Best Barclays Credit Cards

Barclaycard approval odds largely depend on your credit score, income and debt. All Barclays credit cards require a minimum of 700 or 750 credit score; this means you need either good or excellent credit to get approved for a Barclaycard. And that alone tells you the average American’s Barclaycard approval odds aren’t so hot. The average credit score is below 700, and you need to be above that mark for good Barclays approval odds.

Here’s what you should know about your Barclaycard approval odds:

• Barclaycard will consider your credit history, income, existing debt and number of recent inquiries, among other things, when reviewing your application. The exact approval criteria for each card aren’t public, though.
• Some Barclaycards require excellent credit for approval.
• The vast majority of Barclaycard credit cards require at least good credit for approval.
• When applying, you must provide your permanent address, date of birth, Social Security number and mother’s maiden name.
• Business card applicants must provide their company’s legal name, trade name and phone number, plus how many employees they have, how long they’ve been in business, and their annual revenue.
• You can’t check if you’re pre-approved for a Barclaycard. You could receive a pre-approved offer in the mail, but there’s no way to request that.
• You should check your latest credit score before applying. If it’s not good enough for a Barclaycard yet, you’ll want to look into other cards for building credit.

The best thing you can do for your Barclaycard approval odds is use credit responsibly. Paying down balances, making payments on time and not maxing out your existing cards all help your chances. And if Barclaycards aren’t a realistic option right now, you still have choices. Plenty of other credit card companies have offers for people with fair, limited and bad credit.

To check your Barclays credit card balance, log in to your Barclays account online or call credit card customer service at 1 (866) 928-8598. It’s also possible to check your Barclays credit card balance through the Barclaycard app.

How to Check Your Barclays Credit Card Balance

• Online: Log in to your Barclays account and if you have more than one Barclays card, click on “View All Accounts,” then select a card to see its balance. You can also check your Barclays credit card online through the Barclaycard app.
• Phone: Call 1 (866) 928-8598 and follow the prompts to have the automated system read your current balance.
• App: Log in to the Barclays app. Your credit card balance will be shown on the home page.

It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your credit card balance. If your balance seems higher than it should be, take a moment to look over your recent transactions for anything out of the ordinary.

To contact Barclaycard, call 1-866-928-8598 or dial the number on the back of your card to speak with a representative over the phone. Another way to contact Barclays is to log in to your online account and select “Contact Us” to send a secure message or start a chat session with a rep. Finally, you can contact Barclaycard by sending a letter to their mailing address for general inquiries:

General Correspondence
Card Services
P.O. Box 8801
Wilmington, DE 19899-8801

Chatting with a customer service representative online or over the phone is the fastest way to get in touch with Barclaycard because you can talk to a live rep 24/7. Sending a secure message is also quite fast, as Barclays will try to get back to you within 24 hours.

The Barclaycard Arrival login page is located at barclaycardus.com.There isn’t a special page for Arrival Plus cardholders. All of Barclaycard’s U.S. credit card customers log in the same way. On that note, Barclays is an international banking institution. So make sure not to use one of the login pages for foreign customers.

Once you arrive at the Barclaycard login page, you’ll just need to enter your username and password to access your account. You can view your transactions, request a credit limit increase, do balance transfers, redeem rewards and more.

• If you don’t have your Barclaycard Arrival login credentials yet, there’s a box labelled “New Cardmembers,” followed by a button that says, “Set up online access.” Once you click that, you’ll need to provide the last 4 digits of your SSN as well as your date of birth, account number and citizenship status. After verifying your identity, you will be able to create a username and password.
• If you’ve submitted an application but have yet to heard back, you can check its status using the Barclaycard login page, too. Below “Forgot username or password?”, you’ll find the following: “Already applied? Check the statusof your application now.” Just click it and enter your name, last 4 SSN digits, zip code and email. And you’ll get an update.

Lastly, you can also log into your Arrival account through the Barclaycard mobile app, available for both Apple and Android devices. Once you log in, you’ll be able to access all the same functions of the Barclaycard website right from your phone or other device.

The Barclaycard foreign transaction fee is either 0% or 3%, depending on the card. So, it’s a good idea to check which Barclaycards come with 0% foreign fees before applying.

Here are some good Barclaycards with 0% foreign transaction fee:

• Emirates Skywards Premium Credit Card
• Wyndham Credit Card
• JetBlue Plus Card
• Lufthansa Credit Card
• Holland America Line Credit Card

If you’re planning to travel overseas a lot, I’d definitely recommend getting one of the cards with 0% foreign transaction fee. After all, vacations are expensive enough without adding an extra 3% to the price of everything.

It’s also good to remember that you don’t have to travel to be charged a foreign fee. If you buy something online from a vendor in another country and get it shipped to you, foreign transaction fees apply there, too.

