How To Get SAS EuroBonus Status From Spending: Is It Worth It?

Can you earn SAS EuroBonus status without flying in 2026? Yes. Depending on your country and what you qualify for, credit cards, hotel stays, car rentals, ChangeMakers, shopping, and status matches can take you to Silver, Gold, or even Diamond.

The more important question is whether it is worth it. My short answer is that Gold can be worth targeting when your normal spending already gets you close and you will travel enough to use the benefits. Silver is easier but less valuable than many people assume. Diamond is possible, but it is rarely worth chasing through spending alone.

In this article, I compare the current options, spending requirements, and fees. I will also show you how to evaluate new combinations when the rules change.

How My EuroBonus Status Strategy Changed

Ever since I discovered airline status at a young age, I wanted to chase it. When I was 18 and started earning my own money, I planned every trip carefully so I could earn some kind of status, even when my budget limited me to the cheapest tickets. Most of my travel was within South America, so my world revolved around LATAM and Aerolíneas Argentinas.

It was hard. By then, the more generous days of the 1990s and early 2000s were already ending. Airlines had started giving fewer status points, or no status points at all, on their cheapest tickets. Those were exactly the tickets I could afford. Earning status still felt like something you did mainly in the air. You picked an airline, learned the fare rules, and flew with it often. Frequent flyers got frequent flyer status.

When I moved to Sweden and joined SAS EuroBonus in 2013, I discovered a few shortcuts. They did not replace flying, but they gave you something that felt like a head start. With the right credit cards, you could begin your qualification year with a useful block of Level Points before stepping onto an aircraft. You still needed to fly, but you did not have to start from zero.

SAS introduced Diamond in April 2014. The following year, the Gold requirement dropped from 50,000 to 45,000 Basic Points. Over time I learned how to earn points from almost everything: flights, credit cards, hotels, online shopping, promotions, and even bills.

In 2019, I published my original guide to earning one million SAS EuroBonus points and a strategy video on YouTube. I did not expect everyone to chase a balance of one million points. I wanted to show the power of combining flights, cards, hotels, shopping, and promotions instead of looking at each one separately. That same idea also applied to status.

At that time, the status side was also beautifully predictable. The SAS Amex Elite awarded a fixed 20,000 Level Points, while the SAS EuroBonus Mastercard Premium gave 1,000 Level Points for every month you used the card. Hold both for a full year and you had 32,000 Level Points before counting one flight. That means you’d only need to “fly for” 13,000 Basic Points to qualify for EuroBonus Gold.

That setup was also a big part of my attempt to earn Lifetime Gold. It worked well for several years, so I stopped checking the details. Then the Mastercard rules changed in February 2023. My travel pattern also changed, and I did not react in time. I lost seven years of progress toward Lifetime Gold. The first one million point challenge taught me how powerful a good combination can be. Losing that streak taught me why I must check the combination again every year.

The Mastercard stopped giving a fixed 1,000 Level Points per month and introduced a formula based on spending in February 2023. Then, in April 2025, the Amex Elite replaced its fixed 20,000 Level Points with 6 Level Points per 100 SEK or NOK spent. Both cards can still be useful, but the result is no longer fixed. You now need to spend much more to get the same number of Level Points.

EuroBonus is not alone in this change. More programs now reward members based on how much money they spend, and not only on how often or how far they fly. Status can depend on the price of a ticket, credit card spending, hotel bookings, shopping portals, or other partners. This creates more opportunities, but it does not make every opportunity good value.

A strategy only works while the rules and your life still fit that strategy. Loyalty programs change. Your travel changes. Never assume that last year’s strategy will produce the same result this year. My advice is simple: set a reminder every year to review the latest changes and stay on top of the rules.

The 2026 EuroBonus Status Targets

EuroBonus gives each member a personal 12 month qualification period, followed by a three month grace period. This is not always the same as a calendar year. That difference matters because several spending benefits reset on January 1.

