Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

What is the best Avios credit card?

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What is the best Avios credit card?

In this article I want to look at your options for earning Avios points from a UK credit card, and explain my preferred choices.

There are nine UK credit cards which earn Avios points at a rate of at least 1 Avios per £1 spent so it isn’t an easy choice.

What is the best Avios credit card?

All of these cards add a 3% foreign exchange fee, so you might want to get a separate free credit card to use abroad.   

Unfortunately there are no travel rewards cards without a foreign exchange fee.  One option is to get a free card from Currensea. Currensea is a simple but clever idea. You pay abroad with your Currensea Mastercard debit card. Currensea translates the cost to Sterling with just a 0.5% fee (83% less than the usual rate) and withdraws the money from your bank account. You can find out more by clicking here. Currensea is free so there is no risk in giving it a try.

What are my options for an Avios credit card?

This is what you have to choose from, ranked in order of sign-up bonus, followed by my preferred picks.

I will discuss the best choices at the bottom of the list.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

Bonus: 80,000 points

Read our full reviewApply here

Other information:

  • Only available to HSBC Premier account holders
  • Receive free airport lounge access with LoungeKey
  • Annual fee: £195

Representative 59.3% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £195 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 18.9% APR variable.

See if you qualify for the 80,000 points sign-up bonus +

The sign-up bonus on the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard is 80,000 points.

This is paid in two parts.  You receive 40,000 HSBC points (worth 20,000 Avios or other airline miles or hotel points) for spending £2,000 within three months and a further 40,000 HSBC points (=20,000 points) for spending £12,000 within twelve months.

The annual fee is £195 and you need to pay the fee for the second year in order to receive the second half of the bonus.

There is no restriction on receiving the bonus if you have previously held the card, as long as you cancelled it over six months ago, or are upgrading from the free HSBC Premier Mastercard.

Learn more about the card benefits +

The points earned with the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard can be transferred to 10 airline and hotel loyalty schemes – Asia Miles, British Airways Executive Club / Avios, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Finnair Plus, Flying Blue (Air France KLM), Qantas Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, TAP Miles&Go and Wyndham Rewards.

They can also be redeemed for other items including retailer gift cards.

Cardholders can access any airport lounge in the LoungeKey network for free.  No guest are allowed, but you can get your partner a supplementary credit card on your account for an annual fee of £60.  Children would be charged at £20 per visit.

You need to be a HSBC Premier current account holder to apply for this card.  HSBC Premier comes with a range of additional benefits including comprehensive travel insurance.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Bonus: 40,000 points

Read our full reviewApply here

Other information:

  • Two Priority Pass cards, each allowing two people into 1,400 airport lounges
  • Elite status in four major hotel loyalty programmes
  • Comprehensive travel insurance
  • £300 per year of restaurant credit
  • £100 per year to spend at Harvey Nichols
  • Annual fee: £650

Representative 704.6% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £650 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 31.0% APR variable.

See if you qualify for the 40,000 points sign-up bonus +

You will receive 40,000 American Express Membership Rewards points as a sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card if you spend £6,000 within three months of signing up.

Membership Rewards points are hugely flexible.  You can transfer them into Avios, Virgin Flying Club or other airlines (at 1:1) or into various hotels schemes, into Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.

This is the ONLY personal American Express card where you still qualify for the bonus if you already hold a British Airways American Express card.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card which earns Membership Rewards points.  This includes The Platinum Card and Preferred Rewards Gold.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held any other American Express card, including the British Airways, Marriott and Nectar cards.

For clarity, you can still apply for The Platinum Card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the long list of other benefits.

Learn more about the card benefits +

The Platinum Card from American Express comes with an unrivalled list of benefits for the keen traveller.

Your personal travel patterns will determine which of these is the most valuable.  The key benefits are:

Full comprehensive travel insurance for you, your family and the family of your supplementary cardholder, subject to enrolment

Two Priority Pass cards, each of which allows the holder and a guest unlimited free access to 1,400 airport lounges

Elite status in four major hotel loyalty schemes: Marriott Bonvoy (Gold), Hilton Honors (Gold), Radisson Rewards (Premium), MeliaRewards (Gold)

Access to Eurostar lounges, irrespective of travel class

£150 per year to spend in over 160 UK restaurants

£150 per year to spend in over 1,200 international restaurants

£100 per year to spend at Harvey Nichols, instore or online (no minimum spend required)

£300 per year of dining credit – £150 to be spent at 150+ UK restaurants and £150 to be spent at 1,200+ restaurants outside the UK

You need a minimum personal income of £35,000 to apply for the card.

