Virgin Money Launches Credit Card Referral Programme: Earn Up To 50,000 Virgin Points Per Year

Good news for Virgin Money credit card holders: the bank has quietly launched a refer-a-friend programme for its Virgin Atlantic credit cards, offering a straightforward way to boost your Virgin Points balance simply by sharing your enthusiasm for the cards with friends and family.

After years of watching American Express cardholders rack up referral bonuses, Virgin Money has finally entered the game – and whilst the structure is different, there's genuine value here for those willing to spread the word.

The mechanics are refreshingly simple:

Step 1: Share your unique referral code with friends who might be interested in a Virgin Atlantic credit card.

Step 2: Your friend applies for either the Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card (the free one) or the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card (the £160 annual fee version). Once approved, they have 60 days to enter your referral code in the Virgin Money Credit Card app.

Step 3: When your friend spends a minimum of £3,000 within 90 days of account opening, you both receive bonus Virgin Points:

This is in addition to the standard welcome bonuses these cards typically offer.

Here's where it gets interesting: you can refer as many friends as you'd like, but you're capped at earning 50,000 Virgin Points per year through referrals. That means a maximum of 10 successful referrals annually.

For context, 50,000 Virgin Points could get you:

Given that Virgin Points can be worth around 0.8p–1.5p each depending on redemption, we're looking at £400–£750 in value from a year's worth of successful referrals. Not bad for simply recommending a card you presumably already rate.

The referral bonus is structured to make it worthwhile for your friends too – though interestingly, the reward differs depending on which card they choose:

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card (£160 annual fee):

Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card (free):

The £3,000 minimum spend requirement within 90 days is reasonable for most people, especially if they're planning to use the card for everyday spending or have upcoming larger purchases.

Anyone familiar with American Express referral bonuses will notice Virgin Money's offer is considerably more modest. Amex referrals can net you anywhere from 4,000 to 30,000 Membership Rewards points per successful referral, depending on the card.

However, Virgin Money's programme has a few advantages:

That said, with a cap of just 10 referrals per year, this programme won't be a massive points earner for most people – it's more of a nice bonus than a strategy cornerstone.

I'll be honest: I've been waiting for Virgin Money to launch a referral programme for years, and whilst this isn't going to set the points world on fire, it's a welcome addition to the UK credit card landscape.

The 5,000-point referral bonus is reasonable – it roughly matches what you'd earn from £6,666 of spending on the Reward+ card (at 0.75 points per £1) or £3,333 on the free card. For the time investment of sharing a code, that's decent value.

What I particularly appreciate is that Virgin Money hasn't made this overly complicated. The terms are straightforward: friend applies, spends £3,000, you both get points. There's no tiered structure, no fidgety qualifying criteria, and no confusion about eligibility.

However, the annual cap of 50,000 points does limit the programme's overall utility. If you have a wide network of friends interested in travel rewards, you'll quickly hit that ceiling. By comparison, American Express's referral programmes typically allow 90,000 points per card, per year – and you can hold multiple Amex cards, multiplying your potential referral earnings.

If you're an existing Virgin Atlantic credit cardholder, you can access your unique referral code through:

You'll then be able to share your code directly with friends via text, email, or social media.

A few key terms worth highlighting:

Whether the Virgin Money referral programme is worth pursuing depends largely on your social circle and how comfortable you are discussing credit cards with friends and family.

If you have friends who regularly ask for travel rewards advice, or if you're active in online communities where these conversations happen naturally, then absolutely – this is an easy 5,000 points per successful referral.

For most people, I'd expect to realistically refer 2-4 friends per year, netting around 10,000-20,000 Virgin Points. That's enough for a return Economy flight to Europe or a healthy contribution toward a more exotic redemption.

The key is to focus on friends who would genuinely benefit from the card. The Virgin Atlantic cards are excellent for UK-based travellers who fly Virgin or its partners regularly, particularly those who can hit the spending thresholds for the annual companion vouchers.

For anyone unfamiliar with Virgin Money's Virgin Atlantic credit card offerings, here's a quick overview:

Both cards earn Virgin Points on all spending, which never expire and can be redeemed for Virgin Atlantic flights, upgrades, or transferred to Virgin Red for thousands of other redemption options including hotel stays, experiences, and shopping vouchers.

The standout benefit on both cards is the annual companion voucher, which can save you 75,000-150,000 Virgin Points on a companion ticket or upgrade. This alone can justify the annual fee on the Reward+ card if you fly Virgin at least once per year.

For more detailed guidance on Virgin Atlantic credit cards, check out our complete guide to Virgin Atlantic credit cards.

Virgin Money's new credit card referral programme won't revolutionise your points-earning strategy, but it's a welcome addition that provides a straightforward way to earn bonus Virgin Points whilst helping friends access solid travel rewards cards.

With 5,000 points per successful referral and a 50,000-point annual cap, the programme offers moderate but meaningful value. If you're already an advocate for the Virgin Atlantic credit cards, you might as well benefit from sharing your enthusiasm.

The structure favours both parties – you get 5,000 points for the referral, and your friend receives a boosted welcome bonus on top of the card's standard offer. It's genuinely win-win, provided your friend can comfortably meet the £3,000 spending requirement.

As Virgin Money continues to develop its credit card offerings, I hope to see this programme evolve with higher caps or tiered bonuses for premium cards. For now, though, it's a solid start and another tool in the arsenal for UK-based points collectors.

Looking for more ways to earn Virgin Points? Check out our guide to earning air miles in the UK or explore our recommended UK credit cards for points collectors.