Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points

ENDS SOON: Get 100,000 bonus Avios for getting the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card and Premier Banking with Barclays Avios Rewards

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UPDATE – APRIL 2025:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.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

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Barclaycard and Barclays are currently running, easily, the richest Avios promotional deals we have ever seen. If you only respond to one Avios collection offer this year, make it this one.

Full details are on the Barclays website here. I strongly recommend reading the information there alongside our article below.

The offer ends on 30th November 2022. Whilst you might think it is a bit early for a ‘last chance’ article, it isn’t because newcomers to Barclays need to apply for two products separately.

Get 100,000 bonus Avios for getting both the Avios Plus credit card and Premier Banking

This is a complex offer so there are four articles about it. We are updating them over the next four days, but if you want to jump ahead you can use the links below to read the original versions from last month:

…. plus the one you’re currently reading which is for anyone totally new to Barclays:

  • Get 100,000 bonus Avios for getting the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card and Premier Banking with Barclays Avios Rewards

One of these articles should be appropriate for your circumstances.

Only continue reading this article if you do not have Premier Banking with Barclays Avios Rewards and you do not have either of the Barclaycard Avios credit cards.

Full details of the different versions of this offer can be found on the Barclays website here.

Get 100,000 bonus Avios for getting the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card and Premier Banking with Barclays Avios Rewards

If you are new to Barclays, this is a truly exceptional offer. You are being offered 100,000 Avios – which is worth, in the worst case scenario that you turn it into Nectar points, £667 – for:

  • Opening a Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card (£20 monthly fee) and
  • Joining Premier Banking with Barclays Avios Rewards (£12 monthly fee), please see terms and conditions below

You will get £5 back into your current account every month you pay the fee for both products.

The 100,000 Avios bonus is on top of the standard sign-up bonuses for the two products, which are worth up to an extra 50,000 Avios between them.

You’ll need to keep both products for four months or more, starting from the date you open the last product. Eligibility and T&Cs apply.

Barclays Avios Rewards terms and conditions

Here are some key things to note about Premier Banking and Barclays Avios Rewards:

  • You can opt in to Barclays Avios Rewards if you’re a Premier Banking or Wealth customer with a personal current account with Barclays – you’ll need to register for the Barclays app and have a British Airways Executive Club account too.
  • There’s a £12 monthly fee and you have to opt out of Barclays Blue Rewards and go paperless for all your accounts and services.
  • To access Barclays Avios Rewards in the Barclays app, you need to be over 18.
  • To join and remain eligible for Premier Banking for free you need to have an income of £75,000 paid into a Barclays current account or £100,000 invested with Barclays. T&Cs apply.

Here is the legal information we need to tell you about the credit card:

How does the 100,000 bonus Avios offer work?

This is a little complicated because you need to apply for, and be accepted for, two different products to receive the 100,000 bonus Avios:

  • you need to apply for the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card via this link – this should be your first step, because you need to pass a credit check in order to be accepted
  • once accepted for the Avios Plus credit card, you need to join Premier Banking via this link
  • you need to activate the Barclays Avios Rewards add on – this costs £12 per month but comes with 1,500 Avios per month and a British Airways upgrade voucher* every 12 months

In return, you will receive:

From the Avios Plus credit card:

  • if you’re new to Barclaycard, you’ll collect 25,000 Avios if you spend £3,000 on the Avios Plus credit card in your first three months. T&Cs apply.
  • if you’re an existing Barclaycard customer who does not currently have either of the Barclaycard Avios cards, you’ll collect 5,000 Avios if you spend £3,000 on the Avios Plus credit card in your first three months. T&Cs apply.

From Barclays Avios Rewards:

  • you’ll receive 25,000 Avios with Barclays Avios Rewards if your Premier current account is the first current account you are opening with Barclays and you complete a full switch using the Current Account Switch Service within three months.
  • if you have been a customer with Barclays for four months or more already, you’ll receive 2,500 Avios as a joining bonus

On top of the two bonuses above:

  • you will receive an additional 100,000 Avios if you retain your Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card and Barclays Avios Rewards for at least four months

For clarity, holders other Barclaycard non-Avios credit cards are able to get the 100,000 Avios bonus if they complete the steps above. You will receive a lower bonus of 5,000 Avios for taking out the Avios Plus credit card. You need to look in the Barclaycard app to see if you are offered the opportunity to upgrade to the Avios Plus credit card – not all cardholders will see this, and if it isn’t there then you are blocked from this deal.