Barclaycard Avios Plus card

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Bonus: 25,000 Avios

Read our full reviewApply here

Other information:

  • Receive an Avios upgrade voucher when you spend £10,000 in a card year
  • Upgrade a return BA flight for one person or two one-way flights for a couple
  • Annual fee: £240, charged at £20 per month

Representative 80.1% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £20 monthly fee.  Interest rate on purchases 29.9% APR variable.

See if you qualify for the 25,000 Avios sign-up bonus +

You will receive 25,000 Avios as a sign-up bonus on the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard credit card if you spend £3,000 within 90 days of signing up.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous six months, have held any other Barclaycard credit card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s Barclaycard account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous six months, you have had a British Airways American Express credit card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the upgrade voucher and the other card benefits.

Learn more about the card benefits +

When you spend £10,000 on the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard, you receive a voucher entitling you to:

  • book a return Avios flight for one person, paying the Avios of the next lowest cabin (ie book Club World but only pay the World Traveller Plus Avios requirement)
  • book a one-way Avios flight, or one leg of a return flight, for two people, paying the Avios of the next lowest cabin

The voucher is valid for two years.  Full taxes and charges need to be paid on both tickets, based on the cabin you fly.

The voucher cannot be used to fly in First Class.

The voucher can be used for anyone, as long as the booking is made from the Avios account of the cardholder.

You receive your voucher within five days of reaching the spending target.

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

Bonus: 25,000 Avios

Read our full reviewApply here

Other information:

  • Receive a companion voucher, letting you book two flights for the Avios of one, when you spend £10,000 in a card year
  • A solo traveller can use it for a 50% discount on the Avios for one ticket
  • The voucher is valid in any cabin
  • It can be used on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus
  • Annual fee: £250

Representative 113.1% APR variable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £250 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases 31.0% APR variable.

See if you qualify for the 25,000 Avios sign-up bonus +

You will receive 25,000 Avios as a sign-up bonus on the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card if you spend £3,000 within 90 days of signing up.

To qualify for the bonus, you must not have held the British Airways Premium Plus or the free British Airways American Express cards in the previous 24 months.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s British Airways American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held any other American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the British Airways Premium Plus card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the companion voucher and all of the other card benefits.

Learn more about the card benefits +

When you spend £10,000 on the British Airways American Express Premium Plus card, you receive a companion voucher entitling you to book two Avios redemption flights for the miles of one.

Alternatively, a solo traveller can use the voucher for a 50% reduction on the Avios required for one ticket,

This voucher is valid for two years.  Full taxes and charges need to be paid on both tickets.

This voucher is the most valuable perk available in the UK airline and hotel credit card sector in my view. It could save you 150,000 or more Avios when used for a long-haul redemption in a premium cabin.

The voucher with the Premium Plus card is far more powerful than the voucher given with the free British Airways American Express card.  You only need to spend £10,000, instead of £20,000, in a card year to receive it.  More importantly, the Premium Plus voucher is valid for two years and is valid in ALL cabins.  The voucher on the free British Airways American Express card is only valid for one year and can only be used for Economy flights.

You receive your voucher within a few days of reaching the spending target.  You need to fly the outbound leg of your 2-4-1 flight before the expiry date of the voucher.

The voucher can be used for flights on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.

You need a minimum personal income of £35,000 to apply for the card.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Bonus: 20,000 points

Read our full reviewApply here

Other information:

  • Amex Gold is our recommended ‘first card’ for a miles and points beginner
  • Get four free airport lounge passes when you sign up, and a further four each year
  • After your four free passes, you can visit further lounges for a small fee
  • You receive £120 of Deliveroo credit each year (24 x £5 credits)
  • Annual fee: Free for the first year, £195 from Year 2

Representative 88.8% APR variable.  Annual fee applies after the first year.

See if you qualify for the 20,000 points sign-up bonus +

You will receive 20,000 American Express Membership Rewards points as a sign-up bonus on the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card if you spend £3,000 within 90 days of signing up.

