British Airways (BA) is a global airline company with an extensive offer of flight destinations. They offer a number of products and services that will make your domestic and international travel more convenient and enjoyable. One of its products popular in South Africa is their credit card facility.
British Airways Credit Card
The British Airways Credit Card is a product with benefits catering mostly to frequent flyers. Using the credit card will award you with Avios. Avios is the rewards points program British Airways use to award loyal customers who avail their products and services. Avios can be used to book both international and domestic flights, among a number of other benefits you can redeem with it.
Features and Benefits
Users of BA Credit Cards can enjoy the following benefits:
- You get the chance to earn up to 9,000 Avios when you purchase using your BA Credit Card. This is only valid within the first three months after you receive your card. These many points are enough to get you a return flight from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls. The first time you use your card, you’ll earn 5,000 Avios. You get the remaining 4,000 when your credit card purchases amount to R24,000 within the first three months from activating the card.
- Earn one Avios for every R7.50 you spend using your BA Credit Card. You can earn faster (one Avios for every R5.00 spent) by using it to purchase flight tickets from British Airways, fuel products from BP, and various goods from BP.
- Priority treatment when checking in for your domestic travels with British Airways.
- Automatic membership to the British Airway Executive Club.
- Spending a certain amount using your BA Credit Card will earn you special tier bonuses which include exclusive lounge access and discounts on flight tickets.
- Waived transaction fees when you use your BA Credit Card on purchases at till points.
- Enjoy interest-free credit for up to 55 days on qualified purchases.
- The BA Credit Card is accepted on any ATM around the world.
- Enjoy cash withdrawals through ATM and over-the-counter transactions.
- Monthly statements can be sent electronically at no additional cost.
- Enhanced security features for safer online and personal shopping.
- BA Credit Cards are covered by Lost Card Protection which can shield you from being held liable for fraudulent transactions done using your lost or stolen card. Incidents like these should be immediately reported for the protection to take effect.
- Basic Travel Insurance for you and immediate family members when you purchase international travel tickets using your BA Credit Card.
- Option to receive SMS notifications on transactions made using your BA Credit Card. This feature is not free of charge.
- Eligibility to avail the Life Insurance Plan which can cover outstanding balances amounting up to R100 000 in case of death or permanent disability.
Your credit limit will be assessed based on your spending habits and financial capabilities.
Requirements
To qualify for a BA Credit Card, you must make sure you satisfy the following criteria first:
- You must be above 18 years old
- You have a valid ID
- Your monthly income should be at least R8,000
- You have billing statements that can be used as proof of residence
Take note that you’ll be subjected to a credit review before you’re granted access to your credit card. This is a vital step in determining your credit limit and your capability to repay debts.
Interest, Fees, and Repayment Information
An initiation fee of R166.45 will be charged to you for applying for the credit card. After this, you’ll be charged monthly with a facility fee of R25.22 and an account fee of R50.44. The facility fee pertains to the cost of maintaining your credit facility for everyday use, while the account fee covers the cost of retaining the value-added features of your card.
Cash withdrawals using your BA Credit Card will cost you an additional cost of at least R60.53 for over-the-counter transactions on any local bank. Withdrawing cash using an ATM is cheaper with a minimum of R4.54 in extra charges.
Using your card for international purchases will cost you a currency conversion fee of 2.75%. This amount is computed using the converted Rand value.
You have the option to choose to repay your balance through BA’s Budget facility. This allows you to extend your repayment period to up to 48 months for credit purchases over R300.
For the interest rates, it’s at 20.50% whether you choose the Budget or the Straight payment option.
How to Apply
You can contact British Airways through the following channels for your credit card inquiries:
- Email: enquiries@bacard.co.za
- Phone: 0861 4 22 000
You can also do the British Airways Credit Card application process through the British Airways’ website. Simply fill out the online form in there and provide the documents required.
