What are the top 10 reasons to get the Lufthansa Miles & More Diners Club and Mastercard?

Why should you get the Lufthansa Miles & More UK payment cards?

Today, in our ‘Top 10 Reasons’ series, I want to look at the top 10 reasons to apply for the Lufthansa Miles & More Diners Club and Mastercard.

If you want to check your credit record before applying for a new card, click here to get your free Experian Credit Score.

Confusingly, this card is actually TWO cards – a Diners Club card and a Mastercard.  The earning rate is the same on both, so it makes sense to put the Diners Club card in a drawer and just use the Mastercard for your spending.

The serious legal stuff about the Lufthansa Miles & More Diners Club and Mastercard:

You can apply here:  Lufthansa Miles & More charge cards application form

What does it cost?  £79 annual fee

What is the interest rate?   These are charge cards, not credit cards, and you must repay your balance in full at the end of each month.

The top 10 reasons to get the Lufthansa Miles & More Diners Club and Mastercard

There is a generous sign-up bonus of 5,000 Miles & More miles

You will receive 5,000 Miles & More miles when you sign up.

Miles & More is the frequent flyer programme for Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, LOT and various other European airlines.  You can also redeem their miles on any airline in the Star Alliance group.

There is no difficult spending target required to earn the bonus

You qualify for the 5,000 miles as soon as you make your first purchase.

You receive 1.25 Miles & More miles for every £1 you spend on the card

There are a few exceptions (cash withdrawals do not earn points) but in reality virtually every £1 you spend will earn you 1.25 Miles & More miles.  This is an excellent rate.

You receive a Lufthansa airport lounge voucher when you sign up

A voucher for entry into an Lufthansa airport lounge, including the one in Heathrow Terminal 2, will appear in your Miles & More account.  This has a six month validity and you must be flying on Lufthansa or another Star Alliance airline.

Having this card stops your Miles & More miles expiring

Miles & More has a draconian expiry policy.  Your miles expire three years after you earn them, irrespective of your activity in the meantime.  Only status members of Miles & More are exempt.

If you get this card and make a purchase each month, it will stop your existing miles expiring.  Note that this benefit only begins after three months, so it is not a solution if you have mileage expiring in the next few weeks.

You can access 800 airport lounges around the world with your card

This is not a free benefit, unfortunately, but 800 airport lounges globally will give you access for a £15 charge when you hand over your Diners Club card.  This is the only time when you may actually want to carry the Diners Club card around with you, as opposed to the Mastercard!

As a Mastercard, it is far more flexible than an Amex card

Many of the travel rewards credit cards we cover are American Express cards.  The problem with these is that they are not universally accepted.

As a Mastercard, the Miles & More payment card is accepted virtually everywhere that cards are taken.

You can pay HMRC for FREE and earn miles

HMRC no longer accepts credit cards for paying your income tax or any other tax due.  However, because the Mastercard is technically a prepaid debit card it IS accepted by the Inland Revenue.  If you have large tax bills you will be able to earn a substantial number of miles with this card, for free.

You have no risk of incurring any interest charges

The Miles & More cards are charge cards, not credit cards.  You must pay the full balance by direct debit at the end of each month.  The upside of this is that you have no chance of incurring any interest charges.

The card design is pretty cool ….

…. with the Mastercard featuring the rarely-seen Boeing 747-800, which Lufthansa is one of the very few airlines to fly.  It has a longer upper deck than the classic Boeing 747-400.

Conclusion

The Lufthansa Miles & More Diners Club and Mastercard payment cards are generous.  1.25 Miles & More miles per £1 spent is a decent deal and, more importantly for many people, using the card each month will prevent your Miles & More miles from expiring.

You can sign up for the UK Miles & More payments cards on the official website here.

Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points. The site discusses products offered by lenders but is not a lender itself. Robert Burgess, trading as Head for Points, is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as an independent credit broker.