What are the best credit card sign-up deals for August 2018? – plus a news round-up

UPDATE – APRIL 2024:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.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 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and 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.

It is time for our regular round up of what is coming and what is going in the world of UK airline and hotel credit card sign-up deals.

Our directory of the 16 main UK travel credit cards can be found by clicking the ‘Credit Cards’ tab at the top of the site or – for email, Flipboard, Apple News or mobile readers – by clicking here.

What was new in the last month?

The Starwood Preferred Guest American Express restructured

In advance of the merger of Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards on 18th August, the SPG Amex made a few changes:

the earning rate moved from 1 SPG point per £1 to 3 ‘new scheme’ points per £1 – this is not a change in real terms

the free night voucher changed – instead of a free WEEKEND night at a Category 1-5 hotel, you will now receive a free night, valid every day, at any hotel which costs under 25,000 points.  This makes the voucher more valuable although still a poor return for spending £25,000.

the refer-a-friend bonus dropped 40%, from 5,000 SPG points (15,000 ‘new scheme’ points) to 9,000 ‘new scheme’ points

The SPG Amex is always worth a look because you can get the sign-up bonus of 30,000 ‘new scheme’ points (worth 10,000 Avios or around £150 of free hotel nights) irrespective of what other Amex cards you have.  As long as you haven’t had another SPG Amex in the previous six months, you’ll get the bonus.

Full details are on the Amex website here.

In other news, transfers of SPG points from the credit card and from Membership Rewards are now suspended until after the new merged loyalty scheme launches on the 18th.

The old TSB Avios cards restructured

If you still have the old TSB Avios credit cards, which are closed to new applicants, you should have received a letter about upcoming changes.

The Premier card is being closed entirely.  The basic card is losing its companion American Express card and will just operate as a Mastercard going forward.

You can find out more in this article.

Hilton Honors sends out a survey on a new credit card

Hilton is currently working on a new UK credit card to replace the Barclaycard one which is now closed to new applicants.

They recently sent a survey to some Hilton Honors members to share their ideas.  This HFP article explains what they are considering.

We are expecting the Marriott Mastercard to relaunch in August

I have no details AT ALL on this.  However, if they simply reopen the old Marriott card – which I still have – to new applicants once again, this is what you will get:

• a Mastercard issued by Creation
• no annual fee
• 1 ‘new scheme’ point per £1 spent
• 10,000 ‘new scheme’ points, worth around £50, as a sign-up bonus
• 2,000 free ‘new scheme’ points annually on your card anniversary
• 10 elite night credits each year

Keep an eye on HfP for news on the launch.

All of the MBNA airline cards are finally dead

All of the MBNA airline cards are now finally dead.  Even if you haven’t been sent the replacement Horizon Visa card yet, your existing card is now operating as Horizon with cashback benefits.

This is a surprisingly impressive card to use when travelling as I explained in this review of the Horizon Visa credit card.

If you are looking for:

alternatives to the American Airlines credit card, read this article

alternatives to the Etihad Guest credit card, read this article

alternatives to the Miles & More credit card, read this article

alternatives to the Emirates Skywards credit card, read this article

alternatives to the United MileagePlus credit card, read this article

The old Virgin Atlantic cards finally closed last month

The MBNA Virgin Atlantic cards switched earlier, on 6th July.  From 7th July, your card has been operating as a Horizon Visa.

This article will help you decide which of the two new Virgin Money issued Virgin Atlantic cards is best for you.  The website for the two new cards is here.

Remember that:

The free Reward card has a 5000 miles sign-up bonus, earns 0.75 miles per £1 and comes with a 241 or upgrade voucher for spending £20,000 per year

The £160 Reward+ card has a 15000 miles sign-up bonus, earns 1.5 miles per £1 and comes with a 241 or upgrade voucher for spending £10,000 per year

The cards are issued by Virgin Money so it is very unlikely that you will be conflicted due to having any other cards from the same bank

As long as your credit is excellent, picking up 5000 miles from the free Virgin Reward credit card seems a no-brainer especially as there is no minimum spend threshold.

Legal stuff: I need to tell you that the free Reward card has a representative APR of 22.9% variable.  The Reward+ card has a representative APR of 63.9% based on a notional £1200 credit limit and the annual fee.  The representative APR on purchases is 22.9%.

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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2024 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.

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:

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.

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.