Huge 60,000 Avios sign-up bonus for the British Airways Premium Plus American Express card

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• robert says:

  31 Aug31 August 06:16

  So no referral bonus possible then ?

  • Tim says:

    31 Aug31 August 06:57

    Not if you want the 60k sub

    • Bagoly says:

      31 Aug31 August 11:40

      Does that indicate that the decision-maker at Amex is now someone who does not understand why one offers highest bonus only to those referred, or are they regarding this as a separate market segment?

      • sloth says:

        31 Aug31 August 13:24

        No, it indicates that BA are funding this increased offer, as they did in Feb

  • BJ says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:00

    No.

• Matt says:

  31 Aug31 August 06:18

  It will be interesting to see if generous sign-up bonus offers become the new normal once the stricter Amex cancellation rules come into force.

  • Andrew J says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:02

    They have come into force.

    • BJ says:

      31 Aug31 August 07:15

      I don’t think we can say that yet Andrew, there was the 70,000 avios for £3000 spend for BAPP back in January which my mum got on her state pension.

    • Rob says:

      31 Aug31 August 07:30

      No. Even for new applicants they do not apply until 2/10.

  • BJ says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:03

    Makes little difference, few who follow HfP will be eligible.

• Lynn says:

  31 Aug31 August 06:19

  I have a BA American Express Premium Plus Companion Voucher following the previous offer. If I cancel the card will I lose the voucher? Thanks

  • Rob says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:31

    No

    • Lynn says:

      31 Aug31 August 07:41

      Thanks

    • louie says:

      31 Aug31 August 09:09

      Are we sure nothing has changed recently? https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/companion-voucher-missing-from-my-account/

  • BJ says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:37

    I wish I had a £ for evdry time this question was asked 🙂

    • Gordon says:

      31 Aug31 August 09:02

      I wish I had a companion voucher for every time that was asked!

• Jess says:

  31 Aug31 August 06:42

  Is there a minimum income requirement for the paid BA Amex or was that just for the platinum card?

  • BJ says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:08

    £35,000 for BAPP and Platinum, £20, 000 for everything else IIRC. There is an HdP article on amex minimum incone requirements if you google for it.

    • JDB says:

      31 Aug31 August 07:16

      It’s ridiculous to set the minimum income for the BAPP at just £35,000 then expect people to spend £5,000 in three months out of their net income that would be just £6,795 before any basic living expenses. Seems to be either encouraging MS or not meeting the new FCA duties.

      • Chris R says:

        31 Aug31 August 07:23

        Remember it’s a credit card. It’s not designed to be paid in full every month and the affordability assessment will be based accordingly

      • Ed_fly says:

        31 Aug31 August 07:34

        Lots of people on £35k a year can put through that sort of spend. Holidays, car, new kitchen etc, all of which can be paid out of saved finances but via a credit card. Also couples / families etc where income is pooled. When my income was 35k pa I would’ve easily been able to spend £5k in 3 months without MS and been able to pay off in full. While my income has increased a fair bit since those days, Amex recently provided me with a platinum card with a credit limit of 40% of my annual income. With the BAPP I was already holding this pushed my credit line to over 50% of my annual income. They can easily review an applicants past credit history, to see how much they borrow each month and their ability to pay it off, when offering credit.

      • BJ says:

        31 Aug31 August 08:34

        @JDB, personally I find the whole idea of minimum income requirements disturbing. I think they reek of social engineering and all that was bad about class in British society. My perception of amex as a brand has fallen through the floor as a result! If a person earning minimum wages pays their bills regularly and on time as required that should be fine, their income should not prevent them having a credit facility. Amex and other credit card providers have ample tools at their disposal to deal with credit abuse should they wish. That the UK has a problem (at least as far as I perceive it) with personal debt is partly a reflection not just of the individuals, but even more so of the consumer and financiall industries which not only let it happen but actively encouraged it despite having the tools to prevent it. Furthermore, I would not be at all surprsed if the problems with personal debt were far more significant amongst higher rate tax payers than basic rate tax payers. If so, then there is little logic for minimum income requirements. Finally, that there is a difference in this requirement between Platinum and BAPP, and the others cards is nonsense, it is no logical on the basis of card fees which differ by only a few hundred so must therefore owe more to abhorent social engineering and their desire to indulge feelings of entitlement amongst elements their customer base than to any rational financial considerations.

        • Rob says:

          31 Aug31 August 08:36

          This is potentially linked to the new FCA requirements of ensuring product suitability. Allowing someone on a low income to apply for a fee paying card is exactly the sort of thing the new rules were designed to stop, albeit with HfP readers it is done will full understanding of the implications.

          This all goes back to the PPI scandal, with (for example) the self employed being sold mortgage protection insurance which didn’t pay out if you were self employed.

        • BJ says:

          31 Aug31 August 08:57

          I noted that you said this in the article Rob.
          If this is the case then I think those rules are wrong and the industfy should push back on them. Affordabilty/disposable income makes much more sense to me and the industry has the tools to work with that. However, if this is amex themselves changing their own policies and procedures I’m very unimpressed.

        • ken says:

          31 Aug31 August 10:26

          “I think they reek of social engineering and all that was bad about class in British society”

          I think this is an utterly bizarre take on it.

          It’s a crude method sure, but helps to try and make sure bank and financial institutions are not selling totally inapproriate products to (often naive consumers).