According to the current EuroBonus membership level rules, the requirements are:

EuroBonus Status Requirements (2026)

EuroBonus Level	Level Points	Qualifying Flights	Main Benefits
Member Entry level, no status	No requirement	No requirement	Earn and redeem Bonus Points, but no elite status benefits
Silver	20,000	10	Extra baggage, priority check in and boarding, more points from flights
Gold	45,000	45	SAS Lounge access on eligible same day SAS or SkyTeam trips, SkyTeam lounges on eligible international itineraries, Fast Track, SkyTeam Elite Plus, two extra bags
Diamond	90,000	90	Gold benefits plus no point expiry, stronger SAS benefits and service

You can qualify with either Level Points or qualifying flights. This article focuses mainly on Level Points that you can earn without flying. Scandic status matching and occasional SAS status match campaigns are the important exceptions because they can give you status directly.

The distinction between Bonus Points and Level Points is also crucial:

• Bonus Points are the currency you redeem for flights, upgrades, hotels, and other rewards.
• Level Points only measure progress toward Silver, Gold, or Diamond. You cannot redeem them.

Welcome bonuses are normally Bonus Points, not Level Points. Point Sharing can pool a family’s redeemable Bonus Points, but Level Points stay with the individual member who earned them.

Every Way to Get EuroBonus Status Without Flying

These are the main ways to earn Level Points or receive EuroBonus status without flying in 2026. Some are permanent card benefits. Others are temporary offers or are only available to certain members.

The Personal Credit Card Options

SAS Amex Elite: The Simplest Formula

The SAS Amex Elite earns 6 Level Points per 100 SEK or NOK. The card no longer gives you a fixed 20,000 Level Points. There is no published limit on the Level Points you can earn from spending.

The required spend is easy to calculate:

The same spend earns 20 Bonus Points per 100 SEK or NOK. Annual spending of 150,000 and 300,000 can also give you Amex 2 for 1 vouchers. Use this card if the points and vouchers already justify its 6,900 SEK or NOK annual fee. I would not put 750,000 on it only to buy my way to Gold.

SAS Mastercard Premium: The Monthly Minimum Matters

The SAS EuroBonus Mastercard Premium is more difficult to understand. Each month, you receive Level Points equal to 25% of the Bonus Points earned from card purchases. Normal purchases in your home currency earn 15 Bonus Points per 100 units of that currency. This means that they also earn 3.75 Level Points per 100. Purchases in another currency earn more points, but the card also charges a currency conversion fee. It is usually not worth paying this fee only to earn more Level Points.

The useful part is the “monthly minimum”. In every month you use the card, you receive at least 500 Level Points. Use it for a small, real purchase in all 12 months and it can give you 6,000 Level Points during a full year.

If you spend the same amount each month in your home currency, you would need about 533,334 for Silver, 1.2 million for Gold, or 2.4 million for Diamond. The monthly minimum changes the calculation. With small purchases during 11 months and most of the spending in one month, the approximate required spend falls to:

This works because of the monthly minimum. Spending must still be real and eligible. Returns, fees, transactions similar to cash, and excluded purchases can change the result. The card costs 2,335 SEK per year in Sweden and 2,335 DKK in Denmark. In Norway, the price rises to 3,348 NOK per year on September 1, 2026.

The 500 Level Point monthly minimum is the reason to include this card. Use it every month for a normal purchase, not for large spending created only for status.

Amex Elite + Mastercard Premium

This remains the main personal card combination in Sweden and Norway. If the Mastercard gives you 6,000 Level Points through monthly use, the Amex must give you the rest:

Add 5,000 Level Points from ChangeMakers and the Amex spend for Gold falls to 566,667 SEK or NOK. This is the combination I would check first in Sweden or Norway, but it is still serious annual spending.

Norway: DNB Offers Another Option

Norway has an option that is not available in Sweden or Denmark. Eligible DNB SAGA and Private Banking customers can add Mastercard Upgrade for 169 NOK per month. The card gives you Level Points when you reach specific spending levels:

• Spend more than 100,000 NOK in a calendar year: 10,000 Level Points
• Spend more than 200,000 NOK: 20,000 Level Points
• Spend more than 500,000 NOK: 30,000 Level Points (the maximum)

The middle spending level is the most interesting. DNB excludes bill payments through third party payment services from earning points. This is a strong extra route if you already use SAGA or Private Banking, but not a reason to move your entire banking relationship.

