The Best Barclays Credit Cards – Comparing Benefits & Perks [2024]

Barclays is a publicly-traded banking and financial services company headquartered in London.

Its history traces back to the late 17th century as a goldsmith banking business, but it has grown to include segments such as retail banking, investment banking, wealth management, and so much more.

One of Barclays’ more well-known consumer segments in the U.S. is its credit card business.

Barclays is the issuer of lots of different credit cards — primarily airline, hotel, and cruise line products — and in this guide, we’ll walk you through the A to Z of Barclays’ best credit cards.

Name	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Benefits
AARP® Travel Rewards Mastercard® from Barclays	Earn $100 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first 90 days $0 annual fee	3% cash back on airfare, hotel stays, and car rentals 2% on restaurant purchases
Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®	Earn 80,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee, both within the first 90 days $89 annual fee	Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on ticket purchases directly from Miles & More integrated airline partners 2 complimentary Lufthansa Business Lounge Vouchers after each account anniversary Companion Ticket after each account anniversary (taxes and fees apply)
Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard®	Earn 60,000 bonus Skywards Miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days $499 annual fee	3x miles on eligible Emirates purchases 2x miles on eligible travel purchases $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit
Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard®	Earn 30,000 bonus Skywards Miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days $99 annual fee	3x miles on eligible Emirates purchases 2x miles on eligible travel purchases
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®	Earn 60,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days $99 annual fee	2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for the primary cardholder and up to 4 companions Preferred boarding for the primary cardholder and up to 4 companions on all American Airlines-operated flights Anniversary companion certificate 25% statement credit on inflight food and beverages $25 in statement credits on inflight Wi-Fi purchases every anniversary year on American Airlines-operated flights
Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard®	Earn 60,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 90 days $99 annual fee	3x miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases 2x miles on gas, dining, and eligible grocery store purchases 2 free checked bags as the primary cardholder 50% off companion discount for round-trip travel between North America and Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines flights
The JetBlue Plus Card	Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days $99 annual fee	6x points on eligible JetBlue purchases 2x points at restaurants and eligible grocery stores 5,000 points as an account anniversary bonus 10% redemption rebate when you use points for a JetBlue-operated award flight First checked bag free for yourself and up to 3 companions on the same reservation 50% savings on inflight food and drink purchases when you use your card to pay
Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Plus Card	Earn 100,000 bonus points, enough for up to 13 free nights at participating properties, after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. $75 annual fee	6x points on eligible purchases made at hotels by Wyndham 6x points on qualifying gas purchases 4x points on eligible dining and grocery store purchases, excluding Target and Walmart
AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® from Barclays	Earn $100 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first 90 days $0 annual fee	3% cash-back on gas and drugstore purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) 2% cash-back on eligible medical expenses
AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®	Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days, and earn 10,000 bonus miles after a purchase is made on an employee card $95 annual fee	2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases 2x miles at eligible office supply, telecom, and car rental merchants First checked bag free for yourself and up to 4 companions when traveling on domestic itineraries operated by American Airlines Preferred boarding for yourself and up to 4 companions when traveling on itineraries operated by American Airlines 25% inflight savings on food and beverage when you use your card on American Airlines-operated flights Companion certificate good for 1 guest at $99 (taxes and fees apply) after each account anniversary if you spend $30,000 or more on eligible purchases 5% AAdvantage miles bonus every year based on the total of miles earned after each account anniversary
Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card	Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days and earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases within the first 12 months. $95 annual fee	8x points on eligible purchases made at hotels by Wyndham and gas stations 5x points on eligible marketing, advertising, and utility purchases Wyndham Rewards Diamond status 15,000-point annual account anniversary bonus

The Best Barclays Credit Card for General Travel

Even though Barclays is responsible for issuing tons of co-branded credit cards for airlines, hotels, and even cruise lines that often excel for travel with specified brands, these cards fall short on general travel. However, Barclays does have a general travel card.

Let’s take a look at the best credit card we recommend for Barclays clients looking to get rewarded on general travel.

AARP Travel Rewards Card (Best for General Travel)

Offered in partnership with AARP, the AARP Travel Rewards card is a terrific travel-oriented credit card for Barclays clients.

