Best Avios credit cards UK: every card and welcome offer compared
Simon19 Oct 2026
Last Updated: 10 Nov 2026
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SimonLast Updated: 10 Nov 2026
Every figure on this page was checked on each card issuer's own website on 19 October 2026. Welcome offers change often, so always confirm the offer on your application page before you apply. Reward Flight Finder may earn a commission if you're approved for a card through links on this page; it doesn't affect which cards we include or how we describe them.
Our pick for most people is the BA Amex Premium Plus (£300 a year, representative 135.7% APR variable) if you'll spend £15,000 a year, because its Companion Voucher works in any cabin. If you won't, the fee-free BA Amex Credit Card (representative 29.1% APR variable) is the better choice.
Representative examples, checked on the American Express website on 10 November 2026. BA Amex Premium Plus: purchase rate 29.1% p.a. (variable), annual fee £300, representative APR 135.7% variable, assumed credit limit £1,200. BA Amex Credit Card: purchase rate 29.1% p.a. (variable), no annual fee, representative APR 29.1% variable, assumed credit limit £1,200.
The quickest way to build an Avios balance isn't flying. It's a credit card welcome bonus earned on spending you'd do anyway: the weekly shop, the energy bill, the car insurance renewal. Pick the right card and one sign-up bonus covers more than half of an off-peak Economy return to New York. Pick the wrong one and you pay an annual fee for perks you never use.
Below you'll find every UK credit card that earns Avios, side by side, followed by a simple way to choose between them and a closer look at each card.
Only use a rewards card if you clear the balance in full every month. These cards carry high interest rates, and a single month of interest can cost more than the Avios you earn.
| Card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | Avios earning | Main perk | Best for | Representative APR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA Amex Credit Card | £0 | 5,000 Avios when you spend £2,000 in 3 months | 1 Avios per £1 | Economy Companion Voucher after £15,000 a year | Fee-free BA collectors | 29.1% APR variable |
| BA Amex Premium Plus | £300 | 30,000 Avios when you spend £6,000 in 3 months | 1.25 Avios per £1 | Companion Voucher in any cabin after £15,000 a year | Couples and families aiming for Club World | 135.7% APR variable |
| Barclaycard Avios | £0 | 5,000 Avios when you spend £1,000 in 3 months | 1 Avios per £1 | Cabin upgrade voucher (or 7,000 Avios) after £20,000 a year | Mastercard users who want no fee | 29.9% APR variable |
| Barclaycard Avios Plus | £20 a month (£240 a year) | 25,000 Avios when you spend £3,000 in 3 months | 1.5 Avios per £1 | Cabin upgrade voucher (or 7,000 Avios) after £10,000 a year | High spenders who want a Mastercard | 80.1% APR variable |
| Amex Preferred Rewards Gold | £0 in year one, then £195 | 20,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £3,000 in 3 months | 1 point per £1 (2 with airlines, 3 on Amex Travel) | 4 airport lounge passes a year, up to £120 Deliveroo credit | A big first-year bonus with no fee | 85.8% APR variable |
| Amex Platinum | £650 | 50,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £6,000 in 3 months | 1 point per £1 (2 on Amex Travel) | 1,550+ airport lounges, dining credits, travel insurance | Frequent travellers who use the credits | 685.3% APR variable |
| BA Amex Accelerating Business | £250 | 30,000 Avios when you spend £5,000 in 3 months | 1.25 Avios per £1 | 10,000 bonus Avios per £20,000 spent, up to 30,000 a year | Sole traders and small businesses | 104.9% APR variable |
| Amex Business Gold | £0 in year one, then £195 | 20,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £3,000 in 3 months | 1 point per £1 (2 on Amex Travel) | Free first year, £100 Dell credit | Limited companies and LLPs trying Amex | Charge card (see below) |
| Amex Business Platinum | £650 | 50,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £6,000 in 3 months | 1 point per £1 (2 on Amex Travel) | 1,550+ airport lounges, up to £600 Amex Travel credit | Limited companies and LLPs that travel often | Charge card (see below) |
| Capital on Tap (Free and Pro) | Free: £0. Pro: £299 a year | Pro only: 10,000 points when you spend £5,000 in 3 months | Free: 0.8 Avios per £1. Pro: 1 Avios per £1 | No foreign exchange fees; Pro adds 1,900+ airport lounges | Limited companies wanting a Visa | Free: 34.96% APR variable. Pro: 110.86% APR variable |
Representative APRs are the issuers' own representative examples, based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and including any annual or monthly fee. Your rate depends on your circumstances. Membership Rewards points transfer to Avios at 1 point to 1 Avios through The British Airways Club. Amex Business Gold and Business Platinum are charge cards: you pay the balance in full each month, so they don't have a representative APR, though a 29.1% p.a. (variable) rate applies if you choose Amex's optional Flexible Payment Option. Capital on Tap's Pro figure is higher than its Free plan's because representative APRs include the annual fee.
