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Barclays offers international banking services, including a variety of consumer and business credit card products. Its range of credit cards covers all categories, so there’s an option for everyone, whether it’s one of the best travel credit cards or the best cashback credit cards.
If you’re interested in applying for one of the best Barclays credit cards, check out these fantastic options.
- The best Barclays personal card offers
- Latest Barclays business card offers
- What is Barclays?
- What are the different types of Barclays credit cards?
- How does Barclays compare to other credit card companies?
- Which Barclays credit card should you choose?
- FAQs about Barclays credit cards
- Methodology
- Bottom line on the best Barclays credit card for your wallet
The best Barclays personal card offers
A Slam-Dunk Welcome Offer!
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AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
Current Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you make your first purchase and pay the annual fee in the first 90 days
Annual Fee
$99
Rewards Rate
2X miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, and 1X mile per dollar spent on all other purchases
Bonus points on JetBlue
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JetBlue Card
Current Offer
10,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
3X points on JetBlue purchases, 2X points at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Mega Points for JetBlue Flyers
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JetBlue Plus Card
Current Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases (and paying the annual fee) in the first 90 days
Annual Fee
$99
Rewards Rate
6X points on JetBlue purchases, 2X points at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Earn Miles to Fly Hawaiian
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Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®
Current Offer
Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
Annual Fee
$99
Rewards Rate
3X miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases; 2X miles on gas, dining, and grocery store purchases; 1X miles on all other purchases
Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
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Frontier Airlines World MasterCard®
Current Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in the first 90 days
Annual Fee
$99
Rewards Rate
5X miles on purchases on Flyfrontier.com, 3X miles on restaurant purchases, and 1X miles on all other purchases
Great Rewards for Wyndham Fans
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Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card
Current Offer
45,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 180 days
Annual Fee
$0
Rewards Rate
5X points at participating Wyndham properties and on eligible gas purchases; 2X on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart); 1X on everything else
Earn Rewards for Wyndham Stays
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Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
Current Offer
75,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 180 days
Annual Fee
$75
Rewards Rate
6X points at participating By Wyndham properties and gas purchases; 4X on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart); 1X on everything else
Latest Barclays business card offers
Annual Companion Certificate
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AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®
Current Offer
Rewards Rate
2X AAdvantage miles per dollar spent at American Airlines and office supply, telecom, and car rental merchants; plus 1X AAdvantage miles on everything else
Bonus points on JetBlue
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JetBlue Business Card
Current Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 90 days (plus another 10,000 when a purchase is made on an employee card in the first 90 days)
Annual Fee
$99
Rewards Rate
6X points on JetBlue purchases, 2X points at restaurants and office supply stores, and 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
What is Barclays?
Barclays traces its roots back to London, U.K., in 1690 with two goldsmith bankers, John Freame and Thomas Gould. James Barclay joined the business as a partner in 1736, and his name has been attached to the company ever since. For the next few centuries, Barclays Bank expanded around England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. In 1966, the British-based company launched Barclaycard, the first credit card in the U.K., and by 2009, it had become a top credit card issuer in the U.S.
Today, Barclays is a global bank that offers digital financial services to its customers around the world. Services include credit cards, savings accounts, personal loans, and certificates of deposit.
With over 83,000 employees, Barclays is able to serve millions of customers worldwide. In the U.K. alone, Barclays reports 250 million customer transactions every month. This contributed to a massive total income of over $25 billion in 2022.
What are the different types of Barclays credit cards?
Barclays offers multiple credit card options for both personal and small business use. Each card has specific benefits and rewards, so keep your financial goals in mind as you choose the best card for you.
Barclays personal credit cards
Every consumer has different spending habits, which is why Barclays offers a variety of distinct credit card categories. Choose from airline cards, no annual fee cards, low interest rate cards, and more. There’s something for just about everyone.
No annual fee Barclays cards
No annual fee cards are great for earning rewards and leveraging credit card benefits without worrying about an added cost. The best no annual fee credit cards often provide cash back or other rewards, so getting your value out of this type of card is simple.