What the New SAS Executive Business Card Changes

The SAS EuroBonus Executive card is the most interesting development because it reverses part of the recent trend. SAS currently says the card will launch in fall 2026. The announced benefits include:

• 20,000 fixed Level Points per year, enough for EuroBonus Silver
• 25 Bonus Points per 100 SEK, DKK, or NOK of eligible business spending
• SAS Lounge access as a card benefit
• Priority Pass, insurance, and tools for managing business expenses
• A stated Swedish price of 599 SEK per month, or 7,188 SEK per year

This is almost the return of the old Amex Elite shortcut, but only for businesses. The card is not available yet. SAS has not published the Norwegian and Danish prices or the final local terms. It has also not explained how the yearly Level Points will work with several employee cards.

The announced 20,000 Level Points, the Mastercard Premium monthly minimum, and ChangeMakers would total 31,000 Level Points. The scenario table below shows the remaining routes to Gold in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

Keep business and personal expenses separate. Using points from expenses paid by an employer for private travel can have tax consequences, so ask an accountant about your own situation.

The fixed 20,000 Level Points could make this the best new option for business owners. For everyone else, it changes nothing. I would still wait for the final terms before moving spending or canceling another card.

The Best Options Without Flying

Build Your Own Status Strategy

Use this calculator to combine the cards and other options available in your country. Enter spending you already expect, not spending created only for status. You can see the status you would reach, how much card spending the strategy requires, the annual card fees, and how far you would remain from the next tier.

Country Sweden Norway Denmark

Level Points already earned optional

Only cards normally available in the selected country are shown. Most money fields use SEK. Hotels by SAS uses SEK because that is how the current rate is published.

💳 Credit Cards Other Options ➕ Manual Entry

Select the cards you would hold, then enter the eligible spending you expect during one qualification period.

SAS Mastercard Premium Monthly minimum plus spending based Level Points 2,335 SEK per year

SAS Amex Elite 6 Level Points per 100 SEK or NOK 6,900 SEK per year

DNB Mastercard Upgrade For qualifying SAGA or Private Banking customers 2,028 NOK per year

SAS Business Executive Announced fixed 20,000 Level Points for eligible businesses 7,188 SEK announced

Credit approval and spending limits are individual. Large annual examples may require paying the balance and reusing the available limit during the year. Never pay interest or spend beyond your normal budget for status.

PROJECTED RESULT

Your EuroBonus status strategy

Reset

Projected status

EuroBonus Member

Projected Level Points0

Entered card spend0 SEK

Known annual card fees0 SEK

Other cash cost0 SEK

Known direct cost0 SEK

STATUS PROGRESS

EuroBonus Member

20,000 points to Silver

No elite status yet.

Ways to close the gap

• Select a card or option to compare the next step.

Your selected strategy

Other activity spend: 0 SEK

• Select cards or enter another earning option to build a strategy.

Known direct cost includes annual card fees, cash paid for Level Points, and costs entered manually. Normal card spending, hotel stays, and shopping purchases are shown separately because you receive goods or services in return.

The calculator separates normal spending from direct strategy cost. Card spending, hotel stays, and shopping are shown separately from annual card fees, purchased Level Points, and other cash costs you enter. This is important because moving 300,000 SEK of normal spending to a card is not the same as paying 300,000 SEK for status.

The table below keeps the main examples for each country in a shorter format. In the Level Points column, each number follows the same order as the combination. The examples assume 12 months of eligible Mastercard use and that all Level Points reach your account before the qualification period ends.

Buying Level Points can reduce the required card spending, but it adds cost and uncertainty. The detailed rules and prices are covered below.

Diamond is technically possible, but difficult to justify. Even with 20,000 Level Points from Executive, 6,000 from Mastercard, and 5,000 from ChangeMakers, you would need 983,334 SEK or NOK on Amex Elite. Another route uses 483,334 of Amex spend and a conditional purchase of 30,000 Level Points. I would not build a strategy around either option.

