Barclays Blue Rewards 2026

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Is it just me or can we just get Blue Rewards for free because Barclays screwed up the implementation?

From the terms and conditions:

pay the £5 monthly fee. We’ll take this from your nominated current account on the second working day of the month. On your statement, this will show as the 'Blue Rewards Fee’. The first monthly fee will be taken in the month after you join Barclays Blue Rewards on the second working day of the month. The monthly fee that you pay covers your membership and access to features for the month ahead, not the month before

This part seems to mean that the month you signed up in is free. At least that matches my experience so far.

You can cancel your Barclays Blue Rewards at any time either through Online Banking or with the Barclays app. If you do this before 5pm on the last day of the month, we won’t charge the next monthly fee.

And this part seems to mean that if you cancel in time, you won't get charged at all.

Therefore: Join on the 3rd working day (the wait may not be necessary, if I read the terms correctly - the first day of the month should have the same result), cancel on the last day, and it's free, right? Of course, repeat month after month until they send out a notice of variation of the terms and conditions to fix this.

Apple TV for the price of Blue Rewards is good value. But it's even better value for the price of free

I did not resubscribe to test the above, yet, because I don't have time to watch TV and the shows I want to watch are on hiatus anyway.

WillPS

I get the Blue Rewards perks for free through Barclays Premier, but even if I didn't I wouldn't muck about with this, as I don't want a permaban from a bank!

[Deleted User]

I think Barclays might notice if you kept doing it. I have signed up and left a few times but did pay.

friolento

It seems quite OCD, and - wrongly, AFAIK - assumes that cancelling Blue Rewards happens instantly. It also assumes Barclays wouldn't notice, and/or would tolerate it.

flaneurs_lobster

The OP's cunning plan only works if the perk is released during the 1st month honeymoon period. I can't remember if this happens or not - I get the freebie Apple TV by being a (not in the slightest) Premier customer who's living a fib.

surreysaver

flaneurs_lobster said:

The OP's cunning plan only works if the perk is released during the 1st month honeymoon period. I can't remember if this happens or not - I get the freebie Apple TV by being a (not in the slightest) Premier customer who's living a fib.

When they ask you if you're eligible for Premier during the application process,what do they mean by 'gross income'? Surely no one has their gross income paid into their current account, as they have tax deducted first?

flaneurs_lobster

surreysaver said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

The OP's cunning plan only works if the perk is released during the 1st month honeymoon period. I can't remember if this happens or not - I get the freebie Apple TV by being a (not in the slightest) Premier customer who's living a fib.

When they ask you if you're eligible for Premier during the application process,what do they mean by 'gross income'? Surely no one has their gross income paid into their current account, as they have tax deducted first?

I've not seen sight of the application process to see how that question was framed - I was invited to upgrade and did not have to make any declaration or statement about my income or how much I might pay in each month (!!!!!! all as it happens).

dcs34

surreysaver said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

The OP's cunning plan only works if the perk is released during the 1st month honeymoon period. I can't remember if this happens or not - I get the freebie Apple TV by being a (not in the slightest) Premier customer who's living a fib.

When they ask you if you're eligible for Premier during the application process,what do they mean by 'gross income'? Surely no one has their gross income paid into their current account, as they have tax deducted first?

They want your headline gross salary before tax, salary sacrifice pension, NI, student loans etc... Presumably they can use this to predict your likely monthly payments in and out (because most people can remember this being the advertised salary of the job they applied for).

pecunianonolet

I am also Premier and not fulfil the criteria the slightest. Worked fine for over half a year until they told me in October I am no longer elgible unless I become elegible again until end of December. Funneld 4k through the current account each month (in and out within under 5 min) and mid December I was told I can keep my benefits aka free Apple. Only annoying bit is that Yougov does not give me points and tells me I have no subscription but can live with that.  

surreysaver

flaneurs_lobster said:

surreysaver said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

The OP's cunning plan only works if the perk is released during the 1st month honeymoon period. I can't remember if this happens or not - I get the freebie Apple TV by being a (not in the slightest) Premier customer who's living a fib.

When they ask you if you're eligible for Premier during the application process,what do they mean by 'gross income'? Surely no one has their gross income paid into their current account, as they have tax deducted first?

I've not seen sight of the application process to see how that question was framed - I was invited to upgrade and did not have to make any declaration or statement about my income or how much I might pay in each month (!!!!!! all as it happens).

This is the question on the upgrade section

Are you eligible for Premier?

To be eligible for Premier Banking, you need either

• An annual gross income of £75,000 or more paid into a current account with us
 
• Or at least £100,000 saved or invested with us

 Yes, I'm eligible for Premier Banking

 No, I'm not eligible for Premier Banking

So, a little bit vague.  I only want the free Apple TV

flaneurs_lobster

surreysaver said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

surreysaver said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

The OP's cunning plan only works if the perk is released during the 1st month honeymoon period. I can't remember if this happens or not - I get the freebie Apple TV by being a (not in the slightest) Premier customer who's living a fib.

When they ask you if you're eligible for Premier during the application process,what do they mean by 'gross income'? Surely no one has their gross income paid into their current account, as they have tax deducted first?

I've not seen sight of the application process to see how that question was framed - I was invited to upgrade and did not have to make any declaration or statement about my income or how much I might pay in each month (!!!!!! all as it happens).

This is the question on the upgrade section

Are you eligible for Premier?

To be eligible for Premier Banking, you need either

• An annual gross income of £75,000 or more paid into a current account with us
 
• Or at least £100,000 saved or invested with us

 Yes, I'm eligible for Premier Banking

 No, I'm not eligible for Premier Banking

So, a little bit vague.  I only want the free Apple TV

Not quite vague enough IMO. If I had been presented with that choice I would not have answered "Yes, I'm eligible...." because it would not be true, and I'm not going to make a false declaration on an application for a financial product - even if it's just to get free telly.

It's the annual gross income question I fail on, I could quite happily "game" £5k in'n'out each month to "satisfy" the payment requirement but it's not going to happen.