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. 

The Barclaycard business products offered in the United States are limited to just three business credit cards: the AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard, the Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard, and the JetBlue Business Card. You’ll need good credit, a score of 700+, to qualify for any of these cards. 

Barclays Bank is based in London, and its U.S. operations are headquartered in New York City. It offers business banking in the U.K., but not in the U.S. Its corporate focus stateside is just on business credit cards. 

Here’s what you should know about Barclaycard business credit cards:

• AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard:2 miles for every $1 spent on American Airlines purchases and at office supply stores, car rental agencies, and telecom merchants. 1 mile per $1 on everything else. $95 annual fee.
                                             
  First checked bag free for up to four passengers. Companion certificate each year when you spend $30,000. 25% statement credit on American Airlines food and beverage purchases. Good credit required.
• Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard:50,000 bonus miles when you make a purchase in the first 90 days. 20,000 bonus miles when you spend $50,000-$99,999 in a year, or 40,000 when you spend $100,000+. 2 miles per $1 on Hawaiian Airlines purchases and 1 on everything else.
                         
  One-time 50% off companion discount for round-trip between Hawaii and North America. $99 annual fee. Good credit required.
• JetBlue Business Card: Limited time 40,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in your first 90 days. 5,000 points every account anniversary. 6 points per $1 on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per $1 at restaurants and office supply stores, and 1 on everything else.
                 
  10% of your points back when you redeem. 50% savings on JetBlue in-flight purchases. Free first checked bag for you and 3 companions. $100 annual statement credit for purchasing a JetBlue Getaways vacation package of $100+. $99 annual fee. Good credit required.

If the airline miles offered by Barclaycard business credit cards aren’t for you, there are plenty of good cards from other issuers to consider. For example, the Chase Ink Preferred Card for Business offers 80,000 initial bonus points. And the Capital One Spark Cash card gets you a $500 cash bonus.

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.

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.

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 Barclaycard balance transfer fee is 3% of the amount transferred or $5 (whichever is more) for all Barclays credit cards but the Ring Card. Barclaycard Ring’s balance transfer fee is2% (min. $5).

Barclaycard’s balance transfer fees, like those charged by most credit card issuers, are a percentage of the amount you’re transferring or a flat fee, whichever is greater. So if you’re transferring $166 or less, you’ll pay a flat $5. If it’s more than that, you’ll pay 2% or 3% of the transfer amount.

The balance transfer fee gets added to what you owe as soon as you make a transfer. If you have a 0% balance transfer Barclaycard, you won’t have to pay interest on that balance until your intro rate ends. And luckily, there are several excellent Barclaycard 0% balance transfer offers.

Barclaycard Balance Transfer Offers:

• Barclaycard Ring: 0% for 15 months*, 2% balance transfer fee, $0 annual fee
• Barclaycard Arrival Plus: 0% for 12 billing cycles*, 3% balance transfer fee, $89 annual fee ($0 first year)
• JetBlue Card: 0% for 12 months, 3% balance transfer fee, $0 annual fee
• Frontier Airlines Credit Card: 0% for 15 months, 3% balance transfer fee, $79 annual fee
• Lufthansa Miles & More World Elite Mastercard: 0% for 15 months, 3% balance transfer fee, $89 annual fee

While Barclaycard has plenty of cards offering 0% intro APR for balance transfers, it’s not recommended to get a balance transfer card that has an annual fee. Your best option is the Barclaycard Ring, thanks to its long 0% intro period, $0 annual fee, and a lower balance transfer fee than other Barclays credit cards.

The most common Barclaycard benefits for credit cards include no foreign transaction fees, $0 liability for unauthorized purchases, concierge services, and free access to FICO credit scores. Annual companion tickets and discounted flights are also available on some Barclays cards that are co-branded with airlines.

