Barclays is currently offering new Premier current account customers up to £600 in cash to switch, on top of a 25,000 Avios sign-up bonus. Add the Avios Rewards monthly add-on and your first-year Avios total reaches around 43,000 Avios (18,000 from the add-on plus the 25,000 bonus) for a net cost of £144 per year. You can read the full terms on Barclays' Avios Rewards page. Even at a conservative Avios value, the add-on pays more than it costs, which makes it one of the quietly underrated ways to earn Avios in the UK without touching a credit card.
| How Barclays Avios Rewards actually works |
Barclays Avios Rewards is a paid add-on available to Barclays Premier current account holders. You pay a monthly fee and receive Avios automatically every month - no spending required, no card to remember to use. The Avios land in your BA Executive Club account simply for holding the add-on.
The switching offer currently running for new Premier customers adds up to £600 in cash and a 25,000 Avios bonus on top. Together with the ongoing monthly Avios from the add-on, the first-year value is especially strong.
Barclays Premier needs a gross annual income of £75,000 or £100,000 in savings and eligible investments
The Avios Rewards add-on costs £12 per month (£144 per year) and pays 1,500 Avios every month, which is 18,000 Avios a year, with no spending required
New customers who complete a full switch within three months get 25,000 bonus Avios
The cash bonus is £450 after a full switch within 30 days (at least three active direct debits moved and a salary of at least £5,000 paid in), plus £150 after five more months of use with at least 10 debit card payments a month
The 25,000 Avios and the cash bonus both count towards the same full switch
| What 43,000 Avios is worth in GBP |
The standard rule of thumb in the UK miles-and-points world is that Avios are worth roughly 1p each when redeemed on short-haul flights, and potentially 1.5p-2p or more on long-haul Business Class redemptions. You can run your own numbers using the Smart With Points Avios Value Calculator.
At a conservative 1p per Avios, 43,000 Avios = £430 in flight value. The add-on costs £144 per year, so you're looking at a net gain of roughly £286 in Avios value in year one - before the £600 cash switching bonus is even factored in. If you value Avios closer to 1.5p (a realistic figure for long-haul Business redemptions), the 43,000 Avios alone are worth £645, making the £144 fee look very modest indeed.
To put it another way: a new switcher who completes every condition could receive £600 cash plus 43,000 Avios in year one. At 1p per Avios, that is roughly £1,030 of value before the £144 fee, or around £886 after it.
| Who qualifies and how to claim the switching offer |
Barclays Premier has eligibility criteria: a gross annual income of £75,000 or more, or £100,000 in savings and eligible investments. If you meet those criteria, the maths are compelling.
Here is the practical path to claiming the full package:
Check that you meet the Premier criteria and that you are new to Barclays. If you held any Barclays current account on or before 1 October 2026, you will not qualify for the switching offers
Switch your current account to Barclays Premier using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS), which moves your direct debits and standing orders automatically
Once Premier is active, switch on the Avios Rewards add-on from within the Barclays app
Link your Avios Rewards to your BA Executive Club membership number (you need a BA Executive Club membership, new or existing)
Complete the full switch within the time limits, so the 25,000 Avios and the cash bonus can be paid
Monthly Avios then land automatically each month, with no action required
| The catches and limitations to know before you switch |
This is a genuinely attractive deal, but it is not for everyone. Here is where it gets more complicated:
Premier eligibility is not universal: below £75,000 income or £100,000 in savings and investments, you cannot open this account
The switching offers are for new Barclays customers only. If you have held any Barclays current account on or before 1 October 2026, you will not qualify
The monthly Avios from the add-on are fixed regardless of what you spend. This is a passive earning product, not a spending rewards card
Avios Rewards cannot be combined with Blue Rewards, and you must go paperless
Switching your main current account is a meaningful financial decision. Make sure Barclays Premier suits your wider banking needs before switching purely for Avios
The £12 monthly fee is charged whether or not you use any other Barclays products that month
Barclays does not say whether add-on Avios count towards BA Tier Points, so do not rely on this product to reach or keep BA Gold or Silver status.
| Frequently asked questions |
Can I get Barclays Avios Rewards without switching my main bank?
You need a Barclays Premier current account (or a Personal Wealth current account) to add Avios Rewards. Premier requires a gross annual income of £75,000 or £100,000 in savings and eligible investments.
Does the Barclays Avios Rewards fee cancel out the Avios you earn?
No - that is the point of the product. At 1p per Avios (a conservative valuation), the monthly Avios earned from the add-on are worth more than the £12 monthly fee. You can check the exact maths for your situation using the Avios Value Calculator.
How long does the £600 switching offer last?
Barclays launched this offer on 1 October 2026 and says it can withdraw it at any time, so there is no published end date. Check the Barclays website before you apply.
Where do the Barclays Avios land - in my BA account or somewhere else?
The Avios are credited directly to your BA Executive Club account. You need to link your Executive Club membership number to the Avios Rewards add-on when you set it up.
| The bottom line |
Barclays Avios Rewards is one of the most straightforward ways to earn Avios in the UK - you pay a monthly fee and the Avios appear automatically, with no spend to track. For new Premier customers, the current offer layers on up to £600 cash and 25,000 bonus Avios on top of that, pushing the first-year value well into profit territory even at conservative Avios valuations.
If you already qualify for Barclays Premier - or are close to the threshold - it is well worth running the numbers. If you want to see what your accumulated Avios could get you in flights, the BA Avios Flight Calculator is a good place to start planning your redemption.
Trivia: how many Avios does the Barclays Avios Rewards add-on pay into your BA Executive Club account each month?
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