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What are the best credit card deals for September 2019?

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UPDATE – APRIL 2025:  This article is now out of date, but don’t worry.  We produce a monthly directory of the top UK travel credit card offers – please click HERE or use the ‘Credit Cards’ menu above.  Thank you.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

Keep up to date with the latest UK credit card bonuses by signing up for our free daily or weekly newsletters.

It is time for our regular round up of what is coming and what is going in the world of UK airline and hotel credit card sign-up deals.

Our directory of the 16 main UK travel credit and charge cards can be found by clicking the ‘Credit Cards’ tab at the top of the site or – for email, Flipboard, Apple News or mobile readers – by clicking here.

UK Rewards credit and charge cards

What was new in August?

The first Avios payment cards for small businesses – with a special HfP sign-up offer – are switching to Visa

Until February 2019, there had never been a payment for small businesses which let you earn Avios.  This has now changed.

The Capital Club and On Tap Club cards, from Capital on Tap, aimed at small businesses and sole traders, are the first non-Amex payment for small businesses which let you earn Avios.  Whilst you may not have heard of Capital On Tap, it already has 50,000 customers for its existing ‘no rewards’ payment card.  This is their first move into the rewards market.

The £99 per year ‘Capital Club’ card offers:

  • 10,000 Capital On Tap points for signing up and spending £5,000 within three months
  • 1 Capital On Tap point per £1 spent
  • A 2:1 conversion rate into Avios so the sign-up bonus is worth 5,000 Avios and the on-going earning rate converts into 0.5 Avios per £1
  • 15 free supplementary cards for your staff
  • No FX fees and no ATM fees 
  • 500 bonus points (250 Avios) if you use code headforpoints when applying

The £249 ‘On Tap Club’ card offers:

  • 20,000 Capital On Tap points for signing up and spending £5,000 within three months
  • 1 Capital On Tap point per £1 spent
  • A 1:1 conversion rate into Avios so the sign-up bonus is worth 20,000 Avios and the on-going earning rate converts to 1 Avios per £1
  • 20 free supplementary cards for your staff
  • No FX fees and no ATM fees 
  • 500 bonus points (500 Avios) if you use code headforpoints when applying

The annual fee is obviously tax deductible as a business expense.  The maximum credit limit on offer is £50,000.

Your interest rate is based on your business profile and can be as low as 9.9% APR.  The standard interest rate for marketing purposes is 39.4% APR.

However, Capital On Tap is switching to Visa in the next few days.  This is actually a bigger change than you think, because it is also becoming – legally – a business credit card.  At present it is technically a pre-paid Mastercard.  The only real change is that you will no longer be able to use it to pay for free at places, like HMRC, that only accept debit cards.

If you have the existing Mastercard, it will be switched to Visa on 31st October.  This should still allow you to pay your Q3 VAT bill and potentially pre-pay some of your corporation tax bill as well.

My full article on the Capital On Tap changes is here.  If you apply, don’t forget to add the headforpoints promo code for the additional 500 sign-up points.

Earn Avios with Capital on Tap

The Virgin Reward and Virgin Reward+ credit cards ‘no FX fees’ offer ended

The special offer on the Virgin Reward and Virgin Reward+ credit cards ended on 31st August.  New cardholders received 0% FX fees on all foreign spending until 30th November.

You WILL still get the standard sign-up bonus if you apply now.  This is 5,000 miles on the free card and 15,000 miles on the paid Reward+ card.

Virgin Money has literally just added Apple Pay functionality as well.  More on this in an article tomorrow.

https://www.headforpoints.com/hfp/virgin-atlantic-flying-club-rewards-plus-credit-card/

Monese is giving away 1 milllion Avios to a Head for Points reader

Online-only bank Monese has launched a great competition with Avios, which also has an equity stake in the business, and Head for Points.

One Head for Points reader who opens a free Monese account by 30th September will win 1 million Avios!

Full details are in this article, which is also pinned to the top of our home page.

Sign-up bonus on the Miles & More credit card may have permanently increased

In July, the Lufthansa Miles & More card was offering a special sign-up bonus of 10,000 miles.  It was usually 5,000 miles.

