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Having had the Avios Plus for a couple of months and got the bonus I was planning to switch to the regular Avios card to save on the monthly fee. However Barclaycard are not allowing this. I was not expecting that. So I guess I will just cancel the card. Anyone else had the same problem?
What exactly do you mean, they are not allowing it? Lots of people have done it.
Same happened to me. I left
Some people can do it with no problems (which is what Barclays tells us should be the case) and other can’t. I assume you looked in the app for what other cards it lets you switch to?
The app says no options available when you go into the Change to a different card page – so I rang them and they said it was not possible to change to the fee-free card 🙁 I asked if this was a temporary situation and they would not commit either way. Just said that any switches available would show in the app. I have spent the £3000 and got the bonus Avios – so close to the £10k spend that I will let it run to that and then cancel. I assume that as long as I hit the £10k that I will get the cabin upgrade voucher even if I then cancel the card?
I think most people have been able to downgrade after three months. Might be worth waiting a little longer.
My three months is up tomorrow. I cancelled today as there was no in-app option to downgrade. Through the app I spoke with the help team and they confirmed no downgrade available. They did confirm my pending avios (due tomorrow) would be transferred along with those due on 2 October but that card would be cancelled today and access to the app remains for 60 days. I was due a statement (and £20 fee) tomorrow which I shall now not have. I got the first month free so all in I paid £20 for nearly 60K.
Opened mine 14 March. Paid £20 monthly fee on 12 April/May/June so £60 total. Downgraded on 13 June, and they refunded the June fee!
Downgrading the card gets you a new account number and resets your earnings year. I’m well on my way to a second voucher.
I have had a very similar problem. You cannot downgrade unless they offer you it in the app. You can cancel and reapply for the Avios ( no fee ) card but that can take several weeks to achieve. I think Barclaycard are being a bit naughty as I understood ( as many in the forum did following the HfP article)that switching down a level was as easy as it is with Amex but it isn’t . I have been in communication with the team on chat and I’m hopeful I will now get an option to switch but why do they make it so difficult. A Mastercard offering Avios is something we have been waiting for for years as an alternative to Amex. They should realise they will get thousands of new customers on that basis .
Opened mine 14 March. Paid £20 monthly fee on 12 April/May/June so £60 total. Downgraded on 13 June, and they refunded the June fee!
Downgrading the card gets you a new account number and resets your earnings year. I’m well on my way to a second voucher.
Are you basing this on the spend tracker bar? It may be worth having some data points to see if you are eligible to get a second voucher as Amex’s progress bar isnt very trusted
@timgilp it seems a little rich to complain that Barclays is being “a bit naughty” when the bank and also more traditional people focussed on doing the ‘right thing’ might consider that the person taking a huge SUB and immediately downgrading is the naughty one. That is not a ‘right’ as you imply. Compounding it by complaining the bank doesn’t make it easy enough to be fleeced by the customer, well…
Opened mine 14 March. Paid £20 monthly fee on 12 April/May/June so £60 total. Downgraded on 13 June, and they refunded the June fee!
Downgrading the card gets you a new account number and resets your earnings year. I’m well on my way to a second voucher.
Are you basing this on the spend tracker bar? It may be worth having some data points to see if you are eligible to get a second voucher as Amex’s progress bar isnt very trusted
In the app, my initial spend target for the upgrade voucher was £10k by 14 Mar 23.
When I downgraded, they gave me a new card/account number. The spend target was reset to £20k by 14 Jun 23.
The option to downgrade appeared, in my app, 3 or 4 days after my 3rd statement (I had been checking for about 5 weeks – and was about cancel). I took it and was advised it will take effect from my next statement date. Told to continue using my current card and a new one should arrive within a few days of the new statement date.
Opened mine 14 March. Paid £20 monthly fee on 12 April/May/June so £60 total. Downgraded on 13 June, and they refunded the June fee!
Downgrading the card gets you a new account number and resets your earnings year. I’m well on my way to a second voucher.
Are you sure about this? The BA card can show you still earning a new companion voucher when you downgrade but you can actually only get one per card year.
Just checked mine and spend date has also reset to next June. Please let us know how you get on!
Opened mine 14 March. Paid £20 monthly fee on 12 April/May/June so £60 total. Downgraded on 13 June, and they refunded the June fee!
Downgrading the card gets you a new account number and resets your earnings year. I’m well on my way to a second voucher.
Are you sure about this? The BA card can show you still earning a new companion voucher when you downgrade but you can actually only get one per card year.
Just checked mine and spend date has also reset to next June. Please let us know how you get on!
I’m sure that my year and spend target have been reset.
The Barclaycard downgrade works differently to Amex, in that you get a new account and account numner.
Reading all the T&Cs, I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t get a second voucher for hitting £20k. Time will tell. I’m in no rush to trigger it.
The option to downgrade appeared, in my app, 3 or 4 days after my 3rd statement (I had been checking for about 5 weeks – and was about cancel). I took it and was advised it will take effect from my next statement date. Told to continue using my current card and a new one should arrive within a few days of the new statement date.
Very useful to know, thanks for the data point.
imgilp it seems a little rich to complain that Barclays is being “a bit naughty” when the bank and also more traditional people focussed on doing the ‘right thing’ might consider that the person taking a huge SUB and immediately downgrading is the naughty one. That is not a ‘right’ as you imply. Compounding it by complaining the bank doesn’t make it easy enough to be fleeced by the customer, well…
@JDB my point really is that the fact that you cannot downgrade unless they allow you to is not clear in the the conditions & i’m pretty sure the hfp article pointed out that a downgrade is an option as soon as you reach the 3k spend. If everything was clear and transparent I wouldn’t have a problem. I’m unsure what you mean by a “traditional person”. Personally I think doing the right thing is about being honest , transparent and clear. On this occasion I don’t think BC have been .@timgilp nothing in the T&Cs says you can downgrade at any stage, but you are free to cancel at any point. Virgin and HSBC both operate on a cancel and reapply basis to effect a downgrade and also offer no pro rata fee refund.
There is no lack of transparency – you assumed that it would be easier than has transpired. Why on earth should they make it easy for you just to bag the SUB and immediately cease to pay a fee? BC seems overly generous in charging the fee monthly and it seems generally offering the ability to downgrade after three months if not sooner.
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