The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Reviews
The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard Review
Benji Stawski is a former reporter for the site, covering all things points, miles, credit cards, travel and aviation.
January 8, 2019 • 8 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Editorial note: This card has been discontinued and is no longer available to new applicants.
Quick summary
Fixed-value point cards offer straightforward redemptions for travel expenses, making them appealing for those seeking simplicity.
These cards provide a consistent value per point, allowing redemptions for a wide range of travel purchases, including airfare, hotels, and more.
Some products in this category feature chip and PIN capability and no foreign transaction fees, which are especially useful for international travelers.
Recent changes in the market have shifted which cards are most competitive, with some now offering more flexible redemption options or additional perks.
What to consider
Redemptions for travel typically require a minimum purchase amount and must be made within a set timeframe after the transaction.
Certain cards provide a rebate on redeemed points, slightly increasing the effective return on spending.
Some benefits, such as price protection or luxury hotel perks, may not be widely available across all products in this category.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of leading fixed-value point cards, including nuanced pros, cons, and unique international travel features.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Related stories
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
As much as we like to think that points and miles are the be all end all for traveling for free, they're not. It often takes a lot of time, organization and flexibility to maximize how you earn and redeem points and miles. And even once you master the ins and outs of each rewards program, you may still find yourself stuck in situations where you'll have no choice but to fork over hefty fees and surcharges to book your “free” trip.
To prevent situations like these, it's a good idea to have a fixed-value point credit card in your arsenal. There's been a lot of activity in the fixed-value credit card space recently, so today I want to take a closer look at one of our longtime favorites, the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard, and see how it stacks up. The Arrival Plus isn't a glamorous card by any means, but it offers a good return on your everyday spending and allows you to redeem miles for any travel expense without jumping through hoops. It also has several less-common, useful benefits for traveling internationally.
Who Is This Card For?
While just about anyone should be able to get value from the Arrival Plus, it's best for those who like simplicity. The card earns the same amount of miles for every dollar you spend, everywhere, everyday, so you won't be needing to swap credit cards in and out for different types of purchases. And since miles have a fixed value, meaning you'll get the same value per mile no matter what travel purchase you use them toward, it's also great for economy-cabin travelers who don’t want to deal with the hassle of transferring miles and scouring for saver award availability.
Barclays doesn't have any hard-and-fast rules or restrictions like Chase's 5/24 when it comes to applying for new cards, though there are still some general guidelines you should follow. For instance, if you already have the Arrival Plus, but are thinking about reapplying in order to get the welcome bonus again, you need to cancel your existing card and then wait for a period of time (the recommendation is six months) before doing so. Also, Barclays has been known to look at prior spending on existing cards to determine approval for a new card. So, if you’re looking at applying for the Arrival Plus and already have another card with the issuer, such as the JetBlue Plus Card, and haven’t spent much (or anything) with it, wipe the dust off and use it for a few months before applying.
Welcome Bonus
The Arrival Plus is currently available with a best-ever welcome bonus of 70,000 miles after you spend $5,000 in the first 90 days. Miles are worth a flat 1 cent apiece when redeemed toward travel expenses, meaning this sign-up bonus worth $700. In reality, though, it's slightly better than that as the card offers a 5% rebate on redeemed miles, making the 70,000 miles worth $735. That's the highest bonus of any fixed-value point credit card. Plus, since the card's $89 annual fee is waived the first year, you can effectively try out the card for a year and get the bonus without paying anything at all.
You can redeem Arrival miles for travel purchases like cruise fares. Photo by Darren Murph / The Points Guy.
Earning
Earning miles on the Arrival Plus is very straightforward, ideal for those who like to have as few credit cards in their wallet as possible. You’ll earn 2 miles for every dollar you spend with the card on every transaction with no annual cap. This gives you a 2% return on all your spending, but when you factor in the card’s 5% rebate on redeemed miles, the return on your purchases effectively jumps to 2.11%.
Redeeming
Arrival miles can be redeemed at a fixed value of 1 cent apiece as a statement credit against travel purchases of at least $100 made within the last 120 days. This includes many expenses that traditional miles won’t cover, including purchases made with airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, campgrounds, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, trains, buses, taxis, limousines and ferries. Unlike traditional airline miles or hotel points, when you redeem Arrival miles for airfare and hotels, you generally still earn miles and points on flights and stays as you’re paying for them with your card and then getting reimbursed using miles after the fact.
Alternatively, you can use your miles to cover the card’s annual fee and maintain the same value of 1 cent per mile, which is a nice option to have. Miles can also be redeemed for straight cash back or gift cards, but you wouldn't want to go that route as the value of your miles will drop to half a cent apiece when doing so.
Perks
The Arrival Plus offers valuable, though fairly modest, benefits that are geared primarily toward international travelers. The card has no foreign transaction fees, meaning you can make purchases overseas without accumulating extra charges. More interestingly, the Arrival Plus is one of very few US-issued credit cards to have chip and PIN capability, making it an excellent choice to use overseas where chip and PIN cards are the standard. As a point of comparison, the Chase Sapphire Reserve will allow you to enter a random four-digit PIN in some credit card terminals, but the Arrival Plus is one of the few that will work in any of these terminals. This benefit is especially useful at unmanned kiosks in train stations.
Chip and PIN capability can save the day when you're traveling in Europe. Photo by Willie B. Thomas / Getty Images.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has long been the most direct competitor of the Arrival Plus due to the similar annual fee ($95 and waived the first year vs. $89 and waived the first year for the Arrival Plus) and same earning rate, but that's no longer the case now that Capital One added airline transfer partners.
Now, a much closer comparison to the Arrival Plus is the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card. It earns 2 points per dollar on travel/dining and 1.5 points per dollar on everything else (plus 25-75% bonuses for Bank of America Preferred Rewards customers), but points are worth the same no matter what you redeem for, so you have slightly more flexibility with them. The card comes with more perks than the Arrival Plus, including a $100 airline incidental statement credit and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, but its $95 annual fee isn't waived the first year.
There's also the no annual fee Citi® Double Cash Card, which basically earns 2% back on all purchases (1% when you make purchases, 1% when you pay your bill), but I don't see it as a competitor because it doesn't offer any travel-related benefits.
Bottom Line
The Arrival Plus isn't the best mid-tier credit card on the market — depending on how much money you have in your Bank of America or Merrill account, it might not even be the best fixed-value card. However, if that doesn't apply to you and you're looking for a simple product that'll help you diversify your points and miles, the Arrival Plus' 2.11% return on spending and increased sign-up bonus is quite attractive. Plus, having chip and PIN capability and no foreign transaction fees can be very useful for travelers.