Membership Rewards points are hugely flexible, which is why we recommend this as the best choice for your first miles and points card.  You can transfer them into Avios, Virgin Flying Club or other airlines (at 1:1) or into various hotels schemes, into Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the four free airport lounge passes and the ‘no fee in Year 1’ offer.

Learn more about the card benefits +

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold comes with four free airport lounge passes.  These allow either you and up to three friends, or yourself four times, to visit any of the 1,400 lounges in the Priority Pass network.  You make additional lounge visits for £24 per person.  You receive an additional four free passes each year.

You earn double Membership Rewards points on all airline spend (made directly on an airline website) and all spend made outside the UK.

You will receive up to 12,500 bonus Membership Rewards points each year, based on how much you spend.

You receive £120 of Deliveroo credit each year.  Amex will repay you £5 for the first two Deliveroo orders charged to your Gold card each month.

Other benefits include a 10% discount on Hertz car rentals, Avis Preferred Plus car rental status and special deals at 350 selected hotels worldwide, where Preferred Rewards Gold cardholders receive a $75 in-hotel credit per stay.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

American Express Nectar credit card

Nectar American Express

Bonus: 20,000 points

Read our full reviewApply here

Other information:

  • You can convert Nectar points into Avios, and vice versa
  • Annual fee: Free for the first year, £30 from Year 2

Representative 37.8% APR variable.  Annual fee applies after the first year.

See if you qualify for the 20,000 points sign-up bonus +

You will receive 20,000 Nectar points as a sign-up bonus on the Nectar American Express credit card if you spend £2,000 within 90 days of signing up.

Nectar points are worth 0.5p each if spent in Sainsbury’s, Argos or eBay.  They can also be converted to Avios at the rate of 400 : 250.  1 Nectar point gets you 0.625 Avios.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the Nectar American Express card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the ‘no fee in Year 1’ offer.

Learn more about the card benefits +

The Nectar American Express credit card comes lets you earn 2 Nectar points for every £1 you spend.  This is on top of any Nectar points you would usually earn at Sainsbury’s and other Nectar partners.

Converted to Avios, you would be earning 1.25 Avios per £1.  This makes the card better value than the free British Airways American Express credit card for your first year, as the Nectar American Express is ‘fee free’ for the first 12 months.  There is a £30 annual fee from Year 2.

The sign-up bonus of 20,000 Nectar points is worth £100 to spend in Sainsbury’s, Argos or eBay.

20,000 Nectar points can also be converted into 12,500 Avios.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

American Express Rewards

Bonus: 10,000 points

Read our full reviewApply here

Other information:

  • Your best choice if you want a ‘free for life’ card which earns Membership Rewards points
  • A good choice if you want to close a Gold or Platinum card but keep your points intact
  • Annual fee: Free

Representative 31.0% APR variable

See if you qualify for the 10,000 points sign-up bonus +

You will receive 10,000 American Express Membership Rewards points as a sign-up bonus on the American Express Rewards card if you spend £2,000 within 90 days of signing up.

Membership Rewards points are hugely flexible. You can transfer them into Avios, Virgin Flying Club or other airlines (at 1:1) or into various hotels schemes, into Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the American Express Rewards card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You may want to do this if you are thinking of swapping your Preferred Rewards Gold or Platinum card for a free alternative, and would prefer to keep your existing Membership Rewards points balance alive.

Learn more about the card benefits +

American Express Rewards is the only ‘free for life’ American Express card which lets you collect Membership Rewards points.

We do NOT recommend this card if you would also qualify for the sign-up bonus on American Express Preferred Rewards Gold.  The Gold card is free for the first year, comes with four free airport lounge passes and £120 of Deliveroo credit and has a higher sign-up bonus of 20,000 points.

The best reason to get American Express Rewards is if you are coming to the end of your free first year with American Express Preferred Rewards Gold, or no longer want to pay the fee on The Platinum Card, but want to keep your Membership Rewards points intact.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

Barclaycard Avios card

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Bonus: 5,000 Avios

Read our full reviewApply here

Other information:

  • Receive an Avios upgrade voucher when you spend £20,000 in a card year
  • Upgrade a return BA flight for one person or two one-way flights for a couple
  • Annual fee: Free

Representative 29.9% APR variable

See if you qualify for the 5,000 Avios sign-up bonus +

You will receive 5,000 Avios as a sign-up bonus on the free Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit card if you spend £1,000 within 90 days of signing up.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous six months, have held any other Barclaycard credit card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s Barclaycard account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous six months, you have had a British Airways American Express credit card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the upgrade voucher and the other card benefits.

