Barclays Credit Cards

A Barclays business credit card is best for frequent business travelers. That’s because all three Barclays business cards offered in the U.S. are co-branded with a specific airline. You can choose from American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue, as of February 2019.

Here are the best Barclays business credit cards:

• American Airlines AAdvantage® Aviator™ Business Credit Card
• Hawaiian Airlines Credit Card
• JetBlue Business Credit Card

If you want maximum travel rewards but don’t want to be tied to a single airline, consider a general-purpose travel rewards card. Some allow you to redeem points or miles for statement credits toward any travel purchase, and you’ll have more choices when booking flights.

There isn’t one standard Barclaycard foreign transaction fee. But most Barclaycards don’t charge foreign fees. That includes Arrival Plus, which is the best Barclaycard in my opinion. Others have a 3% foreign transaction fee though, so it’s a good idea to check before applying.

Here are the Barclaycards with no foreign transaction fee:

• American Airlines AAdvantage Aviator Silver Credit Card
  
• Barclaycard Arrival Plus
  
• JetBlue Plus Card
  
• Lufthansa credit card
  
• Mastercard Black Card

These Barclaycards have a 3% foreign transaction fee:

• Barclaycard CashForward World Mastercard
  
• Frontier Airlines Credit Card with No Annual Fee

If you’re planning to travel overseas a lot, I’d definitely recommend getting one of the cards with no foreign transaction fee. After all, vacations are expensive enough without adding an extra 3% to the price of everything. And I’d say Barclaycard Arrival Plus is probably the best option of all these credit cards. There’s no foreign transaction fee, and it doesn’t tie you to a specific airline like some of the others. It has a really solid initial bonus too.

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. 

There isn’t a Barclaycard for bad credit. All Barclaycards require at least good credit, and some require excellent credit. So if your credit score is below 700, Barclaycards won’t be easy to get. And bad credit is anything under 640, well below the Barclaycard range.

But Barclaycard isn’t the only issuer out there, and several others have secured cards for people who are rebuilding their credit. Secured cards are easier for people with bad credit to get 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.

Alternatives to a Barclaycard for bad credit:

• Discover it Secured Credit Card: No annual fee. 2% cash back on $1,000 in gas and restaurant spending each quarter. Discover matches all your cash back on your 1st anniversary. Security deposit between $200 and $2,500. Your credit line is the same as your deposit.
• Capital One Secured Credit Card: No annual fee or rewards. Minimum deposit of $49, $99 or $200, depending on your creditworthiness. Your credit line is $200, plus anything you add over your minimum security deposit.
• Wells Fargo Secured Credit Card: $25 annual fee. No rewards. Minimum security deposit of $300. Your deposit serves as your credit line.
• Open Sky Secured Credit Card: $35 annual fee. No rewards. No credit check when you apply. Minimum deposit is $200. Your deposit serves as your credit limit.

The best alternative to a Barclaycard for bad credit is a secured card from another major issuer. 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 request a Barclays credit limit increase online or by calling the number on the back of your card. You’re not guaranteed an increase with either method, but there’s a good way to estimate your chances. You’re more likely to get a Barclays credit limit increase if you’ve had your account for at least 6 months, you’ve always paid on time, and you haven’t seen any big drops in your credit score recently. Just keep in mind that if you ask for an increase, Barclays will do a hard inquiry into your credit report, which will cause a temporary drop in your score.

You might not even need to ask. Barclays may give you an automatic credit limit increase any time after the six-month mark if you consistently pay on time and otherwise keep your account in good standing. Automatic increases won’t result in a hard credit pull.

Here’s how to request a Barclays credit limit increase online:

1. Log in to your Barclays. 
2. Click on the “Services” tab.
3. Click on “Request credit line increase.”
4. On the informational page, click on “Request a credit line increase.”
5. Enter the amount of additional credit you’d like, along with your occupation, employer, length of employment and total annual income. 
6. Review your information and submit the request.

It’s possible to get an instant decision on your Barclays credit limit increase request. But it can also take up to 10 business days to hear back by email. 

Here’s how to get a Barclays credit limit increase by phone:

1. Call the number on the back of your card. 
2. Verify your identity with your card number and Social Security number.
3. Tell the Barclays representative you’d like a credit limit increase.
4. Answer questions about your employment and income. 

Getting a credit limit increase is great because it reduces your credit utilization if you keep your spending the same, or allows you to spend more without increasing your utilization. If your Barclays credit limit increase request gets denied, you can ask again once a month has passed. Just don’t forget that each request will result in a hard pull of your credit, which may temporarily damage your credit score, especially when there are lots of them in a short period of time. 

The JetBlue credit card requires a good to excellent credit score to qualify for a card. That means you’ll need a score of at least 700 for the standard JetBlue credit card. A credit score of 750+ will give you a good chance of being approved for the JetBlue Plus card.

A good to excellent credit score doesn’t guarantee approval for either card, but it is an important part of the application. Other factors that will be considered include income, employment status, payment history, and more. JetBlue credit cards are exclusive to Barclays and are on the MasterCard network.

The JetBlue the higher-tier JetBlue Plus are airline rewards cards. If you meet the credit score requirement and are approved for either card, you’ll earn points on your purchases, and plenty of perks when you spend on JetBlue-operated flights.

But there are stark differences between the two, particularly in its initial bonus and rewards earnings. The JetBlue Plus is far superior in these categories, but it comes with a $99 annual fee.

Here is how the JetBlue vs. JetBlue Plus cards compare:

• Annual fee: Jet Blue $0; JetBlue Plus, $99. Jet Blue wins.
• Initial bonus: Jet Blue, 10,000 points when you spend $1,000 in first 90 days; JetBlue Plus, 40,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first 90 days. JetBlue Plus wins.
• Rewards: JetBlue, 3 points per $1 spent on Jet Blue purchases; 2 points at restaurants and grocery stores; 1 point on all other purchases; JetBlue Plus, 6 points per $1 spent on Jet Blue purchases; 2 points at restaurants and grocery stores; 1 point on all other purchases. JetBlue Plus wins.
• Introductory APR: JetBlue and Jet BluePlus both offer 0% interest for12 months on balance posted within the first 45 days. Tie
• Regular APR: JetBlue and Jet BluePlus, 17.74% - 26.74% (V), based on creditworthiness. Tie.
• Foreign Transaction: Neither the JetBlue or JetBlue Plus charges a foreign transaction fee. Tie.
• Other benefits: JetBlue, 50% off in-flight food and beverage purchases; JetBlue Plus, 50% off in-flight food and beverage purchases; free first checked bag for primary cardholder; 5,000 bonus points on your card anniversary; 10% of points back every time you redeem. JetBlue Plus wins.

JetBlue Plus is the clear winner, if you’re a regular JetBlue flyer and will spend enough to recoup the $99 annual fee. If you check four free bags in a year, at $25 per checked bag, the $99 annual fee will have paid for itself.

If you’re a business owner, you’ll need an excellent credit score to qualify for the JetBlue Business card. It offers most of the same features and perks as the JetBlue Plus, but without the introductory 0% APR for balance transfers. It also charges a $99 annual fee.