How to earn Avios from converting your BPme Rewards points

It’s 30 months now since the partnership between Avios and BPme Rewards launched.

After a flurry of activity at the launch, we’ve hardly covered it since – there was just one article mentioning it on HfP last year – so I thought it was worth going back to basics today.

You can learn more on ba.com here.

A quick reminder of why petrol loyalty in the UK is a mess

Before we look at BPme Rewards and Avios, it is worth remembering that the UK’s petrol retailers have never managed to find a successful loyalty formula:

• BP withdrew from Nectar in 2019, launching BPme Rewards which did NOT allow transfers into any other points schemes (clearly that one didn’t work out)

• Esso withdrew from Tesco Clubcard in 2019 but then moved across to Nectar (and, confusingly, it continues to award Clubcard points at Esso garages which have a Tesco store attached)

• Shell closed Shell Drivers Club – which was an Avios partner – and launched Shell Go+ which is not points based

• Texaco withdrew from its Virgin Atlantic partnership

Why does petrol loyalty not work in the UK?

It’s hard to know why petrol loyalty schemes have never worked:

• Because it is a commodity product which people buy purely on price?

• Because the price is displayed in huge numbers at the forecourt, which makes it harder to convince yourself to pay more elsewhere for loyalty benefits?

• Because there is no ‘service’ element in buying petrol – you even pump it yourself – so what are you loyal to?

• Because the rewards are so poor compared to what you spend? You can’t blame the garages for this, though, because the majority of the price of fuel is tax and profit margins are very low.

• Because people buy purely on convenience to where they live / work / shop which trumps everything else?

• Because most people are spending their own money, not their employers, and are more concerned about total value (product price + loyalty benefits) than just the benefits?

Whatever the answer, does Avios and BPme Rewards offer enough to succeed where the concepts I listed above have failed?

How does BPme Rewards work?

The BPme Rewards website is here.

It’s worth noting that there is a 500 point bonus for registering.

You cannot register on the website without first visiting a BP garage. You need to pick up a temporary card and then register online using the number on the card.

However, you CAN register instantly by downloading the BPme app to your smartphone. You receive the 500 points instantly.

Earning BPme Rewards

How do you earn BPme Rewards points?

The programme is easy to understand, which is good. Unfortunately, it isn’t exceptionally generous.

You earn:

• 1 point for every litre of regular fuel purchased
• 2 points for every litre of Ultimate fuel purchased
• 1 point for every £1 spent in a BP forecourt shop

Some, but not all, fuel cards are exempt from points earning. You cannot earn in the shop if it is run by a major national brand eg Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons etc.

Is this a generous return on my spending?

No.

A typical litre of unleaded fuel in the UK costs 143p. This means that you are getting a return of just (0.5p / 143p) 0.35% of your spending.

With the best will in the world, no-one gets excited about a 0.35% return on their spending.

In a BP forecourt store, you are getting a return of 0.5% on your groceries based on one point per £1.

Not only are the rewards poor but there is no gamification element. It has the same structural issue as Nectar. Your points are worth the same irrespective of how many you have, and irrespective of where you use them.

As with Nectar, converting your BPme Rewards points to Avios is arguably the best way of maximising value from them.

BPme Rewards and Avios

How many Avios do I get for my BPme Rewards points?

The conversion rate is 25 Avios for every 40 BPme Rewards points you convert.

How does this compare to taking cash rewards?

The standard reward deal is 200 BPme Rewards = £1.

You can use your points to pay for fuel, car washes or BP store purchases, or redeem them for gift vouchers for retailers such as Amazon. You get the same 0.5p per point irrespective.

Which is the better deal – Avios or cash?

200 BPme Rewards will get you £1 or 125 Avios.

The means that you are ‘paying’ 0.8p per Avios compared to taking a fuel discount.

This is a good deal.

My conservative spreadsheet of the value I got from the last 9+ million I spent gets me just over 1.2p per point. It is very rare that you can pick up Avios for less than 0.8p each.

Can I set up auto-conversion?

Yes.

You can arrange a monthly auto-conversion of your BPme Rewards points to Avios. They will be moved across in chunks of 40 BPme Rewards points.

Can I convert in the other direction, from Avios to BPme Rewards?

No.

Is there a bonus for making my first transfer?

Not at present.

Can I sign up to BPme Rewards, get the instant 500 points for registering and move them to Avios without going near a garage?

No.

You need to earn 25 points (£25 of shop spend or 25 litres of standard fuel) to activate your BPme Rewards account and allow Avios transfers.

You can find out more on the BPme Rewards website here and at ba.com here.

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous 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:

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.

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.

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.