What are the benefits of the free Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard credit card?

Why should you get the Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard credit card?

Today, I want to look at the top 10 card benefits you will receive if you apply for a free Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard credit card.

You can apply for the card here.

Here is the legal information we need to tell you:

If you are interested in the paid-for Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus credit card, we have a similar article on the benefits of that card here.

The top 10 benefits of the Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card:

1. There is a sign-up bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points

You will receive 3,000 Virgin Points when you sign up and make your first purchase.

There is no spending target to hit – just make a single transaction and your bonus will post.

If a higher bonus is currently running, it will show in the box above. However, it is very rare to see the bonus on this card go beyond 3,000 Virgin Points. The box is automatically updated with the best deal available on the date you are reading this.

2. You can get the bonus even if you have the Reward Plus card

You CAN apply and get the bonus if you already have the paid-for Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus credit card.

You are allowed to hold both cards AND get a bonus on the second application.

3. You receive 0.75 Virgin Points 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 0.75 Virgin Points.

At 0.75 miles per £1, which I would value at 0.75p, you are receiving a very generous rate for a free travel rewards credit card.

4. You earn double miles when you spend with Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays

1.5 Virgin Points per £1 you spend is a decent extra return on your flight and holiday spending.

5. You do not pay foreign exchanges fees in the Eurozone

The Virgin Atlantic cards are the ONLY travel credit cards which charge no foreign exchange fees in the Eurozone.

There are also no fees for purchases in Romania or Slovakia.

This will save you 3% over using a traditional credit card.

6. You get a special bonus for spending £20,000 in a card year

The Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card comes with an annual voucher for spending £20,000 in a card year. spending target.

Unlike British Airways American Express vouchers, there is no difference between the voucher you receive for spending £20,000 on the free Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card and the voucher you receive for spending £10,000 on the £160 Virgin Atlantic Reward+ credit card.

Both vouchers are valid for two years and both vouchers have the same value.

There are two ways of using your voucher:

• if you bought a ticket, for either cash or Virgin Points, you can use your voucher to pay for a 2nd ticket (same flight, same cabin) for a companion
• if you are travelling alone, you can use your voucher to upgrade a cash or reward ticket by one class

Credit card vouchers have a fixed value:

• Flying Club Red members can redeem their voucher up to a maximum of 75,000 Virgin Points
• Flying Club Silver or Gold members can redeem their voucher up to a maximum of 150,000 Virgin Points

The value of your voucher will be calculated by your status at the time of redemption, not when you fly.

No ‘change’ is given if you use your voucher for less than its maximum value.

You can use your voucher even if it doesn’t cover the full amount of the companion ticket or upgrade, as Virgin Atlantic will let you top it up.

7. The cards have a good cashback programme which doesn’t require opting in

Virgin Money, like many credit card companies, offers cashback rewards when you spend at specific retailers.

What is different about the Virgin Money programme is that none of the offers require you to opt in. You can simply forget about the scheme and bank the cash whenever you unknowingly trigger it at a particular merchant.

8. The card is free for life

The Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard credit card is free for life.

Other cards with annual fees may offer better earning rates but, unless you are a very heavy spender, you will often struggle to justify the fee from the extra miles earned.

9. As a Mastercard, it is far more flexible than an American Express 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, your Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card is accepted virtually everywhere that cards are taken.

10. You don’t need a high income to apply

The minimum income requirement is just £7,000 for yourself or at least £15,000 across your household.

Conclusion

The Virgin Atlantic Reward Mastercard is the most generous free credit card in the UK in terms of rewards.  0.75 Virgin Points per £1 spent is an excellent deal.  Getting 3,000 Virgin Points for signing up and a 2-4-1 voucher or other bonus for spending £20,000 in a year is the icing on the cake.

It is also an excellent card for using in the Eurozone, irrespective of whether you normally collect Virgin Points or not, because of its lack of FX fees. This saves you 3% on your Euro spending.

You can sign up for the Virgin Atlantic Reward credit card 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.