‘Credit Card Offers’ updated for January 2013

UPDATE – DECEMBER 2023:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.  We produce a monthly directory of the top UK travel credit card offers – please click HERE or use the ‘Credit Cards’ menu above.  Thank you.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 9th January 2024, you will receive 30,000 Membership Rewards points (convertible to 30,000 Avios) with American Express Preferred Rewards Gold. You receive 25,000 points if you spend £3,000 in three months and a further 5,000 points if you hold the card for 15 months. You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 9th January 2024, you will receive a huge 100,000 Membership Rewards points (convertible to 100,000 Avios) with The Platinum Card. You receive 75,000 points if you spend £10,000 in six months and a further 25,000 points if you hold the card for 15 months. You can apply here.

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I have updated the ‘Credit Card Offers’ 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 Card Offers’ 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.

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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – December 2023 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 9th January 2024, you will receive 30,000 Membership Rewards points (convertible to 30,000 Avios) with American Express Preferred Rewards Gold. You receive 25,000 points if you spend £3,000 in three months and a further 5,000 points if you hold the card for 15 months. You can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 9th January 2024, you will receive a huge 100,000 Membership Rewards points (convertible to 100,000 Avios) with The Platinum Card. You receive 75,000 points if you spend £10,000 in six months and a further 25,000 points if you hold the card for 15 months. You can apply here.

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:

For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending.