Full Score

I split most of my time between the UK and US. Using my UK address I can apply for a UK credit card, say BA AMEX. Can I have the miles from this credited to my US BA Exec account, even though BA only have my US address, or do I need to open a second, UK-based BA account?

mia

I have moved this question to the BAEC forum because BA has very specific rules on this topic. To my knowledge, you cannot link a BAEC affinity credit card to a BAEC account registered in another country, and you cannot have more than one BAEC account to circumvent this restriction. The BA forum regulars will be able to tell you if my understanding is accurate and how efficiently BA enforces such rules.

jerry a. laska

No. BA Amex will not credit to a non-UK BAEC account, any avios you earn will be held awaiting your moving back to the UK. Remember you can only move your BAEC account every six months. in addition, you cannot have two BAEC accounts.
See:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...n-uk-baec.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...er-points.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ce-needed.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...eurocheat.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...os-denied.html

Monk

No, you can't, and similarly you cannot credit miles from a US chase Visa to a UK BAEC account. I learned the hard way. Don't bother.

On the other hand, I suppose you could have a UK Avios account, and apply for a Lloyds Avios card, bank the 25,000 miles and then transfer them to your US account. Not sure if there's any rules around that.

David-A

For clarity, Monk is talking about Avios.com which is a separate loyalty programme from BAEC, open to people with a UK address. It is one of the three schemes using Avios points (the third being Iberia Plus).

It has its own credit cards, however they are TERRIBLE creditcards.

If you want a UK issued credit card to earn you Avios, consider the Amex Gold charge card (also known as the 'Preferred Rewards Gold card'). It earns Amex MR points, but you can convert these into Avios points.

Signup bonus of 20k MR points (20k Avios) if you can put through £2k on the card in the first 3 months. This rises to a 22k joining bonus if you are referred (happy to refer people!), same spend requirement. Annual fee - but it is not charged in your first year...

Also, if you have a UK address you could open an Avios.com account, and then also get the Tesco credit card (it is the best non-Amex network card for earning Avios - for thouse places that don't take Amex), this earns clubcard points but again they convert into Avios. You can't send them direct to your BAEC account - because the address is in the USA, but you can convert them to Avios in your Avios.com scheme account, then move them from your Avios.com account to your BAEC account. Again referrals available for the Tesco credit card - which has no annual fee.


Can I ask - why do you have your BAEC account in the USA? Is it for local targeted offers? Or for a local credit card?

Full Score

Neither. I spend roughly the same amount of time each year in the US and UK (as well as numerous hotels elsewhere) - I am registered for some CCs in the UK, some in the US.

Thank you all for your advice.

David-A

Ah, ok. As you have probably figured out - despite being in the global travel business (and therefore having people who live their lives like your self as ideal customers) BA Exec Club is setup so that only BA branded partner credit cards in your BAEC membership country can be linked to your BAEC account.

As a consequence of this, people with residentially addresses, bills and spending in multiple countries can only have a BA branded credit card in one of them.
(It is mad isn't it! - Should be ideal customers...)

Therefore the decision for many people is about balancing which BA credit card (if any) they particularly want to have.
Compared against what other credit card options might exist in their other home countries, that would also let them earn Avios indirectly (i.e. the Amex MR cards in the UK, etc).
Compared against the local partners and targeted offers in the different countries - which would require them to have their BAEC account moved to that country.

HilFly

Where do you pay income tax?

David-A

While I'm sure you didn't mean it that way, I think that is a rather personal question.

There are plenty of people on FT who have very complicated tax affairs (paying in multiple countries) not by virtue of trying to do anything clever, just because of the nature of their lives. Indeed many would love to have simpler lives, but by virtue of where they grew up, where their family ties are, where their relationships and their works take them... it is what it is.

And to be clear, where you pay income tax has no bearing on where you are entitled to have a credit card. If the financial institution providing the credit/service is happy to do business with you and can verify you to comply with their KYC requirements, that is all.

HilFly

I appreciate that my question probably sounded too personal and intrusive. My reaction to the OP's aituation was "that must make his taxes complicated". My question was supposed to be more of a comment along those lines. My apologies to the OP if my question caused offence.

knifeandfork

You can credit US Amex MR points to a UK BAEC account. I do it every month.

I have a BA PP Amex and and an old-school BD platinum master card that I put UK spending on.

knifeandfork

It does and it doesn't. You can "treaty off" the vast majority of tax you suffer in the US against your HMRC bill. It's a hassle, but that's what an accountant is for.

Things get complicated when you have a green card or a US passport. The US has no "income arising" attitude and wants a tax return and tax owing on worldwide income, unlike HMRC.

Which is why so many Russian oligarchs settle in SW1.

HilFly

Once a US citizen, always a US tax filer!

Having spent many years moving between different tax jurisdictions I have first hand experience! One year, three different countries were trying to claim me as a resident for income tax purposes!

No, I wasn't trying to keep one step ahead of the taxman!

JK

A somewhat related question, if someone wouldn't mind helping me...

My BAEC membership is (currently) based in Milan (to be clear, my home address is listed as UK, but my preferred contact address is my office address in Milan). However, as a UK resident, I can (and want to) apply for the BA Premier Amex, though I never have, because I always thought the condition was to have your BAEC account in the UK.

Having read above - it sounds like I could apply, but just not credit any miles to my BAEC until I move it back to the UK.

Is that correct? Or have I mis-understood? Either way, this problem will disappear from next year, but it would be nice to start working on the BA Amex from now, as the 241 vouchers are incredibly appealing (and I'd achieve them in relatively short order)...

Cheers,
JK

knifeandfork

I feel you, HiFly. Which is why I have hitherto balked at the idea of getting my green card.

Interestingly, as far as my affairs are concerned, I never have any trouble with the IRS or all of the dozen and a half or so states I have worked in.

All except one. The biggest, most glorious basket case of them all, California.