The short answer
Get Avios Plus for the first year. The 25,000 Avios welcome bonus is worth far more than the £240 fee, and 1.5 Avios per £1 is the highest earn rate on any Avios card you can get without a special bank account.
After that, it depends on the voucher. If you'll use the upgrade voucher to fly business class, keep it. If not, the free card earns Avios with no fee and still gives a voucher at £20,000.
Either way, it pairs well with an Amex. Because these are Mastercards, they cover all the shops and bills that don't take American Express.
- 25,000 Avios bonus on Avios Plus
- 1.5 Avios per £1, the best rate for an Avios Mastercard
- Accepted almost everywhere, unlike Amex
- Upgrade voucher, or 7,000 Avios if you'd rather
- The free card has no fee at all
- £20 a month on Avios Plus
- 2.99% fee on spending in other currencies
- The voucher only works on British Airways flights from the UK
- No lounge access included
- Strict rules on who can get the bonus
The two cards compared
| Card | Fee | Welcome bonus | Earn rate | Upgrade voucher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barclaycard Avios Plus | £20 a month (£240 a year) | 25,000 Avios after £3,000 in 3 months | 1.5 Avios per £1 | At £10,000 a year |
| Barclaycard Avios (free) | Free | 5,000 Avios after £1,000 in 3 months | 1 Avios per £1 | At £20,000 a year |
Both vouchers last two years, and on both cards you can take 7,000 Avios instead. Offers checked October 2026.
Avios Plus in detail
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
- Fee
- £20 a month (£240 a year)
- Welcome bonus
- 25,000 Avios after £3,000 in 3 months
- Earn rate
- 1.5 Avios per £1
- Key perk
- Upgrade voucher at £10,000 a year
Spend £3,000 in your first three months and you'll have around 29,500 Avios: the 25,000 bonus plus 4,500 from the spending. That's enough for a short-haul business class trip, or most of the way to a long-haul one.
After that, you earn 1.5 Avios on every £1. Spend £10,000 in a card year and you get an upgrade voucher, or 7,000 Avios if you choose. Because it's a Mastercard, you can use it for the bills, trades and smaller shops that won't take Amex.
Suits you if you want the most Avios per pound and a card that's accepted almost everywhere.
The free card in detail
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
- Fee
- Free
- Welcome bonus
- 5,000 Avios after £1,000 in 3 months
- Earn rate
- 1 Avios per £1
- Key perk
- Upgrade voucher at £20,000 a year
A simple way to earn Avios with no fee. The bonus is small but easy to reach, needing just £1,000 of spending. Spend £20,000 in a card year and you get the same upgrade voucher as Avios Plus, or 7,000 Avios instead.
For most people, it's a better free card than the free BA Amex, because Mastercard is accepted in far more places.
Suits you if you want to earn Avios on everyday spending without paying a fee.
How the upgrade voucher works
Despite the name, it isn't a normal upgrade. It lets you book a reward seat in a higher cabin while paying the Avios of the cabin below. For example, you can book business class for the Avios price of premium economy.
- Valid for two years from when it's issued.
- One voucher covers a return flight for one person, or a one-way flight for two.
- British Airways flights only, departing from the UK. It doesn't work on First or on partner airlines.
- You pay the taxes and charges for the cabin you actually fly.
- Or take 7,000 Avios instead. You choose in the Barclaycard app, and can choose differently each year.
On a long-haul trip, the gap between premium economy and business can be tens of thousands of Avios, so the voucher is usually worth far more than 7,000 Avios if you'll use it. For step-by-step booking help, read how to use the different Avios vouchers correctly.
Is Avios Plus worth £240 a year?
Here's what each card gives you at £10,000 of spending in a year, if you take the 7,000 Avios option:
| At £10,000 spend | Avios Plus | Free card |
|---|---|---|
| Avios from spending | 15,000 | 10,000 |
| Voucher or 7,000 Avios | 7,000 | None |
| Total Avios | 22,000 | 10,000 |
| Fee | £240 | £0 |
That's 12,000 extra Avios for £240, or 2p per Avios. Most people value Avios at around 1p to 1.5p, so the extra Avios alone don't cover the fee after year one. Avios Plus only pays off long-term if you use the upgrade voucher on a long-haul business class flight.
Barclaycard Avios vs the BA Amex cards
| Card | Fee | Earn rate | Voucher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barclaycard Avios Plus | £240 | 1.5 Avios per £1 | Upgrade, at £10,000 |
| BA Amex Premium Plus | £300 | 1.25 Avios per £1 | Companion, at £15,000 |
- Flying alone? The Barclaycard upgrade voucher is usually more useful.
- Flying as a couple? The BA Amex Companion Voucher saves more, because it covers a whole second seat.
- Why not both? They're from different banks, so you can hold one of each and earn both bonuses and both vouchers.
Read our full BA Amex review, or compare every card in our airline card guide.
Eligibility rules to know
- The 24-month rule: you can't get a bonus if you received a Barclaycard Avios bonus in the last 24 months, counted from when the bonus was paid.
- The six-month rule: you can't apply at all if you've held any Barclaycard credit card in the last six months.
- BA Amex holders can apply and still get the bonus, because it's a different bank.
- Spending abroad costs 2.99%, so use a no-fee card on holiday. See the best travel credit cards.
Earn even more Avios
Nine simple ways to build your Avios balance faster.
Frequently asked questions
Should I take the upgrade voucher or 7,000 Avios?
If you'll fly British Airways long-haul in business class from the UK within two years, take the voucher. It can save far more than 7,000 Avios. If not, take the Avios.
Can I use the upgrade voucher on Qatar Airways?
No. It only works on British Airways flights departing from the UK.
Can I downgrade from Avios Plus to the free card?
Usually yes, in the Barclaycard app. Your progress towards the voucher resets when you switch, so do it after you've earned it.
Is there a cap on how many Avios I can earn?
Monthly earning is capped at four times your monthly credit limit. For most people, that's far more than they'll spend.