Hotels, Car Rentals, Status Matches, and Other Options

Credit cards get most of the attention, but they are not always the most efficient way to earn status from spending.

Scandic Stays Can Earn More Level Points Than Credit Cards

Eligible Scandic stays booked through SAS currently earn 70 Bonus Points and 35 Level Points per 100 SEK, NOK, or DKK. You must be logged in to EuroBonus when you book, pay with money, and complete the stay. In a booking with several rooms, only one room earns EuroBonus points. At that rate, hotel spending alone would reach approximately:

That is a much better Level Point rate than any personal credit card. It does not make sense to spend 128,572 SEK, NOK, or DKK on hotel rooms only to get lounge access. However, if a consultant or business traveler already has that hotel cost, the Level Points can be very useful.

There is a second Scandic option. A qualifying Scandic Friends Level 4 matches to EuroBonus Silver, Level 5 to Gold, and Levels 6 or 7 to Diamond. A Level 6 granted during the 2024 transition may only match to Gold unless the member has met the current Level 6 requirements.

Starting from Level 1, the progressive minimum hotel spend excluding VAT is about 12,500 in local currency for Level 4, 42,500 for Level 5, or 102,500 for Level 6. This assumes each new level posts before the next stay. Matched status does not add EuroBonus Level Points, count toward Lifetime Gold, or include the normal benefit of giving status to another member.

The SAS booking route and the Scandic Friends route are different. Scandic can be one of the best options if you already need the stays, but choose the route that serves your target. Do not assume one booking gives the full benefit from both.

Hotels by SAS: 15 Level Points per 100 SEK

Scandic is not the only hotel option. Since November 1, 2025, eligible stays booked through Hotels by SAS earn 30 Bonus Points and 15 Level Points per 100 SEK. At that rate, starting from zero would require approximately 133,334 SEK of eligible hotel spending for Silver, 300,000 SEK for Gold, or 600,000 SEK for Diamond.

Your EuroBonus number must be entered correctly before you complete the reservation. It cannot be added later for a booking that already exists. After the stay is completed, allow 6 to 8 weeks for the Bonus Points and Level Points to reach your account.

Hotels by SAS has a much broader selection than the dedicated Scandic booking route, but the base Level Point rate is lower. Compare the room price, cancellation terms, hotel benefits, and Level Points before choosing where to book. A more expensive room is not automatically a better deal because it earns points.

Car Rentals: Small Amounts That Can Add Up

Car rental partners are easy to miss. The standard amounts are usually smaller than the hotel or credit card routes, but they can help close a gap. SAS and its partners also run temporary campaigns that can be more generous than the normal earning rate.

The current SAS car rental pages show these examples:

Always check the offer shown when you book. Add your EuroBonus number before the rental, use the required booking route, and keep the receipt until the points arrive. Some normal rental points can be claimed later, but promotional points may not be available retroactively. In the calculator, enter the Level Points shown by the offer and the number of eligible rentals you expect to complete.

Occasional SAS Status Matches

SAS also runs temporary or targeted status match campaigns for members who already have status with another airline. They may offer Silver, Gold, or Diamond and can include a fee, a challenge, or limits based on your country and existing status. A match gives you status without the normal Level Points, so do not assume it counts toward Lifetime Gold or includes every normal benefit.

At the time of writing, all SAS status match campaigns are closed, and the SAS application page only offers a waitlist. Campaigns can close early, so we review active and expired offers every week in our airline status match guide. A match can be much cheaper than starting from zero.

ChangeMakers: 5,000 Level Points Once a Year

EuroBonus ChangeMakers awards 5,000 Bonus Points and 5,000 Level Points after 10 qualifying actions in a calendar year.

ChangeMakers can add 5,000 Level Points once per calendar year.

Without flying, the sustainability video counts as one action and each donation of at least 5,000 Bonus Points counts as another. One video plus nine donations uses 45,000 points. The reward gives 5,000 back, for a net cost of 40,000 Bonus Points. An electric car rental can provide another action.