Ultimately, you can check out our editors’ latest picks for the best no foreign transaction fee credit cards on the market.

To reach the Barclaycard reconsideration line, call (866) 408-4064. The Barclaycard reconsideration line is a way for denied credit card applicants to request a second review of their application and potentially get the denial overturned.

You should call the Barclaycard reconsideration line if:

• There was a major mistake on your credit report
• You just paid off a big debt
• Your credit score has improved significantly since you applied
• Your income went up
• There is incomplete or incorrect information on the application

Basically, anything that improves your borrowing profile in a meaningful way could be relevant for reconsideration. But if nothing has changed, the result is unlikely to either. Your rationale for reconsideration should ideally address the reason you got rejected, which credit card companies are required to disclose.

If you think there’s an argument to be made, you can contact the Barclaycard reconsideration department by phone ((866) 408-4064) or by mail at the following address:

Card Services

P.O. Box 8801

Wilmington, DE 19899-8801

In case your application is still denied, you should consider:

• Improving your credit score
• Applying for a credit card that might be easier to get 
• Becoming an authorized user on someone else's account.

Barclays credit cards can be either Visa or Mastercard, depending on the card. For example, the Wyndham Credit Card is on the Visa network, while the JetBlue Plus Card is on the Mastercard network.

Popular Barclays Credit Cards by Network

There are a few differences between Visa and Mastercard credit cards, such as the network-level benefits they offer, but those differences are relatively small. The two card networks have a lot in common, including extensive worldwide acceptance. Because the features the networks offer are so similar, it’s more worthwhile to compare individual credit card offers than to focus on getting a card from a particular network.

There isn’t a Barclaycard for bad credit. All Barclaycards require at least good credit, and some require excellent credit.

But Barclays isn’t the only issuer out there, and several others have secured cards for people who are rebuilding their credit. Secured cards are generally open to those with bad credit because they require a security deposit. The deposit serves as your credit limit, and as collateral if you default. If you pay off your balance and close your account, you’ll get your deposit back. Some of the best options even offer rewards.

Here are some alternatives to a Barclaycard for bad credit:

Minimum deposit is $200. Your deposit serves as your credit limit. $35 annual fee. No credit check when you apply.

1% cash back on gas and grocery purchases, as well as 1% back on mobile phone, internet, cable and satellite TV services. Unsecured credit card, with a $300 initial credit limit. Annual fee: $75 intro 1st yr, $99 after.

5% cash back on two categories of your choice (up to $2,000 each quarter), 5% back on prepaid air, hotel and car reservations booked in the Rewards Travel Center, 2% back on your choice of one everyday category (like gas stations, grocery stores or restaurants) and 1% back on all other purchases. Minimum deposit is $200. Your deposit serves as your credit limit. $35 annual fee.

5% cash back on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, as well as 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. Minimum deposit is $200. Your deposit serves as your credit limit. $0 annual fee.

The best alternative to a Barclaycard for bad credit is a secured card from another major issuer. While there are unsecured credit cards for bad credit, their secured counterparts will often have better rates and even offer rewards. If you pay your bills on time and avoid maxing out your credit limit, you’ll start seeing your credit score go up.

You can check your Barclaycard application status on the Barclays application status website. Just enter your last name, the last 4 digits of your Social Security number, your zip code, and your email address. Barclays can take 7-14 days to approve or deny credit card applications.

If your application is still pending online, you can call the Barclays reconsideration line at (866) 408-4064 for a faster decision. The reconsideration line is intended as an appeal option for people who’ve been denied a credit card, but it’s also helpful if you want to speak to a Barclays employee about a pending application. They should have the latest information about your application status.

You won’t be able to check on the status of a credit application through the main customer service lines. If you call to check on an application, the automated system will direct you to the Barclays application status website.

Approved applicants will get their new Barclays credit card within 14 days of approval. If you’re denied, you’ll receive a letter in the mail within 30 days explaining why. Denied applicants who have extra information that could potentially tip the scales the other way can call the Barclaycard reconsideration line at (866) 408-4064. You’ll be connected with an analyst who can discuss your application. The line is open from 8 am ET until midnight, 7 days a week.

The Uber Credit Card benefits include cellphone insurance, rental car insurance, and travel accident insurance, among other things. But this card is not available to new applicants anymore. However, existing cardholders enjoy the following benefits:

• Cellphone insurance
• Rental car insurance
• Travel accident insurance
• Baggage insurance
• Travel accident insurance
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• 0% foreign transaction fees
• Purchase protection
• Free FICO score access
• Price protection

The Uber Credit Card might not accept new applicants anymore, but this doesn’t mean that you are out of options.

The Platinum Card® from American Express, for example, gives you a $200 annual Uber credit. With this card, you also get 1 - 5 points per $1 spent that you can use toward Uber rides. For more options, you can check out some of the best credit cards for Uber to see which one suits your needs better.