Non-Amex Reward Credit Card - John Lewis or Barclaycard Avios?

mikeholmes958

Hi all

I currently put almost all of my spending on my BA Premium Amex card - I enjoy travelling and so the avios are useful even when I have surpassed the trigger for the 2-4-1 reward voucher.

However, I have a non-Amex secondary credit card for those circumstances where shops don't take Amex and at the time, the best alternative for me was the John Lewis credit card.

I now see that there is a Barclaycard Avios visa credit card - this seems appealing to me because I can continue to supplement my avios earnings even when shops don't take Amex.

I am probably comparing apples to oranges but does anyone out there have a view on whether I should stick with the JLP card or switch to this Barclaycard (or indeed any other non-Amex reward credit card?).

In case helpful, I am not tied to shopping at Waitrose/JLP department store but of course the higher point accrual has been of somewhat limited value over the years (in the three years that I've had the card, I've probably got £100 back in reward vouchers in total).

Thanks!

dcfc67

Sainsburys has a Mastercard which you can redeem points for Avios
Bonus points available if you use it at sainsburys

2ilent8cho

To me it would be crazy not to get one of the Barclaycards to pay where you cannot use Amex if you are actively collecting Avios.

Whilst actually shopping I don't usually have problems with Amex acceptance, bills people typically pay via Direct Debt (I don't, its insane, get the points, pay manually via card!) rarely take Amex, but take Visa/Mastercard so now I can easily get lots of Avios off spends such as Council Tax, Gas & Electricity, Water, Car Insurance, Broadband, Mobile Bill (though EE take Amex).

I believe even if you are not an Airmiles collector, if you happy with cashlike , ie Sainsburys/Argos/eBay only money the Avios Barclaycards via Nectar conversion are the best cashback cards in the UK.

WillPS

Barclaycard Avios card is far and away the best all-rounder non-Amex reward card. 0.8% back on spend at JS/Argos/Ebay with zero effort and potentially 1% or better if you fly BA and make the complex world of Avios flight redemptions work.

The only other non-Amex worth looking at potentially in addition would be the Natwest (or RBS) Reward credit card, which gives 1% back at 'supermarkets' (including places like Iceland, Farmfoods, Costcutter etc).

dbmabz

The Barclaycard Avios card looks good on paper, but there are many reports of issues when people apply for or try to use the cards including using online. See the Head for Points forums, they are full of unhappy customers. Might be worth waiting a while for Barclays to sort out their issues.