ChangeMakers follows the calendar year, not your EuroBonus qualification period. Depending on your dates, two rewards could fall within one 12 month qualification period, one before January 1 and one after. This is not guaranteed.

Complete ChangeMakers when the actions already make sense. Donating 40,000 net Bonus Points is difficult to justify unless the final 5,000 Level Points unlock a status you will use.

Online Shopping: Useful, but Temporary

Until September 30, 2026, the EuroBonus Online Shopping portal awards Level Points equal to 20% of the ordinary Bonus Points earned through the portal. The merchant rate determines the result, so there is no universal spend number.

Treat this as an extra boost for purchases you already planned, not the foundation of a status plan. The points may take between 4 and 12 weeks to arrive, and a returned purchase can remove them after you appear to have qualified.

Earn EuroBonus Level Points using the SAS Online Shopping Portal.

Buying the Final Level Points

The detailed table on the EuroBonus Shop says you can buy the final part of a status level after earning most of the required Level Points yourself:

However, another answer on the same official page says that buying Level Points is only possible after earning most of your points through flying. This conflicts with the detailed threshold table. Because of that contradiction, do not build a card only strategy around buying Level Points. Only depend on this route if the purchase option appears in your logged in account.

You need to be at least six months into your qualification period. Purchased Level Points are backdated by 123 days, which lets an eligible member buy them up to three months after the qualification period ends. It also means buying too early can move them into the wrong period. In Sweden, the listed price is 1,000 SEK or 10,000 Bonus Points per 1,000 Level Points. SAS credits an equal number of Bonus Points with the purchase. If you use 10,000 Bonus Points, your net balance falls by 9,000 after the 1,000 Bonus Points are credited back.

Buying the final 1,000 or 2,000 Level Points can be reasonable. Planning the whole year around buying 15,000 or 30,000 is too expensive and uncertain.

Costs and Problems People May Miss

The Level Point total is only half the calculation.

1. Start With the Card Fees

An Amex Elite plus Mastercard Premium costs 9,235 SEK per year in Sweden. In Norway, it will cost 10,248 NOK when the Mastercard price rises in September 2026. DNB Upgrade costs another 2,028 NOK per year, and you must also qualify for DNB SAGA or Private Banking. The announced Swedish Executive fee is 7,188 SEK per year for businesses that qualify.

Those fees may be fine when you also use the vouchers, Fly Premium, insurance, and Bonus Points. If the only objective is a status card, add them honestly.

2. Compare It With What Else Your Spending Can Earn

Putting 750,000 SEK or NOK on the Amex Elite earns Gold, 150,000 Bonus Points, and possibly two vouchers. However, this has an opportunity cost. For example, if another card gave you 1% or 2% money back, the same spending could return between 7,500 and 15,000 SEK or NOK. Do not compare EuroBonus status with receiving nothing. Compare the complete EuroBonus package with the best alternative available to you.

3. Never Pay Interest or Create Spend

No lounge visit is worth paying credit card interest. Bill payment services can turn real invoices into eligible card spending, but their fees can become very expensive when you use them for hundreds of thousands of SEK or NOK.

AwardFares has an exclusive partnership with Bill Kill. With that disclosed, it is still the option I would check first. It supports Visa, Mastercard, and Amex in Sweden and Norway. Its official pricing lists a 2.2% payment fee for Master members and 2.5% for +Biz. The free Ninja plan has higher fees. Exact fees depend on your plan, country, and card. Betalo is another option in Sweden, but I would compare its current fees with Bill Kill before using it.

The card issuer also decides whether the payment earns points. For example, DNB explicitly excludes bill payments through third party payment services from points earning. Do not use Bill Kill or Betalo as part of a DNB Level Point strategy. Check the rules for your exact card, pay the balance in full, and only use bills you would have paid anyway.

4. Purchases in Other Currencies Can Cost More

The Mastercard Premium earns more Bonus Points, and therefore more Level Points, on purchases in another currency. It also charges a currency conversion fee. Using it abroad only to earn status can cost more than the points are worth.

