Take a seat and prepare for the take-off of the new Barclaycard Avios credit cards where you can earn Avios on your daily spending.
Barclaycard Avios Card review
- Representative example:
- When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 29.9% APR (variable).
- Intro bonus
- Up to 5,000 points
- Account fee
- £0
- Balance transfer fee
- 0%
Our verdict
Fly high and earn Avios on your day-to-day spending and enjoy the first-class introductory bonus with the Barclaycard Avios Credit Card.If you’re a frequent flyer or are looking to start earning some tasty air miles ready for your summer holidays, take a seat and prepare for the take-off of the new Barclaycard Avios credit cards. Yes, that’s right, Barclaycard has launched not 1 but 2 rewards credit cards with partner Avios, but do they have the potential to leave American Express on the runway?
With the Barclaycard Avios card you can collect 1 Avios per £1 on your everyday spending, plus the opportunity to receive a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher if you meet the spend limit. Oh, and not to mention the first-class 5,000 Avios welcome bonus. Learn how to make the most out of your Avios with our helpful guide.
The Barclaycard Avios Card is a great option for those who want to start building up their Avios without the cost of an annual fee. But if you’re in the position to stretch your wallet a little further and part with £20 per month to pay for this card’s big sister, Barclaycard is offering a premium option where you can receive an exclusive welcome bonus of 25,000 Avios and a rate of 1.5 Avios per £1 spent, as long as you repay the card in full each month.
Both of the Barclaycard Avios Cards come with a fairly exclusive eligibility requirement and you must be at least 21 to be able to apply.
Just like any other rewards credit card, if you want to max out your rewards you will need to repay your card balance in full each month, otherwise you could be paying more in interest and any missed payments could damage your credit score. Start comparing our rewards credit cards today.
Pros
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Earn Avios on your day-to-day spending.
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Generous introductory bonus.
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No annual fee.
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Up to 56 days interest free.
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Cabin upgrade voucher when you spend £20,000 within 12 months.
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Customers report excellent customer service when dealing with Barclaycard.
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You can use Mastercard almost everywhere, both in the UK and overseas.
Cons
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Minimum annual income requirement of £20000.
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Those with deep pockets might benefit more from the Avios Plus Card.
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You may be offered an opening credit limit as low as £50.
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Introductory bonus limited to new Barclaycard members.
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This card carries a 2.99% foreign usage charge.
Details
Product Overview
| Issuer | Barclaycard |
| Network | Mastercard |
| Representative APR | 29.9% |
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Balance transfers | 29.9% |
| Balance transfer fee | 0% |
| Purchases | 29.9% |
| Purchases interest-free period | Up to 56 days |
| Cash advances | 29.9% |
| Minimum credit limit | £50 |
| Maximum credit limit | Subject to status |
| Additional cards available | 4 |
| Incentive | Earn 5,000 Avios when £1,000 spent on card over the first 3 months of opening. Earn 1 Avios for every £1 you spend. Spend £20,000 or more during the year and receive a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher to use on an Avios Reward Flight booking, or 7,000 bonus Avios. Avios value varies dependent on reward (min 1,000pts for flights) |
| Additional Rewards Info | Buy tickets for up to 3500 selected live events through Barclaycard entertainment and get 5% off tickets per year and exclusive pre-sale tickets on selected festivals with 10% off ticket prices. Save 10% on food and drink at all UK 02 Academy venues. |
| Potential costs | 3.7 ★★★★★ |
| Doing its job | 4.2 ★★★★★ |
| Extras | 4.3 ★★★★★ |
| Overall Finder Score | 4.0 ★★★★★ |
Fees and charges
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Balance transfer fee | 0% |
| Foreign usage charge (EU) | 2.99% |
| Foreign usage charge (rest of world) | 2.99% |
| Cash advance fee | 2.99% (min. £2.99) |
| Late payment fee | £12 |
| Duplicate statement fee | £0 |
| Exceeding limit fee | £0 |
| Additional card fee | £0 |
| Replacement card fee | £0 |
| Dormancy fee | £0 |
Application Requirements
| Minimum Age | 21 |
| Availability | Available to new customers |
The Barclaycard Avios Card is issued on the Mastercard network, so it's accepted at more than 50 million merchant locations across more than 210 countries and territories.
