How the NAB Qantas Business Signature Card Turns Trade Costs into Travel
Keece Electrical Services began in Melbourne in 2007 as a small, family-run business. Today, it has close to 100 staff, with offices around Australia plus another in New Zealand. With staff flying all over the country and purchasing essential materials for their work, the electrical contractor benefits from the NAB Qantas Business Signature Card, which turns business expenses into Qantas Points.
Now powered by Qantas Business Rewards, the loyalty program specifically designed for Australian small- and medium-sized businesses, the Card still earns Qantas Points on business expenses at a great rate. But it now unlocks even more exclusive value for Keece, including flight savings, Qantas Club membership discounts and more Qantas Points when flying, as well as simplified travel management and business expense reporting.
More points on the ground
After labour, the company’s second largest outlay is materials. As well as having up to 44 interest-free days on purchases with their NAB Qantas Business Signature Card, Keece earns 1 Qantas Point per $1.50 spent on everyday business expenses.
“We use our NAB Qantas Business Signature Card for a lot of our everyday business expenses, freeing up cash flow for other things like investing in the future,” says Keece general manager Gerard Lyons. “Cash is king so having the NAB Qantas Business Signature Card in our back pocket gives us immediate access to funds without accessing cash reserves.
“We then leverage the points we earn with our Card to offset the cost of flying employees across the group. It’s win-win.”
With the ability to attach multiple cards to one account, Keece has issued all its senior site technicians with NAB Cards. That way, employees can make essential everyday business purchases – like electrical cables, powerpoints and cable trays – without delay, while boosting the business’s points balance.
“We sign up a new employee and once we’ve got their NAB Qantas Business Signature Card here, they can start putting all those purchases through, earning points for the business as they go. The ability to access materials easily on a job helps us respond quickly and profitably.”
It also unlocks more time for the business and its staff. “We don't want to be in a position where the guys are using their own credit cards and filing expense claims. It’s just not professional,” says Lyons.
The NAB Qantas Business Signature Card even allows the business to earn Qantas Points on eligible government payments, at the same rate as everyday business purchases.
More ways to save
With electricians based all around Australia, Keece prefers to use its own team where possible, rather than rely on labour hire. That means it’s regularly flying electricians around the country to work on project builds, construction work, shop and office fit-outs, as well as call-outs and reactive work. “Booking flights with Qantas Points helps us offset these travel costs,” says Lyons.
As a Qantas Business Rewards member, Keece earns Qantas Points for the business every time its team members fly for work, while the individual travellers still earn points as Frequent Flyers and get a Flyer Bonus of 250 points per trip†.
Better yet, they can access exclusive discounts of up to 10% on selected Qantas flights~, up to 30% off Qantas Club memberships^, as well as savings and rewards with more than 50+ Qantas Business Rewards partners on the ground, such as BP Plus.
“Leveraging points and discounts is essential for business travel so we book all our employees’ flights through our Qantas Business Rewards account. It all adds up,” says Lyons. “It’s helped enable us to grow around Australia and into New Zealand.”
More opportunities to grow
Sixteen years on, it’s an exciting time for Keece. In 2023, the company expanded its audio-visual (AV) offering with the launch of Keece Technologies, enabling customers to integrate their business AV into the fit-out of their office or warehouse – saving both time and money.
It’s all about adapting to the needs of the customer, says Lyons – whether they’re on a building site in Toowoomba or a high-rise CBD office with changing communication needs. “From day one, the business has invested heavily in the training and development of its team, allowing us to capitalise on any industry challenges thrown up.”
And Keece can rely on NAB as it broadens its horizons. “Our limit is reviewed annually, meaning NAB grows with Keece and if we need extra assistance our NAB manager is always eager to help. They’re with us every step of the way.”
Important Information
A business must be a Qantas Business Rewards Member to earn Qantas Points for the business. A one-off joining fee of $89.50 applies, is inclusive of any applicable GST and may be varied by Qantas from time to time, without notice, in its absolute discretion. Membership and Qantas Points for business are offered under the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions and earning thresholds apply.
The NAB Qantas Business Signature Card is for business purposes only. A valid ABN is required to open a Commercial Card facility with NAB. ABN registration checks will be performed once the application has been received. A business must be a Qantas Business Rewards member to earn Qantas Points. Interest free days apply if you pay your closing balance on your monthly statement in full by the due date each month. Excludes cash advances (including bills paid over the counter at a bank, financial institution or post office, purchases of travellers’ cheques and transactions for gambling or gaming-related purposes). Approval and credit limit is subject to NAB's credit assessment criteria. Details are correct as at 20/10/2023 and are subject to change. Credit cards issued by NAB. ©2023 National Australia Bank Limited ABN 12 004 044 937 AFSL and Australian Credit Licence 230686.
~ Savings are available exclusively to Qantas Business Rewards Members on the base fare of selected fares only and do not apply to taxes, fees and carrier charges. Availability is limited. Member Deals are subject to the Qantas Business Rewards Terms and Conditions.
*Offer commenced on 1 July 2024. To be eligible for the 200,000 bonus Qantas Points offer, you must apply for and be issued a new NAB Qantas Business Signature Card before the offer is withdrawn on 28 February 2025 and spend $4,000 on everyday business purchases within 60 days of account opening. You are not eligible for this offer if you have already applied for this offer and have not yet been awarded the bonus points, or, have previously held or continue to hold any NAB business credit card that included a bonus points offer that was awarded in the last 12 months. NAB is not responsible for any delays in assessing your application or the card being issued. Everyday business purchases are purchases made in accordance with the NAB Qantas Commercial Card Rewards Conditions (PDF, 183KB), opens in new window. These terms describe the purchases not eligible to earn points including, but not limited to, transactions NAB decides are wholly or partly for gambling or gaming purposes. Bonus points will be credited to the qualifying member's account within three months of meeting the spend criteria
^ Discounted Qantas Club membership is available to Qantas Frequent Flyer members who are Qantas Business Rewards Flyers of the Qantas Business Rewards Member. The discount applies to Qantas Club Individual membership rates and is managed under the Qantas Club Qantas Business Rewards scheme. Qantas Club membership is subject to the Qantas Club Terms and Conditions. Please be advised that lounges are subject to capacity limits at the time of your visit. If you're flying domestically on Qantas, QantasLink or Jetstar within Australia, and on Jetstar within New Zealand you may bring one guest to join you in a Qantas Club lounge. When visiting an international Qantas Club lounge, you are able to invite one guest each time you visit. Both you and your guest need to be travelling together further that day on the same flight. Lounge access eligibility conditions apply.
† You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer to earn Qantas Points. A joining fee may apply. Membership and points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program terms and conditions. Qantas Frequent Flyers will earn 250 Qantas Points per eligible flight booking where a Qantas Business Rewards Member's ABN and the traveller's Qantas Frequent Flyer membership number are quoted at the time of booking. An eligible booking must include a domestic or international flight with a Qantas 'QF' flight number on the ticket that is purchased in Australia; has a ticket number commencing with '081'; and is booked and travelled for business on or after the date the business registers for Qantas Business Rewards. Points will be credited to the Frequent Flyers account within 6 weeks from the date of travel. Points cannot be withdrawn from members' account once credited if the booking is changed or cancelled. No retrospective claims can be made for this offer.
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