Five questions narrow the list quickly. Answer them in order.
Holding one card can stop you getting the bonus on another. These are the issuers' own rules, checked on 19 October 2026:
| Card | You won't get the welcome offer if you've held |
|---|---|
| BA Amex Credit Card | Any personal American Express card in the last 24 months |
| BA Amex Premium Plus | Any personal BA American Express card in the last 24 months (and you can't hold the free BA Amex when you apply) |
| Amex Preferred Rewards Gold | Any personal American Express card in the last 24 months |
| Amex Platinum | A personal Membership Rewards card in the last 24 months |
| BA Amex Accelerating Business | An American Express business card in the last 12 months |
| Amex Business Gold | A Membership Rewards business card in the last 24 months |
| Amex Business Platinum | A Business Platinum card in the last 24 months |
| Barclaycard Avios and Avios Plus | The welcome offer is for customers new to Barclaycard |
So if you've had an Amex Gold card, the free BA Amex bonus is off the table, but Premium Plus isn't. Already hold the free BA Amex? You'd need to close it before applying for Premium Plus, and you wouldn't get the Premium Plus bonus for 24 months.
Still weighing up a fee-paying card against a free one? Our guide on whether an annual fee on an Avios credit card is worth paying runs the numbers card by card.
Welcome bonuses get the headlines, but for BA flyers the voucher earned at £15,000 a year usually does more for your Avios balance. Here's how it works on London to New York, priced in our Avios Calculator on 19 October 2026 (off-peak, return, per person):
| Trip for two | Without a voucher | With a Companion Voucher | Avios saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy (free BA Amex or Premium Plus voucher) | 110,000 Avios + £300 | 55,000 Avios + £300 | 55,000 |
| Club World (Premium Plus voucher only) | 352,000 Avios + £998 | 176,000 Avios + £998 | 176,000 |
Taxes, fees and carrier charges are paid for each traveller, voucher or not. Travelling alone? Both vouchers can also cut the Avios on a solo booking by 50%, so a Club World return to New York drops from 176,000 to 88,000 Avios plus £499.
The catch is finding the seats. You need reward seats in the same cabin on the same flight, and BA releases a limited number on each long-haul service. Premium Plus cardholders get access to extra Club World reward seats when booking with a voucher, subject to availability. Read our full BA Companion Voucher rules before you plan a trip, and see our Companion Voucher strategies for 2026 for the routes where it pays off most.
The simplest way into Avios. There's no fee, the Avios land straight in your British Airways Club account, and the voucher turns a year of normal spending into a 2 for 1 in Economy.
Representative example: 29.1% APR variable, based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit at a 29.1% p.a. variable purchase rate, with no annual fee. Source: American Express, checked 19 October 2026.
Want the full picture? Read when the free BA Amex is worth it.
The card most serious BA collectors end up with. The £300 fee buys a voucher that works in any cabin, and the bigger welcome offer gets your balance moving fast.
Representative example: 135.7% APR variable, based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit at a 29.1% p.a. variable purchase rate and the £300 annual fee. Source: American Express, checked 19 October 2026.
A fee-free Mastercard that earns Avios wherever Amex isn't accepted, which makes it a natural partner to a BA Amex.