How does it compare with rival American Express?
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1 - 3 of 3
Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
Case study: Isaac uses the Barclays Avios card alongside his BA Amex card
Isaac Jonas
Works at Finder
I took out an Amex card for my main spending to collect avios, but it means I can't collect points at vendors that don't accept Amex. So I took out this card firstly to collect the welcome bonus and secondly because it is a Mastercard so I can use it for all my non-amex spending and still collect avios.
It's been great so far. I don't think I will spend enough on it to get some of the perks such as the upgrade voucher since it is a secondary credit card for me. However, since it has no fee I am not losing out.
If there's one thing you'd tell a friend who's thinking of getting this, what would it be?
In my opinion it is the best no-fee, non-Amex avios credit card
Repayment options
You can make manual repayments through Barclaycard's app by logging in to your online banking or over the phone (0800 151 0900). Alternatively, you may wish to set up a direct debit.
A direct debit protects you from forgetting to make a repayment and either damaging your credit score, getting hit with a penalty fee (£12) or losing any promotional rates as a result.
You can arrange a direct debit for repayments when you apply for the credit card. The table below shows the options available.
Choose from the following direct debit options for your monthly repayments:
| Minimum amount | Fixed amount | Fixed percentage | Full amount |
|---|---|---|---|
How to apply for this Barclaycard
If you've compared cards and settled on the Barclaycard Avios Card, completing the secure online application form takes about 15 minutes. Before you apply, check that you meet the eligibility requirements and have the information and documents you'll need to make the process as straightforward as possible.
How does it compare?
Barclaycard's card
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Other popular reward cards
Table: sorted by representative APR, promoted deals first
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Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
Frequently asked questions
What credit limit will I get with the Barclaycard Avios Card?
If Barclaycard offers you this deal, it will specify a personalised credit limit based on Barclaycard's assessment of your situation. The minimum limit offered on this card is £50, and Barclaycard does not specify a maximum. Once you've had the card for a while and shown Barclaycard you're reliable, you may wish to apply for a credit limit increase.
Can I withdraw cash using the Barclaycard Avios Card?
Although it's possible, withdrawing cash from a credit card account is generally not a good idea, as "cash-like transactions" (such as withdrawing cash at an ATM, getting cashback at the till, spending at a casino or buying currency) often incur steep fees and/or higher rates of interest.
The cash advance fee on the Barclaycard Avios Card is 2.99% (min. £2.99). For example, if you withdraw £50, you'll incur a fee of £2.99. Withdraw £250 and you'll incur a fee of £7.48.
The interest rate on this part of your balance will be 29.9%, which is the same as the standard purchase rate (chargeable from the day of the transaction – the card's usual "up to 56 days interest-free" grace period won't apply).
How much does it cost to use the Barclaycard Avios Card abroad?
Non-sterling transactions are subject to a 2.99% charge (which is very standard). For example, if you spend 200 euros (£168.85), it'll cost you around £5.05 in fees.
What is the minimum payment on the Barclaycard Avios Card?
Each month, you must pay at least 3.75% of your balance at that point or £5.00 – whichever of the 2 figures is greater. So if you had, say, £120.00 outstanding, you'd pay £5.00, and if you had £533.33 outstanding, you'd pay £20.00.
Paying only the minimum required amount each month is generally not advisable as it tends to be a very expensive way to borrow money, which can lead to persistent debt.
Finder credit card scores
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Our experts score rewards credit cards to determine their value against similar products on the market. We look at a number of important factors, like welcome bonuses, introductory and ongoing earn-rates, any caps or restrictions on the points you can earn, plus the potential costs involved with running the card both in the short and longer term.
You can read more about our scoring criteria on our credit card methodology page.
Bottom line
As a new contender in the travel rewards credit card market, the Barclaycard Avios Card has some tough competition to beat, particularly with the crowd pleasing British Airways American Express credit card. But with its no annual fee and reasonable interest rates, oh, and the generous welcome bonus, it’s plain to see that this new card has the potential to help you fly high, as long as you repay the balance in full each month.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
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