Click here for the full terms and conditions.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card and Barclays Premier.

How does the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card work?

Even without the carrot of an additional 100,000 Avios bonus, the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card is an impressive product.

The core card features are:

  • A £20 per month fee
  • A sign-up bonus for new Barclaycard customers of 25,000 Avios if you spend £3,000 in the first three months
  • You get 1.5 Avios per £1 spent
  • You get a British Airways cabin upgrade voucher* if you spend £10,000 on the card within twelve months

Note that the fee is paid monthly and you can downgrade to the free card at any point, although you will lose the 100,000 Avios bonus if you do so within four months.

What happens if I am rejected for the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card?

In order to receive the 100,000 Avios, you need to be accepted for both the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card and Barclays Avios Rewards.

You should apply for the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card first and then, if successful, proceed to join Premier Banking and switch on Barclays Avios Rewards.

How does Barclays Avios Rewards work?

Once you are approved for the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card, you also need to join Premier Banking with Barclays Avios Rewards to receive the additional 100,000 Avios bonus.

Even without this offer, Barclays Premier – with the Barclays Avios Rewards add-on – is a good deal.

Barclays Avios Rewards is the rewards scheme for Premier Banking and Wealth customers with a personal current account. It is the only way to collect Avios from a UK current account.

This is how it works:

  • There is a £12 monthly fee for Barclays Avios Rewards
  • You receive 1,500 Avios per month
  • You receive a ‘cabin upgrade voucher*’ after 12 months (more details below)

What is important to remember about Barclays Avios Rewards is that – unlike a credit card reward – there is no spend requirement. Once you opt in to Barclays Avios Rewards you will receive monthly Avios and an annual BA upgrade voucher*.

If you spend £10,000 within twelve months on your Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card, you could get a second upgrade voucher* each year. This would allow you to:

  • upgrade a return flight, in both directions, for two people travelling together, or
  • upgrade a flight in one direction for four people travelling together

To join Barclays Premier Banking for free, you will need an income of £75,000+ OR at least £100,000 saved or invested with Barclays.

You’ll receive 25,000 Avios if you are opening your first account with Barclays and complete a full switch using the Current Account Switch Service within three months. If you have been with Barclays for four months or more, you’ll receive 2,500 Avios as a joining bonus.

Conclusion

This article is aimed at people who:

  • have not yet taken out a Barclaycard Avios credit card, and
  • have not joined Premier Banking with Barclays Avios Rewards

If you are new to the Barclaycard Avios credit cards and new to Premier Banking with Barclays Avios Rewards, you could receive multiple Avios bonuses with this offer:

  • You’ll receive 25,000 Avios if you’re opening your first account with Barclays and complete a full switch using the Current Account Switch Service within three months and switch on Barclays Avios Rewards.
  • If you’re new to Barclaycard, you’ll collect 25,000 Avios if you spend £3,000 in your first three months on the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card. T&Cs apply.
  • You will receive 100,000 Avios as an additional bonus for applying for both products (requires both products to remain open for four months) by 30th November 2022

The bonus for Barclays Avios Rewards is reduced to 2,500 Avios if you have an existing Barclays current account and are upgrading. You will still receive the 100,000 Avios bonus if you meet all of the other criteria and apply by 30th November 2022. T&C apply.

The bonus for the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card is reduced to 5,000 Avios if you spend £3,000 in your first three months if you have an existing non-Avios Barclaycard credit card. You will still receive the 100,000 Avios bonus if you meet all of the other criteria and apply by 30th November 2022. T&C apply.

Find out more on the Barclays website

You can find out more, and apply, on this special page of the Barclays website.

Remember to apply for the Barclaycard Avios Plus credit card before you join Premier Banking with Barclays Avios Rewards, just in case you are not accepted for the credit card.

*Cabin upgrade vouchers must be used on Avios reward flight bookings. Reward flights and cabin upgrades are subject to availability. Taxes, fees and carrier charges per person apply. Additional terms and conditions apply to the use of the cabin upgrade voucher, please go to here for more information.

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.


How to earn Avios from UK credit cards

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)

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:

Barclaycard Avios Plus 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 card

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

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

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

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.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes 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

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, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

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

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.

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up 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

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

Comments (102)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Dawn says:

    I took out the free Barclays Avios credit card because I didn’t think I’d make the yearly £10k of the paid Plus card as I have enough trouble making it to £10k with my BA Amex. However, I realise now that I could make it. Can I upgrade to the paid Barclays Avios credit card?

