In this guide

  • Our verdict
  • Details
    • Product overview
    • Fees and charges
    • Application requirements
  • Your reviews

RBS Reward Black Credit Card review 2023

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Royal Bank of Scotland Reward Black Credit Card
4.5
★★★★★
Finder score
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Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £84 per annum. Reward Black Current Account holders: £0 per annum, your representative rate is 40.7% APR (variable).
Foreign transaction charge
0%
Representative APR
40.7% (variable)
Balance transfer fee
0%
Interest-free each billing period
Up to 56 days
Our verdict

Existing RBS customers can earn reward points as you spend and avoid fees when you use your card abroad.

This premium RBS card earns reward points at a respectable rate on spending both at home and abroad. If you are heading overseas, you'll also benefit from Mastercard exchange rates on non-sterling transactions (card issuers normally add their own fee or margin on top of this).

Once your balance has grown to £5 or more, reward points can be converted into cash, vouchers or even charitable donations. However, you'll need to weigh up if the rewards you might earn will outweigh the hefty annual fee (which is waived for RBS Reward Black current account holders). Don't forget RBS offers the option to add one additional cardholder, which could boost your reward earnings (though the account holder is solely responsible for all spending on both cards).

The best earn-rates are to be had at RBS MyRewards partner retailers (at the time of writing, these include Caffe Nero, Missguided and French Connection, among others) and at supermarkets (RBS states that this includes, but is not limited to: Asda, Iceland, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, ALDI, LIDL, Tesco, The Co-operative and Waitrose).

Unless you already hold a Reward Black current account, this card mostly makes sense if you travel abroad quite often and can benefit from the lack of foreign transaction fees. If you don’t, you may want to consider its RBS sister, the RBS Reward credit card, that offers similar rewards for a much cheaper annual fee.

Finally, this card is a bit lacking in terms of perks and extras. If you're in it for the 0% deals, or would also like insurance and travel benefits, you'll have to keep looking (our rewards credit card page may help!).

Pros

  • Avoid currency conversion charges when spending abroad
  • Earn points on day-to-day spending

Cons

  • Annual fee
  • Minimum annual income requirement of £15,000
  • Applicants with low credit scores are unlikely to be eligible
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £84 per annum. Reward Black Current Account holders: £0 per annum, your representative rate is 40.7% APR (variable).

In this guide

  • Our verdict
  • Details
    • Product overview
    • Fees and charges
    • Application requirements
  • Your reviews

Details

Product overview

Issuer Royal Bank of Scotland
Network Mastercard
Representative APR 40.7% APR (variable)
Annual/monthly fees £84 per annum. Reward Black Current Account holders: £0 per annum
Loyalty scheme Rewards
Incentive Earn 1% back at supermarkets and 0.5% back everywhere else, including supermarket petrol stations. At selected retailers, you could earn 1-15% back.
Additional Rewards Info Call Prority Servicing.
Purchases 21.9%
Purchases interest-free period (days) 56
Balance transfers 21.9%
Potential costs ★★★★★
Doing its job ★★★★★
Extras ★★★★★
Overall Finder rating ★★★★★
Overall customer rating Not yet rated

Fees and charges

Minimum monthly payment 1% or £5 (whichever is greater) or the total of any interest, default fees and charges, 1/12th of annual fee plus 1% of the outstanding balance; double the amount of that month's interest and any default charges, plus any instalment plan fee(s), plus £1; or the excess over your credit limit after deducting any overdue amounts from previous statements.
Annual/monthly fees £84 per annum. Reward Black Current Account holders: £0 per annum
Balance transfer fee 0%
Money transfer fee 0%
Foreign usage charge (EU) 0%
Foreign usage charge (rest of world) 0%
Cash advance fee 3% (min. £3)
Late payment fee Max £12 Waived until end of 2023
Duplicate statement fee £3
Additional card fee £0
Dormancy fee £0

Application requirements

Minimum Age 18
Minimum income £15,000
Residency UK resident
Availability Available to new customers

The RBS Reward Black Credit 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 this compare with other rewards cards?