5. Check When the Level Points Reach Your Account

A purchase made before your qualification deadline may not help if the Level Points reach your account after the deadline. Shopping portals, hotels, returned purchases, card statement dates, and a ChangeMakers action completed in late December can all cause delays. Do not wait until the final days of your qualification period.

6. The Rules Can Change During Your Plan

I learned this the hard way when I lost my Lifetime Gold streak. The 2023 Mastercard change and the 2025 Amex change both turned fixed benefits into spending formulas. The Executive card looks generous, but final terms are not even published yet. Recalculate every year.

Is EuroBonus Status From Spending Worth It?

Silver: Useful, but Do Not Overpay

Silver is a nice side benefit. The extra bag, priority services, higher Bonus Point earning, and award discount can save money. But it does not normally include the two benefits people most associate with status: lounge access and Fast Track.

If Silver arrives from normal card spend, ChangeMakers, a status match, or the Executive card, great. I would not redirect hundreds of thousands of SEK, NOK, or DKK or buy 5,000 Level Points just to say I have Silver without first pricing the benefits I will really use.

Gold: The Real Target

Gold is where a strategy without flying can make sense. SAS Lounge and Fast Track access, SkyTeam Elite Plus, extra baggage, and priority services have real value. SkyTeam lounge access normally requires an eligible same day international itinerary operated by a SkyTeam airline. SAS Lounge access also depends on same day travel with SAS or SkyTeam. These benefits can be especially valuable when you travel in Economy.

There is one important point: status is only valuable if you fly. Earning Gold without flying can be a good decision. Earning Gold when you will not fly is not.

My test is simple. If your normal spending gives you between 35,000 and 40,000 Level Points, and you expect to take several SAS or SkyTeam trips during the status year, it may be reasonable to earn the final points for Gold. If the purchase option appears in your account, buying a small final gap can also make sense. If you start at zero and need to put 750,000 SEK or NOK on a card only for lounge access, consider paying for lounge visits or getting another travel card instead.

Diamond: Only Choose It if Normal Spending Gets You There

Diamond has valuable benefits when you fly with SAS, but it gives you the same SkyTeam Elite Plus alliance level as Gold. It is therefore difficult to justify making unnecessary purchases to move from 45,000 to 90,000 Level Points.

If normal business or personal spending takes you to Diamond, that is great. However, if the plan requires you to buy 30,000 Level Points, pay high card fees, and spend almost half a million SEK or NOK more on the Amex, I would stop at Gold.

Conclusion

The 2019 EuroBonus card setup was easier to like. You paid the fees, used both cards every month, received 32,000 fixed Level Points, and only needed another 13,000 for Gold. The main benefit was knowing exactly what the cards would give you.

In 2026, there are more offers and options, but they are not available to everyone. The system is more complex than ever and harder to understand.

Would I chase status from spending today? I would target Gold only when my normal spending already did most of the work.

The real question is not whether you can earn EuroBonus status without flying. In 2026, you clearly can. The question is whether that status will improve the trips you already plan to take. If your normal spending gets you close to Gold and you will use the benefits, the answer may be yes. If you need to create spending, pay interest, or buy things only to reach a tier, the answer is no.

The best status strategy is not the one that earns the highest tier. It is the one that gives you more value than it costs.

Official Sources

These are the official rules and prices we checked for writing this article in July 2026:

• EuroBonus membership levels
• SAS Amex Elite pages for Sweden and Norway
• SAS Mastercard Premium pages for Sweden, Norway, and Denmark
• The Executive card announcement, Executive card waitlist, DNB Mastercard Upgrade, and the DNB list of excluded transactions on the same page
• ChangeMakers and EuroBonus Online Shopping
• The SAS and Scandic partnership, Scandic Friends rules, and status matching terms
• Hotels by SAS and the SAS car rental pages for Avis, Hertz, Europcar, and Sixt
• The EuroBonus Shop purchase rules, including the conflicting answers about purchase eligibility
• Bill Kill pricing, the AwardFares and Bill Kill offer, and Betalo pricing
• The 2014 SAS Diamond announcement and a contemporary record of the January 2015 qualification changes