Barclays has you covered when it comes to credit cards and customer care. It offers a wide selection of credit cards for just about any lifestyle, plus 24/7 customer service and a handy mobile app. But what’s the best Barclays card?
The right option varies based on your goals. Whether your goal is to earn travel rewards or get a great cash back rate on purchases, you’ll want to take a look at what these co-branded cards issued by Barclays have to offer.
The Best Barclays Credit Cards
- AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard
- Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
- The AARP Travel Rewards
- JetBlue Plus Card
- Choice Privileges Visa Signature Card
- Barnes & Noble Mastercard
AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard
- Best for: Regular American Airlines travelers
- Rewards: 60,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying your annual fee within 90 days; Earn 2x AAdvantage miles on American Airlines purchase; Earn 1x AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- Perks: Get up to $25 in statement credits for inflight American Airlines Wi-Fi purchases; First check bag is free; Enjoy preferred boarding
- Cons: Earn only 1x AAdvantage miles on most purchases; AAdvantage miles do expire
- Annual fee: $99
Frequent American Airlines travelers will enjoy the significant welcome spending bonus. But the annual fee is pretty steep in years that you don’t receive a welcome bonus.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard
- Best for: Travelers heading to Hawaii
- Rewards: 70,000 bonus HawaiianMiles after spending $2,000 on purchases within 90 days; Earn 3x miles on Hawaiian Airline purchases; Earn 2x miles on gas, dining or grocery store purchases; Earn 1x miles for all other purchases
- Perks: Check one bag free; Get a one-time 50% discount on one companion pass; Score a $100 companion discount on travel between Hawaii and North America annually; HawaiianMiles never expire
- Cons: The 50% companion discount is one-time only
- Annual fee: $0 for one year, then $99
The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard is perfect for those dreaming of a Hawaiian vacation. You’ll score a 70,000 point bonus after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 90 days. If you can’t spend all of the miles on your own, you can send HawaiianMiles to family and friends for free. And it goes both ways, you can receive HawaiianMiles from others without paying a fee.
The AARP Travel Rewards
- Best for: Travelers of all ages looking for a discount
- Rewards: $100 in cash back after spending $500 in the first 90 days; Earn 3% cash back on airfare, hotel stays and car rentals; Earn 2% cash back at restaurants; Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Perks: No foreign transaction fee
- Cons: Only 1% cash back on most purchases
- Annual fee: $0
When you earn cash back on a purchase through your AARP card, it’s like getting a discount on travel. But you won’t have to stick with a particular brand for loyalty points, instead, you can combine these deals with the best travel deals you can find. The cash-back rewards never expire and you can redeem them for cash, an AARP membership and more.
Also, it’s worth pointing out that you don’t need an AARP membership to open this credit card. But Barclays will donate $10 to AARP for each new AARP credit card opened and 1% of all eligible purchases made with the card.
JetBlue Plus Card
- Best for: Frequent JetBlue travelers
- Rewards: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee within 90 days; Earn 6x points on JetBlue purchases; Earn 2x points on eligible restaurant and grocery store purchases
- Perks: Earn 5,000 bonus points on each account anniversary; Earn $100 annual statement credit when you purchase a JetBlue Vacations package of at least $100
- Cons: Target, Walmart and Costco don’t count as grocery stores
- Annual fee: $99
JetBlue offers loyal travelers a worthwhile opportunity. Although you’ll have to pay an annual fee, you’ll get the chance to earn reasonable rewards for your spending on this card. If you fly often, it could be worth the cost.
Choice Privileges Visa Signature Card
- Best for: Hotel rewards for travelers
- Rewards: Earn 32,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days; Earn 5x points on Choice hotel purchases; Earn 2x points on all other purchases
- Perks: Earn an 8,000 point bonus if you spend $10,000 or more every year; Redeem points for nights at Choice hotels
- Cons: Foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
Travelers who stay at Choice hotels will find plenty of value in this credit card without an annual fee. As a cardholder, you’ll score enough points for four free nights at Choice hotels after meeting the initial spending requirements.
Barnes & Noble Mastercard
- Best for: Voracious readers
- Rewards: $25 Barnes & Noble gift card after first purchase; Get 5% back on Barnes & Noble purchases; Earn 2x points at restaurants, excluding Barnes & Noble Café purchases; Earn 1x points on all other purchases
- Perks: 12 months of Barnes & Noble Membership after spending $7,500 per year on eligible purchases; Get a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card every time you earn 2,500 points
- Cons: Limited redemption options
- Annual fee: $0
Book lovers can turn their spending habits into points. If you frequently shop at Barnes & Noble, you’ll find worthwhile rewards in this card. With a $0 annual fee, your card will help you cover the cost of some of your Barnes & Noble purchases. The rewards will continue to accumulate without any annual fee required.
Notable Mentions
Not all of the Barclays cards can make the cut as the best of the best. Although the following cards didn’t make the top of the charts, they are still worthwhile for the right cardholder. Here’s a look at our honorable mentions.
Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard
- Best for: International travelers heading to the United Arab Emirates
- Rewards: 30,000 bonus Skywards Miles after spending $3,00 on purchases in the first 90 days; Earn 3 Skyward Miles for ever $1 spent on Emirates purchases; Earn 2 Skyward Miles for eligible travel purchases; Earn 1 Skyward Miles for all other purchases
- Perks: Skywards Miles don’t expire; Silver status opens the door to the Emirates business lounge in the Dubai airport for the cardholder
- Cons: Limited uses for Skywards Miles
- Annual fee: $99
As a traveler with plans to visit the United Arab Emirates, this card can help you defray the costs of your journey with a reasonable welcome bonus. Since the miles don’t expire, you can plan to use them whenever you find the time to take this unique trip.
Carnival World Mastercard
- Best for: Cruise seekers that don’t want an annual fee
- Rewards: Earn 20,000 FunPoints after your first purchase or balance transfer, which equals a $200 statement credit on your next cruise; 2x FunPoints for every dollar spent on Carnival cruise lines; 1x FunPoints on all other purchases
- Perks: Get a 10% statement credit when you book Carnival shore excursions
- Cons: Relatively low earning rate
- Annual fee: $0
Frequent cruisers who enjoy hopping aboard a Carnival cruise will get the most value out of this card. If you aren’t happy with the idea of an annual fee, this card gives you the opportunity to earn travel rewards without the pinch of an annual fee. However, you’ll only get the most bang for your buck if you redeem the FunPoints for cruise-related purchases.
Final Take
Not sure if any of these cards offer the perfect fit? The right credit card is likely still out there because Barclays isn’t the only issuer in town. Instead, there are countless credit card opportunities, and one will likely suit your needs. Check out the top credit cards of 2022 for more options.
More on Barclays Bank
- Barclays Bank Review
- Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard Review
- Barclays JetBlue Plus Mastercard Review
- What Are Barclays’ Bank Hours?
Information is accurate as of Aug. 25, 2022.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.