For example, many cards with annual fees offer excellent benefits, but cardmembers have to weigh the cost of the annual fee against the benefits. You don’t have that stress with a no annual fee card. There’s no annual cost to worry about, so every benefit and reward you receive is a bonus.
Barclays offers these no annual fee cards:
- Barnes & Noble Mastercard®
- Carnival® World Mastercard®
- Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card
- JetBlue Card
- Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card
- Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card
- RCI® Elite Rewards® Mastercard®
- Upromise® Mastercard®
- Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card
Barclays co-branded airline cards
Barclays partners with many major airlines to issue credit cards with specific travel rewards programs and benefits. These cards are called co-branded airline cards. Although Barclays is still the credit card issuer, the benefits on these cards typically align with the partner company.
For instance, the JetBlue Plus Card is a terrific option for JetBlue travelers. Cardholders earn TrueBlue points on every purchase. Plus, you get your first checked bag free for you and up to three companions on the same JetBlue reservation. With the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®, you get a companion certificate each year to make flying with a friend or family member easier.
Barclays offers these co-branded airline cards:
- AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
- Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard®
- Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard®
- Frontier Airlines World MasterCard®
- Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®
- JetBlue Card
- JetBlue Plus Card
- Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®
Other co-branded Barclays cards
In addition to partnering with major airlines, Barclays also partners with other large companies to issue other co-branded cards. These cards vary in their scope of perks and benefits and may include retail stores, gift cards, cruise lines, hotels, and more.
Barclays offers these other co-branded cards:
- Barnes & Noble Mastercard®
- Carnival World® Mastercard®
- Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card
- Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card
- Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card
- RCI® Elite Rewards® Mastercard
- Upromise® Mastercard®
- Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card
- Wyndham Rewards® Earner Card
Barclays business credit cards
Business credit cards provide small business owners with valuable benefits that can help them run their businesses. With the best business credit cards, separating your business and personal expenses is easy. This allows you to focus on moving your business forward, making managing your finances less confusing.
Barclays business credit card offers include:
- AAdvantage® Aviator Business® Mastercard®
- Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard®
- JetBlue Business Card
How does Barclays compare to other credit card companies?
Barclays is a well-known international banking company offering financial services to millions of customers. Although originally founded in the U.K., Barclays has grown to have an increasingly impressive influence in the U.S. financial industry. Today, Barclays competes with other financial companies like American Express, Citi, and Wells Fargo. Let’s see how they match up against one another.
American Express vs. Barclays
Both American Express and Barclays offer digital banking services like savings accounts and CDs to their customers around the world. They’re also credit card issuers, but there’s a big difference in how their credit card payments are processed.
American Express credit cards use the Amex payments network to process credit card transactions, whereas Barclays uses the Visa and Mastercard networks. This doesn’t make too much of a difference in the U.S., but Visa and Mastercard are generally accepted more often around the world than Amex.
Overall, American Express has over 77,000 employees, and Barclays has over 83,000, so Barclays is the larger company by a fair margin.
Citi vs. Barclays
Citi is both a bank and a credit card issuer, just like Barclays. The majority of Citi credit cards use the Mastercard payments network, whereas Barclays credit cards are a good mix of both Mastercard and Visa. Mastercard and Visa are the most widely accepted payment networks in the world, so their cards are the best for travelers.
Although Barclays is a large company and has over 83,000 employees, Citi is much larger, with over 240,000 employees.
Wells Fargo vs. Barclays
Wells Fargo and Barclays provide banking services to millions of customers worldwide, though Wells Fargo has in-person branches, Barclays doesn’t. In today’s world, where most financial transactions are easily done online, in-person branches aren’t essential for everyone.
Wells Fargo credit cards primarily use the Visa payments network, and Barclays credit cards use both Visa and Mastercard. So credit cards from both issuers are generally accepted anywhere credit cards are accepted.
As far as company size goes, Wells Fargo is a larger company with over 238,000 employees, compared to Barclays, with just over 83,000.
Which Barclays credit card should you choose?
The right Barclays credit card for you won’t necessarily be the right card for someone else. Everyone’s financial goals and spending habits are different, which is why Barclays offers such a wide range of cards.