Although AARP is marketed towards people who are over the age of 50, you don’t need to meet any specific requirements to qualify for an AARP membership.

Currently, the AARP Travel Rewards card offers a welcome bonus to new cardholders, plus unlimited cash-back rewards as follows:

• 3% cash-back on airfare, hotel stays, and car rentals
• 2% cash-back at restaurants
• 1% cash-back on other purchases

Right now, the welcome bonus includes a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers. Barclays will also donate $10 to the AARP Foundation for every new account opened, as well as 1% of eligible purchases to the AARP Foundation on an ongoing basis.

This credit card earns cash-back rewards that can be redeemed for cash-back, AARP membership, and much more.

The AARP Travel Rewards card also includes zero fraud liability protection, no foreign transaction fees, and no additional annual fees for authorized users.

Best Barclays Credit Cards for International Travel

If you’re a frequent traveler flying to far-away places, Barclays excels in offering a respectable list of credit cards suited for international travel.

Let’s take a look at our options.

Lufthansa Miles & More Card (Best for Lufthansa Group Flyers)

The Lufthansa Miles & More card is the best bet if you’re frequently traveling to Europe and often book flights on Lufthansa Group airlines, including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and Swiss Air.

At the moment, there’s a welcome bonus you can qualify for, plus a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within the first 45 days of account opening.

Using this card earns you up to 2 miles per dollar spent:

• 2x miles on ticket purchases directly from Miles & More integrated airline partners
• 1x miles on other purchases

There are 3 major airline-specific perks you’ll get from this card:

• 2 complimentary Lufthansa Business Lounge vouchers after each account anniversary year
• A companion ticket after each account anniversary year (valid only for 1 economy class ticket, taxes and fees apply)
• The ability to convert up to 25,000 award miles to status miles at 5:1 ratio once per calendar year (earn up to 5,000 status miles per calendar year)

Uniquely, this credit card earns Miles & More miles, allowing you to book award flights and upgrades on Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines, and Swiss Air. Miles & More does not have any mainstream transfer partners.

You can also get a 15% discount on eligible hotel stays or car rentals when booking through Miles & More.

No foreign transaction fees apply with this card, and you’ll get World Elite Mastercard benefits such as cell phone protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty. Also, authorized user cards come with no additional annual fees.

Emirates Premium World Elite Card (Best for Emirates Flyers & Lounge Access)

Our runner-up international travel credit card is one of Barclays’s only ultra-premium cards: the Emirates Premium World Elite card.

This card currently earns a welcome bonus and up to 3x Skywards Miles:

• 3x miles on eligible Emirates purchases
• 2x miles on eligible travel purchases
• 1x miles on other purchases

Most importantly, this credit card offers you the ability to earn Emirates Skywards elite status with credit cards — you’ll enjoy Emirates Gold status during your first year and the ability to retain your tier status by spending $40,000 each cardmember year.

Every cardmember year, you’ll also get 10,000 Skywards Miles as a cardmember anniversary bonus. And as long as you hold this card, your Skywards Miles will not expire, and whenever you buy or gift Emirates Skywards Miles, you’ll get a 25% discount.

To make the value proposition even stronger, this card comes with a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership and a $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit every 5 years.

Other purchase-related credit card benefits are included, such as no foreign transaction fees, free FICO score access, zero fraud liability protection, and authorized users for no additional annual fees.

Emirates World Elite Card (Best for Emirates Flyers)

The last Barclays credit card we recommend for international travelers is the Emirates World Elite card, which is the lower-annual-fee version of the Emirates Premium World Elite card.

It offers a sizable welcome bonus and the same earning structure as the Emirates Premium World Elite card:

• 3x miles on eligible Emirates purchases
• 2x miles on eligible travel purchases
• 1x miles on other purchases

Instead of getting Emirates Gold membership, though, you’ll get Emirates Silver membership during your first year (with the ability to retain status by spending $20,000 each cardmember year).

Your miles will still be expiration-free as long as your card account remains open, and you’ll also get 25% savings when buying or gifting miles if you have the Emirates World Elite card.

This card also offers complimentary online access to your FICO credit score, plus zero liability fraud protection.

There are no foreign transaction fees or additional annual fees for authorized users.

