Rewards Credit Cards

[Blown2CV]

i generally use a rewards credit card for all purchases including those associated with work expenses, and pay it off at the end of each month. It fairly accrues but there always seems to be some kind of stitch up when you come to try and use the points. I've tried Avios and Virgin Flying Club, and they seem similar in that you can't find the flights you want, when you want or it ends up that you have to add loads of cash to get anywhere half decent. Apparently Virgin miles only really become worth it once you're already a Gold level member which means you have to fly a lot with them already... it always just seems there is some reason why it ends up being a bit st. We've just ended up spending the Avios miles on wine, which to be honest has been OK, but doesn't feel like the best use of the account!

Any tips, what do people do to get the most value with stuff like this, what schemes are better if any?

[Whistle]

I have been using my nation wide CC for years and most years get approximately £180.00 credited to my account every December.

[The Leaper]

I've had a BA Amex card for years and have no problem using my Avios and companion vouchers each year when I wish. To be successful you need to time things well, maybe need to be flexible on dates, and use them other than economy.

R.

[Jambo85]

Been a while since I had avios to dispose of but always found car hire was the best use of them.

[colin79666]

I just stick with Amex platinum and get the cash back. Probably not as valuable as miles but no strings attached as to what it can be spent on.

[CzechItOut]

I've got a BA Amex, but am struggling to spend by companion voucher.

I've also got a Nationwide Select Credit Card, but the cashback is only 0.25% so you'd have to spend a hell of a lot to make anything meaningful.

[davek_964]

colin79666 said:

I just stick with Amex platinum and get the cash back. Probably not as valuable as miles but no strings attached as to what it can be spent on.

I also use Amex Cashback card - and certainly it's accepted in more places than it used to be years ago - but it frustrates me that it's not accepted where I get my cars serviced - and even on a good year, that's a few thousand. Admittedly, that doesn't equate to much in the % cashback, but it all adds up.

Whistle said:

I have been using my nation wide CC for years and most years get approximately £180.00 credited to my account every December.

I assume I'd need a nationwide account? I have a nationwide CC but they don't give me any money back!

[boxst]

I have an amazon card that I use for work expenses. It is quite good and pays you straight into Amazon which my children seem to consume buying stuff. They are a 'young' credit card company it seems as I had to persuade them to raise my credit limit even though I was making mid-month payments to not going over the limit.

[davek_964]

boxst said:

I have an amazon card that I use for work expenses. It is quite good and pays you straight into Amazon which my children seem to consume buying stuff. They are a 'young' credit card company it seems as I had to persuade them to raise my credit limit even though I was making mid-month payments to not going over the limit.

That looks promising actually. I just did a quick total of my credit card spending in the last year, and since one of my credit cards is used almost exclusively for Amazon I could even work out roughly what my Amazon spending was. Looks like the Amazon credit would be better than the reduced rate Amex give me now - although if the credit limit is poor, then it wipes out the benefit since I'd have to use other cards during the month anyway.

[boxst]

davek_964 said:

That looks promising actually. I just did a quick total of my credit card spending in the last year, and since one of my credit cards is used almost exclusively for Amazon I could even work out roughly what my Amazon spending was. Looks like the Amazon credit would be better than the reduced rate Amex give me now - although if the credit limit is poor, then it wipes out the benefit since I'd have to use other cards during the month anyway.

They started at £5,000 and I'm now at £10,000. That is okay unless I have to book several flights in a row which is thankfully a rarity these days.

[davek_964]

boxst said:

davek_964 said:

That looks promising actually. I just did a quick total of my credit card spending in the last year, and since one of my credit cards is used almost exclusively for Amazon I could even work out roughly what my Amazon spending was. Looks like the Amazon credit would be better than the reduced rate Amex give me now - although if the credit limit is poor, then it wipes out the benefit since I'd have to use other cards during the month anyway.

