Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard® Review

You enjoy living life hassle-free, and that includes the credit card in your wallet.  After all, you worked hard for your excellent credit, why not enjoy the perks?

Consider applying for the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard®, a card that earns the same cash-back percentage for everything your purchase and no bonus categories to keep track of, ever.

Plus there’s a sign-up bonus and no annual fee. Talk about living life without sweating the small stuff!

Sign-Up Bonus and Cash-Back Percentage Rate

Sign up for the card and get a cash rewards bonus after you spend the required amount in the allotted time (see card summary table for details).

It’s usually a decent bonus considering you don’t have to pay an annual fee for the card.

Earn 1.5% for everything you purchase with the card across the board. Then, redeem your cash-back as a deposit into a U.S. bank account, statement credit, or a gift card. All redemptions start at $50.

Cash rewards never expire as long as your account is open, active and in good standing.

Bottom Line: Earn 1.5% cash-back for all purchases with the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard®. There is no annual fee!

Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard® Benefits

It gets better. For each redemption you make, you will get a 5% cash rewards bonus to use toward your next redemption. It doesn’t matter how you redeem your cash-back, you’ll still get the 5% rebate every single time.

Redeem $100.00 in the form of a gift card, and then get $5.00 toward your next redemption.

Redeem $50 as statement credit, and then get $2.50 toward your next redemption.

It’s all up to you! It only takes one business day to receive your redemption bonus after you make your redemption.

And there’s still more.

Enjoy an intro APR on any balance transfers you make within a set period of opening your account (see card details above for more).

In addition, get the peace of mind that comes from knowing you have a chip-card. That means it uses encryption technology to keep your account information safe.

More than 130 countries use chip card technology, and U.S. merchants are quickly making the switch due to the reduced risk of fraud.

Bottom Line: Enjoy 5% cash-back with each redemption, an  intro APR on balance transfers, and chip-card technology with the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard®.

Perks Available with a World MasterCard

The Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard® provides a wide variety of insurances, shopping benefits, and travel perks because it has the World MasterCard designation.

Many of these benefits aren’t offered with other cash-back credit cards.

These benefits include access to a MasterCard Airport Concierge, the World Air Program and World Car Rental Program, and so much more. We’ll tell you all about the perks in the Gritty Details coming up.

Drawbacks and Alternative Card Options

While the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard® has a lot to offer, there are a few drawbacks to be aware of.

First, you need excellent credit to qualify for the card. If you’re currently building your credit, another option is the Chase Freedom Unlimited℠, a no-annual-fee card from Chase.

Another potential drawback of the card is the cash-back percentage. While 1.5% is pretty good, there are other cash-back credit cards that do better.

For instance, the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express earns 3% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 a year and 2% cash-back at U.S. gas stations and select U.S. department stores as well as 1% cash-back on other purchases.

Finally, you can’t redeem your cash-back until it reaches $50. That means you have to spend almost $3,000 before you can qualify.

There are other cards without a minimum cash-back amount such as the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card.

But if you spend enough, and with the redemption bonus, the Barclays can be worth it.

Bottom Line: If you want a card that earns more cash-back and allows you to redeem without a minimum amount, there are other credit cards available besides the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard®.

Card Conclusion

Even with the potential drawbacks, the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard® can provide value for cardholders, especially when you consider the 5% redemption rebate.

If you use your card for all of your purchases, it’s possible to come out ahead.

• You will put all of your monthly expenses on the card
• You want to earn cash-back for everyday purchases
• You would like a cash-back rebate for every redemption
• You don’t mind a modest sign-up bonus

• You are looking for a big sign-up bonus
• You would rather earn travel rewards
• You want to earn more than 1.5% cash-back for bonus categories

You already know how easy it is to earn cash-back with the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard®. Why not get cards for your family members and accrue cash-back even faster?

You earn all of the cash-back on authorized cards!

You are somewhat limited to the number of ways you can maximize cash-back with the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard® because it earns a straight 1.5% for all purchases.

However, we did come up with a few ways to make sure you are getting the most from your card.

Tip #1: Don’t miss out on the sign-up bonus! Just spend the required amount in the allotted time and you’ll have cash-back waiting for you. If you are like most people, you can probably spend the required amount at supermarkets and on gas alone.

Tip #2: While it’s important to put your expected expenses on the card each month to earn 1.5% cash-back, unexpected expenses can add up too. Kids need physicals? Put your insurance co-pay on the card. Going out to the movies? Pay with your card.

Tip #3: Another strategy is to use your along with other credit cards to earn the most cash-back possible.

For instance, earlier we discussed how the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express earns 3% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 a year, at which point it earns 1%.

If you use it up to the $6,000 limit and then switch to the Barclays, you’ll get 1.5% cash-back for supermarkets instead of 1%!

Tip #4: Avoid credit card fees. For example, pay your bill on time each month, and you won’t accrue late payment penalties. Pay the entire bill, so you don’t have to pay interest fees. By avoiding these fees, you’ll earn your cash-back free and clear.

Tip #5: We mentioned that you need to have $50 cash-back before you can redeem it, so pay attention when you are getting close.

