CommBank Awards Is Removing Nearly Every Transfer Partner

Australia’s largest credit card issuer, Commonwealth Bank, will make sweeping changes to its CommBank Awards program by removing nearly every airline and hotel transfer partner. From 1 October 2025, members will lose the ability to convert their CommBank Awards Points to every hotel program and almost every airline program currently offered.

The cuts leave Virgin’s Velocity Frequent Flyer as the only direct transfer partner. Transfers to Qantas Frequent Flyer will still be available, but only through the auto-redemption feature, which carries a $90 annual fee to opt in.

A spokesperson for CBA told Flight Hacks that the CommBank Awards program recognises and rewards customers in many ways.

“To simplify our offering in line with customer preferences and invest in areas that enhance customer experience and deliver value to our customers, we are making changes to the credit card Awards program effective from 1 October 2025."

The spokesperson also explained that "CommBank Awards customers have access to the largest credit card rewards program of any bank in Australia, where they can earn points when using an eligible CBA Awards card."

That's an interesting statement when you're about to nuke your rewards program into irrelevance. After 1 October, the CommBank Awards program will be a shadow of its former glory and nowhere near as large.

The change was first posted to the AFF form last week by member henrus. But according to Wayback Machine, Commbank made these sneaky changes on 11 July 2025, by updating its Awards terms & conditions and also the CommBank Awards Program website.

At the time, CommBank did little (if anything) to notify members of the transfer partner cull. While the public-facing website has been updated, it is unlikely that many cardholders would visit the product page for a credit card they already hold. CommBank is noting these changes on upcoming card statements.

What Does This Mean For CommBank Awards Members?

This means the complete removal of popular programs such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Emirates Skywards and Air France/KLM Flying Blue. The same can be said for every hotel partner, which includes Marriott Bonvoy, Accor Live Limitless and Hilton Honors.

Currently, customers who hold a CommBank Awards credit card enjoy one of the most flexible rewards programs in Australia, with an impressive 12 airline and 4 hotel loyalty programs to transfer to. Only American Express comes close to CommBank’s current offering with its 12 airline and 2 hotel transfer options.

CommBank Awards Brought In Transfer Partners In 2018

CommBank Awards wasn’t always the transfer partner powerhouse it later became. In fact, Velocity Frequent Flyer and Qantas Frequent Flyer (for a fee) were the only two options for years.

But in 2018, CommBank employed Singapore-based Ascenda to bring in ten new transfer partners. While the line-up has shifted over time, CommBank continued to offer solid transfer options over the years.

Summing Up

From October 2025, CommBank Awards will plunge from one of Australia’s most flexible credit card rewards programs to one of the most worthless. With Velocity as the only direct transfer partner, the CommBank Awards will offer zero real flexibility for frequent flyers. At that point, CommBank might as well issue a Velocity-branded card.

For anyone who values choice and premium travel, the message is clear: it’s time to look elsewhere for a credit card that delivers, and a bank that doesn’t bury bad news in the fine print.