They started at £5,000 and I'm now at £10,000. That is okay unless I have to book several flights in a row which is thankfully a rarity these days.

Thanks for the info, that sounds OK. £5k is usually enough in a month and £10k would do when it's not. I might apply!

[mike9009]

I was with a Tesco Credit card which used to pay well in clubcard vouchers which then could by 4x up for various stuff. Unfortunately the benefits have slowly dwindled (as noted by Tescos new found profits today)

I now also use an Amazon card which gives me 0.75% back on any spend at Amazon and 0.5% on all other spending. It pays back into my Amazon account each month.

The only issue I have with Amazon is their security seems intrusive sometimes ... ie they will block payments if I make too many transactions over a certain time period. A phone call a day later seems to unblock things. This never happened with Tesco......

[jonspectre]

Santander World Elite.

Costs £180 per year but I get the majority, if not all, of that back in cash back.

The card offers premium lounge access at most airports, which is priceless. Well, technically not priceless, but would usually cost £260 each for me and my partner so a worthwhile saving and something we regularly use.

[djc206]

The Leaper said:

I've had a BA Amex card for years and have no problem using my Avios and companion vouchers each year when I wish. To be successful you need to time things well, maybe need to be flexible on dates, and use them other than economy.

R.

Same here. I’ve used 5 companion vouchers without any issue all but one leg in business or first. Big fan of the BA Amex, using a voucher to go to New Orleans and Vegas in September in club.

[sidicks]

djc206 said:

Same here. I’ve used 5 companion vouchers without any issue all but one leg in business or first. Big fan of the BA Amex, using a voucher to go to New Orleans and Vegas in September in club.

Likewise!

You need to either:
- plan a long way ahead (the reward flights are released 350 days ahead or something like that) or
- be flexible on your destination
- pick a destination where there are numerous flights per day and hence lots of availability (e.g. New York, Johannesburg)

[djc206]

sidicks said:

Likewise!

You need to either:
- plan a long way ahead (the reward flights are released 350 days ahead or something like that) or
- be flexible on your destination
- pick a destination where there are numerous flights per day and hence lots of availability (e.g. New York, Johannesburg)

Yeah I think it’s D-355 and BA guarantee at least two club seats on every flight.

I’ve actually not been flexible the last two flights but yeah in the past we flew into LA when ideally we would have flown into SFO and out of Houston when ideally it would have been Dallas. We’ve gone a bit off piste picking New Orleans and Austin the last couple of times which many people don’t seem to realise BA fly to. The Vegas flight we've got this year was a result as that’s normally pretty hard to get unless you book immediately after release.

Personally I’d be looking at Nashville at the moment. I love Tennessee and again I doubt many realise BA have started flying there.

[Blown2CV]

I've asked a few questions of VA about their flying club so will post any findings on here.

I have a Amex and Visa pair with the current VA card so whilst I have to carry 2 cards it does mean I don't get impacted by Amex not being accepted in places. That's the thing that would put me off having an Amex-only account.

The Amazon card sounds useful as TBH we plough some reasonable money into Amazon!

[silobass]

Virgin seem to have linked up with someone recently and I've found flights are much easier to get hold of. I only booked a couple of weeks ago for three of us to go to Orlando in August. I'm only an entry red level member too.

[Blown2CV]

read an article this evening saying that rewards credit cards are doomed as EU legislation has limited merchant credit card transaction fees meaning that there is less money around for CC cos to use to drive customers to their card programmes.

[CzechItOut]

Blown2CV said:

read an article this evening saying that rewards credit cards are doomed as EU legislation has limited merchant credit card transaction fees meaning that there is less money around for CC cos to use to drive customers to their card programmes.

The Govt have banned credit card surcharges. The knock on effect is that merchants have either swallowed the transaction fees or introduced a single flat fee across all payment types. Whether we'll start seeing merchant refuse to accept Amex (which has the highest fees) or indeed Amex reduce their fees and in turn start cutting back on rewards remains to be seen.