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What are the best credit card deals for January 2013?

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UPDATE – APRIL 2025:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.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 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

Keep up to date with the latest UK credit card bonuses by signing up for our free daily or weekly newsletters.

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’:

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.

SPG Amex

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).

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.  The bonus if you are not referred is lower.  Apply here.

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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earns points from credit cards

Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2025 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 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:

Barclaycard Avios Plus card

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios card

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

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 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

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:

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Category

American Express Gold card, British Airways American Express, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy American Express

Comments (25)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • David says:
    2 Jan2 January 10:59

    Think it is safe to cancel the SPG while leaving the points as SPG, or would you move them on before hand?

    Can’t see any reason or need to move them on yet.

    • Raffles says:
      2 Jan2 January 11:42

      No risk here at all, your points are safe in SPG

      • David says:
        2 Jan2 January 16:00

        I know, it’s just the ‘churning’ factor seem too cheeky for me! It feels like I’m being abusive.

        Mind you, if the people in America are playing the Chase game, why should we missout on some fun…

  • Jason Thorpe says:
    2 Jan2 January 14:55

    With the SPG card, how long should one expect to wait before the 20,000 points are posted – once the requisite £1,000 has been spent?

    • Andrew says:
      2 Jan2 January 15:17

      Mine posted instantly as part of the transaction which pushed me over £1000

      • David says:
        2 Jan2 January 16:02

        Same here. Got card. Confirmed working with a couple of low vals. Put through a £1k+ transaction, SPG account credited with 21,… in a single posting.

        Sadly had to do a tiny part refund on my £1k txn, which took it just under £1k, so banged through a few more low value ones just in case the system wanted to reverse the 20k at that time.

  • James says:
    2 Jan2 January 17:08

    Does anyone know if this is the same for the AmEx Gold card? Just passed the £2k mark (in 6 weeks – eek!) so will the 20K bonus MR post soon? Thanks

  • Rich Spencer says:
    2 Jan2 January 17:37

    I don’t think there is a set limit.
    I’ve had 4 with Amex direct at one point.

  • Ugraag says:
    2 Jan2 January 17:49

    Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere – applying for the SPG card, I get a message on the AMEX application screen saying:

    I will not be eligible for any Welcome Bonus award if I currently hold or have held any Avios enrolled American Express Card in the past six months

    I have the BA AMEX card already, so does that rule me out of getting the welcome bonus?

    If memory serves, there was a similar clause when applying for the AMEX Gold membership programme card, but I still got the welcome bonus (which in answer to your question James, was credited as soon as I spent over the £2k threshold…)

    • Jason Thorpe says:
      3 Jan3 January 15:47

      Shouldn’t be a problem as the SPG AMEX isn’t avios enrolled since you have to convert your points into avios. Still, I’d be interesting in knowing what exactly constitutes ‘avios enrolled’.

      • Raffles says:
        3 Jan3 January 16:34

        I read that to mean a BA Amex. But this doesn’t make sense in the discussion of the SPG card, and part of me thinks it is a mistake. Both me and my wife got the SPG Amex and the bonus whilst already holding a BA Amex.

        • Jason Thorpe says:
          3 Jan3 January 18:38

          Makes sense. I suppose it could refer to all Amex-cards generating avios directly, but in that case the restriction would include MBNA-cards as well, which doesn’t appear to be the case.

  • Andy S says:
    2 Jan2 January 18:09

    The amex gold charge card, I got one and charged my annual train season ticket on it. As this is travel spend I got double points plus the 20000 bonus points.

  • Jason Thorpe says:
    2 Jan2 January 18:30

    I received the BA Amex offer (again) in the mail today and it says the application link expires on Feb 8 – so I’m guessing the offer will be around at least until then.

  • Arther says:
    3 Jan3 January 16:58

    Ruffles, i currently hold AMEX gold card and second year started in Dec for which i’ve been charged after getting a discount off the first year fee. 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. do you think its worth it to keep tohe gold card?

    • Raffles says:
      3 Jan3 January 18:11

      It is probably not worth keeping your Gold. Cancel and get a fee refund. Unless you spend a heck of a lot, or use the lounge passes, you won’t justify the fee through the extra points on travel and FX spend. Only exception would be if you had spent the £15,000 needed to get the 7,500 bonus points on renewal.

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