BA Avios Prepaid Card

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#11

Just replying to this:

Yes you’re right, the rate is reasonable, but not perfect.

HFP addressed this in their article, and it turns out that leaving the money in your GBP wallet is the best thing to do.

When travelling abroad, you have two options:

  • you can move funds from the Sterling ‘wallet’ on your card into either the Euro or Dollar wallets, or
  • you can keep your funds in the Sterling ‘Wallet’ with transactions being charged at the Mastercard exchange rate + 1.5%

The second option applies by default if you make a purchase which is not in € or $. You also find the second option cheaper than the first even if you are spending in € or $, as we explain below.

This means that, whilst transactions made in € or $ are FX-free themselves, you are still paying roughly 3% to move your ‘wallet’ currency out of Sterling in the first place.

If you spend in other currencies:

There is a 1.5% FX fee for transactions in currencies apart from Euro and US$.

Oddly, because these transactions work off the Mastercard exchange rate – which is only slightly away from the interbank rate – the fees are lower at around 2% all-in.

You can read more here: LAST CHANCE: Get 3,000 Avios with the FREE BA Prepaid Mastercard

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#12

Well, my card arrived today, I’ve so far managed to register it, link my nationwide debit card, load it and spend 50% of what is needed for the bonus Avios :rofl:
At this rate, I’ll be done with the card by the end of the week :joy:

#13

Target met for me now. Just need to wait for the Avois to post then my time with this card is done.

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#14

Let us know how cancelling it goes.

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#15

£500 spend target met :white_check_mark:
Now just to wait for the Avios :hourglass_flowing_sand:

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#16

I have used it online, and also through Apple Pay. Avios have tracked. Not sure about the welcome bonus as it seems they’ll make us all wait 120 days for that.

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#17

Okay thanks for the intel! Sorry for posting a new thread - new to this forum stuff

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#18

No worries, happy to help!

#19

I’ve used the card in :greece: and am waiting for the 3000 bonus points.
Only 1 issue with acceptance.
Part of me thinks there is a delay in currency conversion- I’d only left it 15 minutes and it declined. Every other time I waited 30 minutes or more and now issue.

#20

I believe we’ll all be waiting 120 days for that!

#21

I reckon they will go for whole pounds for each transaction and then add them up.
Avios points get added on quickly.

#22

Avios for money spent get added quickly but the bonus T&Cs make it sound as if they will only award the 1500 points after 90 days of meeting the spend limit, then the 1500 HfP extra come another 30 days after that… for some, if they don’t spend quickly enough, that may well be when the card isn’t free even

#23

Has anyone got their bonus Avios yet?

#24

Me! This has reminded me that I need to cancel too.

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#25

Just checked, same for me! Do you know how I cancel?

#26

Via chat apparently. They can keep the 84p in my account.

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#27

Got mine today :grin:
Still have about a tenner to spend, but that’ll soon go on coffees, etc and then it’ll be cancelled in plenty of time before the monthly fee cuts in.

#28

Right, card closed!

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#29

There’s an easy 500 Avios to be made by answering a quick survey about this card.

The actual survey link is just a Microsoft form, so for security, and so you don’t think I’m nabbing your details here’s the Head for Points article with the link: Collect 500 Avios for a survey on the BA Prepaid Mastercard

#30

Thanks for the heads up! I have completed it. Great way to absolutely trash this trash product

Speaking of which, I’ve been told my card’s been cancelled yet I can still see it in app and it’s not showing as cancelled. What’s others experience?

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