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Are there additional benefits with the Barclarcard Avios card, given it is issued using the Mastercard World Elite platform?
I’m aware of a concierge service operated by Mastercard along with premium travel benefits and lounge access for some World Elite cardholders, where the issuing bank pays MC to have these available to their WE cardholders. But are these available to holders of this card?
I’m still waiting to get to the bottom of this. I think WE is a bit of pick and mix and card issuers can choose what is offered. There used to be a Mastercard UK website listing a few benefits open to all WE cardholders – not sure if it still exists.
It does but it seems the benefits are pretty basic…
https://www.mastercard.co.uk/en-gb/personal/find-a-card/world-elite-mastercard-credit.html
I’m curious as to why its on the World Elite platform. Why not a standard Mastercard card? Guessing there must be a reason or some additional benefit for the cardholder.
- This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
I’m curious as to why its on the World Elite platform. Why not a standard Mastercard card? Guessing there must be a reason or some additional benefit for the cardholder.
I believe the fee to retailers is higher for elite/premium cards.
I’m curious as to why its on the World Elite platform. Why not a standard Mastercard card? Guessing there must be a reason or some additional benefit for the cardholder.
I believe the fee to retailers is higher for elite/premium cards.
Not in the EU/UK it isn’t – they’re all capped.
Hi all,
I’m trying to understand this as well – some of the World Elite benefits look to include rental/hotel status.
I have got as far as registering online with Mastercard but it lists the card type as a ‘Mastercard World’ not a ‘World Elite’, even though I have the paid for version of the card and it says ‘World Elite’ on the card.
There is also a Mastercard Travel website – which asks for the card number to verify eligibility. But it says:
“We have been unable to verify your eligibility to access the Mastercard® Travel & Lifestyle Services” and asks me to contact my card issuer.
Has anyone got anywhere with this? I suppose the difficulty will be finding somebody at Barclaycard who understands the question. Some of the World Elite benefits look sufficiently useful that its almost a reason in itself to have the card.
There’s a number on Mastercard’s website which could be worth a try:
Your benefits may vary by card type and issuing bank or credit union. Refer to your issuing bank for complete benefit coverage terms and conditions or call Mastercard (0800-96-4767) for assistance.
I’ve called Mastercard.
They took the card details but it comes up on their system as a World and not a World Elite Mastercard. Consequently, there is no access to the travel services. Presumably this is an error – the card does clearly say ‘World Elite’ on the front. All Mastercard could suggest is that I got in touch with Barclaycard, but who in Barclaycard would even understand the issue let alone be able to assist given all I’ve read about the launch of this card so far?
Yeah that’s a Mastercard issue to sort out. I suspect there’s nothing Barclaycard can do.
There’s another bank of BIN ranges at the back end of Priceless.com. Try to redeem an offer that’s only for World Elite cardholders. To redeem, you have to insert your card number and it will allow you through to redeem if it recognises it as a WE card. For example:
If you can get through, use that evidence to go back to MC. If you can’t, well, I’m out of ideas.
MasterCard seemed convinced it was a Barclaycard issue to sort out – the information they had was that the card was not a World Elite, but a World.
Without knowing how the system decides which card is World and which is World Elite its difficult to know what to do next. It’s somewhat frustrating to be told the card is a World when its in your hand and clearly says ‘World Elite’ on the front.
That Hertz Link verification just says:
“Please enter a valid Mastercard number”
So that doesn’t work either unfortunately!
The level of WE benefits depends on the issuer; what is shown by MasterCard is the max. The fact it says WE on the card is no guarantee of anything. The old Tesco Premium CC was a WE card, but offered none of the associated benefits whereas the HSBC WE does offer them.
- This reply was modified 55 years, 4 months ago by .
Surely it must offer something over the World otherwise why the differentiation between the two cards? The free card is a World, the paid card is a World Elite.
Whilst things like the fast track benefit and concierge are I am sure opted into by the card issuer, things like the rental car status seem like more generic base level World Elite benefits.
From what I can see, the card is currently viewed at the Mastercard end as ‘just’ a World and therefore the benefits offered reflect that. The question is why this is and who, if anyone, can resolve it. I cannot imagine this is supposed to be like this, otherwise why print ‘World Elite’ on the card?
The level of WE benefits depends on the issuer; what is shown by MasterCard is the max.
It has admittedly been a few years since I worked somewhere that issued premium MC plastic, but the scheme rule used to be that there was a required minimum £ value of benefits that had to be offered with a World or World Elite card. The issuer however had significant latitude to decide what those benefits would be and consequently what value was attached to them. i.e. the minimum level of benefits is determined by Mastercard but the nature of them depends on the issuer.
This will be the decider on whether we go for the free or the paid card. At the moment, under our current circumstances, I’m thinking the free one will suit us for now. If the benefits are useful to us and substantial enough they might be worth paying £20 a month for, but I’m not willing to take a gamble on it without knowing for sure.
I’ve tried to find out what the World Elite benefits are and haven’t come up with anything useful yet, and in fact World Elite isn’t mentioned on the Barclaycard website itself as a benefit with this card – it lists Barclaycard Entertainment but nothing about Elite status. Has anyone managed to find out yet? The April 4th deadline is approaching … 🙂
This will be the decider on whether we go for the free or the paid card. At the moment, under our current circumstances, I’m thinking the free one will suit us for now. If the benefits are useful to us and substantial enough they might be worth paying £20 a month for, but I’m not willing to take a gamble on it without knowing for sure.
I’ve tried to find out what the World Elite benefits are and haven’t come up with anything useful yet, and in fact World Elite isn’t mentioned on the Barclaycard website itself as a benefit with this card – it lists Barclaycard Entertainment but nothing about Elite status. Has anyone managed to find out yet? The April 4th deadline is approaching … 🙂
Why not apply, nail the large bonus within the three months, then downgrade if the premium card is not for you?
This will be the decider on whether we go for the free or the paid card. At the moment, under our current circumstances, I’m thinking the free one will suit us for now. If the benefits are useful to us and substantial enough they might be worth paying £20 a month for, but I’m not willing to take a gamble on it without knowing for sure.
I’ve tried to find out what the World Elite benefits are and haven’t come up with anything useful yet, and in fact World Elite isn’t mentioned on the Barclaycard website itself as a benefit with this card – it lists Barclaycard Entertainment but nothing about Elite status. Has anyone managed to find out yet? The April 4th deadline is approaching … 🙂
It really is strange isn’t it. There has to be some sort of reason why the paid card is a World Elite and the free one is just a World. How can the answer be ‘there is no difference’?
This will be the decider on whether we go for the free or the paid card. At the moment, under our current circumstances, I’m thinking the free one will suit us for now. If the benefits are useful to us and substantial enough they might be worth paying £20 a month for, but I’m not willing to take a gamble on it without knowing for sure.
I’ve tried to find out what the World Elite benefits are and haven’t come up with anything useful yet, and in fact World Elite isn’t mentioned on the Barclaycard website itself as a benefit with this card – it lists Barclaycard Entertainment but nothing about Elite status. Has anyone managed to find out yet? The April 4th deadline is approaching … 🙂
Why not apply, nail the large bonus within the three months, then downgrade if the premium card is not for you?
I guess paying £60 (3 x £20) for the extra 20k avios is reasonable, and we are a bit low on avios if I want to use my remaining 3 companion vouchers. Hmm. We’ve just reached the 3k spend on my other half’s Amex to trigger that bonus. I guess we could put the council tax on this mastercard ….
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