Your ‘last chance’ guide to the 100,000 Avios Barclays Premier and Barclaycard offers

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• Jake says:

  28 Nov28 November 09:21

  Already have the Avios Plus card and just signed up for Premier banking and switched on Avios rewards.

  Do I need to do a current account switch to receive the 100k bonus or does the switch only apply to the further 25k?

  • Rob says:

    28 Nov28 November 10:22

    You need to do a switch. The T&C is poor and does not explain this, but you do.

    • T says:

      28 Nov28 November 10:58

      I’m confused. How can it be a term and condition without being indicated anywhere?

      For me it’s not unclear it’s completely absent (and seemingly therefore unenforceable?)

      • Rob says:

        28 Nov28 November 11:26

        There are the T&C which are published and then there are the T&C as Barclays undertands them which we have talked about in multiple calls and emails with them ….

        • Gordon says:

          28 Nov28 November 11:38

          This is exactly the reason I opted to go into a branch to speak to a human that could explain and answer any questions I needed to know the answer to & not put anything to chance, As I wanted to know that 4 months down the line I know I am getting my bonus.

        • T says:

          28 Nov28 November 11:52

          Sounds like a great way to impress your customers

        • Rob says:

          28 Nov28 November 12:02

          The issue is that there are multiple permutations which Barclays didn’t consider.

          Let’s say, for example, that you cancelled an Avios Plus credit card back in April. You DO qualify to reapply because it has been over 6 months. However, you DON’T qualify for a sign-up bonus because it hasn’t been 24 months. Does this mean you’d get the 100,000 Avios or not? You certainly won’t get the 25,000 Avios. My money is on ‘no’ but again the rules are not clear.

        • yorkieflyer says:

          28 Nov28 November 11:59

          Priceless

        • Bluebirdnick says:

          29 Nov29 November 00:18

          Hang on: so I need to switch a bank account to my Premier Barclays account to get the 100k – not just the 25k? I was never entitled to the 25k anyway because I had a pre-existing barclays current account. I’m going to have to open a random bank account somewhere and switch that to Barclays as my only existing accounts are with competent banks and I’d rather not sacrifice that while I ride the Barclays Rollercoaster for the time its going to take to earn these avios. And I say that as a former Barclays employee!

        • Rob says:

          29 Nov29 November 08:25

          If you are an existing customer who upgrades then clearly there is nothing to switch.

    • Andrew says:

      28 Nov28 November 11:02

      This is going to need a LOT of explaining Rob…

    • Jake says:

      28 Nov28 November 11:27

      Thanks Rob – I am planning to open a challenger bank account online (Starling) and then immediately (after a few days potentially) use that to ‘Switch’ to Barclays. I presume there isn’t a period of time for which your previous bank account has to be open?

      I want the Avios but don’t want to have to change my bank

      • Dave says:

        28 Nov28 November 11:39

        Basically, Barcalys are incapable of communicating the terms of the offer to their customers and would rather use Rob as some sort of medium

    • baVid says:

      28 Nov28 November 11:32

      Hi Rob, this is being said on the forums as well, but the T&Cs and actions of Barclays contradict this. Are you awaiting a line on them on this matter? I have not initiated a switch yet, but have received the “You’re on your way to a 100,000 Avios bonus” email telling me “To qualify for it, simply keep them open until at least X March 2023”. This goes further and states “Don’t forget, the 100,000 Avios bonus is on top of the standard joining and welcome bonuses you may be eligible for”. The only bonus that requires a switch according to every single bit of material I can get my hands on, is the 25,000 bonus on the Premier Account.

      • Rob says:

        28 Nov28 November 11:58

        My understanding is that this is not Barclays understanding of how it will work.

        However, the T&C is the T&C. It’s also possible that the Barclays IT doesn’t work as they think it works.

        You cannot seriously believe that Barclays would have designed this to give you (effectively) £1,000 for opening a bank account that you never use, however. This is your only risk. Bizarrely, you’d have a better chance of a complaint succeeding if they were offering 10,000 Avios because this is a ‘fair’ bonus for opening an account you never use. FOS or whoever you complain to could decide that, irrespective of the T&C, it should have been very obvious to you that no-one in their right mind would hand over £1,000 just for opening an account.

        • Dave1234 says:

          28 Nov28 November 12:10

          It’s not a case of ‘would you seriously believe’ though is it? It’s a case a reading the terms and conditions and following them as specified. It’d be very easy for Barclays to just specify what they wanted. It’s not the customer’s responsibility to second guess what the terms of an offer are if they’re different from what’s been published

        • JDB says:

          28 Nov28 November 12:44

          Rob, Barclays has produced a five page leaflet (also in a link to the 100k email) with the T&Cs for the 100k promotion that don’t mention switching once and there is no reference to a switch in the eligibility email either. The 25k is shown as a separate and ongoing promotion.

          I think they will have considerable difficult resiling from the offer, however generous. They will also receive significantly more FOS complaints than the 150 or so from the Creation grifters.

        • Rob says:

          28 Nov28 November 12:54

          I note that Creation has been losing these court cases – £750 is the highest payout I’ve seen so far, plus costs. I’m sure some are higher.

        • JDB says:

          28 Nov28 November 13:53

          @Rob nobody has publicly mentioned Creation wins or losses at MCOL here but there are some of both. In respect of Barclays, they would have no prospect of winning a case if they don’t pay the 100k without a switch.