Table: sorted by representative APR, promoted deals first
Name Product Purchases Annual/monthly fees Initial credit limits Representative APR Incentive Link
M&S Bank Shopping Plus Credit Card
0% for 18 months reverting to 23.9%
£0
Min. limit £500, max. limit not specified.
23.9% APR (variable)
1 point per £1 spent with M&S and 1 point per £5 spent elsewhere. Enjoy 55 days interest free, preferential rates plus no cash advance fee when buying M&S travel money with the card.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 23.9% APR (variable).
Check eligibility
M&S Bank Credit Card Transfer Plus Offer Mastercard
0% for 3 months reverting to 23.9%
£0
Min. limit £500, max. limit not specified.
23.9% APR (variable)
1 point per £1 spent with M&S and 1 point per £5 spent elsewhere. Enjoy 55 days interest free, preferential rates plus no cash advance fee when buying M&S travel money with the card.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 23.9% APR (variable).
Check eligibility
Santander All in One Credit Card
0% for 15 months reverting to 23.9%
£3 per month
Min. limit £500, max. limit not specified.
29.8% APR (variable)
0.5% after £1 of monthly spend. Cashback paid Monthly into Card Account. Maximum spend for cashback purposes is limited to credit limit.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £3 per month, your representative rate is 29.8% APR (variable).
Check eligibility
American Express® Rewards Credit Card
30.7%
£0
Min. limit £500, max. limit not specified.
30.7% APR (variable)
Earn 1 Membership Rewards® point for every £1 spent thereafter. Earn up to 90,000 bonus points per year through refer a friend, 4,000 points awarded for every friend approved. 1 point = 0.45p (min 1000 points) to shop, other rewards have differing conversions
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 30.7% APR (variable).
Check eligibility
British Airways American Express® Credit Card
30.7%
£0
Min. limit £700, max. limit not specified.
30.7% APR (variable)
Earn 1 Avios for virtually every £1 spent. Spend £12K each year and get a travel companion voucher when redeeming Avios for a BA reward flight. - Earn up to 90,000 bonus Avios points per calendar year, 4,000 points per friend/family member that successfully applies for an American Express card (Excl. Basic card) and uses the Referral Programme. Avios value varies dependent on reward (min 1000pts for flights)
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 30.7% APR (variable).
Check eligibility
American Express® Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card
30.7%
£0
Min. limit £700, max. limit not specified.
30.7% APR (variable)
New cardmember offer: Get 5% cashback on your purchases (up to £100) for the first three months of Cardmembership. Terms apply. Spend £0 to £10,000 and receive 0.5% cashback on all purchases. Spend over £10,000 and receive 1% cashback on purchases.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 30.7% APR (variable).
Check eligibility
NatWest Reward Credit Card
25.9%
£24 per annum. Reward Current Account holders: £0 per annum
Min. limit £250, max. limit not specified.
31% APR (variable)
You'll earn 1% back at supermarkets and 0.25% back everywhere else, including supermarket petrol stations. At selected retailers, you could earn 1-15% back.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 25.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £24 per annum. Reward Current Account holders: £0 per annum, your representative rate is 31% APR (variable).
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Royal Bank of Scotland Reward Credit Card
25.9%
£24 per annum. Reward Current Account holders: £0 per annum
Min. limit £250, max. limit not specified.
31% APR (variable)
Earn 1% back at supermarkets and 0.25% back everywhere else, including supermarket petrol stations. At selected retailers, you could earn 1-15% back.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 25.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £24 per annum. Reward Current Account holders: £0 per annum, your representative rate is 31% APR (variable).
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Name Product Annual/monthly fees Purchases Representative APR Link Cashback details Representative example
Santander All in One Credit Card
£3 per month
0% for 15 months reverting to 23.9%
29.8%
Check eligibility
0.5% after £1 of monthly spend. Cashback paid Monthly into Card Account. Maximum spend for cashback purposes is limited to credit limit.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £3 per month, your representative rate is 29.8% APR (variable).
American Express® Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card
£0
30.7%
30.7%
Check eligibility
New cardmember offer: Get 5% cashback on your purchases (up to £100) for the first three months of Cardmembership. Terms apply. Spend £0 to £10,000 and receive 0.5% cashback on all purchases. Spend over £10,000 and receive 1% cashback on purchases.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 30.7% APR (variable).
American Express® Platinum Cashback Credit Card
£25 per annum
30.7%
36.3%
Check eligibility
New cardmember offer: Get 5% cashback on your purchases (up to £125) for the first three months of Cardmembership. Terms apply. Spend £0 to £10,000 and receive 0.75% cashback on all purchases. Spend over £10,000 and receive 1.25% cashback on purchases.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £25 per annum, your representative rate is 36.3% APR (variable).
Pulse Card Mastercard (existing NewDay customers only)
£0
Your interest rate will stay the same as your current NewDay card
Get 0.25% cashback every time you shop, up to a maximum of £150 cashback per year
If you are a current NewDay customer and have been invited to transfer to a Pulse Card, your interest rate and credit limit will remain the same.
MBNA Limited Platinum Visa
£0
13.94%
13.9%
0.25% after £1 of yearly spend. Cashback paid January into Card Account. Earn 0.25% cashback on purchases within the first 36 months of account opening. Maximum spend for cashback purposes is limited to credit limit.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 13.94% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 13.9% APR (variable).
AIB Options 1 Credit Card
£0
18.9%
18.9%
0.5% after £5000 of yearly spend. Minimum of 12 transactions per year required. Maximum of £250 cashback paid per year. Cashback paid Anniversary into Card Account. For initial £5K a £25 cashback is paid, plus an additional £1 for every further £200 spent.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 18.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 18.9% APR (variable).
smile Classic Credit Card
£0
19.9%
19.9%
0.25% after £1 of monthly spend. Cashback paid Monthly into Card Account.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).
Halifax Cashback Credit Card Mastercard
£0
22.94%
22.9%
0.25% on £1 to £4000 of yearly spend. 0.5% after £4001 of yearly spend. Cashback paid January into Card Account. Maximum spend for cashback purposes is limited to credit limit.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 22.94% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 22.9% APR (variable).
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Repayment options

You can make manual repayments through Royal Bank of Scotland's app by logging in to your online banking or over the phone (0345 724 2424). 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 (Max £12 Waived until end of 2023) 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 the RBS Reward Black Credit Card

If you've compared cards and settled on the RBS Reward Black Credit Card, you can head over to Royal Bank of Scotland's secure online application to apply. Don't forget, you'll need to be over 18 and a UK resident to apply, with an income of at least 15000.

Frequently asked questions

What credit limit will I get with the RBS Reward Black Credit Card?

If Royal Bank of Scotland is able to offer you this deal, the offer will specify a personalised credit limit based on Royal Bank of Scotland's assessment of your situation. The minimum limit offered on this card is £5,000 and Royal Bank of Scotland does not specify a maximum. Once you've had the card for a while and shown Royal Bank of Scotland that you're reliable, you may wish to apply for a credit limit increase.

Can I withdraw cash using the RBS Reward Black Credit 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 RBS Reward Black Credit Card is 3% (min. £3). For example, if you withdraw £50, you'll incur a fee of £3.00. Withdraw £250 and you'll incur a fee of £7.50.

The interest rate on this part of your balance will be 26.9% (chargeable from the day of the transaction – the card's usual "up to 56 days interest-free" grace period won't apply).

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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.

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