Has a 2nd Lloyds Avios Rewards upgrade voucher appeared in your Avios account?
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I’ve had numerous emails from readers in recent days who have found a new upgrade voucher appearing in their avios.com account courtesy of their Lloyds Avios Rewards credit card.
If you didn’t get an email telling you it was there, it is worth checking anyway. It will say:
Lloyds Bank Avios Rewards Upgrade Voucher
Valid from 29/09/2018
Expiry date 31/10/2019
It isn’t clear what is happening here, but it is a widespread situation. My best guess is that this is part of the process of closing down the current cards.
Or, of course, it could be a mistake.
Lloyds was struggling to find a sensible plan which would allow them to close the cards. They are being forcibly replaced with ‘next generation’ Mastercard-only Lloyds Avios Rewards credit cards which are substantially different from what you have now.
The new Lloyds Avios Rewards Mastercard will offer:
No annual fee
0.4 Avios per £1 you spend in the UK
0.8 Avios per £1 you spend outside the UK
0.4 Avios per £1 transferred on a balance transfer (this is a new benefit – Lloyds Duo Avios cardholders used to get Avios on balance transfers but Lloyds Avios Rewards cardholders did not)
….. plus an extra 25% bonus for Club Lloyds current account holders.
The bad news is:
There will no longer be a generous Amex card option
Overseas spending is no longer free – you will pay 2.99% on FX spend
There will no longer be an upgrade voucher
Because most cardholders will have their old card closed part-way through their membership year, it would be unfair to stop them getting a final upgrade voucher.
Lloyds may have decided that the cleanest thing to do is to give every cardholder their current year voucher. It may also be a gesture towards Avios Rewards cardholders who are annoyed by the loss of 0% FX fees and the voucher.
Perhaps you should spend it quickly, though, just in case it is an error.
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:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
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.
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
15,000 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:
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.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
American Express Business Platinum
40,000 points sign-up bonus 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 Business Rewards Visa
Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 Read our full review
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.
Barclaycard Select Cashback Business Credit Card
1% cashback uncapped* on all your business spending (T&C apply) Read our full review
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