My New Barclaycard Arrival MasterCard: $440 Sign-Up Bonus For Any Travel Expense + 2.2% Cash Back

51 Comments

1. I used your link and got the card for my wife today but I was declined. I will try again in the future.

2. Would the Barclays Arrival card work for dinner at a hotel… even if I was not spending the night? What about buying a gift certificate at the hotel?

   1. It will work as long as your purchase is coded as travel. For example, if you are getting dinner at the hotel and your purchase is charged as the hotel, that’s travel. But if it’s charged as the restaurant, then no. With gift certificates, same thing. If your purchase shows up as hotel coded purchase, then it will work.

3. Pingback: Maine and Acadia National Park with Miles and Points
4. Pingback: Buying Vanilla Reloads with Barclaycard Arrival = 64% Off All Travel
5. Pingback: Use AAdvantage Miles and Elite Status to Get Discounts On Hotels
6. Pingback: Miles to Milan: A $10,000 European Summer Trip for $266

7. I used your link and got the card.

   Thanks,

   Zohaib

   1. Excellent! Enjoy your new card and travel!

8. I need clarification. I have many UR points through Chase. How do the Barclay points work if I book an international flight? Do I combine the with the UR points? Please walk me through the process. Do I book directly through their travel site or can I go online and find the best price to book with rewards? The Barclay card looks interesting but I don’t know how to use the reward miles.
   Thanks
   Shaine

   1. Barclay miles don’t combine with Ultimate Rewards. You just pay for the travel expense with your Barclaycard and then go online to credit the miles toward the purchase once it posts to your credit card. You can do this for any purchase within 90 days. For example, if you book an airline ticket, just pay for it with your Barclaycard Arrival as you would normally and then redeem your miles for 1 cent each. It’s exactly the same process if you book a hotel. Just use your Barclaycard online directly through the hotel website or any other travel site where you can find the best deal and then redeem the miles for a statement credit. I like the card for its simplicity to use :)

9. You had mentioned in your August 28, 2013 email: “The card has an $89 annual fee, but I am planning to downgrade it to the no annual fee version after a year and keep the card. ”
   How is the downgraded card different?
   Thanks!
   Stephan

   1. The downgraded card does not earn a sign-up bonus and only earns 1 point per dollar spent. But I generally like to try to keep a card with no annual fee if I can and avoid canceling.

10. I think this card is worse than Priceline card from Barclays. Priceline gives you 2 points per dollar for every purchase, then it gives 5 points per dollar for Priceline NYOP, which I use very often. You can redeem against any purchase above $25, and if you’re redeeming against Priceline purchase, you use 10%-30% less points.

    1. You’re absolutely right that, for someone who uses Priceline name your own price a ton, the Priceline card is worth taking a look at. One thing to keep in mind is the Priceline card only comes with a 10,000 point bonus worth $200 towards non-Priceline purchases. You’d have to earn another 10,000 points before you make up the bonus difference in Priceline Name Your Own Price. That entails $2500 in Priceline Name Your Own Price (as the 4 points are extra on top of Arrival) just to break even on the bonus. I don’t use priceline anywhere near that much (maybe a few hundred a year at most) so, for me, the Barclaycard Arrival is far better. I also like to be able to redeem for any travel purchase, which I can use Barclaycard at 2.2% and Priceline card at only 2%. For someone who spends thousands each year on Priceline Name Your Own Price, the Priceline card can be a good option.

       1. I think you’re missing the point. Priceline is better, because you can redeem not just for travel, but for anything. And there is no annual fee. The bonus is small, but this is not the point. Redemption rate against priceline purchases value priceline point at 1.1-1.3 cent. And if you have not enough points to redeem, you can always buy points using Vanilla reloads at the price of ~ 0.4 cents per point. Almost all of my hotel stays are free this way. I also used priceline to purchase airline tickets and rental cars, which came up at around 1/2 of regular price.
          Then there is also JCB Marukai Premium card, which gives you approximately 3% cashback on everything. But this is a pure cashback card. I use it as a catchup card, where there no other 5% category card can be used.

