The Barclaycard Arrival MasterCard is a rewards credit card that most benefits frequent travelers. It has no annual fee and comes with some attractive signup offers for new card members. It is closely aligned with the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard (annual fee of $89) but with a lesser rewards rate and without the World Elite MasterCard perks. The Card is issued by Barclays Bank Delaware.
New account holders can earn 20,000 bonus miles once when they are approved for the card. To receive these bonus miles, you must spend at least $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days that your card is active. Returns, credits and balance transfers do not qualify as purchases and will not be counted towards the spending threshold. All eligible transactions must post to your account by the specified date. Note: the Barclaycard Arrival MasterCard allows card members to earn “miles” as opposed to “points”. The 20,000 bonus miles offer equals a $200 travel statement credit.
Additionally, new members receive a 0% introductory annual percentage rate on balance transfers for the first 12 months. Balance transfers must be completed and post to your account within 45 days from when your account is opened. After this promotional period ends, the APR will be 14.99% or 18.99%, based on your creditworthiness at the time of approval. This is a variable APR which is based on the Prime Rate. There is a balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the total amount of the transfer (whichever is greater) on each balance transfer processed. This fee is not waived. Be aware that balance transfers may take up to four weeks to post to your account.
The Barclaycard Arrival MasterCard does not currently offer a promotional APR on purchases. Your APR will be 14.99% or 18.99%, depending on your credit score. Any balance that carries over month-to-month on your account will accrue finance charges based on your specific APR.
Card members earn miles at the following rates:
- Two miles per dollar spent on eligible net Travel and Dining purchases.
- One mile per dollar spent on all other eligible net purchases.
Net purchases are retail purchases less any credits, returns, or adjustments. Cash advances and balance transfers do not earn miles. Purchases made by you and/or any authorized User(s) of the card do qualify to earn miles.
Members can choose from several options when redeeming miles but the travel statement credit offers the best return rate for rewards. These options include:
- Travel statement credit- Redemptions start at 2,500 miles for a $25 credit. The travel purchase must have been made within the last 120 days.
- Cash back statement credit- Redemptions start at 2,500 miles for a $12.50 credit.
- Gift cards- Redemptions start at 5,000 miles for a $25 credit.
The Barclaycard Arrival MasterCard gives members a 10% miles back bonus each time you redeem miles for a travel statement credit. This means if you redeem 30,000 miles for a travel credit, 3,000 bonus miles will automatically be added to your rewards account to use towards your next redemption.
Card members receive World MasterCard benefits with this card, such as:
- MasterCard Global Service
- Concierge Services
- Price Protection
Cardholders are not charged foreign transaction fees on any purchases made on the card while traveling outside of the U.S.
The Facts
Below we have broken down the details of the Barclaycard Arrival MasterCard to assist you in determining if it’s worth signing up.
The Good:
Signup bonus:
New card members can earn 20,000 bonus miles upon approval. To receive these bonus miles, you must spend a minimum of $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days that your account is opened. Cardholders earn “miles” rather than “points” with this card. An added perk is that you also earn the standard number of miles per dollar on your purchases- 2X on travel and dining and 1X on all other purchases. The 20,000 bonus miles is equal to a $200 travel statement credit.
0% introductory APR on balance transfers:
New account holders receive a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles after any balance transfer posts to your account. Balance transfers must be completed within 45 days of your account being active. After this time (and for any balance transfers completed after the 45 day period) your APR will be 14.99% or 18.99%, depending on your credit score. There is a balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the total amount transferred (whichever is greater) applied to each transaction. This fee is not waived during the promotional offer. It may take up to four weeks for a balance transfer to post to your account. Not all balance transfer requests are approved.
Easy to earn miles:
Members earn two miles per $1 spent on eligible net purchases made with the card on Travel and Dining. Travel categories include:
| Airlines | Hotels | Motels | Timeshares | Campgrounds |
| Trains | Buses | Taxis | Limousines | Ferries |
| Discount Travel Sites | Car Rental Agencies | Tourist Attractions | Travel Agencies | Cruise Lines |
Qualifying Dining categories are Restaurants and Fast Food Restaurants.
Card members earn one mile per $1 spent on all other eligible net purchases.
Net purchases include your total amount of purchases minus any credits, returns, or adjustments. Cash advances and balance transfers are not considered purchases and do not earn miles. Your miles do not expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.
Easy to redeem miles:
Miles can be redeemed in the following ways:
- Travel statement credit- This option delivers the best rate of return on reward miles. Redemptions start at 2,500 (a generous perk) which is equal to a $25 credit. Travel purchases must have been made within the last 120 days (up from 90 days previously).
- Cash back statement credit- Redemptions with this option also begin at 2,500 miles but the value is only equal to $12.50.
- Gift cards- Redemptions start at 5,000 miles with a reward value of $25.
10% miles back bonus:
Members receive a 10% miles back redemption bonus each time you redeem miles for travel statement credits. For example, if you redeem 30,000 miles for a travel credit, you automatically will receive 3,000 bonus miles back into your account to use towards your next redemption. This feature pushes the value of the travel rewards to around 2.2%- a solid rate of return.
World MasterCard benefits:
Cardholders receive these additional benefits:
- MasterCard Global Service- Provides emergency assistance 24/7. Helps with reporting a lost or stolen card, obtaining a replacement card or cash advance, and finding an ATM.
- Concierge Services- Receive personal assistance with dinner reservations, entertainment tickets, or buying and delivering gifts.
- Price Protection- If you purchase an eligible item on the card and find a lower advertised price within 120 days from when you purchased it, you may be reimbursed for the difference. Exclusions and restrictions apply.
No foreign transaction fees:
Card members are not charged foreign transaction fees with this card.
The Bad:
No 0% introductory APR on purchases:
New members are not offered any promotional APR offer on purchases. Your variable APR will be 14.99% or 18.99%, depending on your credit score and payment history.
The Ugly:
Highest reward rates are for travel purchases:
This card definitely benefits people who spend a lot each year on travel-related expenses. When you redeem your miles for a travel statement credit you get double the value as when you redeem for a cash back statement credit. For example, 2,500 miles gets you $25 for a travel credit but only $12.50 for a cash back credit. For people who don’t travel on a regular basis, it may be more difficult to maximize the benefits of this card.
Approval is not guaranteed:
Barclays Bank has certain income and credit requirements to be approved for the Barclaycard Arrival MasterCard. Generally, a very good credit score is needed (720+FICO) to obtain this card.
For those people with excellent credit, Barclays Bank offers the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard. It does have an annual fee of $89 but this is waived for the first year of membership. If you spend a significant amount on travel each year, you might consider the World Elite card which lets you earn double miles on every purchase and has the exact same redemption program. You can decide after the first year if the rewards make up for the annual fee going forward.