How to collect Avios from a current account with Barclays Premier Banking and Barclays Avios Rewards

This article is sponsored by Barclays

The Barclays Premier Current Account¹ is the only UK personal bank account with the option to collect monthly Avios to spend with British Airways. This article looks at how Barclays Avios Rewards² can help you collect 1,500 monthly Avios and a joining bonus³ of 25,000 Avios, and highlights the other great benefits offered to Barclays Premier Banking customers.

Opening a Barclays Premier Current Account is free, but to be eligible, you’ll need an annual income of £75,000 or have at least £100,000 in savings or investments with Barclays. (Frankly, if you earn £75,000 per year, it makes no sense to have a standard current account when a free Premier alternative is available!)

If you would like to collect monthly Avios, you can join Barclays Avios Rewards² for £12 a month, exclusively available to Barclays Premier Banking customers.

What do you get from Barclay Avios Rewards?

Our favourite Barclays Avios Rewards benefits are:

• 1,500 Avios collected every month
• An Anniversary Reward of either an annual British Airways upgrade voucher (allowing you to upgrade two x one-way flights or one return flight, booked on Avios, by one class) or a bonus of 7,000 Avios
• A switching bonus of 25,000 Avios if you complete a full current account switch from your existing bank and activate Barclays Avios Rewards within four months of opening your current account.

You can, of course, join Barclays Premier Banking and Barclays Avios Rewards without doing a full current account switch. You would still receive the monthly Avios, Anniversary Reward, and other member benefits below, but you would not receive the 25,000 Avios joining bonus this way.

For existing Premier Banking Customers who have been with Barclays for four months or more but have not yet signed up for Barclays Avios Rewards, you will receive 2,500 Avios as a joining bonus.

Other perks you’ll receive with Barclays Avios Rewards:

• Airport Lounge Membership in partnership with Assurant and DragonPass. Buy discounted passes to access airport lounges worldwide, or swap passes for a meal voucher or spa treatment.
• Discounted fast-track security at airports (pre-bookable online)
• Additional Avios when you have, or open, certain products with Barclays

There is more to Barclays Premier Banking than just Avios

As you would expect, given you’re reading Head for Points, our coverage of this article focuses on Barclays Avios Rewards, the generous 25,000 Avios switch bonus and the annual British Airways upgrade voucher.

But Barclays Premier Banking has more to offer than just Avios, of course, so we’d be amiss not to mention what else Premier Banking customers can access at no extra cost.

Your Premier Current Account comes with access to:

• A range of exclusive savings rates on bonds and ISAs (some of which also collect Avios if you have Barclays Avios Rewards)
• An Apple TV+ subscription for as long as you’re a Premier Banking customer, usually £8.99 a month
• Ability to earn cashback on spending with participating retailers when using your Barclays Visa debit card linked to your Cashback Rewards account. Unlike some cashback schemes, there’s no need to pre-select offers before making a purchase. Cashback is earned on all spending with participating retailers.
• Premier Financial Guides: Customers have access to a dedicated team of Financial Guides to help you with those key moments in life – moving house, planning for the future or thinking about retirement.
• Access to a 24/7 Premier relationship team
• Fee-free international payments when made via the app or online, with all major currencies supported

Please note that both Apple TV+ and Cashback Rewards are services you need to opt in for, and must be joined through the Barclays app.

How do you join Barclays Avios Rewards?

Opening a Barclays Premier Current Account and registering for Barclays Avios Rewards is straightforward through the Barclays app.

• Step 1: Open a Barclays Premier Current Account. This account is free to anyone who meets the income or investment criteria and comes with a number of great benefits but does not, in itself, collect Avios. Apply for your current account through the Barclays App.

• Step 2: Join Barclays Avios Rewards. Once you’ve opened your Premier Current Account, you can join Barclays Avios Rewards as an add-on. This has a £12 monthly fee and must be joined through the Barclays app. You’ll find the sign up page by going to the Premier Banking Hub within the ‘Products’ section of your Barclays app. You’ll need to link your British Airways Club account when signing up.

• Step 3: Complete a full switch to collect 25,000 bonus Avios. To qualify for the 25,000 Avios joining bonus, you’ll need to complete a full switch using the Current Account Switch Service. This is also done through the ‘Products’ section in your Barclays app. Click on ‘Switch Current Account’ under Our Services, complete the form, and the Current Account Switch Service will switch your account for you within 7 working days. It’ll also redirect all of your regular payments and Direct Debits to your new Barclays account.

What are the criteria to join Barclays Premier Banking?

To join Barclays Premier Banking¹, you will need either:

• a gross annual income of £75,000 or more, paid into your account, or
• £100,000+ in savings with Barclays, eligible investments, or a mixture of both.

Whilst it is most likely that you would qualify via the salary option, if you have considerable liquid assets you may want to look at the savings route.

We have a separate article on how to apply for Barclays Premier if you want to qualify based on savings and not move your existing current account.

If you cannot meet these criteria then, unfortunately, you cannot join Barclays Avios Rewards.

Conclusion

If you are a high earner, it makes sense to move your current account to a ‘premier’ offering. You will get better service and access to more relevant products and benefits.

The Barclays Premier Current Account is free so you won’t be paying for the privilege and it is a step up from a standard current accounts.

It is worth noting that HSBC Premier requires a minimum salary of £100,000, so Barclays Premier is the only mainstream option if you earn between £75,000 and £99,999.

Once you have an account, you can choose to add Barclays Avios Rewards and collect your 1,500 monthly Avios and choice of anniversary reward.

Pick up your 25,000 Avios joining bonus when you switch³ your current account to Barclays (T&Cs apply). Whilst there is a £12 month fee for joining Barclays Avios Rewards, this is offset by the 1,500 monthly Avios you collect. The annual British Airways upgrade voucher is just the icing on the cake.

You can apply for Barclays Premier Banking here.

Important information

1. To join Premier Banking, you’ll need to have a minimum of £100,000 in savings or investments with Barclays, or have an annual gross income of £75,000 or more paid into a Barclays current account.

2. You can opt in to Barclays Avios Rewards if you’re a Premier Banking customer or have a Wealth current account with Barclays – you’ll need to register for the Barclays app and have a British Airways Club account too. There’s a £12 monthly fee and you have to opt out of Barclays Blue Rewards and go paperless for all your accounts and services. To access Barclays Avios Rewards in the Barclays App, you need to be over 18.

3. To qualify for the 25,000 Avios joining bonus, you’ll need to join Barclays Avios Rewards – within 4 months of opening your first Barclays current account. Then, you’ll need to complete a full switch of your old current account to them, using the Current Account Switch Service – within 3 months of joining Barclays Avios Rewards. You will then receive your joining bonus in the fourth month of Barclays Avios Rewards membership.

4. You need to be 18 or over to access these products or services using the app. T&Cs apply.