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British Airways Visa Signature® Card review
Last updated:
Earn points on your British Airways flights and redeem for airfare, hotel stays, car rentals and more.
finder.com’s rating: 3.8 / 5
★★★★★
- Get this card if you frequently fly with British Airways and Oneworld Alliance.
- Pick something else if you want an intro APR period.
- Apply with good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
50,000
Points as welcome offer
Up to 3x
Points
$95
Annual fee
15.99% to 22.99%
Purchase APR (variable)
Details
| Product Name | British Airways Visa Signature® Card |
|---|---|
| Card type | Visa |
| Annual fee | $95 |
| Purchase APR | 15.99% to 22.99% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | 15.99% to 22.99% variable |
| Balance transfer fee | $5 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
| Cash advance rate | 24.99% variable |
| Cash advance fee | $10 or 5% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Interest free period | Up to 21 days |
| Late payment fee | Up to $39 |
| Returned payment fee | Up to $39 |
| Additional cardholder fee | $0 |
| Rates & fees | rates & fees |
Expert review
Review by
Kliment Dukovski
kliment.dukovski@findercrew.comKliment Dukovski is a credit cards writer. He's written over 600 articles to help readers find and compare the best credit cards. Kliment has also written on money transfers, home loans and more. Previously, he ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies.
Expert review
The British Airways Visa Signature® Card comes with a $95 annual fee, a generous welcome offer of up to 100,000 points, and 3x points on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus purchases, 2x on hotels and 1x points on everything else you buy. Also, if you spend $30,000 in a calendar year, you earn a companion ticket.
But despite getting so many points or a companion ticket, they could end up useless as you are responsible for taxes and fees on reward flights and companion tickets. These can be $682 to $1,250 per adult in economy class based on travel from Seattle to London, and are among the highest for any frequent flyer program.
All this makes the British Airways Visa Signature® Card only an option if you frequently fly on this airline, on Iberia and Aer Lingus. As an alternative, consider an American Airlines credit card as you can use your AA miles on British Airways flights.
How to apply for the British Airways Visa Signature® Card
- Learn more about how to apply for British Airways Visa Signature® Card.
- Fill out the application form.
- Review your application and submit.
How long will it take to get my British Airways Visa Signature® Card?
Chase can instantly decide on your application. If it requires additional information it may take longer.
Once approved, your card should arrive within seven to 10 business days.
The perks
-
Signup bonus.
Earn 50,000 Avios after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You’ll also earn 50,000 Avios if you spend $20,000 total on purchases in the first year of your account. -
Avios points.
You’ll earn 3x Avios on British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus purchases, 2x points on hotels and 1x Avios on everything else you buy.
Is the annual fee worth it?
The card comes with a $95 annual fee. Considering the industry average value of points is around 1 cent apiece, you need to spend at least $3,166 on British Airways flights to offset the annual fee.
You’ll also like
-
Travel together ticket.
Spend $30,000 in a calendar year and earn a companion ticket good for two years. Your companion must be on the same British Airways flight as you and in the same cabin. The flight must start from and return to the US. -
No foreign transaction fees.
Whenever you use your card in the UK or anywhere else abroad, you won’t pay any foreign transaction fees. -
Executive Club.
By being a cardmember, you’re automatically enrolled in the British Airways frequent flyer program called the Executive Club. This works like any other airline program; you earn and redeem points on flights, car rentals, hotel stays and more. -
Visa Signature perks.
Since this is a Visa Signature card, you get all the perks that come with it, such as car rental collision damage waiver, baggage delay and lost luggage reimbursement, extended warranty protection, purchase protection and more.
What to watch out for
-
Annual fee.
The card doesn’t come free. Expect to pay $95 annually to own the card. -
Reward ticket fees.
You’re responsible for taxes, fees and carrier charges on your reward flights and travel together tickets. These can be $682 to $1,250 per adult in economy class or $1,250 in business class based on travel from Seattle to London. -
Signup bonus qualification.
You won’t qualify for the signup bonus if you’re a current card member of British Airways Visa Signature® Card or a cardmember who received a new-cardmember bonus for this credit card within the past 24 months.
Compare travel credit cards
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What should I know before I apply?
To apply for the card, you must be at least 18 years old or 19 in Alabama and Nebraska, and a US resident.
Also, you need to provide the following information:
- Your full name, contact information and address.
- Residential status.
- Annual income and source of income.
- Date of birth and Social Security number.
What credit score do I need?
You can apply for the card with good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
British Airways Visa Signature® Card reviews and complaints
Customers complain about the high fees and taxes when redeeming reward flights. They claim the fees and taxes cost almost as much as the airfare if you buy it with cash. Also, some customers complain about the difficulty to get a seat on British Airways flights when redeeming Avios.
JPMorgan Chase Credit Card is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau but it has an A+ rating and a composite score of 1.18 out of 5 stars based on 229 customer reviews as of October 2020. Most customer complaints revolve around poor customer service and hidden costs Chase credit cards in general. Make sure you read your card’s terms and the rewards agreement to avoid issues with your account.
As of October 2020, Chase earns a Trustpilot score of 1.3 out of 5. Most negative reviews cite slow responses to fraud complaints and less-than-helpful customer service. Positive reviews cite the bank’s great mobile app and quick resolutions to their issues. Overall, your mileage may vary with Chase customer support.
I got the card. Now what?
- Download the Chase Mobile app. Use the app to monitor your account, pay your bills, transfer money and more.
- Avoid paying interest and fees. Your due date is 21 days after the close of each billing cycle. Make sure you pay your balance on time to avoid paying interest and late payment fees.
- Customer support. For any questions you may have, call 800-432-3117 and the Chase customer service will assist you.
How do I redeem miles from the British Airways Visa Signature® Card?
Once you earn enough Avios to redeem for a reward, you can choose from:
- Flights
- Flight upgrades and onboard purchases
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
- Experiences
- Wine
Log in to your British Airways Avios account. If you choose to redeem Avios for a reward flight, click Book with Avios on the sidebar and search for flight availability.
Once you select the flight you want, click Continue until you finalize your booking.
Bottom line
If you often fly with British Airways or with other Oneworld Alliance airlines, this may be a good card for you. You’ll earn Avios, which you can redeem for flights — and if you spend $30,000 in a calendar year, you’ll earn a companion ticket.
However, know that redeeming a reward flight comes with high fees and taxes.
If you don’t think that this could be a good card for you, check out other airline credit cards or general travel credit cards and compare your options.
Frequently asked questions
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★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
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We rank card types — travel, cash back, business — on a set of factors that are most relevant to that type of card. We create these rankings to help you narrow down a credit card that best suits your spending and budget.
Learn the details of our methodology and scoring.