Best Barclays Credit Cards for Domestic Travel

If you primarily travel domestically, Barclays has a series of awesome credit card partners that’ll help you achieve these goals.

AAdvantage Aviator Red Card (Best for American Airlines Flyers)

If you’ve ever flown on an American Airlines flight, you’ve probably seen advertisements, either inflight or around the airport, for the AAdvantage Aviator Red card, which is issued by Barclays.

The AAdvantage Aviator Red card is Barclays’ flagship American Airlines-branded credit card, and it offers tremendous value to the frequent American Airlines flyer.

There’s a welcome bonus that you can achieve as a new cardmember incentive, and you’ll earn up to 2x AAdvantage miles on your purchases:

• 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases
• 1x miles on other purchases

The welcome bonus includes a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers to sweeten the deal even further.

But there are a ton of American Airlines-specific perks that’ll make it a no-brainer if you fly the airline often:

• First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for the primary cardholder and up to 4 companions traveling on the same reservation
• Preferred boarding for the primary cardholder and up to 4 companions on all American Airlines-operated flights
• Anniversary companion certificate good for 1 guest at $99 plus taxes and fees when you spend $20,000 on purchases and your account remains open for 45 days after your anniversary date
• 25% statement credit on inflight food and beverages aboard American Airlines-operated flights
• $25 in statement credits on inflight Wi-Fi purchases every anniversary year on American Airlines-operated flights

Wrapping up, you’ll also enjoy trip cancellation and interruption coverage, baggage delay insurance, rental car insurance, travel accident insurance, zero liability fraud protection, no foreign transaction fees, and no additional fee for authorized user cards.

Hot Tip: Compare the benefits and perks of the best American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards in our detailed guide.

Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Card (Best for Hawaiian Airlines Flyers)

Another great credit card you should consider adding to your wallet if you’re a Barclays loyalist and frequently travel to Hawaii is the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite card.

This credit card earns a HawaiianMiles welcome bonus, and you can qualify for up to 3x HawaiianMiles on purchases:

• 3x miles on eligible Hawaiian Airlines purchases
• 2x miles on gas, dining, and eligible grocery store purchases
• 1x miles on other purchases

Check 2 eligible bags for free as the primary cardholder when using the card to purchase eligible tickets directly from Hawaiian Airlines. You’ll also get a one-time 50% off companion discount for round-trip travel between North America and Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines flights, as well as an annual $100 anniversary companion discount for round-trip travel between Hawaii and North America after each account anniversary.

Notably, you can also enjoy no expiration dates for HawaiianMiles with this card, discounted award flights, and the ability to share miles with family and friends without a fee.

Beyond that, the card offers contactless payments and no foreign transaction fees. As usual, you can add authorized users for no additional annual fee.

The JetBlue Plus Card (Best for JetBlue Flyers)

The JetBlue Plus card is a great choice if you find yourself frequently booking flights on JetBlue.

There’s a limited-time welcome bonus available, which also includes a 12-month 0% introductory APR promotion on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening.

When you use this card, you can earn up to 6x TrueBlue points:

• 6x points on eligible JetBlue purchases
• 2x points at restaurants and eligible grocery stores
• 1x points on other purchases

Every year, you will also earn 5,000 points as an account anniversary bonus, as well as a 10% redemption rebate when you use points for a JetBlue-operated award flight. Additionally, cardholders will be able to spend towards Mosaic elite status — earn 1 tile for every $1,000 spent.

Also, when you use The JetBlue Plus card to book JetBlue flights, you’ll get your first checked bag free for yourself and up to 3 companions on the same reservation. Inflight food and drink purchases receive a 50% savings when you use your card to pay.

And when you purchase a JetBlue Vacations package of $100 or more with your card, you’ll enjoy an annual $100 statement credit.

Expiration dates are halted, and you can even pool your points easily. There aren’t any foreign transaction fees, and authorized users are free, too.

Best Barclays Hotel Credit Cards

If you like the idea of being able to earn and redeem points for free hotel stays using your Barclays credit card, this section is for you!

Wyndham Rewards Earner+ Card (Best for Wyndham Loyalists)

The Wyndham Rewards Earner+ card is one of the best hotel credit cards you can hold if you’re a Wyndham loyalist. Right now, there’s a welcome bonus, plus a 0% introductory APR on purchases.

