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Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. His work with Motley Fool Money and The Motley Fool has appeared syndicated in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.
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Offer status
This offer is unavailable on Motley Fool Money. The information related to British Airways Visa Signature® Card has been collected by Motley Fool Money and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
The British Airways Visa Signature® Card offers a generous sign-up bonus. Unfortunately, extra perks on the card are minimal, and if you don’t redeem your Avios miles wisely, you could end up paying hefty surcharge fees. As you'll find out, this can be a super valuable travel credit card, but only for the right cardholder. We’ll weigh the pros and cons below in our comprehensive British Airways Visa Signature® Card review.
3.50/5
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
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5
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
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)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
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
N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
20.74% - 27.74% Variable
Rewards
Earn 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL. Earn 2 Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel.
Earn 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways.
Annual Fee
N/A
$95
Welcome Offer
Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Earn 75,000 Avios.
With a large sign-up bonus and big travel perks, this could be a great card for frequent travelers.
Big sign-up bonus
Bonus airline rewards
Earn a companion voucher
Credits on award tickets to London
Annual fee
No free checked bag
Award ticket fees
Earn 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Earn 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL.
Earn 2 Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel.
10% off British Airways flights starting in the US when you book through the website provided in your welcome materials.
Every calendar year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways Visa card, you'll earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years.
Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel abroad.
Simply tap to pay with your contactless British Airways Visa Signature Card. Just look for the contactless symbol at checkout. It's fast, easy and secure!
Member FDIC
The information related to British Airways Visa Signature® Card has been collected by Motley Fool Money and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
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.
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 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.
Intro:
Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months
Regular:18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.
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 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.
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, 18.49% - 28.49% 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.
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: Frequent flyers on British Airways who want to earn more miles and save money while traveling with the airline.
Top perks
Big sign-up bonus
If you spend $5,000 with your card in the first three months of opening your account you'll earn 85,000 bonus points. While Avios aren't quite as useful as the points you can earn with a few other credit card rewards programs, a 85,000-point bonus is something even the best credit cards rarely have.
Ongoing Avios points
This card earns 3 Avios per $1 on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia. It also earns 2 Avios per $1 on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel. All other eligible spending earns 1 Avios per $1.
Redeem miles with any Oneworld carrier
Avios can be used on any airline within the Oneworld network, not just British Airways.
Travel Together Ticket
If you spend $30,000 on your British Airways Visa Signature® Card in a single calendar year, you'll get one Travel Together Ticket. This is a companion voucher that allows you to take a companion on one round-trip award flight you book using Avios with British Airways. The flight must originate and terminate in the U.S., but it can be an international flight. Your companion's seat will be in the same cabin, including if you booked first class.
British Airways is one of the very few airlines that don't offer a free checked bag for cardholders. Considering this has become almost a standard feature among airline credit cards, it's disappointing that British Airways doesn't offer it here.
High fees and surcharges
Booking British Airways flights with Avios can incur massive fees and surcharges, especially if you're flying long-haul. Some business class award flights end up costing over $1,000. However, many redemption options with partner airlines don't incur such steep fees.
Aim for a FICO® Score of 670 or above when applying for the British Airways Visa Signature® Card, though it's possible to get this card with a lower credit score.
Since Chase issues the British Airways Visa Signature® Card, it's also subject to Chase's 5/24 rule, which means you could be denied if you've opened too many new credit card accounts in recent years.
British Airways Avios are generally worth about $0.015 each. This does, however, depend heavily on how you use them. Some redemptions can get you as little as $0.005 per Avios, whereas the best redemptions can get you well over $0.02 per Avios.
The British Airways Visa card is right for you if:
The British Airways Visa Signature® Card will serve you well if you fly on British Airways multiple times per year and plan to use one credit card for most or all of your spending. Frequent flyers on British Airways could get substantial value from the British Airways Visa Signature® Card, especially considering it charges only a modest annual fee. But everyone else will be better off with a more flexible travel card.
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
The minimum starting credit limit for the British Airways Visa Signature® Card is $5,000, but many applicants are approved for larger amounts. Your credit limit depends on multiple factors, including your annual income and credit history.
British Airways Avios don't expire as long as you collect, spend, purchase, or share at least one Avios every 36 months. Using the British Airways Visa Signature® Card is a simple way to ensure your Avios don't expire.
You can use Avios to book reward flights and upgrades with British Airways, Iberia, and American Airlines. In addition, you can book reward flights with any of the British Airways partners in the Oneworld airline alliance. Although it's usually best to use Avios for flights, there are also other redemption options, including hotel stays, car rentals, and experiences.
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Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. JPMorgan Chase 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 Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Target, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Visa.
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