          1. Your point was very clear, no worries :) Although the Priceline card can be used for any kind of statement credit, money is fungible and there isn’t any advantage to having a 2% cash back card with more flexibility if you’re already traveling and using up enough money on travel expenses; in that case, it’s better to get 2.2% cash back card. That is, if you’re generating enough travel expenses to use your points (and I certainly do between hotel room bills, train tickets, even taxis), then additional flexibility adds no value. You still have to pay for your hotel incidentals and you may as well get 2.2% cash back rather than 2%. Like I said, if you are a big Priceline user, then it’s a card worth looking into. For me, the lower sign-up bonus is a big minus as I don’t spend thousands on Priceline every year. Everyone has a personal situation and there is no one size fits all :)

             Thank you also for pointing out the JCB Marukai card. JCB Marukai card is only available to residents of California and Hawaii. It’s a useful card, after taking into account it has no sign-up bonus. And like you said, why not get multiple cards for different situations.

             1. Marukai USA sold to Don Quijote (via Pan Pacific Int’l)

                Possible changes to JCB Marukai Premium card ahead? Considering Don Quijote offers branded CC in Japan (Cedyna (SMFG) Club Donpen V/MC/JCB card (pre 2010: DC (MUFG) MC / GE Visa/JCB)), there shouldn’t be any drastic changes in the near term. FYI: Yaohan USA => Mitsuwa Yaohan => Mitsuwa Marketplace conversion did take a year or two.

                If not already, those that have JCB Marukai Premium card should work on getting the $5k yearly spend for the extra $50 cash back.

                All 11 Marukai Stores to Be Sold — Don Quijote to take over management on Sept. 30.
                Sep 4 2013 Takashi Ishihara (as translated by J.K. Yamamoto)
                http://www.rafu.com/2013/09/all-11-marukai-stores-to-be-sold/

                Buyout intent by Don Quijote (Jul 26 2013)
                http://www.donki.com/shared/pdf/ir/ir_kaiji_shiryou/165/130726_marukai_e_TxESo.pdf

       2. Yugi, where are you seeing 2% on the Priceline card? It looks like they only give 1%, as detailed on both Priceline and Barclays sites. The $440 free dollars and 2.2% back on this card is better than 1%, even if it’s cash back, so to speak. Did I miss a link to the 2% claim? That’s a sincere question, I’m not trying to flame you.

11. JCB is available for residents of California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. I like this card also because that people don’t know what is it, and in some places where only visa or MC are accepted, you handle them JCB, and it works just fine.
    I would also like to mention, that priceline hotel network is by far bigger than any other hotel chain like SPG, Club Carlson, Hilton or something else, and the prices you get using NYOP are by far lower.

12. Just wanted to let you know I applied for the card just now using your referral link. I appreciate your thoughtful blog!

    1. Thank you! Enjoy the card and your travels and I hope to continue the blog thoughtfulness for a long time to come :)

13. Thanks for the precise information on Barclaycard Arrival, I was looking for one! :) Just to make sure, all the miles we earn can only be redeemed towards travel purchases as a statement credit; not for all the purchases, right? I am trying to make a decision between Chase Sapphire Preferred and Barclays Arrival, it would help in that.
    Also, do I have an option of downgrading to no annual fee version after a year like in Chase from Sapphire Preferred to Sapphire, so that I can maintain my credit if I decide to downgrade? Your response will be appreciated!

    1. The Chase Sapphire Preferred is certainly different. You can use the points as cash back at one cent per point and, but for other than dining or travel, that card only earns one point per dollar spent. The Barclaycard Arrival earns two points per dollar and, although these points can only be redeemed for travel, its array of eligible travel expenses is very wide – I even use them for taxi rides in NYC or subway tickets.

       As a strictly cash back for spending card, the Barclaycard Arrival is more valuable provided you have enough travel category expenses. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s hidden value, however, is transferring the points to airline and hotel partners where you can get much value for each point by redeeming for long-haul business class flights (up to 3-4 cents per point or more!).

       You do have the option to downgrade the Barclaycard Arrival to a no-fee card, but that one will only earn 1 point per dollar (as opposed to 2 with the fee card).

       1. Thanks for the explanation, appreciate it! I think I will go with Barclays Arrival eventhough Chase Sapphire is good in looks! :)

          1. It is definitely a slick looking card and indestructible! :)

             1. I’d only use this card for one year, because of sign-up bonus and annual fee waived, then cancel it. After that use priceline card, which has no annual fee. To cover the annual fee with 0.2% over priceline (for redeeming for non NYOP purchases) you need to spend $44500 per year. Another advantage of Arrival is no foreign transaction fee. I don’t see any other advantages over priceline card, especially when you reedem against NYOP purchases, which is what I usually do, then it’s 2.2%-2.6%, (actually more, because you earn 5x for NYOP). I’d have Priceline and Sapphire preferred over Arrival.

