I have updated the ‘Credit Cards Update’ page for January. It was not a difficult job, for once, because there have been no major changes since the December list came out! The only amendment was removing the Miles & More 10,000 mile bonus which ended on 10th December.
To be honest, I expect this situation to be temporary with a few offers launched later this month.
Given the lack of new deals, let me repeat my advice on the best cards currently available if you are thinking of a New Year ‘churn’:
1. Starwood Preferred Guest American Express
The 20,000 point bonus (usually 10,000) gets you 25,000 airline miles in over 30 programmes, including Avios. There is a £75 fee and you get a pro-rata fee refund when you cancel. This offer runs until 1st February, so if you are interested then I would apply sooner rather than later.
2. British Airways American Express cards
Again, there is an excellent offer at the moment which I believe will end soon. 9,000 Avios for the free card and 25,000 Avios for the paid card is about as good as it gets. And the 2-4-1 voucher for use on Avios redemptions that comes with this card is the most valuable perk in the UK loyalty card sector, as I discuss here. If you have been thinking about the BA Amex, now is as good a time as any to jump in. Apply here (free) and here (paid).
3. American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
This is currently an outstanding deal, which is showing no signs of going away. No fee for the first year and 20,000 Membership Rewards points if you are referred (see here for what 20,000 MR points can get you – 20,000 Avios points for a start!) The bonus if you are not referred is lower, at 20,000 points. Apply here.
4. Hilton HHonors Platinum Visa
Finally, if you’re looking for a Visa or Mastercard, this card remains a great deal purely for the sign-up deal. You get a free night in any Hilton Group property for spending £750. That could be worth £250 if spent wisely at a Conrad or Waldorf-Astoria branded property.
Full details, including links to the application forms, are on the ‘Credit Cards Update’ page.
You will note that I haven’t included Amex Platinum in this list. I want to cover this again in a separate post in a few days.
About Head for Points
Arther said:
‘AMEX also offered me plat card credit card( not charge card) where i can collect MR free. this is not currently offered on their website.’ and
‘… the plat credit card was given with 3,000 MR on spending £500 over three months and it carries 1 MR per £ hereafter’
I had not come across a free MR-earning credit card before. Was this a special offer just for Arther or could it be something more widely available?
I get a feeling that this card will be opened up to the public after a soft launch.
It would be a good result, as it means you could get one and then cancel your Gold or Plat without panicking about redeeming all your MR points immediately.
Roger:
Was this a special offer just for Arther or could it be something more widely available?
AMEX told me this MR generating plat card is linked to my PRG and MR earned on the plat are accrued in the total recorded within my PRG. I suspect if I can cancel the PRG, the plat will stop generating MR and will simply become a normal credit card. But free 3000 on spending £500 was very valuable!