Maximise your Avios, air miles and hotel points
Launched in February 2022, the Barclayard Avios Mastercards offer an exciting way to collect Avios from a non-American Express credit card.
You may choose to get a Barclays Avios Mastercard to use alongside a British Airways American Express card, where Amex is not accepted, or to replace it.
The Barclaycard Avios cards come with an annual British Airways upgrade voucher if you hit a spend target, which is especially valuable for solo travellers or, to use alongside a BA Amex companion voucher, families of three.
The free Barclaycard Avios Mastercard comes with a sign-up bonus of 5,000 Avios and earns 1 Avios per £1. You earn the upgrade voucher with £20,000 of annual spend. You can apply here.
The paid-for Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard comes with a sign-up bonus of 25,000 Avios and earns 1.5 Avios per £1. You earn the upgrade voucher with £10,000 of annual spend. You can apply here.
Even if you plan to hold the free card for the long term, we recommend starting with the paid card – due to the huge 25,000 Avios – and then downgrading once you have triggered the bonus.
Our review of the free Barclaycard Avios Mastercard is here.
Our review of the paid-for Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard is here.
In February 2022, Barclays launched two Avios-earning Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit cards. These are very, very good products with everything you could ask for, and are easily (in my view) the .....
In February 2022, Barclays launched two Avios-earning Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit cards. These are .....
16 Jun 202516 June 2025 • 49 comments
It’s time for our annual rank of the best UK travel credit card sign-up bonuses in terms of cold hard cash. This article has been updated to include the Hilton Honors debit cards, launched in .....
It’s time for our annual rank of the best UK travel credit card sign-up bonuses in terms of cold hard .....
19 May 202519 May 2025 • 18 comments
This is our review of the new-ish (launched 2022) Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard credit card. It is part of our series of articles looking at the major UK loyalty credit cards and discussing .....
This is our review of the new-ish (launched 2022) Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard credit card. It is part of .....
10 May 202510 May 2025 • 31 comments
This is our review of the new-ish (launched 2022) free Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit card. It is part of our series of articles looking at the major UK loyalty credit cards and discussing .....
This is our review of the new-ish (launched 2022) free Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit card. It is part of .....
9 May 20259 May 2025 • 53 comments
In June 2022, British Airways made a major change to the British Airways American Express 2-4-1 companion voucher. You could now book a seat for one person for 50% of the usual Avios required. The .....
In June 2022, British Airways made a major change to the British Airways American Express 2-4-1 companion .....
11 Mar 202511 March 2025 • 46 comments
Why should you get the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard credit card? Today, I want to look at the top 10 card benefits you get if you apply for a Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard credit card. You .....
Why should you get the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard credit card? Today, I want to look at the top 10 card .....
1 Feb 20251 February 2025
Why should you get the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit card? Today, I want to look at the top 10 card benefits you get if you apply for the free Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit card. You can .....
Why should you get the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit card? Today, I want to look at the top 10 card .....
1 Feb 20251 February 2025
Many of the credit card articles on Head for Points are focused on sign-up bonuses. Get a card, spend the minimum required to trigger the bonus and potentially move on. However, if you are .....
Many of the credit card articles on Head for Points are focused on sign-up bonuses. Get a card, spend .....
27 Jan 202527 January 2025 • 60 comments
Barclays offers two Avios-earning products: Both of these products offer you the opportunity of earning an annual Avios upgrade voucher. In this introductory article I want to look at how to maximise .....
Barclays offers two Avios-earning products: Both of these products offer you the opportunity of earning an .....
6 Jan 20256 January 2025 • 50 comments
In February 2022, Barclays launched two new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit cards. These are very, very good products with everything you could ask for, and are easily (in my view) the most .....
In February 2022, Barclays launched two new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit cards. These are very, very .....
3 Jan 20253 January 2025
Barclays offers two different ways to earn Avios - Premier Banking and credit cards. What you may not know, if you have one of these two products already, is that there are two extra rewards available .....
Barclays offers two different ways to earn Avios - Premier Banking and credit cards. What you may not know, if .....
2 Jan 20252 January 2025 • 67 comments
I get a steady stream of reader emails looking for advice on the best Visa or Mastercard credit card for earning Avios, airline miles or hotel points. The comprehensive Head for Points reward .....
I get a steady stream of reader emails looking for advice on the best Visa or Mastercard credit card for .....
17 Dec 202417 December 2024 • 58 comments
The launch of the Barclaycard upgrade vouchers, available via Barclays Premier with Barclays Avios Rewards and the two Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit cards, was a substantial boost for the solo .....
The launch of the Barclaycard upgrade vouchers, available via Barclays Premier with Barclays Avios Rewards and .....
15 Oct 202415 October 2024 • 60 comments
As we reminded you on Friday, from 1st November 2024 you will need to spend £15,000 per year to receive a 2-4-1 companion voucher on either of the British Airways American Express credit cards. .....
As we reminded you on Friday, from 1st November 2024 you will need to spend £15,000 per year to receive a .....
13 Oct 202413 October 2024 • 72 comments
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