You can enjoy the ability to earn up to 6x Wyndham Rewards points:

• 6x points on eligible purchases made at hotels by Wyndham
• 6x points on qualifying gas purchases
• 4x points on eligible dining and grocery store purchases, excluding Target and Walmart
• 1x points per dollar spent on other purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resort down payments)

With this card, you can automatically get Wyndham Rewards Platinum status, in addition to these further Wyndham perks:

• Annual account anniversary year bonus of 7,500 points
• The ability to redeem 10% fewer Wyndham Rewards points for go free awards
• Cardmember booking discount

Also, you can maximize the other auxiliary benefits, like no foreign transaction fees, zero liability fraud protection, chip technology, and contactless payments.

Best Barclays Credit Card for Cash-back

So what if you’re looking to optimize your credit card portfolio for cash-back? Well, Barclays has something for you, too!

AARP Essential Rewards Card (Best for Cash-back)

The AARP Essential Rewards card is a fantastic tool for cash-back, not only because of its welcome bonus, but also because of its ability to earn up to 3% cash-back:

• 3% cash-back on gas and drugstore purchases (excluding Target and Walmart)
• 2% cash-back on eligible medical expenses
• 1% cash-back on other purchases

You’ll get an introductory 0% APR promotion on balance transfers, as well as a free FICO credit score and zero liability fraud protection.

Barclays will donate $10 to the AARP Foundation for every new account. Barclays will also donate 1% of eligible purchases to the AARP Foundation.

Best Barclays Credit Cards for Business

Let’s take a look at the best Barclays credit cards for businesses and business owners.

AAdvantage Aviator Business Card (Best Business Card for American Airlines Flyers)

The AAdvantage Aviator Business card is one of the best business credit cards to have if you’re an American Airlines loyalist.

This card has an attractive welcome bonus and a handful of American Airlines perks that can’t be ignored:

• First checked bag free for yourself and up to 4 companions when traveling on domestic itineraries operated by American Airlines
• Preferred boarding for yourself and up to 4 companions when traveling on itineraries operated by American Airlines
• 25% inflight savings on food and beverage when you use your card on American Airlines-operated flights
• Companion certificate good for 1 guest at $99 (taxes and fees apply) after each account anniversary if you spend $30,000 or more on eligible purchases
• 5% AAdvantage miles bonus every year based on the total of miles earned after each account anniversary

In terms of earning points, you can earn up to 2x AAdvantage miles:

• 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases
• 2x miles at eligible office supply, telecom, and car rental merchants
• 1x miles on other purchases

You can also add complimentary employee cards, and there are no foreign transaction fees. Zero fraud liability protection is included with this card.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card (Best Business Card for Wyndham Loyalists)

The last credit card in our guide is an absolute sleeper because of its elite status benefits.

Before we get into that, though, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card currently offers a welcome bonus for new cardholders, as well as up to 8x points on purchases:

• 8x points on eligible purchases made at hotels by Wyndham and gas stations
• 5x points on eligible marketing, advertising, and utility purchases
• 1x points on other purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resort down payments)

With the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card, you will receive automatic top-tier Wyndham Rewards Diamond status, which includes benefits such as suite upgrades, welcome amenities, and much more!

This particular credit card also enjoys a 15,000-point annual account anniversary bonus, as well as the ability to get cardmember booking discounts and 10% fewer points redeemed for go free awards.

Lastly, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card has cell phone insurance, no foreign transaction fees, zero liability fraud protection, extended warranty, no additional fee for employee cards, and contactless payments.

Final Thoughts

Barclays is a U.K.-based financial services and banking company with substantial operations in the U.S.

This well-established bank offers primarily co-branded credit cards across airlines, hotels, cruise lines, and even associations like AARP.

And even though we generally wouldn’t recommend using Barclays as your first financial partner for your credit card needs, there are still a number of useful cards that could be useful to have.

We hope that you’ve found this comprehensive guide to the best Barclays credit cards helpful!

The information regarding the AARP^® Travel Rewards Mastercard^® from Barclays and AARP^® Essential Rewards Mastercard^® from Barclays was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.