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Offer status
This credit card is no longer available from Barclaycard. Please see our best balance transfer credit cards list for alternatives to consider.
The Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard® was one of the more unique credit card options. It had a reasonable interest rate, and there was a forum where cardholders could discuss and vote on changes to the card. But it's not open for applications anymore, as Barclays has discontinued it. Check out some great alternatives and see what made this card special in our Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard® review.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Credit Score:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Score
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening to qualify. After that, a variable 14.24% APR will apply.
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: 0%. 15 months=
Regular APR
14.24%, variable
Rewards
N/A
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer
N/A
While it was an interesting concept, this card didn't quite offer the kind of value you could get from the top credit cards.
0% intro APR on balance transfers
Low ongoing APR
No annual fee
Low balance transfer fee
No foreign transaction fee
No 0% intro APR on purchases
No rewards
No welcome offer
Enjoy a 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening. After that, a variable 14.24% APR will apply
Low 14.24% variable APR on purchases and cash advances·
NEW - Control Your Card - Instantly secure your accounts by locking your cards with Barclays SecurHold™, plus set transaction limits and block certain purchase categories for you or your authorized users. Available only on the Barclays mobile app.
No annual fee
No foreign transaction fees
International Chip and PIN
Credit card comparison
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
1% - 5% Cashback
Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending
$200 cash rewards
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
2% cash rewards
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
Intro:
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening
Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases
25,000 points
25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases
1.5-3 points per dollar
Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center.
Intro:
0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers. Balance transfers
may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days
This credit card is a good fit for: Consumers who want to save money on debt with a 0% intro APR on balance transfers.
Top perks
For low fees and low interest, the Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard® was a winner.
0% intro APR for balance transfers
This card offered a 15-month 0% intro APR on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening. It wasn't the longest balance transfer offer, but that's still a fairly long time to pay down debt.
A low APR isn't something you find often with credit cards, unless it's a 0% intro APR. This Barclaycard had a lower APR than most cards. Even though it's better to pay your credit card bill in full every month to avoid interest, that may not always be feasible.
Up to 2% ($5 min.) balance transfer fee
For balances transferred within 45 days, this card charged a low balance transfer fee: Up to 2% ($5 min.). Most cards charge 3% to 5%, so this one would save you some money. Balance transfers made after the first 45 days were even cheaper, with a $0 fee.
No foreign transaction fee
Many popular no annual fee cards will charge you 3% every time you buy something internationally. The Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard®, on the other hand, didn't charge a foreign transaction fee.
What could be improved
Along with its benefits, the Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard® also had some major drawbacks.
No 0% intro APR on purchases
While this card had a great 0% intro APR on balance transfers, it didn't offer the same type of deal on purchases. A 0% intro APR on purchases is helpful if you have big expenses coming up that you'd like to pay off over time.
This card didn't earn rewards points or cash back on purchases. That's a serious downside, considering how much value the top rewards credit cards offer. In fairness, you could earn money back through the Barclaycard Ring Giveback™ program, which is explained in detail further below.
No welcome offer
Another credit card perk that can provide quite a bit of value is welcome offers. Many cards offer bonus cash back or points to new cardholders who meet a spending requirement. This one didn't, limiting its value.
Instead of offering cash back or rewards with this card, Barclays created the Barclaycard Ring Giveback™ program, a unique profit-sharing arrangement.
Here's how it worked -- once Barclaycard cleared a set revenue return percentage on the Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard®, it distributed a portion of any further profits to the cardholders. There were separate profit pools, one for referrals and one for use of the card. Cardholders were eligible to receive a payout from the referral pool if they had at least one referral during the designated time period, and they were eligible for a payout from the other pool if they had used the card at all.
Cardholders could also have Barclays donate their Giveback™ payouts to a charitable cause.
It was an interesting idea, but if you were interested in earning rewards, this wasn't the card to do it. Payouts didn't measure up to what the top cash back cards and travel rewards cards earn.
A crowdsourced credit card
Another innovation of the Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard® was the Barclays Ring Community. Barclays created a forum for all cardholders to share their opinions on the card, suggest improvements, and even vote on changes.
This wasn't just a meaningless gesture, as the community made several decisions that affected the card. There was originally a 1% foreign transaction fee and a $1 cash advance fee, until the community voted on a switch to no foreign transaction fee and a $3 cash advance fee.
A FICO® Score of 670 or higher was recommended before applying for the Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard®. Applicants who were approved generally had good credit.
The Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard® was a good balance transfer card. Outside of that, it had limited benefits. It was a unique card, so it's disappointing that it's no longer available. Fortunately, there are plenty of high-value credit cards out there, so keep browsing credit card reviews to find the one that's right for you.
Our credit card methodology
At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.
FAQs
Benefits of the Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard® included a 0% intro APR on balance transfers, a low ongoing APR, and no annual fee or foreign transaction fee. However, this card is no longer available.
Yes, the Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard® was discontinued in 2019.
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Discover Financial Services is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Wells Fargo is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Mastercard, and Target. The Motley Fool recommends Barclays Plc and Discover Financial Services and recommends the following options: long January 2025 $370 calls on Mastercard and short January 2025 $380 calls on Mastercard. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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