By: Kate Anderson | Updated: 25th September, 2019.
What’s better than a rewards programme? Two rewards programmes! And that is exactly what you get with the British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card. However, the card comes with a price tag attached in the form of a £210 annual fee.
This card offers reward points – and lots of them! With it, you gain access to the On Business Points reward scheme and the Avios rewards scheme. The card allows you to earn points at an accelerated rate: 1.5 On Business Points for every eligible £1 spent and 1.5 Avios for every eligible £1 spent. On top of that, American Express is offering a welcome award of 2,200 On Business Points if you are approved and spend £3,000 in the first three months of card membership. Do note that these benefits don’t come for free. The card carries an annual fee of £210.
Read full review >2,200 On Business Points if you spend £3,000 in the first 3 months (subject to approval)
KEY SCORES:
This card offers reward points – and lots of them! With it, you gain access to the On Business Points reward scheme and the Avios rewards scheme. The card allows you to earn points at an accelerated rate: 1.5 On Business Points for every eligible £1 spent and 1.5 Avios for every eligible £1 spent. On top of that, American Express is offering a welcome award of 2,200 On Business Points if you are approved and spend £3,000 in the first three months of card membership.
Then there are all the benefits that come with having an American Express card, such as travel insurance, refund and purchase protection, and 99 complimentary supplementary cards to help boost your business points total further. One thing to note though, is that these benefits don’t come for free. The card carries an annual fee of £210.
This card offers two reward currencies, a welcome reward and the ability to share points. What’s not to like?
Kate Anderson
I worked on the front line of personal-finance best buys for over eight years at one of the world’s largest research companies, Nielsen. I reported daily on the developments of the 2008 financial crisis and beyond, keeping up with the changing financial landscape and providing insights to all the major banks in the UK. I know the key players in the market and the tactics behind how they behave. All of which I will apply to highlight the best deals and give honest reviews to help you in your search.
This card has lots on offer, but it also has a couple of drawbacks.
In terms of rewards on offer, specifically travel-related rewards, it would be hard to find a card that could compete. Having two reward currencies makes this card stand out from the crowd before you even start to take into account the welcome offer and the ability to use On Business Points for anyone linked to your business.
In terms of business credit cards, the fee is at the top end of the market, as is the card’s interest rate. But considering the package you receive, especially if your company does a lot of business travel, this may well be worth it.
American Express requires you and the business to have no history of bad debt. You must be aged 18 or over and be a UK resident.
To access the On Business benefits, your company must not be a travel agency, ticket brokerage firm or consolidator. Additionally, your company must not have an existing corporate incentive agreement with British Airways, Iberia or American Airlines.
You can apply through the American Express website. The application will reportedly take less than 10 minutes, and you will receive a response in 60 seconds.
You will need to provide personal information, including your income and employment details. Your UK bank or building society account number and sort code may sometimes be necessary, so it’s a good idea to have these details to hand.
To have a good chance of being accepted for this card, you’ll need a good credit score. If you know your credit score is top notch, then you can feel comfortable applying directly. If you’re not so sure, it may be worth using the eligibility checker that American Express provides on its site.
If you are a business that does a lot of air travel and you’re looking to make that work to your advantage, then this card could be ideal. It’s key selling point is that it offers access to not one, but two reward schemes, both of which have points that can be redeemed against flights, upgrades and other travel benefits.
The annual fee is on the high side, and this is a credit product not a charge card, but the benefits that come with this card potentially offsets concerns around the cost. A generous welcome award, accelerated point yields, travel insurance and refund and purchase protection all add up. It’s also important to remember that your business could take advantage of the 99 complimentary supplementary cards available to boost your reward balances even further.
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