The offer was due to end on 31st July.  However, it continued throughout August and is still there now.  The wording on the card website has been changed and now implies that 10,000 miles is the ‘new normal’.

There is a £79 annual fee but this is a modest price for 10,000 Miles & More miles if you collect them.  More importantly, having this card and using it once per month stops your Lufthansa miles expiring.

Our full review of the UK Miles & More payment cards is here.

Miles and More UK credit card

American Express still has 30,000 point bonus on the DOLLAR / EURO versions of the Platinum card

Amex is running a sign-up bonus on its Dollar and Euro Platinum charge cards – 30,000 Membership Rewards points to be precise.

The good news is that you can get this bonus even if you already have a UK Platinum or Gold card.  The bad news is that this is a complicated product with poorer transfer rates to most airline schemes than the UK cards.  I wrote about the pros, cons and sweet spots in this article.

Finally, whilst not directly related to miles and points, Head for Points is running an exclusive sign-up offer with Revolut.  Sign up via our link here and you do not have to pay the £4.99 delivery fee for the plastic card.  Read our full article first.

If you have your own small business, we also reviewed Revolut for Business – click here for details.  You can sign up here.

And very finally …. before anyone asks …. I have no idea:

  • when the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express will be rebranded as Marriott Bonvoy, although I believe it is soon
  • when or if Hilton Honors will launch a new card, following the survey they sent out a while ago
  • when or if Emirates Skywards will launch a new card, following the survey they sent out a while ago

Revolut Business card

Further reading ….

We also published the following credit card articles in August:

What is the difference between American Express Gold and American Express Platinum?

What American Express bonuses can you get, based on the cards you have?

What can your business do with Amex Membership Rewards points?

100 prizes to be won by British Airways American Express cardholders for #BA100

Why it can be worth paying an annual fee for a miles and points credit card

Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points. The site discusses products offered by lenders but is not a lender itself. Robert Burgess, trading as Head for Points, is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as an independent credit broker.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

earns points from credit cards

Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2025 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.

In 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus card

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios card

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Category

American Express Gold card, American Express Platinum card, British Airways and Avios, Lufthansa and Miles & More, Virgin Atlantic and Flying Club

Comments (74)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Catalan says:
    4 Sep4 September 05:55

    Thanks Rob for the heads-up re the Virgin Atlantic credit card and Apple Pay. Been waiting since the cards were issue for this. Just added after reading your article.
    🙂

  • Algor says:
    4 Sep4 September 06:49

    I got only 5,000 points from sign up to M&M card (application signed and sent back 3rd July).

    Didn’t screnshot offer as usual and then forgot how much it was, will give them a call and ask today.

  • Craig says:
    4 Sep4 September 07:07

    Slightly OT: Apple Pay just pooped up on the Virgin Credit card app.

  • StevenC says:
    4 Sep4 September 07:55

    Can you cancel the amex gold after earning the 10,000 MR points for £15K spend at end of first month after renewal. Will it cost prorata 1/12th of £140 renewal fee?

    • John says:
      4 Sep4 September 08:01

      Yes roughly a twelfth but it’s based on the exact number of days when you cancel, which depends on when the points appear.

      • Shoestring says:
        4 Sep4 September 08:06

        and gives you a chance to use the 2 new Lounge Club passes

        • StevenC says:
          4 Sep4 September 08:17

          Thanks. So, after cancelling and getting 10K bonus renewal points, you could apply again (without sign up bonus as not waiting 24 months) and keep doing this option if £15K spend achieved annually and it costs approx £14 for 10K MR points – is there a catch?

  • Anna says:
    4 Sep4 September 08:06

    I know people seem to want to get out of the premium IHG card after the first year, but if you use the free night wisely and get, say £400 of value in a high end hotel, surely it’s worth keeping it? This is my strategy now that the Lloyds cards are coming to an end, but tell me if I’ve missed something.

    • Genghis says:
      4 Sep4 September 08:17

      I’d say that most people keep the card. My wife and I have had one each since launch. The £99 fee gets you a decent earning rate and a night in a decent hotel at £10k spend (whether it’s £400 of “value” is arguable as I wouldn’t pay that; but I’m certainly happy to pay £99 for a night at the Amstel, for example).

