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This offer is unavailable on The Ascent. The information related to British Airways Visa Signature® Card has been collected by The Ascent 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.
British Airways Visa Signature® Card
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.49%-28.49% 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 Limited time offer! Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Earn 85,000 Avios.
With a large sign-up bonus and big travel perks, this could be a great card for frequent travelers.
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.
Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
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 |
20,000 ThankYou® Points Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back. | Up to 2% cash back 2% cash back: 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay |
Intro: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months Regular: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable) |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
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 |
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. N/A | 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—automatically. |
Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
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 |
Up to $300 cash back Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. | 1.5% - 5% cash back Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases |
Intro: 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable |
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®
On Chase's Secure Website. |
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.
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.
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.
Avios can be used on any airline within the Oneworld network, not just British Airways.
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.
For folks who travel frequently, having a credit card with no foreign transaction fees can save a lot of money.
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.
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.
See more: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.
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.
See more: Best Chase Credit Cards
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 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.
Read more: Best Rewards Cards
At The Motley Fool Ascent, 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 The Ascent rates credit cards.
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.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Visa.