  • Baresi says:

    Hi Guys

    A quick question my job salary doesn’t hit the 75k gross income, but but I have other investments that take me over the 75k. Do I qualify for the premier banking?

    Cheers

    • Ryan says:

      Investments at Barclays has to be at least £100k
      The net take home that they actually look for is £3,330 – which accounts for tax, NI, pension etc

      • James says:

        Is this definite? So if person earns less than £75k but is having £3330 in account monthly, they’re eligible?

        • Rob says:

          You’re not eligible if you declare you’re earning less than £75k. If you lie and then transfer in whatever the net of £75k per year is, it seems to satisfy their systems.

  • Cranzle says:

    I can get parents to sign up for this. How do I get their Avios into my account? I also have Bonvoy & HHonors if those routes allow complete transfer?

  • Min says:

    I have applied multiple times as a Barclays Premier account holder for the Avios Plus Credit Card. I have never held any Barclays-linked credit card. Each time it says they need more information and will get to me in 5 working days. Each time nothing happened. This happened too in the previous offers, it was only after the offer period ends that they write to me to say that they cannot process my application with no reason given. My credit was not searched either so my case didn’t even get that far. Annoying and disappointing.

    Any idea how I can I go about this?

  • Alan says:

    Honestly, the fact that they don’t let Hilton cardholders escape from it is just evil. I’m done with Barclays.

    • Rob says:

      It’s nothing to do with Barclays. It is, we believe, in the contract that Hilton made them sign to get the deal.

      And can you blame them? Why would Hilton allow Barclaycard to get hold of its customers and then give Barclaycard permission to entice them away to other products?

  • Vasco says:

    I’m a bit confused by this wording:

    “To join Barclays Premier Banking for free, you will need an income of £75,000+ OR at least £100,000 saved or invested with Barclays.”

    Does this mean if my income is below £75k and I have less than £100k in investments, I can join but I have to pay? If so, how much? Sorry if this has been answered before.

    • Rob says:

      No.

      As mentioned in the earlier comment, the website implies you can pay £20 per month if you don’t meet these criteria. This is not true.

      • aq.1988 says:

        My wife, who has an existing BC Avios Plus card and Barclays current account, but did not meet the £75k income/£100k savings requirement, was able to upgrade to Premier banking (and switch on Avios Rewards). She received confirmation that she will get the 100k avios once she holds it for 4 months, and she also received confirmation that they do not check her eligibility for free Premier banking until she has held it for at least 12 months, at which point they would charge £20pm if not eligible, but would not charge in the meantime. Not sure how they would treat new customers to Barclays looking to upgrade to Premier, but she was an existing customer.

        • Kate says:

          Hi,
          I’ve seen a couple of comments about “confirmation that you’ll get the 100k avios after 4 months” or receiving an email confirming the 100k.

          What does this “confirmation” look like please?

          Having realised the “paying £20 per month” doesn’t qualify you, I’ve started paying £3400 into the account (first payment this month – to continue for 4 mths obviously).

          So what should I be looking out for to make sure I’ve tick all the boxes?

          Thanks

          • aq.1988 says:

            The confirmation was an email from Barclays saying that she will get the 100k bonus as long as she keeps all the products for at least 4 months, specifically until 3rd February 2023. This email was a couple days after upgrading to Premier banking and switching on Avios Rewards.

            You say you’ve started paying into the account, but have you got a Premier account?

      • Ryan says:

        You need to have one of those triggered to get the account, then if one month you don’t hit the take home requirement, they charge £20

        • Kate says:

          Thanks guys, yes I have a premier acct. Spent nearly 2 hrs on the phone to Barclays yesterday. Seems the problem was that I have 2 customer profiles ( one when I got the cc and another when I opened the premier acct). These need to be “merged” so the system knows I’ve got both products. Then I should be ok. They’re calling me on Friday to confirm. It shouldn’t be this difficult!!

  • Anthony says:

    Hi Rob – are there any limitations on reapplying for this card? I previously had it and cancelled it (more than 6 months) ago… cheers

    • Rob says:

      I suspect that if you get accepted, you should be fine – don’t think the small print says anything against this.

  • hlav says:

    I have got an old normal Barclaycard so assume I can convert that to the Avios Plus card (and initial look on website says yes) BUT I am also a joint card holder on my partners avios Barclaycard (was Plus but downgraded a couple of months ago to free one) – does that impact me in any way or not relevant ?

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