American Express and British Airways launch new credit card for UK business owners

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American Express and British Airways launch new credit card for UK business owners

  • The new British Airways American Express® Accelerating Business Card is the only business credit card that lets business owners earn both accelerated On Business Points and Avios, making it a fast way to turn company spend into travel rewards and savings.*
  • New Cardmembers will earn 2,200 On Business Points if they spend £3,000 or more in the first three months of Cardmembership.**

LONDON, UK, 2019-Sep-26 — /Travel PR News/ — American Express and British Airways are launching a new credit card for business owners who want to maximise their company spending and earn significant travel benefits to help their business go further. The British Airways American Express® Accelerating Business Card is open for applications from today (24 September 2019).

It is the only business credit card that enables UK SME owners to earn both accelerated On Business Points and Avios with British Airways. New Cardmembers earn 2,200 On Business Points when spending £3,000 or more in the first three months of Cardmembership, which is enough to redeem a return flight from London to Amsterdam, Frankfurt or Zurich for anyone working for their business.** The points can also be put towards an upgrade.***

Cardmembers will receive an annual bonus of 3,000 On Business Points if they spend £20,000 or more by their Card anniversary, equivalent to another return flight to Europe for themselves or another employee.**** They will also earn 1.5 Avios for every eligible £1 spent on their Card^ and 1.5 On Business Points for every eligible £1 spent with British Airways.***

On Business is British Airways’ complimentary loyalty programme to help company owners and their employees make the most of their corporate travel. Business travel can be unpredictable, and one of the advantages of On Business is that it lets business travellers book seats using their points up to one day before travel and make date and time changes to flights at no additional cost.

Avios can be spent on reward flights, upgrades, hotels, car rental and used for part payment, allowing customers to cut the cost of their personal flights, all through the British Airways Executive Club.

The British Airways American Express® Accelerating Business Card also gives SMEs greater control over their cashflow. A key Card benefit is the access to up to 56 calendar days without interest^^ or the choice to pay over time.

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.”

Ailis Gavan, On Business Manager at British Airways, said: “This new card offers business owners across the UK the opportunity to collect On Business Points, as well as Avios. Businesses can spend these On Business Points on seats and upgrades through our On Business programme, which is free to join and can make business travel simpler with an online travel management tool.”

The additional benefits of the Card are:

  • Complimentary Supplementary Cards for up to 99 employees, so business owners can consolidate all business expenses and manage the spend under one Business Card Account easily. This can also help build up Avios and On Business Points balances faster, which can be reinvested in future business travel. Avios from all supplementary card spend are earned by the main cardholder.
  • Access to the 24/7 Global Assist® phone line.
  • Emergency Card Replacement service.
  • Travel insurance including cover for flight cancellations, delays and delayed luggage when paying with the Card, and greater protection if flying with British Airways.^^^
  • Purchase and Refund Protection.^^^

For more information about the British Airways American Express® Accelerating Business Card please visit americanexpress.com/uk/business/credit-cards/british-airways-accelerating-card

ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS

American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.  Learn more at www.americanexpress.com/uk/ and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpressUK, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/AmexUK, and youtube.com/AmericanExpressUK.

ABOUT BRITISH AIRWAYS ON BUSINESS

On Business is the British Airways complimentary loyalty programme for businesses designed with travel savings and flexibility in mind.

On Business Points can be earned every time you fly with British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia, meaning you can save money with reward flights and cabin upgrades, and get access to a worldwide network of destinations.

On Business lets you spend points up to one day before travel and make date and time changes to your reward flights.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Rates and information correct at date of issue.

* Representative example

Representative APR Purchase Rate Assumed Credit Limit Annual Fee
81.6% APR variable 22.9% p/a variable £1,200 £210

Your interest rate and credit limit will vary depending on your individual circumstances.

** The 2,200 bonus On Business Points will be awarded once you have been approved and you have spent and charged a minimum of £3,000 on goods and services to the Card Account within three months of Account opening. Interest, fees (including default fees), balance transfers, cash advances (including transactions treated as cash), loading of prepaid cards, American Express Travellers Cheque purchases or foreign exchange transactions and any amounts that are subsequently re-credited to your Card Account by way of refunds or other types of credit, are not eligible towards the bonus. Your Account must be in good standing at the time of earning the bonus. All introductory offers are subject to change and can be withdrawn at any time. On Business Points are issued and redeemed subject to On Business Programme terms and conditions. Terms taxes, fees and carrier chargers apply. Based on a return Euro Traveller ticket. Some return fares exceed 3,000 On Business Points.

***Your Company will earn an incremental 50% more On Business Points on the base On Business earn for British Airways flights purchased on the Card. For illustrative purposes, you would earn 1.5 On Business Points for every eligible £1 spent directly with British Airways for eligible flights purchased with this Card Account. Of this, 0.5 On Business Points compose the Amex Accelerator, the remainder being your base On Business Point earn. Please refer to full benefit terms and conditions associated with your Card Account for all benefit eligibility criteria. On Business Points are issued and redeemed subject to On Business Programme terms and conditions.

**** The 3,000 bonus On Business Points will be awarded once you have spent and charged a minimum of £20,000 by the Card Anniversary of your primary Card. Interest, fees (including default fees), balance transfers, cash advances (including transactions treated as cash), loading of prepaid cards, American Express Travellers Cheque purchases or foreign exchange transactions and any amounts that are subsequently re-credited to your Card Account by way of refunds or other types of credit, are not eligible towards the bonus. Your Account must be in good standing at the time of earning the bonus. On Business Points are issued and redeemed subject to On Business Programme terms and conditions. Based on a return Euro Traveller ticket. Please note some return fares exceed 3,000 On Business Points.

^ You will be awarded 1.5 Avios for every eligible £1 spent and charged per transaction. Avios are not earned on interest, fees (including default fees), balance transfers, cash advances (including transactions treated as cash), loading of prepaid cards, American Express Travellers Cheque purchases or foreign exchange transactions; and any amounts that are subsequently re-credited to your Card Account by way of refunds or other types of credit. Please refer to full benefit terms and conditions associated with your Card Account for all eligibility criteria.  Avios are issued and redeemed subject to British Airways Executive Club terms and conditions and will be reflected on your British Airways Executive Club account.

^^ The maximum amount of time for without interest payment on purchases is 56 calendar days and is obtained only if you spend on the first day of the new statement period and repay the balance in full on the due date. If you only make a minimum payment every month, then interest rates will apply, and it will take you longer to pay off your balance.

^^^ Please read the Insurance Documentation of your Card for full details of the Protection benefits currently available and to understand the limits and exclusions that may apply.

Examples are representative of redeeming On Business Points and correct as of August 2019 and subject to change.  Find out more about the On Business Programme, the booking process, and terms and conditions on ba.com/onbusiness. On Business flights and cabin upgrades are subject to applicable taxes, fees, carrier charges and surcharges.

American Express Services Europe Limited has its registered office at Belgrave House, 76 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 9AX, United Kingdom. It is registered in England and Wales with Company Number 1833139 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Contact Details:

For more information please contact press.office@ba.com.

Source: British Airways

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