Learn more about the card benefits +

When you spend £20,000 on the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard, you receive a voucher entitling you to:

  • book a return Avios flight for one person, paying the Avios of the next lowest cabin (ie book Club World but only pay the World Traveller Plus Avios requirement)
  • book a one-way Avios flight, or one leg of a return flight, for two people, paying the Avios of the next lowest cabin

The voucher is valid for two years.  Full taxes and charges need to be paid on both tickets, based on the cabin you fly.

The voucher can be used for anyone, as long as the booking is made from the Avios account of the cardholder.

The voucher cannot be used to fly in First Class.

You receive your voucher within five days of reaching the spending target.

British Airways American Express

Bonus: 5,000 Avios

Read our full reviewApply here

Other information:

  • Receive a companion voucher, letting you book two flights for the Avios of one, when you spend £12,000 in a card year
  • The companion voucher is only valid on Economy flights
  • It can be used on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus
  • Annual fee: Free

Representative 31.0% APR variable

See if you qualify for the 5,000 Avios sign-up bonus +

You will receive 5,000 Avios as a sign-up bonus on the free British Airways American Express card if you spend £1,000 within 90 days of signing up.

To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.

You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s British Airways American Express account.

You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.

For clarity, you can still apply for the British Airways American Express card even if you do not qualify for the bonus.  You would still benefit from the companion voucher and the other card benefits.

Learn more about the card benefits +

When you spend £12,000 on the British Airways American Express card, you receive a companion voucher entitling you to book two Avios redemption flights for the miles of one.  This voucher is valid for one year.  (Full taxes and charges need to be paid on both tickets.)

The voucher on the free British Airways American Express card can only be used on Economy flights.

The voucher can be used for Avios bookings on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus.

You receive your voucher within a few days of reaching the spending target.  You need to fly the outbound leg of your 2-4-1 flight before the expiry date of the voucher.

If you want more flexibility, the voucher issued with the British Airways Premium Plus American Express card is valid for two years, only requires £10,000 of annual card spend and is valid in ALL cabins including Business and First.  The Premium Plus card also has a higher earning rate of 1.5 Avios per £1 on general spend and 3 Avios per £1 on spend with British Airways and BA Holidays.

You need a minimum personal income of £20,000 to apply for the card.

Frankly, it would be madness to try to do a comparison chart so instead I want to pick out the key reason for getting each of the cards – if there is one ….

Cards with a specific ‘best in class’ reason to get them:

If you are looking for your first Avios credit card, I recommend one of these four:

British Airways Premium Plus American Express

The No 1 attraction is the 2-4-1 voucher that you receive for spending £10,000 each year. This is valid on Avios redemptions in ALL classes and saves you, for eg, 200,000 Avios on two Club World peak day tickets to San Francisco. A solo traveller receives a 50% discount on the Avios neeed for a redemption. Coupled with a high earnings rate, all serious Avios collectors should have one of theseThis is the best Avios card if you know you will qualify for, and use, the 2-4-1 voucher each year. Apply here.

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

The key attraction here is an Avios upgrade voucher for spending £10,000 per year. This lets you book 1 x return flight or 2 x one-way Avios flights for the cost of the next cheapest cabin. This card is particularly attractive to solo travellers. Apply here.

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

The free Barclaycard has a lower Avios earning rate and a far lower sign-up bonus. For many people, however, it will be the perfect product to use alongside a British Airways Premium Plus American Express. That said, I strongly recommend getting the Plus version for the 25,000 Avios bonus and downgrading later. Apply here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

This card offers the most generous sign-up bonus for a free card.  You receive 20,000 Amex points for signing up (=20,000 Avios) and there is no fee for Year 1 (£195 thereafter). You also receive four free Priority Pass airport lounge passes, valid at 1,300 lounges globally, and £120 of annual Deliveroo credit among other benefits.  This is the best Amex card for beginners to the miles and points hobby. You will still qualify for the bonus on the British Airways Premium Plus American Express if you choose to trade up later. Apply here.