             2. That’s correct. The Barclaycard is not as valuable after the first year if you downgrade, of course, and you will then have to make a decision whether the Priceline, Sapphire or another card makes sense for your situation.

             3. Thanks Yugi for the suggestion. Finally, I went with Sapphire card (just could not rule out its looks) as I already have Chase Freedom and I can get some value out of Ultimate Rewards. The Miles Professor, I really appreciate your responses and time for helping me to chose a right card. Thanks for keeping the blog active, I see very useful information on travel planning which I will be needing a lot in next few years! Already asked couple of friends to check it out! :)

             4. Hey Bobby,

                I also ordered Sapphire Preferred today from a Chase branch, based on Miles Professor post about CSP, because the branch has a bit better bonus ($2000 vs $3000 spend), but no 3x points on dining on first Friday of every month, but this is not a big deal.
                I’m going for business trip to India soon, that’s why I needed this card – to get more points for my travel (paid by employer). Another card I was considering is Amex business Gold Rewards, which gives 3x on airlines, but nothing on dining. I think that CSP is a bit better value than Amex.

             5. Bobby, here is the post yugi is talking about: Better Offers at the Local Chase Bank Branch: Chase Sapphire Preferred Lower Spending, United Explorer up to 65k. You can always send Chase a secure message and asked to be matched to the better offer in the bank branch (can include my picture of it).

             6. Thanks guys again for more information on that. Actually, I told the customer representative about this offer on the phone while I was applying but he was not aware of it and said it would be out of date. The state I reside in, has no Chase branch. So, I think I will call them again and send a message on this offer. I will definitely not let it go! :)
                This blog is awesome!!

14. Can you tell me exactly when signup bonus miles will show up on card? will it show up immediately after spending $1000 or I will have to wait for 90 days after spending required min. amount ?

15. We fly primarily domestically here in the USA, and on Southwest if at all possible. We were thinking of getting the Southwest Visa card, would this be a better deal for flying Southwest than their own branded card?

    1. The Southwest Visa would actually be better in most cases if you only specifically want to fly Southwest. They have a 50,000 mile bonus that has come around a few times this year so if you wait a bit and get in on that (though I can’t guarantee it will come up again), it’s a really good deal. Each Southwest point is worth 1.67 cents toward Wanna Get Away fares so a 50k bonus is worth $833 towards airfare. While you do only earn 1 point per dollar (worth 1.67 cents) toward Southwest Airfare (vs. 2.2 cents with Barclaycard), the bonus definitely makes up for it. In addition, you get a mile bonus every time you pay the annual fee with the Southwest card that makes the annual fee worth it. One other thing you may want to look into is the Southwest Companion Pass and the Southwest Visa miles do count toward this. I have a few posts on this.

       Also keep in mind that Southwest is a transfer partner of Ultimate Rewards at a 1:1 ratio so you may want to consider some of the Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards such as Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Ink Bold. These transfers do not count toward Southwest Companion Pass, though.

       1. Thanks for that great reply. It’s so confusing trying to sort all this stuff out.

          From an initial bonus perspective, looks like the difference is about $400 worth of ticketing on Southwest. I’m looking into this because I just got an offer from Southwest Visa with the 50,000 bonus points. So the 50,000 bonus points on this visa provides basically double the value of the 40,000 bonus points with the Barclay’s card, am I looking at that right?

          Then it might be helpful to explain how I’d use the card to see which would be the most valuable. We own a small business and currently use an American Express Business Gold Card linked to their Preferred rewards program (or something like that, accrues membership rewards points). We use it for all the expenses we can and tend to rack up about $2,000 – 3,000 of expenses each month. Some of that is travel but the majority isn’t. We buy things like office supplies, equipment, pay our monthly phone and Internet bill, etc….

          So, looking at ongoing card usage, if I spend $2000 on misc stuff on either card, doesn’t the Barclay’s card translate into more points on Southwest than spending that same amount on the Southwest Visa card? One thing I’m not clear on is if the Barclay’s points convert to usable Southwest credits at the same efficiency as do the points racked up on the Southwest Visa.

          Thanks for writing great reviews and actively responding to folks like me who are a little slow on the uptake with this stuff. I greatly appreciate it!

