What are the best credit card deals for January 2019?

UPDATE – MAY 2025:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.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.

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 and charge 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 December and early January?

HSBC launched a sign-up bonus for its HSBC Premier Mastercard

This week HSBC launched a 10,000 point sign-up bonus for its free HSBC Premier credit card.

This is worth 5,000 Avios.  You could also credit it to Asia Miles, Singapore KrisFlyer or Etihad Guest.  The deal runs to 2nd March.

The snag is that you need to have a HSBC Premier current account to get the HSBC Premier credit card.  Full details of the tough eligibility criteria are in our article here.  The upside is that you have a free Mastercard earning 0.5 miles for every £1 you spend.

You have three weeks to get a sign-up bonus on the free Tesco credit card

Until 31st January, you will receive 1,000 Tesco Clubcard points if you apply for this version of the Tesco Clubcard Mastercard.  This converts into 2,400 Avios or 2,500 Virgin Flying Club miles.

Whilst there are many different versions of this card – different interest rates, balance transfer periods, interest free periods etc – you only get the bonus via the one I link to above.

My full review of the Tesco Clubcard Mastercard is here.

The sign-up bonus dropped on the Miles & More Diners Club / Mastercard

The bonus on the new £79 Lufthansa Miles & More Diners Club and Mastercard charge card package dropped to 5,000 miles on 1st January.

This will be the long-term bonus.  The 10,000 points offered in 2018 was only designed an incentive to promote its launch.  I now have this card and, whilst it is odd, it is working OK.  You can find more thoughts about the Miles & More Diners Club card in this article.

American Express launched a 30,000 point bonus on the DOLLAR / EURO versions of the Platinum card

For the first time in a while, Amex is running a sign-up bonus on its Dollar and Euro Platinum charge cards – 30,000 Membership Rewards points to be precise.

The good news is that you can get this bonus even if you already have a UK Platinum or Gold card.  The bad news is that this is a complicated product with poorer transfer rates to most airline schemes than the UK cards.  I wrote about the pros, cons and sweet spots in this article.

If you missed it, I also published an article this week on ‘Which low interest rate credit cards also earn miles and points?‘.

What can we expect from the travel credit card market in 2019?

2018 was, to be honest, a more positive year than I expected.  Both Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa Miles & More returned to the market with non-Amex products, and both were generous:

• 0.75 Virgin miles per £1 on their free card
• 1.5 Virgin miles per £1 on their £160 card
• 1.25 Lufthansa Miles & More miles per £1 on their £79 card

Here are two things I know will happen in 2019:

• An attractive new SME card is coming to the market soon
• Curve will move its Amex acceptance out of beta mode, allowing all of us to recharge Visa and Mastercard purchases to most American Express cards

Here are some questions I can’t answer at the moment:

Will the new version of the Lloyds Avios Rewards credit card being rolled out to existing customers be re-opened to everyone?

Will the new version of the Tesco Premium credit card being rolled out to existing customers be re-opened to everyone?

Will Hilton find a new issuer for their Hilton Honors card?

Will Creation ever get around to putting the Marriott Rewards card back on the market?

What will happen to the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card, given that the Starwood brand disappears in March?

Will we see major changes to the co-brand American Express cards (BA, Nectar, Starwood, Harrods, Costco) now that they have had their retailer fees capped?

Will we will see more aggressive action from American Express to persuade people to move from its co-brand cards to Gold or Platinum, which have not had their retailer fees capped?

Will Flybe, Etihad, Emirates, American or United find a way back into the UK credit card market?

And, more of a wish than anything else as I am 99% sure it won’t happen, will Hyatt ever sign up as an American Express Membership Rewards partner?  (It would make sense, for Europe only, as I doubt Hyatt will ever launch its own co-brand card here.  There would be no cannibalisation.)

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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – May 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 Mastercard

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

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 Credit Card

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 Card

30,000 Avios and the famous annual Companion Voucher 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:

The American Express Business Platinum Card

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

The American Express Business Gold Card

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 Card

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