Pull out the card for small purchases instead of using cash, and it may push you to the minimum so you can make that redemption after all.

Because the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard® is a cash-back card, there are only a few options to redeem. They all require a minimum of $50. Let’s take a look at each of them in detail below.

Deposit Cash-Back into Checking or Savings Account

The first way to redeem cash-back from the card is to have it deposited into a U.S. checking or savings account. ACH deposits take 3-4 business days. There is a daily limit of $500.

Apply Cash-Back as Statement Credit

You can also have your cash-back applied as statement credit. It takes 1 to 2 business days for the credit to appear. It’s important to note that you can’t use the statement credit toward the minimum payment for your bill.

Purchase Gift Cards

If you would rather apply your cash-back toward a gift card, you also have that option. Gift cards are mailed to the U.S. street address you have on file with the credit card. It takes 7 to 10 business days for gift cards to show up.

Also, you can have gift cards sent to a P.O. Box but not an A.P.O, F.P.O, or international address.

5% Redemption Bonus

We discussed this earlier, but as a reminder, you get a 5% cash-back bonus every time you make a redemption. The total is rounded to the nearest cent and added to your account in one business day so you can apply it to your next redemption.

It doesn’t matter if you redeem for a deposit, statement credit, or gift card. All redemptions automatically earn the 5% bonus.

There are no partners with this cash-back card.

Up to this point in this review, we’ve taken a careful look at the benefits of the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard® as well as all of the ways to earn and redeem points. In this section, we will examine the monetary value of the card.

A Quick Recap of the Barclays

Before we get started, let’s recap the card in terms of its cost and earnings potential in the table below:

There’s no annual fee, so you can begin to get value from the card from your very first purchase. As long as you make the sign up bonus requirements, you will get a cash bonus!

Each purchase you make is worth 1.5% cash-back. Now let’s get more in-depth.

Cash-Back for Our Model Families

For the rest of this section, we will use our model spending families to calculate the value of the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard®.

How much cash-back is possible in a calendar year when all purchases are worth 1.5% cash-back based on their budgets?

The families earned plenty of points after doing the calculations. But what are these points worth in terms of cash-back?

Let’s take a look:

Amazing! Our families earned $339 to $676 cash-back using the card. And that’s not all. Remember, there is still a 5% redemption bonus to consider, which would add another $17 to $34.

Think about how much financial value you could earn if you put all of your monthly expenses on the card.

Card Comparison

In the table below, we compare the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card with the Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard®. Both cards earn the same 1.5% cash-back and typically have the similar sign-up bonuses!

There are two main differences in the cards. The first is that the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers. The offer is only good for 9 months.

The other difference is that the Barclays has a 5% rebate each time you redeem, so you’ll come out ahead in the long run.

However, these calculations assume you pay your card in full. If you start to accrue interest fees, the numbers change.

Math Final Thoughts

The card can be valuable if you use it on a regular basis. You also get a sign up bonus and intro APR, adding to its value.

Of course, you should perform the calculations based on your budget. After all, only you can decide whether the card is right for your spending needs or if you should sign up for another credit card.

Bottom Line:  The Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard® is worth between $339 and $676 according to our calculations.

The card is pretty straightforward because you earn 1.5% cash-back for all of your purchases.

As far as the sign-up bonus, there is one consideration. If there are any returns or refunds on the card, that amount will be deducted from the total spent.

You cannot earn or redeem cash-back if your payment is late.

The cash rewards bonus will be reflected on the billing statement in which you have qualified to earn the bonus.

Other Unique Benefits

The Barclays CashForward™ World MasterCard® offers a wide array of shopping and travel benefits:

ID Theft Protection – 24/7 Alerts, resolution services, Emergency Wallet Replacement at 1-800-Mastercard

$0 Fraud Liability – If your card is lost or stolen you are not responsible as long as you make a report.

MasterCard Global Service – Receive 24/7 emergency assistance reporting a lost or stolen card, getting a replacement card or cash advance, and more virtually anywhere and in any language.

Price Protection – You may be reimbursed the price difference if you find a lower price for an item within 120 days from the date you made the purchase with your card.

Extended Warranty – With this benefit, the original manufacturer’s warranty of 24 months or less is doubled.

Luxury Portfolio – Receive perks such as complimentary room upgrades, daily breakfast, and other amenities when you book a stay in the Mastercard luxury hotels & resorts portfolio.

Concierge – Enjoy exclusive expert assistance with event tickets, dinner reservations, gift-buying, and many more tasks 24/6/365.

MasterCard Airport Concierge – A dedicated Meet-and-Greet agent is available to escort you through over 450 airport locations worldwide 24/7/365.

World Air Program/Car Rental Program – Enjoy elite status, savings, and upgrades on air travel and car rentals.

World Cruise Program – Enjoy exclusive savings and benefits on mega-yachts, boutique river vessels, and luxury cruise ships.

Photo Credits / Credit/Copyright Attribution:

Business Team Earning Rewards: Andresr/Shutterstock
Swamp Tour Boat: oneinchpunch/Shutterstock
Shopping Online with Card: Syda Productions/Shutterstock
Choosing Her Card: MoQcCa/Shutterstock