          Problem debt, whether its servicing it, arrears, of debt as a percentage of assets has always been concentrated on the poorest income decile.
          Has always been and always will.

          One IFS example from a report of a few years ago.
          16% of the lowest income decile in arrears
          1% of the highest income decile in arrears.

        • immi says:

          31 Aug31 August 10:29

          Absolutely agree. The idea that credit card companies care about your affordability is laughable and simply an FCA box-ticking exercise. But, they have every right to enforce repayment, which of course they will in any case. The ridiculous APR, in some ways is positive, as it trains you to ALWAYS pay back what you own in full every month, if you needed that sort of training.

        • BJ says:

          31 Aug31 August 11:58

          @Ken, why then does BAPP and Platinum have to have a higher minimum income requirement than the other cards? I fail to see why you need to earn £15000 more to get BAPP or even Platinum than Gold, it’s certainly not because the fee is under £100 up to £400 more.

          If somebody on minimum wages has the cash to buy a BA First ticket then BA will be only too happy to sell it to them. Same if somebody wants buy a Rolex. You walk into a RC, reception does not ask you what your income is and redirect you to Moxy if you’re on minimum wages. Why should the financial sector be any different? It doesn’t matter whether somebody earns £15k or £150k, the industry have the tools and can use them to prevent problems arising or curtail them in a heartbeat in the event they do. I do not believe a set of one size fits all minimum income thresholds should be one of those tools.

          If, as admittedly it seems much more likely, that this is largely a response to regularltoryy requirements as Rob suggests in the article then that too is unfair IMO because it is penalising the low-paid for problems that were largely of the financial sectors own making.

          I cannot comment on the reliability of a single stat relating to debt that you provide.

        • Bagoly says:

          31 Aug31 August 12:18

          @BJ: perhaps even better example than someone on the minimum wage (having inherited some money) is a pensioner living mainly off capital-drawdown rather than having chosen to turn it into income via an annuity.

        • ken says:

          31 Aug31 August 13:16

          @BJ

          You stated; “Furthermore, I would not be at all surprsed if the problems with personal debt were far more significant amongst higher rate tax payers than basic rate tax payers”
          Without any evidence at all.

          Google is your friend when it comes to debt information and burden on the poor.

          I’d say there are only a tiny number of people on the bottom 2 deciles of income who would be well served paying £250 a year just for a credit card.

          The comparison with a first class ticket or Rolex seems peverse.
          Neither BA or Watches of Switzerland will be chasing you for another 30% in interest of what you spend next year.
          After all – someone has to pay for all those free points.
          Besides literally no-one who is poor is buying first class air tickets.

          It is self evident that its easy to get into debt for some people and devilishly hard to get out of it.
          Its not social engineering in the sense you claim, its trying to curb the exploitation of the poorest in society – a laudable aim which the Rochdale Pioneers amongst others help bring to the masses.

          AMEX (like most credit card companies) don’t want people who pay off their entire balances every month – they prefer a decent portion of their customers trapped in debt. Not so much as they default though.

      • Bagoly says:

        31 Aug31 August 12:14

        The £35k minimum is for the BAPP. Not specifically for the bonus.

    • Jess says:

      31 Aug31 August 08:43

      Thanks. Will take a look

      • BJ says:

        31 Aug31 August 08:58

        See the link Gordon posted below.

  • Gordon says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:09

    https://www.headforpoints.com/2023/07/20/american-express-brings-back-minimum-income-requirement/

• exp70 says:

  31 Aug31 August 07:15

  Can you ahead of 2nd October, spend the required bonus amount and close, with a pro-rata refund – or has that already been stopped? Report above suggests you may, a comment above however suggests not.

  • Rob says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:26

    You can but the Avios may not have gone across and not clear what happens in that scenario.

    • Reeferman says:

      31 Aug31 August 09:58

      Is the same true with the Amex Platinum card – or can any accrued MR points earned from an immediate large spend, for example, be transferred into your AVIOS account as soon as they appear on your Amex account?

      • Rob says:

        31 Aug31 August 11:09

        MR points can be transferred immediately, Avios (and Bonvoy and Nectar Amex points) are automated at month end.

        • Reeferman says:

          31 Aug31 August 11:56

          Thanks Rob – I couldn’t remember from 2 years ago!!

• J says:

  31 Aug31 August 07:30

  I wish to get this card for family, but neither of us can see the bonus points in our logged in BA portal, worth waiting a few days?

  • Rob says:

    31 Aug31 August 07:34

    You are looking in the wrong place (assuming your account is UK based).

    • J says:

      31 Aug31 August 07:36

      Found it! 🙂
      Classic did not read the manual moment lol.

      Direct link if it helps : https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/credit-cards/compare/british-airways-avios-credit-cards/?ieep=01MC9712

      • Mikeact says:

        31 Aug31 August 08:20

        Thanks.

• Jonny says:

  31 Aug31 August 07:30

  Any idea if you would be able to downgrade to the free card after 2 Oct and still get a pro rata refund?

  • WearyTraveller says:

    31 Aug31 August 09:11

    No more pro rata refunds after 2nd October.

• LittleNick says:

  31 Aug31 August 07:47

  Amazes me people would put through £5k and then not want to spend the remaining £5k in the last 9 months to achieve the companion voucher.

  • exp70 says:

    31 Aug31 August 08:27

    Fair comment. However it depends what other cards people have obligations against – and what vouchers they already hold to support their needs.

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