      • Rob says:
        4 Sep4 September 09:14

        I would keep it personally. The return is excellent – £99 for a free night plus 0.8p per £1 of points plus Plat status.

    • MD says:
      4 Sep4 September 08:36

      @Anna I agree, definitely worth keeping IMHO. Decent earning rate, and can get great value between the card and Ambassador vouchers. Had a spectacular upgrade at the Amstel last year. Also got Spire from the credit card payments to HMRC, although I realise that’s not much of an incentive to keep spending on it.

    • guesswho2000 says:
      4 Sep4 September 08:50

      Me and OH have both kept them, the points from the 10k spend alone cover the annual fee.

    • Benylin says:
      4 Sep4 September 09:21

      It would be great if you could churn it though… quite keen on that bonus.

      Has anyone holding premium applied for the free ihg recently?

      • JPa says:
        4 Sep4 September 09:53

        I don’t recommend trying to churn as I cancelled my one after getting the free night voucher in year 1 and they will not let me get it again when I tried to apply recently. Straight turn down on application. They can’t seem to give me a reason for it – just state credit agencies etc. I put a complaint in with them and are very slow to get back to me (sending me a letter say they are sorry for the slow response by still not got back to me). I do still hold the white one not sure if that is part of the issue.

        I do have one for my wife so keeping that one…..

        • JPa says:
          4 Sep4 September 09:54

          Applying for the white may be possible, you only know if you try!

          • Genghis says:
            4 Sep4 September 09:59

            I got the white card at the time time as holding the black when they had the double points bonus on, but that was a couple of years back

        • Pangolin says:
          4 Sep4 September 15:09

          I cancelled the Black and then got the White a few months later. No issues.

          One interesting thing. Even after cancelling the Black card I retained Platinum status!

    • 1nfrequent says:
      4 Sep4 September 10:38

      I’ve kept my IHG premium card and have had a lot of value out of the Platinum status – I’m a solo traveller normally and I’ve had upgrades at every hotel I’ve stayed at (with the exception of HIEs, which is understandable given the nature of their rooms).

      1F

      • Benilyn says:
        4 Sep4 September 11:01

        Do you lose your status immediately when you cancel your card?

        • Pangolin says:
          4 Sep4 September 15:11

          I managed to keep my status (see post above) even after cancelling the card. I now have AMB which gives Platinum anyway but my status never reset, even after 6 months and a new status year starting.

  • James says:
    4 Sep4 September 08:33

    Signup bonus on Amex Platinum Business is now 60k with a 27k referral bonus fyi

  • Jeff says:
    4 Sep4 September 09:28

    Can we get a partial refund on Capital on Tap as I got this card for HMRC and the fact it recognised as a debit card for suppliers – product will have fundamentally been changed – not what I signed up for!

    • Rob says:
      4 Sep4 September 09:46

      We need to see what the paperwork says when the cards are switched. In theory you are being moved to a totally different product so you should have grounds. Easy to argue that you don’t want a credit card.

    • Simon says:
      4 Sep4 September 10:04

      Just squeezed in my 1/4ly VAT. Shame this is going as it is a great avios earning option.

  • Stephen Tan says:
    4 Sep4 September 10:10

    Hello, slightly O/T, but is it possible to refer myself from my American Express Gold for a BA premium? I assume if I do this I would get 6k referral points?

    Also is there any sort of strategy to getting the BA express 1st then upgrading just before the 10k spend to BA Premium? I assume the downside to this would be I wont get the 25k Bonus points?

    Thanks in advance!

    • CraigyC says:
      4 Sep4 September 10:33

      Amex have apparently taken back self referral points recently so probably not wise (just search online for it). You can get the free BA card and then upgrade closer to the 10k spend, but you lose out on the larger sign up and the extra on the earning rate by doing so. I did this recently so got the 6000 points for the initial bonus, then 6000 points when I upgraded the card. So saved myself on the card fee but lost out on 17000 points all in (25000 + 4000 – 12000). Probably should have just got the BAPP card to start with.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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