Representative example: 29.9% APR variable, based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit at a 29.9% p.a. variable purchase rate, with no monthly fee. Source: Barclaycard, checked 19 October 2026.
The paid Barclaycard earns 50% more Avios per pound and halves the spend needed for the upgrade voucher.
Representative example: 80.1% APR variable, based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit at a 29.9% p.a. variable purchase rate and the £20 monthly fee. Source: Barclaycard, checked 19 October 2026.
More detail on both cards: our Barclaycard Avios vs Avios Plus comparison.
Gold earns Membership Rewards points rather than Avios, and that flexibility is the point: transfer to Avios when you're ready to book, at 1 point to 1 Avios.
Representative example: 85.8% APR variable, based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit at a 29.1% p.a. variable purchase rate and the £195 annual fee. Source: American Express, checked 19 October 2026.
The £650 fee only makes sense if you'll use the travel benefits. Count the lounge visits and dining credits honestly before you apply.
Representative example: 685.3% APR variable, based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit at a 29.1% p.a. variable purchase rate and the £650 annual fee. Source: American Express, checked 19 October 2026.
Holding Membership Rewards points already? See where to send your American Express points.
The only Avios business card here that accepts sole traders. It earns Avios directly and rewards bigger spend with tiered bonuses.
There's no Companion Voucher on this card.
Representative example: 104.9% APR variable, based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit at a 26.6% p.a. variable purchase rate and the £250 annual fee. Source: American Express, checked 19 October 2026.
A charge card with no fee in year one, so you can test whether Membership Rewards suits your business before paying anything.
How you pay: this is a charge card, so the balance is due in full each month and there's no representative APR. If you choose Amex's optional Flexible Payment Option, a 29.1% p.a. (variable) rate applies. Source: American Express, checked 19 October 2026.
The premium business charge card, built for owners who travel often enough to use the lounges and travel credit.
How you pay: this is a charge card, so the balance is due in full each month and there's no representative APR. If you choose Amex's optional Flexible Payment Option, a 29.1% p.a. (variable) rate applies. Source: American Express, checked 19 October 2026.
A Visa business card, so it works where Amex doesn't. The free plan converts points to Avios at a reduced rate; Pro converts them one for one.
Interest: rates start from 14.13% APR (variable), and your rate depends on your business's credit profile. Representative 34.96% APR variable on the Free plan and 110.86% APR variable on Pro, with a 34.96% purchase rate on both. Source: Capital on Tap, checked 9 November 2026.
Read more in our article on Capital on Tap's Avios Visa card.
Once the bonus lands, our guide to lesser-known ways to collect Avios helps you keep the balance growing.
Not at the moment. When we checked on 19 October 2026, Barclaycard Avios Plus offered 25,000 Avios for spending £3,000 in three months, and the free Barclaycard Avios offered 5,000 Avios for £1,000. Barclaycard has run bigger limited-time offers before, so check the current offer before you apply.
Put £15,000 on BA Amex Premium Plus in your first year and you'll collect 18,750 Avios from spending plus the 30,000 bonus: 48,750 Avios and a Companion Voucher. An off-peak Economy return to New York for two costs 55,000 Avios plus £300 with the voucher, so one year gets you most of the way there. The same spend on the free BA Amex earns 20,000 Avios including the bonus, plus an Economy voucher.
Avios stay in your account as long as you collect, spend or share at least one Avios every 36 months. Card spending counts as collecting, so a card in regular use keeps your balance alive.
A full application leaves a hard search on your credit file. Amex and Barclaycard both offer eligibility checks that don't, so use those first, and avoid several applications close together.
Earning the Avios is half the job. The other half is finding a reward seat when you want to fly, especially two seats in the same cabin for a Companion Voucher trip. Availability Alerts watch British Airways reward seats on your chosen route and tell you by email when they appear, so you can book before they go. Here's the smartest way to find BA reward seats, and our guide to British Airways reward flights covers how pricing works.
Disclaimer: the information in this article was checked on 19 October 2026 and is for general information only. It isn't financial advice. Card offers, rates and eligibility rules change, so always check the issuer's website before you apply.
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