Tesco Clubcard and Avios divorce in two weeks – how should you play it?
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As we exclusively broke back in October, British Airways / Avios and Tesco Clubcard have decided to part ways. The option to convert your Tesco Clubcard points into Avios is ending very soon.
(Nothing will change with the partnership between Tesco Clubcard and Virgin Flying Club, for clarity. You can still earn Virgin Points.)
When is Clubcard ending Avios earning?
The last day to initiate a transfer of your Tesco Clubcard points into Avios is 18th January. Probably.
There is some confusion over the date. ba.com says that “You can continue to collect Avios with Tesco up to and including 18 January 2021”.
The Avios page on tesco.com says that “From 18 January 2021, you’ll no longer be able to exchange your Clubcard points for Avios.”
I suspect that BA is correct but, as it is Tesco’s scheme, you might want to convert by the 17th just to be sure.
Hang on …. my next Clubcard statement isn’t generated until 28th January
That is correct, which is why I am writing this article today to explain your options.
By the time you receive your Clubcard vouchers for the November to January quarter, in early February, it will be too late to convert them to Avios.
This is why you need to know about ‘Faster Vouchers’.
What is ‘Faster Vouchers’?
‘Faster Vouchers’ is a feature available to users of the Tesco Clubcard app.
It allows you to convert your CURRENT quarterly points balance into Clubcard vouchers. It is a simple process:
- you must have at least 150 Clubcard points to convert
- you will have your Clubcard voucher in your Tesco app, ready to spend, within 24 hours of requesting it
There is one thing to bear in mind. Whilst you can order ‘Faster Vouchers’ with a minimum of 150 Clubcard points in your account, you need at least 250 Clubcard points in order to convert to Avios.
It is pointless converting your existing Clubcard points into ‘Faster Vouchers’ if you only have 150, unless you have other unredeemed Clubcard vouchers to allow a conversion of £2.50+.
Here’s an example
I have 157 Clubcard points available to convert, which means that the blue button to order ‘Faster Vouchers’ is showing.
There would be no point in doing this if I had no other points to convert, because of the £2.50 minimum conversion to Avios.
However, I have also other unredeemed Clubcard vouchers which takes my total over the £2.50 minimum for Avios. This means that it makes sense to order the additional £1.50-worth before converting the lot.
What is the timing?
The last day to convert Clubcard points to Avios is 18th January (or perhaps 17th January for the reasons I gave above).
As ‘Faster Vouchers’ are meant to arrive within 24 hours, you should be OK if you order them as late as 16th January.
If you are currently close to 150 Clubcard points this quarter but not quite there, you have another 12 days to do a bit of shopping to ensure you will be at 150 points by 16th January.
(Remember that you will need to be at 250 points by 16th January if you have no other outstanding Clubcard vouchers to convert, because of the £2.50 minimum transfer.)
Who will replace Tesco as BA’s supermarket partner?
I honestly don’t know. We have been bouncing ideas around in our ‘Comments’ section in recent weeks.
My money would be on a combined John Lewis / Waitrose deal, but I haven’t been told anything – except that we will find out after 18th January.
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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 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 Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
British Airways American Express
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
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
The Platinum Card from American Express
80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.
Capital on Tap Visa
NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review
Capital on Tap Pro Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review
There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:
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
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.
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
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
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