          1. That’s correct. The 50,000 sign-up bonus on the Southwest Visa is worth $833 while the Barclaycard bonus is worth $440. So that’s about double.

             You can use Barclaycard miles to fly Southwest. They are just worth 2.2 cents each toward any travel expense and a Southwest flight is certainly a travel expense! Let’s take your example where you spend $25,000 a year. For each hundred dollars spent on the Southwest card, you will earn $1.67 cents towards Southwest travel. For each hundred dollars on the Barclaycard, you will earn $2.20 that can also be used toward Southwest travel. That means each hundred dollar spent earns you 53 cents more with the Barclaycard. Spending $25,000 a year, you will earn about $130 more with the Barclaycard. With a $400 bonus different to begin with, it will take you about 3 years to make up that difference through spending without even considering the Southwest annual point bonus.

             In conclusion, if you’re certain you will want to use your credits for Southwest flights, you’re better off going for the Southwest card with the much bigger bonus. You’ll earn $833 to begin with plus $417 every year toward Southwest flights if you spend $25,000 on it.

             1. That’s a great response! I want to make sure I have the math right. How do you come up with the $1.67 per hundred dollars spent for the Southwest card? I know I’m being dense and missing it.

                Right now we have the American Express Business Gold card under their preferred rewards program, or something like that. I think we earn 2 points per dollar spent on a number of things, then a point per dollar on the rest. I’ve gotta see how these points compare to these other options for travel on Southwest. At a minimum, we tend to spend about $1200-$1500 a year with Southwest. With the American Express, it’s nice because we have one account but cards for each of our 3 other employees. Not an option with these other cards, which I assume are intended for personal use but can obviously be used for business purchases.

             2. Each Southwest Rapid Rewards point is worth 1.67 cents towards Wanna Get Away fares.

                There is actually also a business version of the Southwest card. In fact, the 50,000 point offers all came back yesterday and are now available. You may want to check out this post concerning the Southwest Companion Pass: Samba for Miles’ Parents Get the Southwest Companion Pass and Over $3500 in Southwest Tickets! If you manage to earn 110,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points through flights and credit card bonuses in one year, you receive a Companion Pass good for the remaining of the year and the following year.

             3. thanks so much for your help! Looks to me like the Southwest Premier Business card may be our best bet. Get the 50,000 points at signup, 6,000 points every year at renewal, 2 points per $ on partnered travel and 1 point per $ on all other purchases. And I used the number above as an example, we actually spend probably about $3,000/month on business expenses with our American Express right now. For earning flights on Southwest, doesn’t look like there’s a more efficient way to go about it.

                Thanks again!

16. Pingback: Why I Decided Not To Complete The Hyatt Diamond Challenge

17. Hey!

    Thank you for your post! I used your link to signup! I got instantly approved for 4k!! But it is the Platinum version and not the World MasterCard. What are my chance of being upgraded if I call them? Do you have any suggestions?

    1. The issue here is the amount of credit Barclays is willing to extend. They have a minimum requirement for the World Mastercard so the $4,000 only qualifies for the Platinum card. The good news is that this should not change your sign-up bonus or spending! You just won’t get access to the World Mastercard reserved benefits: https://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/aboutourcards/credit/world_card_benefits.html. It’s possible that after 3-6 months of good history, you may be able to call customer service and ask to upgrade to the Mastercard, but this isn’t something I’ve tried myself.

18. Pingback: How I Accidentally Got a Free Business Class Flight to Rio de Janeiro

19. Can you use the points for a Disneyworld vacation package?

20. This thread just helped me tremendously. Thank you so much!

    1. Glad it was useful :)

21. You can also get additional points by participating in the travel community (500 miles for sign up, 200 per story and 10 per kudos (basically a FB like).

22. Just trying to understand how the redeeming of the miles thing for “coded travel” works. So if I purchase tickets using this card on united.com, I can redeem the Barclays miles to pay off my bill because it would be coded as “travel”. But if I spend $100 on let’s say potato chips, would I not be able to redeem 10,000 miles to pay off the $100 of potato chips? I thought I could redeem the miles for pretty much anything, or it has to be specific to something that’s coded in their system?

23. have been following your blog since last couple of months thanks its really useful..have learned a lot..
    Just ordered this card via your link..

    1. Thank you! Glad it was useful :)

Comments are closed.