If you’re interested in one of the best hotel credit cards, consider the Wyndham Rewards® Earner Plus Card. You automatically get a Wyndham Rewards Platinum membership and a 75,000-point sign-up bonus after spending $2,000 in the first 180 days. That’s enough points for multiple free nights at Wyndham hotels around the world.
If you want to fly for free, you can earn 60,000 bonus miles after you make your first purchase and pay the annual fee in the first 90 days with the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®. Plus, you also get travel insurance and preferred boarding for you and up to four companions on the same American Airlines reservation.
For help cutting down debt, a balance transfer credit card can be useful. Many Barclays credit cards offer 0% introductory APR periods on balance transfers, so you can transfer an existing balance to your new card and avoid paying interest on it during the introductory period. This is a savvy way to decrease your debt without accruing interest charges.
The best Barclays credit card will depend on what you’re looking for. Browse the listed cards in this guide to see which one aligns best with your financial needs.
FAQs about Barclays credit cards
Which Barclays credit card is the best?
The best Barclays credit card for you is the one that most helps you on your financial journey. If a Barclays card matches your financial goals perfectly, that’s the best Barclays credit card for you. Because there are a lot of Barclays cards to choose from, carefully consider the benefits of each one when you’re deciding whether it suits your needs.
Is it hard to get a Barclays credit card?
It’s not typically hard to qualify for a Barclays credit card, though it may depend on which card you’re applying for. Generally, the more benefits a card has, the harder it is to qualify. For example, a travel card like the JetBlue Plus Card likely requires an excellent credit score, whereas a retail credit card like the Barnes & Noble Mastercard® would generally require good credit.
What credit score does Barclays require?
Barclays credit cards typically require at least a good credit score, though some cards may require excellent credit. Good credit scores start at 670 on the FICO scoring model, and excellent credit is above 800.
Which Barclays credit cards earn rewards?
These Barclays credit cards earn rewards:
- AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
- Barnes & Noble Mastercard®
- Carnival World® Mastercard®
- Frontier Airlines World Mastercard
- Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite® Mastercard
- Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card
- JetBlue Card
- JetBlue Plus Card
- Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®
- Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card
- Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card
- RCI® Elite Rewards® Mastercard
- Upromise® Mastercard®
- Wyndham Rewards® Earner Plus Card
- Wyndham Rewards® Earner Card
How many Barclays credit cards can you have?
There’s no limit to the amount of Barclays credit cards you can have. Of course, Barclays typically requires good or excellent credit to qualify for its cards, so not everyone will be approved for one or multiple cards. Barclays will also check your recent credit inquiries, which can impact your approval rate for a new Barclays card, depending on how many inquiries you have.
How long does a Barclaycard approval take?
Most online Barclaycard applications will give you an instant decision once you submit the form. However, if your decision isn’t instant, you may have to wait seven to 14 days to receive notice in the mail on whether you’ve been approved.
Methodology
To determine the best Barclays credit cards, we first compiled a list of consumer and business credit cards as well as co-branded cards offered by Barclays. We then gathered information about these cards, including but not limited to earning rates, key features, annual fees, and APR rates.
The next step was determining which cards could be good options for individuals and businesses. Keep in mind that our recommendations do not include all available Barclays credit cards, and we did not rank the cards in any particular order. Instead, our recommendations aim to provide helpful information on a selection of Barclays credit cards that may be suitable for various needs, whether it's everyday shopping, travel purchases, or business expenses.
Bottom line on the best Barclays credit card for your wallet
Barclays credit cards offer a diverse selection of options for you to choose from, whether you need a travel credit card, balance transfer credit card, rewards credit card, business credit card, or something else. Consider your spending habits and financial goals to find the best credit card for you.
As you consider the benefits you’re looking for in a new card, use this guide to help you decide which card offers the most value for you. Keep in mind the most valuable card for someone else may not be the right fit for you. Fortunately, Barclays offers credit cards to suit the needs of most people.
Earn Miles to Fly Hawaiian
Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®
Current Offer
Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
Annual Fee
$99
Rewards Rate
3X miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases; 2X miles on gas, dining, and grocery store purchases; 1X miles on all other purchases