Avios credit cards that work for a niche market:

These cards are less popular with Avios collectors but there are reasons why you may choose them:

The Platinum Card from American Express

You should seriously consider applying for this card. For the first year, you can easily justify the £650 fee due to the sign-up bonus and other benefits. These include the 40,000 sign-up bonus which converts to 40,000 Avios, the Priority Pass for airline lounge access, Eurostar lounge access and the Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, Hilton Honors Gold, MeliaRewards Gold and Radisson Rewards Premium cards.  Many people find that they end up keeping the card despite their initial intentions because of the value of the travel insurance, lounge access and other perks, such as £300 per year of restaurant credit (yes, £300, although terms apply) and £100 per year of Harvey Nichols credit. Apply here.

American Express Rewards Credit Card

As I explain in this article about the American Express Rewards Credit Card benefits, the ARCC card is an excellent option if you already have a Gold or Platinum American Express card and want to cancel it to avoid the annual fee.  Getting a free ARCC card will keep your Membership Rewards points alive and allow you to delay transferring them to an airline or hotel partner. Apply here.

Cards which are not ‘best in class’ in terms of benefits:

British Airways American Express

There is little point getting this card now that the free Barclaycard Avios Mastercard is available. The paid British Airways Premium Plus American Express has a far better annual spend voucher, whilst the Barclaycard earns the same 1 Avios per £1 and benefits from being accepted in more places than an Amex. Apply here.

Nectar American Express

This is basically a half-way house between the two British Airways American Express cards. The free British Airways American Express card earns 1 Avios per £1. The £250 British Airways Premium Plus Amex earns 1.5 Avios per £1. The Nectar Amex has a £25 annual fee and earns 1.25 Avios per £1 if you convert the Nectar points. The snag is that there is no option to earn a 2-4-1 voucher on the Nectar American Express card and this is the most valuable feature of the British Airways cards.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

There is a lot to like about this card, especially the airport lounge access benefit. However, looked at purely for its ability to earn Avios, the new Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard now outguns it with a 50% higher earning rate of 1.5 Avios per £1.

Don’t forget that our directory of all UK airline and hotel credit cards can be found here.

PS. Do you run a small business?

If you are a sole trader or run a small business, you may also want to check out these cards, all of which earn Avios or points which convert to Avios:

American Express Business Platinum

40,000 points bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and free for a year Read our full review

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

Get a 10,000 points bonus plus an extra 500 points for our readers Read our full review

Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points. The site discusses products offered by lenders but is not a lender itself. Robert Burgess, trading as Head for Points, is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as an independent credit broker.

Comments (46)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • G says:

    My personal rankings would be:
    1) Amex BAPP (BA Black Amex)

    2) Barclaycard Premium (Black Barclaycard)

    3) Amex Gold – same earning rates as others; but with added flexibility and lower fees than the above or Platinum Card

    4) Free versions of the Amex / Barclaycard; with a slight edge for me towards the Amex as their offers are usually quite good. But as said countless times; no issue having both when Amex isn’t accepted.

    • G says:

      The x3 avios when booking flights and recent added improvements for the 241 voucher (usable on IB/Lingus) and solo travel tipped it for me; I was wavering on the BAPP for the barclaycard but the above has kept me. Ironically; Iberia Airlines Group is what kept me – not Amex or BA.

    • Jonathan says:

      The free MR card is highly more flexible than BA Blue, since points can go in any direction and aren’t limited to Avios.
      If you’ve got any interest in the voucher, then BAPP is your card, with the paid for Barclaycard is your secondary card, only if you’ve got enough spending to justify 2x cards with high fees.

      If you’re eligible and don’t mind a marginal cut in earnings rate along with a marginal increase in fees, then HSBC cards are great, since like the free MR card, points can go to programmes other than Avios family. It’s also the best card for earning SQ KrisFlyer points

  • Stephan says:

    Putting aside the SUB, surely the Natwest All Rounder is the best avios card. With 0% interest on purchases you’d just put your spend into a savings account with 4%+ (even after tax it’s better than most reward cards at 2%). You can either decide to use the cash or buy avios at current rate of 1.8p/avios.

  • TooPoorToBeHere says:

    £10k/month through Barclaycard Avios Plus is giving me 15000 Avios worth £100 in cash as Nectar credit (potentially much more if redeemed well at BA) at a cost of £20. Well worth it.

    The drawback is that the voucher is almost worthless compared to the Amex 2-4-1.

    However, I couldn’t do 90% of my spend with Amex as acceptance is so poor.

