---

Frequently asked questions

Do credit card points work with discount codes on the same order?

Usually, yes. A discount code lowers the price the store charges, and your card provider then awards points on the amount that actually goes through on your card. So a $120 order with a $20 code usually earns points on $100, not $120. Check your card's terms for excluded purchase types.

Do I earn points on the full price or the discounted price?

Usually on the discounted price, because points are worked out from the amount charged to your card. The part of the order covered by a discount code, gift card or store credit is not charged to your card, so it usually earns no card points.

Will a discount code ever stop me earning credit card points?

Not usually. The code is the store's decision and the points are your card provider's decision, so one rarely blocks the other. What can reduce points is how you pay: if a gift card, store credit or a different payment method covers part of the order, only the part charged to your card usually counts.

What happens to my points if I return something bought with a discount code?

Card providers usually take back the points linked to a refund. If the store refunds the discounted amount you paid, the points earned on that amount are usually reversed too. Your card's rewards terms explain how refunds are handled.

Can I use a discount code and an Amex Offer on the same order?

Often, yes, as long as the order still meets the offer's terms, such as a minimum spend after the discount. American Express lists Amex Offers as a way to earn Bonus Points. A code that drops your total below the offer's minimum spend can stop the offer from triggering, so check the total before you pay.

Do I earn credit card points at Amazon Australia when I use a promo code?

Usually, yes, on the amount Amazon charges to your card after the promo code. If you pay part of the order with an Amazon gift card balance, that part usually earns no card points. Open ShopBack and tap Amazon Australia before you add items to your cart.

Do Coles Flybuys points and credit card points both work on one shop?

Usually, yes. Flybuys points come from the store's loyalty programme and credit card points come from your card provider, so they are separate. Scan or link your Flybuys account and pay with your rewards card. Check the Coles terms for any items excluded from Flybuys.

Can I get ShopBack cash back and credit card points on the same order?

You can usually earn ShopBack cash back and your credit card's points on the same purchase, because they come from different places. ShopBack cash back also applies on sale prices. Some store promo codes or payment methods can void it, so check the store's terms on its ShopBack page.

Is ShopBack free, and is it paid as points?

ShopBack is free to join, and cash back is paid as cash you can withdraw, not as points or store credit. It works like a discount on the price you paid, so your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns.

How much can I save with a discount code, card points and ShopBack together?

It depends on the store, the code and your card. As an illustration, a $120 order with a $20 code costs $100. At an illustrative ShopBack rate of 5%, $5 comes back, so the effective price is $95, and an illustrative card earning 1 point per $1 adds about 100 points. Check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page.

---

Related reads

---

Disclaimer

The views in this article are those of the author. Credit card points programmes are set by each card provider, and their earn rates, eligible purchases, exclusions and refund rules vary by card and change over time. Store discount codes, sale prices, membership prices and delivery terms vary by store and time. ShopBack rates and exclusions vary by store and campaign; check the current rate and terms on each store's ShopBack page before you buy.

This article is general information only and is not financial advice.