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Interesting – for some reason when I click on it, it says “Your card has been cancelled” when I haven’t even got one. 😀
I’ve signed up to it successfully. Going to Istanbul in May so will have an opportunity to try it out. Will be good while free to use for Avios collection abroad, as there aren’t any non-foreign transaction fee Avios cards in the UK at present? Will have my Chase and Clarity cards as backup.
- This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
It’s a debit card.
You can use it in the UK without restrictions (ie you won’t be closed down) and without any pushback from the issuers (Avios has confirmed this to me). There is a list of places where it can’t be used, eg topping up bank accounts, but that is never comprehensive ….
It’s even a decent option for those who got refused for the Barclaycard. OK, the earn rate on this is worse – and you have a £3 per month fee after six months – but it will work for some.
This is availble to apply via BAEC Rewards App.
I just applied for the British Airways prepaid MasterCard but just letting your readers know it’s only available for android at the moment thru the British Airways Rewards App. Apply at bottom of app thru Mastercard tap.
Once you’ve applied successfully thru the android app you can just log on your iPhone to use your card as well.
- This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
I just applied for the British Airways prepaid MasterCard but just letting your readers know it’s only available for android at the moment thru the British Airways Rewards App. Apply at bottom of app thru Mastercard tap.
Once you’ve applied successfully thru the android app you can just log on your iPhone to use your card as well.
Also at the moment you can only activate the card through the android British Airways Reward App.
- This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
I’m surprised Rob hasn’t deleted this thread if it isn’t iOS compatible as it surely lowers the tone of the site and isn’t in keeping with HFP’s core demographic.
I just applied for the British Airways prepaid MasterCard but just letting your readers know it’s only available for android at the moment thru the British Airways Rewards App. Apply at bottom of app thru Mastercard
It only works and be activated by android users at moment.
I’m surprised Rob hasn’t deleted this thread if it isn’t iOS compatible as it surely lowers the tone of the site and isn’t in keeping with HFP’s core demographic.
Funny!
Surprised ‘Android’ hasn’t been added to the naughty words list.Available on iOS
On applying, maximum monthly income bracket is ‘Over £3,000’… definitely not a card pitched at the London investment banking demographic! 😎🚀
Also not sure therefore that this card will facilitate anything @MingtheMerciless or @PaultheDestroyer would be interested in 😂
Barclaycard already facilitates ‘interesting’ routes so why bother with this for 1/3 of the return.
I guess people have learnt their lesson with the miscreant Mr X, and will keep a lid on it this timeBarclaycard already facilitates ‘interesting’ routes so why bother with this for 1/3 of the return.
I guess people have learnt their lesson with the miscreant Mr X, and will keep a lid on it this timeNot everybody has, or can get the Barclaycard card, this may be useful in places the Barclaycard isn’t, is it really only a 1/3rd of the return etc…a few reasons.
The low hanging fruit is always going to be broadcasted until it all gets picked, but many methods which never make it into the public domain keep on going.
Just letting readers know that you can now apply for the British Airways prepaid Mastercard with the British Airways rewards iOS and Android App respectively. Just hit the MasterCard tab at the bottom of British Airways Rewards App tab in iOS or android.
Good to see a 0% forex rewards card, but the monthly fee – albeit small – is a dealbreaker. Barclaycard with Curve works well enough. And how exactly does the ‘prepaid’ element work? Do you have to load it like Revolut?
I wouldn’t bother applying now without a sign-up bonus unless you’re off travelling in the next week or so ….
@Rob – so there is a sign up offer coming for this card ?
Would applying for this card incur a credit check?
Dan There is no credit check as it’s a prepaid card. I just got mine. There is a sign up bonus of 1500 Avios points within the first three months of preloading and spending £500 on the card.
I was told it was blocked for a lot of financial services stuff but, like Curve, there may be loopholes.
The card now has a tab in my BA exec club app.
Just got mine in the post.
The card seems to be entirely useless for its stated purpose (namely foreign spend). The “no FX fees” is a sham, as its not giving you the interbank rate/ Mastercard exchange rate when you exchange in your digital wallet.
The stated exchange rate on foreign spend drawing out of GBP wallet (and not the EUR/ USD one directly) is 1.5%, which is not great in itself and it might be more if its a ‘sham’ rate (if it’s MasterCard + 1.5%, then the total fee would be 2.18%). Someone on the ground in Europe would need to test that…
£1000.00 converts to 1136.83EUR on the app at the moment
Interbank is £1000.00 = 1172.20EUR
Wise is £10.00 = 1168.24EUR
Mastercard (0% fee) is £10 = 1165.45EUR
Amex (markup + standard 2.99% fee) is £10 = 1131.18EURIn short, total markups given by:
Wise: 0.40%
Mastercard (Curve): 0.68%
BA Prepaid Card (1.5% + Mastercard, TBC): 2.18%
BA Prepaid Card (exchange in online wallet): 3.54%
American Express: 4.10%EARN RATES:
Curve + Basic Barclays: 1 Avios/ £1
Curve + Barclays Plus: 1.5 Avios/ £1
American Express: Variable but usually 1 (BA Basic/ Platinum), 1.5 (BAPP), 2 (BA Gold).
BA Prepaid Card (assuming GBP spend): 1 Avios/ 2 GBP = 0.50 Avios / £
BA Prepaid Card (assuming EUR spend): 1 Avios/ 2EUR = 0.58 Avios/ £ (under current FX) (would be better if GBP goes back up…)
BA Prepaid Card (assuming USD spend): 1 Avios / 2USD = 0.62 Avios/ £ (under current FX) (would be better if GBP goes back up…)Assuming 1p/ Avios valuations, the total fees breakdown like this:
Curve + Barclays Plus = 0.68% – 1.50% = -0.83%
Curve + Barclays = 0.68% – 1.00% = -0.33%
Wise = 0.68%
BA Prepaid Card (1.5% + Mastercard, TBC): 2.18% – 0.50% = 1.68%
Amex Gold = 4.10% – 2.00% = 2.10%
Amex BAPP = 4.10% – 1.50% = 2.60%
BA Prepaid (USD spend, exchanged in wallet) = 3.54% – 0.62% = 2.92%
BA Prepaid (EUR spend, exchanged in wallet) = 3.54% – 0.58% = 2.96%
Amex Platinum = 4.10% – 1.00% = 3.10%One workaround would have been filling up your Wise account with EUR and then topping up the card in EUR, but that’s not permitted. You have to top up in GBP. Also you cant add the BA card to Curve to charge the BA card locally with the Curve FX rate.
In short, it only really seems viable as an option for FX spend if it’s 1.5% over Mastercard ER (which I haven’t confirmed)… and even then its blown out the water by Barclays + Curve combo.
@adeimantus people are saying that Barclays + Curve = account closure though (especially for circumventing fx fees), so probably best not to include those on the list.
@Youllnever interesting thanks, didn’t know about that!
I personally use HSBC Premier Mastercard and that has always been ok with it, perhaps that is then the best option (overall net fee = that of Curve + basic Barclays)
Why not try using it in the UK as a Sterling debit card …..?
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