What’s a good card to have in addition to Amex Gold?

[aurora]

Hello,

I currently have an Amex Gold card which I use for most of my spending (including joint with my spouse).
When abroad we use a debit card to avoid the fee Amex charges on foreign spend. We also use a debit card for the few transactions when Amex is not accepted.

It’s all fine but I always wonder if i’m missing our on rewards for all the spend done on debit.

Any suggestions of a good rewarding card that’s good for use abroad (and in the UK)?

[Harrier25]

Virgin Atlantic credit card if travelling around Europe or the Barclaycard Rewards credit card for further afield.

[aq.1988]

I’d say the Barclaycard Avios Plus (to start with to get the bonus), and then downgrade to the free card, and link it to Curve. It’s a Mastercard, so it’s accepted where Amex isn’t, and you’ll earn avios.

[Harrier25]

Great if you want to earn Avios but not so, if like me, you don’t. Also not so clear cut anymore on how much free FX spending you’ll get with Curve. At least with the Virgin Atlantic and Barclaycard Rewards cards there are no FX spending limits and keeps it simple.

[aurora]

Thanks both.

Indeed with Curve i’ll need to upgrade to the higher tiers to get a wide/unlimited FX spending limit which I’m not sure is worth it in our case (other benefits are not too attractive).

I think the 0.75 Virgin points are more interesting than the 0.25% cashback on Barclaycard Rewards. However, Virgin only offer fee-free spending on euros transactions (and a couple of other european currencies). While Barclaycard can also be used for transactions in $ (or other currencies).

Maybe I should get both but I’m also trying not to manage too many cards 😂

[Harrier25]

It’s also worth remembering that you receive 2x MR points for spending abroad on your Gold Amex which goes some way to offsetting the FX charge.

You’ll also find that the Virgin Atlantic card will give you FX free spending in all EU countries that don’t use the Euro and aren’t mentioned in the list, such as in the Czech Republic and Croatia. https://uk.virginmoney.com/service/currency-converter

[Super Secret Stuff]

Virgin Atlantic plus card imho, get a 2 for 1 voucher and an option if where your paying doesn’t take Amex. Also has some decent-ish cash back offers

[Misty]

Hope OP doesn’t mind my hopping on this thread.

I’m also trying to make this decision, OH and I both have gold card, and we both really like it, we are not eligible for BAPP, but it now miffs me when I get someone who doesn’t take Amex, recently spent approx. £500 in Dunelm and had to put in on Tesco Mastercard.

Am trying to decide between Virgin and Barclaycard. I have recently found over £100 of Clubcard vouchers (still current) in a drawer and this is pushing me towards Virgin, but I’m not sure if that’s a good enough reason to choose a card.

Also interested in low FX spending as paid a fair amount of restaurant bills (Europe) on a card last year at 2.99%.

For anyone who has both how is the IT, I’ve read quite a lot of stuff about the Barclaycard, although appreciate some of it was a launch issue, how is the Virgin IT ?

[BBbetter]

Have used both cards on Apple Pay and through Curve. Not a single issue so far. Except one petrol station that refused to accept Amex and didn’t allow contactless, never had to take the card out of the wallet.
Even the downgrade on Barclaycard worked flawlessly.

[jek]

An honourable mention should go to the Chase debit card which is the card that I use most often for non-Amex spending. No fees abroad and 1% cash back.

Using our Virgin card instead would mean buying Virgin points at 1.33 and using our Avios Barclaycard would mean buying Avios at 1.00. I don’t buy points at such rates.

[Reney]

@misty worth thinking about how much are you realistically going to put on the non amex card and what will you use the Virgin points for? I find Virgin points a lot harder to use personally. I am currently looking at flights to New Delhi. A premium economy redemption needs 35,000 points. If you are only putting a couple of hundred pounds a month onto that card, it will take soooo long to earn enough for a redemption in which case, something like Chase or either Barclayscard might be better (depends on whether you are collecting Avios).

The Barclaycard being mentioned here to be clear there are 2, one is the cashback card which is FX fee and gives a small amount of cashback. Another is the avios one which is NOT FX fee and needs to be combined with the Curve card. Barclays only allow you to have one card at any point in time, so you do have to make a decision and having one card will prevent you taking the other also. I seem to recall you mentioning on another thread that you are looking into the Barclays Avios card, so think carefully before you take the non-avios version of the Barclaycard.