Some Barclaycard credit cards, such as the Uber credit card and the Arrival Plus World Elite card (no longer accepting applications), offer cardholders quite a few additional benefits too. Price and purchase protection, extended warranties, rental car insurance, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance and concierge services all come with these 2 cards.

The Uber Visa card also offers cell phone insurance, which reimburses up to $600 for a stolen or damaged cell phone.

The Uber Card’s benefits include cellphone insurance, rental car insurance, baggage insurance, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, no foreign transaction fees, purchase assurance, free FICO score access, and price protection. There’s also a $50 yearly credit for online subscription services after spending $5,000 in net purchases over a year, which is a nice perk.

That $50 credit covers popular choices like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, HBO NOW, DirecTV NOW, Audible, and Shoprunner. Music subscriptions that qualify for the credit include Apple Music, Google Music, Amazon Music, Sirius XM, Spotify, and Pandora.

Another popular Uber Card benefit is cell phone insurance. If you pay your cellphone bill with your Uber card, the card’s insurance may give you up to $600 (minus the $25 deductible) if your cellphone is stolen or damaged. You might reconsider travelling with your phone in a checked bag, though, because the Uber Card will not cover a phone stolen out of luggage that’s not in your supervision. Depending on your phone protection claim, they may choose to repair or replace your cell phone, reimburse you up to $600 per claim (up to 2 claims and $1,200 per 12 months), or pay the cellphone provider’s retail estimate for a similar replacement. This insurance kicks in the month after your phone bill is charged to the Uber card, and you’ll keep it as long as you pay your phone bill every month with the card. Rented, borrowed, and prepaid/pay-as-you-go phones are not covered.

Full List of Uber Credit Card Benefits:

• $50 yearly credit for online subscription services after spending $5,000 in net purchases over a year.
• Cellphone insurance, up to 2 claims or $1,200 annually.
• Rental car insurance, up to the actual cash value of the car.
• Baggage insurance, up to $300 or $100 per day for 3 days.
• Travel accident insurance, up to $250,000.
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance, up to $1,500.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Purchase assurance, on items damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase; up to $500 per loss or $50,000 per year.
• Free FICO score access.
• Price protection on items within 120 days of purchase, up to $250 per claim (max. 4 claims per year).
• Satisfaction guarantee on non-returnable purchases up to $500 (max. $1,000 per year) within 90 days of purchase.
• Warranty manager provides the ability to manage product warranties, and extends eligible warranties (cannot be longer than 3 years) for up to 1 year past their expiration date. Max. $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per cardholder.

Before relying on any of these benefits, check to make sure you fit the criteria for coverage. Credit card companies have been cutting card benefits with a heavy hand in the past few years, and these benefits can change or be cancelled at any time.

The Uber Credit Card requires a credit score of 700 or higher for good approval odds. A credit score of 700+ is considered at least “good” credit. Applicants might have a chance at getting the Uber Credit Card with a lower score. For example, there are reports of people getting approved for this card with scores in the 600s. But the chances aren’t nearly as good. There’s currently no way to see if you prequalify for the Uber Card.

The Uber Card’s credit score requirement is in line with what it takes to get other Barclays credit cards. They all require at least good credit or better, and some require excellent credit (750+). Your credit score isn’t the only thing Barclays will consider when evaluating your application, either. You must be at least 18 years old to apply for the Uber Card (or any credit card). They’ll also take your income into account. If you’re under 21, you must have independent income to qualify—i.e., not someone else’s shared income. And they won’t approve you for a card if you’ve defaulted with them in the past.

The Uber Visa Card certainly seems worth improving your credit score for, especially if you dine out frequently. The card gives 4 points per $1 spent on dining, which is the highest rate on the market for that category. Dining is more than just restaurants, too—it includes Uber Eats, takeout, and bars. Plus, you’ll earn 10,000 points for spending $500 in the first 90 days, which means an extra $100 to spend on pizza and cocktails.

You can apply for the Uber Visa card through the Uber mobile app or the Barclays website.