    The palaver at checkouts when presenting Amex or Apple Pay set to Amex, being refused, having to re-try is irritating; I can’t be arsed with Amex.

    • GeoffreyB says:

      “ The palaver at checkouts when presenting Amex or Apple Pay set to Amex, being refused, having to re-try is irritating; I can’t be arsed with Amex.”

      That rarely happens to me.

      • TooPoorToBeHere says:

        You’re probably shopping at much posher places than me!

        I’d say my just-walking-around-town-and-shopping rejection rate with Amex is 50%.

        • Chris R says:

          I find it genuinely rare these days to come across a place that doesn’t take Amex. And even if it doesn’t, it only takes a second to switch from my BAPP to the Barclays Avios, either physically or on Apple Pay

        • GeoffreyB says:

          Nothing to do with posh places. Poundland, for example, accepts Amex

    • Jonathan says:

      Amex acceptance is poor ?

      I don’t know where you do your shopping but it’s very rarely a problem for myself and almost certainly most other HfP readers and editors !
      Yes Amex can’t be used everywhere, no one’s denying that, there are places that’ll only touch debit cards… it’s generally not a problem to deter daily usage of the cards

      • TooPoorToBeHere says:

        Fascinatingly different experiences. Looking at where I’ve been unable to use Amex recently:

        Chemist
        Farmfoods
        Large online pet-food retailer Kiezebrink
        Vape shop
        Arc’teryx online shop
        Vet
        National Trust property
        Burger King (! – they said it was accepted, but it wasn’t)
        Oxfam
        A couple of pubs
        Several carparks
        Local petrol station, local coffee shop (IME the majority of small/independent retailers refuse Amex)

        • No longer Entitled says:

          If you shop in major chains all the time you will probably be alright, but I agree with TPTBH, acceptance at independent stores, and especially food and beverage, is very hit and miss.

        • RussellH says:

          > Chemist
          Boot take Amex. Cannot recall the last time I paid a any other pharmacist any money
          > Farmfoods
          I am not that fussy about where I shop, but I am not at all sure that I would use Farmfoods
          > Large online pet-food retailer Kiezebrink
          Never heard of them. But my cats will only eat Aldi cat food + Alsi take Amex
          > Vape shop
          Enuff said!
          > Arc’teryx online shop
          Never heard of them
          > Vet
          True – but I do need to use non-Amex cards as well
          > National Trust property
          Been a life member for over 50 years, so not necessary
          > Burger King (! – they said it was accepted, but it wasn’t)
          Somewhere else whose doors I would not darken…
          > Oxfam
          Mostly, I give them stuff to sell, so I do not buy
          > A couple of pubs
          TBH, I am surprised at the number of pubs that do take Amex
          > Several car parks
          True, but one or two quid on an Amex rather than a MCard is not going to make much difference!
          > Local petrol station, local coffee shop (IME the majority of small/independent retailers refuse Amex)
          I did find one petrol station in rural Cornwall last month that did not take Amex, but that is the only time I have used such a place in many years. I mostly stick to supermarkets.
          Coffee shops – again true, but again, whether or not I can spend a couple of quid on an Amex once every few months is not really relevant.

          • TooPoorToBeHere says:

            First of all I must say – I genuinely enjoyed the snobbishness of this post. I’m not having a go – it made me smile. Thank you.

            Second – accepting (as you seem to) that non-acceptance of Amex is in fact real: it’s therefore easier to just use a card that’s accepted EVERYWHERE.

            Third – Farmfoods does indeed sell a lot of absolute garbage and has a proper Wayne-and-Waynetta-Slob customer base, that is fact. It’s also, sometimes, seriously cheap for some staples, has permanent 8% discount by using vouchers, and for us – right next to Aldi so only adds 5 minutes to the shopping run…

          • John says:

            Lol. I’m curious as to what proportion of HFPers vape

          • yorkieflyer says:

            I rather thought vaping was a poor northern thing? Given we’re always been told we all live inside the M25 and are AB1’s I imagine there’d be greater interest in coke dealers who accept Amex?

          • Rob says:

            No, all the girls at my daughters school do it. None of them seem to go near real drugs.

          • GeoffreyB says:

            Get that potato off your shoulder yorkieflyer

          • yorkieflyer says:

            It’s a multipack of Seabrooks actually! The best.

