Barclaycard Avios Plus

The Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard is the strongest non-Amex Avios card in the UK. It matches the BA Amex Premium Plus on earn rate (1.5 Avios per £1), it works everywhere Mastercard is accepted (Aldi, Lidl, independents, and the many online retailers that reject Amex), and it comes with an upgrade voucher that lets you book a higher cabin for the Avios price of the cabin below. For most Avios collectors, this card fills the gap that Amex cannot — and the upgrade voucher adds a benefit that no Amex card offers.

The Upgrade Voucher — How It Works

When you spend £10,000 in a card year, you receive a voucher (within five days) that lets you book a BA Avios reward flight in the next cabin up while paying only the Avios of the cabin below. The voucher is valid for two years.

How it applies: Book a return flight for one person in Business Class (Club World) but pay only the Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus) Avios rate. Or book Premium Economy and pay the Economy rate. On a long-haul return to New York, the saving can be 40,000–80,000 Avios depending on the route and peak/off-peak dates.

For two travellers: Book a one-way flight, or one leg of a return, for two people — paying the Avios of the next lowest cabin. This is useful for couples where one leg is more important (e.g. upgrade the overnight outbound, fly Economy on the daytime return).

Restrictions: BA-operated flights only (not partner airlines). Cannot upgrade to First Class — the highest you can go is Business Class. Full taxes and charges based on the cabin you actually fly. The voucher works on standard Avios reward seats.

The 7,000 Avios alternative: When offered the voucher, you can choose 7,000 bonus Avios instead. This is almost always worse value than the voucher — the upgrade voucher typically saves 40,000+ Avios on a long-haul flight. Only choose the 7,000 Avios if you have no plans to fly BA in premium cabins within the next two years.

Pairing with BA Amex

You can hold a Barclaycard Avios Plus and a BA Amex Premium Plus simultaneously — they are issued by different banks with no eligibility conflict. This is the highest-returning Avios combination for a UK cardholder:

Use the Amex where accepted (most major retailers, online, supermarkets other than Aldi/Lidl). Use the Barclaycard Mastercard everywhere else. Both earn 1.5 Avios per £1. Route at least £15,000 through the Amex for the Companion Voucher and at least £10,000 through the Barclaycard for the upgrade voucher. A household spending £25,000 across both cards generates both vouchers plus 37,500 Avios from spending.

Combined annual fees: £540 (£300 Amex + £240 Barclaycard). Combined voucher value on a single long-haul Business Class trip for two: 200,000+ Avios saved. The return on fees is exceptional.

The Monthly Fee Structure

Unlike most UK credit cards, the Barclaycard Avios Plus charges monthly (£20/month) rather than annually. This means you can downgrade to the free Barclaycard Avios via the Barclays app at any point — no need to wait for a renewal date. If you get the sign-up bonus and the upgrade voucher, then decide the card is not worth keeping, downgrade immediately. No penalty, no pro-rata calculations.

Barclays Premier current account holders who opt into Barclays Avios Rewards (£12/month) receive a £5 discount on the Barclaycard Avios Plus — reducing it to £15/month (£180/year). They also earn 1,500 Avios per month and a second upgrade voucher from the Premier account itself.

Sign-Up Bonus and Eligibility

The standard bonus is 25,000 Avios for spending £3,000 within 90 days. Special promotions of 35,000 Avios have run (most recently ending January 2026, with a higher £6,000 spend target over six months). These are rare — Barclaycard almost never runs special offers on this card.

The restriction: You can only hold one Barclaycard credit card at a time. If you currently hold any Barclaycard (including the old Hilton Honors card), you cannot apply. Cancel the existing card first and wait six months. You must also not have held either Barclaycard Avios card in the previous 24 months.

Holding any Amex card (BA Amex, Gold, Platinum, etc.) does NOT affect your Barclaycard eligibility. Barclaycard knows most applicants will use their card alongside a BA Amex.

Who Should Get This Card

Yes, get this card if: You already hold or plan to hold a BA Amex and want a Mastercard for where Amex is not accepted. You are a solo traveller who values the upgrade voucher. You can route £10,000+ through the card per year. You want 1.5 Avios per £1 from a non-Amex card.

Consider the free Barclaycard Avios instead if: Your non-Amex spending is low (under £10,000/year). You only need a Mastercard for the occasional merchant that rejects Amex. You want to avoid the £240/year fee. The free card earns 1 Avios per £1 and triggers the same upgrade voucher at £20,000 spend.