          I think the 100k promotion is madness and it’s too big to ignore, but insistence on a switch wouldn’t greatly help them as those who like to play the system are simply switching ‘burner’ or dormant accounts anyway; they must know this. I don’t intend to do a switch, but I will keep and use my Premier account. To the extent they are trying to get new business from more affluent customers, they ought to offer products more suited to them – I did look at their home insurance as my renewal was due and the contents maximum was ridiculously low.

        • Richard says:

          28 Nov28 November 15:57

          But it’s not just for opening an account, because of the qualification requirements. You at least have to have your £75K+ salary paid into the account (or have substantial savings) – so Barclays acquires a customer with a confirmed relatively high income, to whom they can market “Premier” products. And of course you also have to pay the not-insubstantial monthly fees for both Avios Rewards and the credit card.

          So, I take you at your word when you say this isn’t what your contact at Barclays intended, and I agree it’s a bit bizarrely generous. But it’s nowhere near the “any reasonable person should have known” level.

        • baVid says:

          28 Nov28 November 19:19

          I agree with what you say to an extent (and I personally am planning to use the account). There is no obvious mistake in the T&C’s, so arbitrarily ignoring them as written is not likely to be acceptable to any adjudicator. Further, the 100k isn’t linked at all to opening an account. It is linked through the T&C’s to the maintainance of two paid subscription services for up to 6 months. So there is skin in the game for the customer to the tune of £162 , which wouldn’t be considered insignificant when balancing the fairness of the T&C’s should someone take this to FOS. That’s potentially a lot of £750’s.

    • Nathan says:

      28 Nov28 November 17:08

      Sorry but this is the first I’m hearing (or reading) of this, and I’ve been through the T&C’s multiple times with a fine comb.
      I have an Avios Plus Card and an existing Barclays bank account. I turned on Premier Banking and Avios Rewards, and have been sent an email confirming I’m eligible for the 100,000 Avios if I keep them both open for 4 months.
      I have no intention of switching an account, and have never been asked to!

      • Rob says:

        28 Nov28 November 17:15

        You may be fine. As you say, the rules are the rules and we both know what the rules say. It’s also true that this isn’t the intention though.

        • KevinS says:

          28 Nov28 November 21:47

          Are they too stupid to write rules which reflect what they intend?

• r* says:

  28 Nov28 November 10:16

  When signing up for the bank acct, when asked are you an existing Barclays customer do you say yes or no if you have the barclaycard?

  • RebeccaLondon says:

    28 Nov28 November 12:54

    Say yes. I assumed no, and have had no end of issues as I ended up with two customer profiles. I mistakenly thought barclaycard and barclays were separate entities as they had separate apps.
    Been a premier customer 26 days according to the website and still not sorted. Three phone calls later……

• SJJ says:

  28 Nov28 November 11:02

  signed up to both the current account and credit card last month (after some teething issues with an old Barclaycard Platinum). Do you know when the points are due to be awarded?

  • Rob says:

    28 Nov28 November 11:26

    4 months after the 2nd switch.

    • JDB says:

      28 Nov28 November 12:49

      The terms say within two months of the end of the four months.

      • SJJ says:

        28 Nov28 November 13:32

        thank you

• Seb says:

  28 Nov28 November 12:23

  We’ve gone for a joint account and annoyingly you cannot switch online / via app so we have to go into branch. The earliest appointment they had is January! Surely we won’t have to wait 4 months from that point and it should be from the time the account is opened?

• MarkF says:

  28 Nov28 November 12:51

  Finally managed to open a Premier account (I think!) Couldn’t do it via the Barclaycard App as I only had the option to ‘Upgrade to Premier’ and when I clicked that it said I didn’t have an eligible account (I have a Barclays mortgage and the Barclaycard Avios). Managed to do it via the link Rob posted in the comments. I have an email from Barclays saying ‘welcome to your New premier account’ and saying a pack of info is in the post and the account number and sort code was given when i finished signing up on line.
  When will I be able to see the account in the App and when can I start the account switch?

  • VALittleRed says:

    28 Nov28 November 13:26

    Depends if the premier account is ‘linked’ to your barclaycard avios account. Often the system won’t do this automatically and may require a call to premier bank line to link the accounts, then you should be able to see your accounts together on one of the apps.

• Kevin Lee says:

  28 Nov28 November 12:54

  Can’t seem to open a Barclays Premier account via the App or online. You need either a Barclaycard or Barckays debit card to get the App going.

• rio says:

  28 Nov28 November 13:13

  hope this offer returns
  wasn’t eligible due to cancelling an old Barclays CC at the wrong time few month prior

• BAA380 says:

  28 Nov28 November 13:14

  So I currently have a Barclays Premier Account, not the Avios account but Blue Rewards. I cancelled my Hiltons Barclay Card back in April of this year and currently do not have any cards with Barclay Card. Please can someone confirm the bonuses I am entitled to if I upgrade my Premier account to the Avois account and apply for the credit card please? Getting very confused with the various options.

  • Rob says:

    28 Nov28 November 13:40

    25k for the credit card, nothing for turning on Barclays Avios Rewards, 100k for doing both. I think.

    • yezi says:

      28 Nov28 November 13:57

      I am in the same situation and tried to apply for the Avios Plus credit card. Got rejected!

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