  • Ian says:

    I’m saving 2.5% on all my spending abroad thanks to getting a Currensea card. OK, I’m getting less Avios but there’s a useful net cash saving. I don’t think I’d have heard of Currensea without HfP – thanks, Rob.

    • Mark says:

      You’d be better off with Curve, that way you can keep racking up the Avios as well if you have a non-Amex Avios earning card behind the Curve.

      • TooPoorToBeHere says:

        Yup, for weekdays. Curve load the rate against you a bit at the weekend.

        • Rob says:

          Plus the £500 limit per month plus the FX fee if it’s not one of their preferred currencies.

          You pay 3.5% FX with Curve if it’s a weekend, you are over your £500 monthly limit and it’s not one of their preferred currencies.

      • AndyC says:

        +1

      • Jonathan says:

        Using Curve cards has had people’s accounts closed by their credit card issuer, no names being named, but we all know in the back of our minds, but they’re not recommended, and there’s other reasons also noted in other comments why they’re not the best idea

        • TooPoorToBeHere says:

          I use Curve quite hard with Barclaycard Avios Plus.

          There are issuers which have caused trouble but Barclays have not, thusfar.

          If you’re worried about it, though, and want it for overseas spend – why not switch Curve to a “sacrificial” card – or at least one you don’t mind losing – for foreign spend.

        • JDB says:

          That is a total myth! I don’t understand why it gets perpetuated here. People haven’t had their Creation cards or any other cards cancelled for using them with Curve; many of those people (ie serious points collections) happened to have Curve cards and used them, but the past and ongoing closures relate to other matters.

          • yorkieflyer says:

            @JDB please don’t make such absolutist statements that you cannot possibly justify. I had my IHG closed after using it with Curve for normal overseas spending. I did not use is for manufactured spend. My wife’s IHG card was used in exactly the same way and survived the cull. Each to their own but I personally didn’t think that heavy abuse of the card with cash like transactions would last for as long as did for some more unscrupulous folk. I frankly was somewhat annoyed to lose the card and I suspect like others have binned Curve as other folks abuse clearly can jeopardise less ambitious card holders and I don’t want to lose any other cards I value.
            On a separate note I do to be fair think Curve is a parasitic business model and I’m a little surprised card companies tolerated it from the start. At least Amex made it very clear where they stood early on.

    • GeoffreyB says:

      Chase

    • Rob says:

      Because it’s not worth opening a new current account to make a modest saving on a few £k per year of FX spend.

  • TooPoorToBeHere says:

    How does Currensea compare to Monzo? AIUI Monzo is fee-free. Not quite as convenient because you have to keep a sterling balance in it.

    My go-to for debit card spending abroad is Wise, because I already need it for other stuff, and I usually have credit balances in the currencies I’m spending.

    • RussellH says:

      +1 for the Wise debit card, though for me it is mostly a backup to my Eurozone (+S and RO) and Swiss bank cards.
      Will, I hope, be useful next time I am in Czechia.

  • Mark says:

    Your salary isn’t really the issue here. What’s your credit rating looking like? Do you have high limits on other cards – regardless of whether you use them? Credit card companies are inclined to raise your limit, so if Barclays won’t raise yours, there is a reason linked to their perception of how risky it is to lend you money…

    • Maples says:

      Only have about 12K limit with Amex, and not bothered by credit scores because every CRA do their things differently.

      • John says:

        Right but the point was barclays has its own internal credit score and you aren’t doing well on it – as to why , we can only guess.

        • Rob says:

          We don’t believe they are. Next year is looking interesting though – I am expecting 2-3 launches in the space.

  • Tomasz says:

    Hi,
    What happens if you reach the spend of £10k on Barclay Avios long time before your deadline? What happens with the spend above 10k? It’s not counted for the next year? My deadline is Feb 2024. Should I now do spend on other Cards because this one has already reached the 10k spend?

    • Rob says:

      You still get 1.5 Avios per £1 so you need to decide whether working towards a sign-up or annual spend bonus on another card is better.

  • David says:

    Hi,
    1. Received a 241 on BAPP. Can I receive an economy 241 on downgraded free BA? in same year?
    2. At my BAPP anniversary Jan 2024. Will my counter reset to zero or spending I’ve done before then count towards next 241?

    • NorthernLass says:

      1. No. 2. Yes/No. Probably best reading Rob’s guides and relevant forum threads.

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