earning avios by juggling balances

dilby00

Hi all-

I'm not sure whether I've posted this in the right area and I am sure it's a pretty silly question, but I needed to ask it anyway, so please bare with me!

I am trying my best to collect avios, and notice that there are a few credit card companies out there offering whopping amounts of avios for taking out one of their cards for a minimum spend. For example, the AMEX preferred gold card offers 20,000 avios if you spend £2,000 in the first 3months.

My question is, as a general rule, if I were to spent the £2,000 in the first month and then transfer the balance to another card, do you think that would qualify for the points or they'd be some clause that I needed to keep the balance there for the rest of the year or until the 3 months was up?

I ask because I'm trying to come up with tactics, but the credit card companies can't help me (and I'm on hold forrreeevverrrr) and I can't see it in the small print.

Thanks! (and apologies if this is a bad tactic or a silly q - I'm just trying my best to get back home to see my family!)

planteria

im not sure if you can actually Balance Transfer the balance of a charge card. can anyone confirm?

you certainly won't generate points for transferring a balance To a card. you would need to spend on the new card to generate points.

19lottie82

i'm pretty sure you can't transfer a balance to or from an amex card.

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

dilby00 wrote: »

...please bare with me!

Forgive me if I don't join you, it's a bit cold here for that kind of thing.

Clive_Woody

dilby00 wrote: »

My question is, as a general rule, if I were to spent the £2,000 in the first month and then transfer the balance to another card, do you think that would qualify for the points or they'd be some clause that I needed to keep the balance there for the rest of the year or until the 3 months was up?

I don't think that you are required to maintain an outstanding balance of £2000 to get the Avios. You spend the £2000 over the 3 months and pay off in full each month

e.g.

Spend £1000 in month 1 and pay it off in full when the bill comes
Spend £500 in month 2 and pay it off in full when the bill comes
Spend £500 in month 3 and pay it off in full when the bill comes

You really do not want to be paying interest on £2k for 3 months to get some air miles that you may (or may not) be able to use to upgrade seats on a flight.

InsideInsurance

dilby00 wrote: »

I am trying my best to collect avios, and notice that there are a few credit card companies out there offering whopping amounts of avios for taking out one of their cards for a minimum spend. For example, the AMEX preferred gold card offers 20,000 avios if you spend £2,000 in the first 3months.

My question is, as a general rule, if I were to spent the £2,000 in the first month and then transfer the balance to another card, do you think that would qualify for the points or they'd be some clause that I needed to keep the balance there for the rest of the year or until the 3 months was up?

To be accurate, you get 20,000 MR points which can be converted to Avios - sometimes there are bonuses on the transfer and so it can be more than 20,000 Avios

A BT off the reward earning card wont impact your reward, you'd still get whatever the sign up/ initial spend bonus is. Obviously if the card you are BT'ing onto has some form of reward you wont typically get that for doing a BT.

I dont see any reason why you cannot do a BT to chargecard - I am not even sure if other lenders can tell if an AmEx card number is a chargecard or a credit card - but I've never done it so cant say for certain. Certainly people do report general problems with doing BTs to AmEx accounts namely due to their 15 digit card numbers -v- 16 for visa/mc

Of cause if you get an existing member to refer you then you get 22,000 MR points rather than 20,000 and I am sure that I and other people on here would more than happily refer you so you and they get the bonus.

mfmaybe

If you are really serious about the Avios habit, I suggest you read the Head for Points blog. But agree with others that you must not get into debt/pay interest for it.

They can be very valuable if done in the right way though.

dilby00

Hi everyone - thanks for your replies! I think the issue relates to transferring balances - I'll give amex a call but just have to accept I need to wait AAAGES on the line. Best to hear it from their mouth I guess.

jpwjpw

The balance transfer fee may make it not worth it.

jpwjpw

You can transfer balances from an Amex chargecard (i've done it before). It can be difficult to spend £2000 on an Amex in the timeframe, due to a lot of places not taking it.