Barclaycard Arrival is a credit card rewards program with a very untraditional rewards strategy, compared to American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards. They don’t offer any bonuses when you redeem for travel, and they don’t have any transfer partners. However, if you want to accrue miles to pay for your travels, and don’t want to spend time researching awards, this can be a great rewards program for you.
Read below for more information on Barclaycard Arrival.
Barclaycard Arrival Quick Facts
Credit Cards | Barclays Arrival World Mastercard Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard Barclays Arrival Premier World Elite Mastercard |
Redemption Options | Travel statement credits, non-travel statement credits, gift cards, merchandise |
Transfer Partners | None |
Rewards Value | $0.022 per mile |
Check out the best credit card bonuses here.
Earn Arrival Miles
The main attraction to the Barclaycard Arrival rewards program is the rate that the members can earn miles with the Arrival credit cards. American Express Membership Rewards cardholders typically earn one point for every $1 spent. Then, they can redeem them towards travel at 100 points per $1. This ends up being a $0.01 value per point. With Barclays, you’ll be able to earn 2x miles and get 5% of your redeemed miles back, which gives a $0.022 value per mile.
Plus, you can also earn bonus Arrival miles by shopping at Barclaycard RewardsBoost. The online mall features 700 stores and up to as many as 12 miles per $1 spent with your Barclaycard.
Unfortunately, all Barclays credit cards that earn Arrival miles are closed to new applicants.
Redeeming Arrival Miles
Arrival miles aren’t normal miles in the rewards world sense. Not like American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards, Arrival miles cannot be transferred to other airline and hotel partners. Rather, they are much like cash and are used to offset travel expenses like: flights, hotel stays, cruises, cab fares, and more. This means you have spending flexibility, and you don’t have to deal with blackout dates and award availability. Additionally, it’s a easy and straightforward redemption process.
The minimum to redeem is 2,500 miles or $25. You can use your miles as soon as a purchase posts to your account, or you can wait up to 180 days. After you’ve picked an item to redeem, Barclays will tell you how many miles you’ll get back with the 5% rebate. However, you have to be patient, these can take up to a couple weeks to credit.
You’ll be able to redeem Arrival miles for non-travel related awards: statement credits, gift cards, and merchandise, and lesser value per mile.
Barclaycard Arrival Tips & Tricks
Best Value Awards. The most valuable Arrival miles redemptions are travel statement credits at $0.01 per mile with a 5% redemption rebate.
Worst Value Awards. Using your Arrival miles for non-travel statement credits lowers your rewards value by about $0.005 per mile. In general, you will need 5,000 Arrival miles to redeem for $25 in statement credits or gift cards.
Credit Card Pairings. Barclaycards that earn Arrival miles have fixed rates, so they go perfectly with a card that features rotating bonus categories. For example, the Discover it Cash Back Card or Chase Freedom Flex. Use one of these cards when you make purchases in the high-earning bonus categories and charge all other spending to your Barclaycard.
![]() The Chase Freedom FlexSM offers a $150 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.24% - 27.99%. You'll earn: • Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! • 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more • 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service • Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases You cash back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open and there is no minimum to redeem for cash back. This card has no annual fee. |
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Conclusion
Overall, Barclaycard Arrival offers a great alternative to the more popular rewards programs since it’s a simple and straightforward card. Not to mention, it’s flexible and offers great perks as well. It’s better recommended for big spenders and frequent flyers who aren’t fans of restrictions.
If you’re looking for a rewards program with transferable rewards, check out: Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Rewards, or Citi ThankYou Rewards instead.