[Misty]

Thanks to you all. Good point about how much non-amex I would put through in a year. Need new carpets and try to support small local retailers who don’t take Amex so will get a chunk of spend there, probably enough to cover a SUB.

I don’t really know anything about the Chase card, so probably need to google, unless it is covered on HfP somewhere. Two trips planned this year so far to Madeira and Greece so Free FX is a pull.

@BBbetter good to know it’s working for you. I’m a bit late to the party so haven’t got a Curve card, and assumed it was no longer a goer. Need to think through whether to get Virgin or Barclaycard, Confident of getting enough on Amex gold to cover Leisure travel, but I guess you can never have to many points.

@Reney thanks for clarification different Barclaycards

[CarpalTravel]

jek wrote:

An honourable mention should go to the Chase debit card which is the card that I use most often for non-Amex spending. No fees abroad and 1% cash back.

Exactly what I was going to say. The best card choice is so dependant on an individuals needs, preferences, collecting aims, spending habits etc. To me, the Chase card is a solid baseline and the first one that should be considered.

It’s potentially a waste of time suggesting Avios or Virgin Flying Club collecting cards without knowing more about the persons requirements, whether rewards collected would be useful, or if the cashback options relate to stores they use. For instance for me, the Virgin Card and the 200k+ points earned turned out to be utterly useless, but only I would know that!

[andiron]

jek wrote:

An honourable mention should go to the Chase debit card which is the card that I use most often for non-Amex spending. No fees abroad and 1% cash back.

Same for me, as I do travel mostly around Europe these days, Chase + cashback sites – and use the cashback like points to buy cheaper flight with Ryan, Whizz, Easy ..

+It is the cheapest card to use abroad (and the account has 1% interest so even little bit more 1.01% :D)
Only downside is the £1.5k monthly limit.

[Misty]

Thanks all, I don’t know much about the Chase card, so need to google it unless there is an article on HfP for it, it does sound promising for overseas spends.

@BBbetter glad it’s working out for you especially that you got good CS from Barclays, unfortunately I was late to the party with curve, so don’t have one.

@Reney I’m in two minds, I need new carpets & want to support a local retailer who doesn’t take Amex, and am hiring a villa with someone who doesn’t take Amex & want to pay both by card, I think this would cover a SUB’s. Maybe I should just wait and see if there are any enhanced subs in the next few weeks.

I’m thinking I could channel the spend through Virgin or Barclaycard. I envision putting enough spend through the AmEx to cover a 2 or 3 European RFS flights a year, I might go with Virgin and see how my collecting goes, it would be nice to work towards a long haul. I do find the Barclays Cards a bit confusing but Avios are of course always welcome.

[JonathanC]

Although booking reward flights is frustrating with VS, they’re now part of SkyTeam so you’ve got a whole different options of flights available, even if you don’t use VS much, or never pick up reward flights on their metal

This means that you’re not essentially limiting your points to the Avios streamed direction

[The Savage Squirrel]

Misty wrote:

Thanks all, I don’t know much about the Chase card, so need to google it unless there is an article on HfP for it, it does sound promising for overseas spends.

@BBbetter glad it’s working out for you especially that you got good CS from Barclays, unfortunately I was late to the party with curve, so don’t have one.

@Reney I’m in two minds, I need new carpets & want to support a local retailer who doesn’t take Amex,

One downside re: Chase. For any big, or even medium ticket items – and anything bought in advance where you are therefore relying on ongoing company solvency until delivery (travel is the classic example!!), the Section75 protection of a credit card, and peace of mind it gives, has significant value even if you never have to use it.

[Harrier25]

Reney wrote:

I find Virgin points a lot harder to use personally.

Only if you want to use them for flights. Easy to use if transferring for Hilton Honors and IHG points or spending on the Virgin Red app.

[Misty]

@The Savage Squirrel good point about Section 75, on chase, especially for the Villa Booking.

@Harrier25 I would be interested in Hilton Honours, don’t subscribe to a hotel programme as the moment