British Airways has launched a new American Express corporate credit card aimed at SMEs and offering both Avios and On Business Points.
The British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card has an annual fee of £210, and offers cardholders 2,200 On Business Points when they spend £3,000 or more in their first three months, as well as annual bonus of a further 3,000 points when they spend £20,000 by their card anniversary.
The card also offers the following Avios and On Business Points for ongoing expenditure:
- 1.5 Avios per £1 spent on the card
- 1.5 On Business Points per £1 spent with British Airways
American Express says that the new card “is the only credit card for SMEs that lets business owners earn both accelerated On Business Points and Avios”.
There are two existing British Airways Amex Corporate cards which do both offer Avios and On Business Points, but these are both charge cards.
Amex also notes that “many small and medium-sized businesses are not eligible for our Corporate programme due to minimum requirements for turnover and number of employees, so this Card allows companies of all sizes to earn these benefits”.
BA’s On Business loyalty programme allows VAT-registered companies to join and earn both On Business Points and Avios on flights – more information on the scheme can be found here.
The new card has a representative APR of 81.6 per cent, a purchase rate of 22.9 per cent variable, an assumed credit limit of £1,200, and up to 56 days credit interest free.
Other highlighted benefits of the card include complimentary supplementary cards for up to 99 employees (Avios from all supplementary card spend are earned by the main cardholder), and travel insurance including cover for flight cancellations, delays and delayed luggage when paying with the card.
Commenting on the launch Colin O’Flaherty, general manager, global commercial services, UK at American Express, said:
“We work with thousands of business owners across the UK and we know that their world never stands still, and that they are always looking for the next opportunity to take their business further.
“We are therefore delighted to launch the British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card which will help company owners leverage their spending and earn rewards which can help progress and strengthen their businesses.”
