Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Credit, Debit and Prepaid Card Programs > Credit Card Programs
Reload this Page >

Barclays Arrival Plus, now 70K w/$5k spend

Old May 14, 2014, 1:15 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: rrgg
This thread is a continuation of the discussion posted here from 12.08.2012 - 5.13.2014: Barclays Arrival/Arrival Cards (1.05%/2.1% travel credits)

Current offer for Arrival Plus is 70K pts w/$5K spend & AF waived 1st year.


Barclays says that you earn miles but youre actually earning cash back with the card since you cant transfer your Barclays miles to airlines. But you can redeem them for statement credits at 0.5 cents per mile (poor value) or 1.05 cent per mile if you redeem for travel.

You get 5% of your miles back if you redeem for travel, so 40,000 miles gets you $400 towards travel and 2,000 miles back (5% of your miles back). You must have at least 10K 'miles' in your acct if you wish to redeem as a travel credit. 2500 'miles' can be redeemed for a stmt credit though.

If you want, you can redeem miles to cover a portion of a travel charge instead of the full amount. For example, if you have 80k miles and a $740 airline charge, you can choose to redeem just 70k to cover $700 of the charge.

You earn 2X miles on all purchases, so youre effectively getting 2% cash back for each purchase. But since you get 5% of your miles back when you redeem for travel, this is effectively a 2.1% cash back card when miles are redeemed for travel.

This makes the Barclaycard Arrival PlusTM World Elite MasterCard (with 2.1% cash back for travel) better than the Capital One Venture card which offers only 2 miles per $1 or 2% cash back, only if you spend $30k+ per year after first year, because Arrival Plus AF is $30 more than Venture.

If you receive a call from 302-255-8000 after applying for this or any other Barclay's card, it is a legit number! You can also call them back directly at 866-951-1437.




Very Old Wiki Info ---
Regarding official company representatives
Note that there is an official procedure for company representatives to register themselves with the FlyerTalk Community Director and verify their credentials. When that process is completed, the username will turn green in posts, rather than the standard blue.

Anyone who does not appear in green has not followed this procedure. Those posts should be considered the same as any other user's posts. It is important to remember that the moderation team does not generally monitor the veracity of any posts; it is up to you to judge a poster's content and history yourself.


Let's crowd source things that have counted towards travel redemptions that are not so obvious

="3"%Successful
Don't forget travel purchase needs to be > $100 charge for 10K mile redemption
  • 9/11 Museum and Memorial - NYC
  • Accuracy Limo (via Square, Salt Lake City, UT limo service)
  • ACE Adventures (West Virginia White Water Rafting), had to call in to get it processed manually
  • agoda.com
  • AirAsia Flights (airasia.com)
  • airbnb bookings
  • airbnb GC purchased on United MPX site
  • Alaska Airlines checked baggage fee $25 charge
  • Amazing Bike Tours Thailand
  • AA Gift Card
  • American Airlines telephone booking (including booking fee)
  • Amtrak train ticket >$25 (ALB-NYP)
  • Amtrak train ticket >$25 (unknown destinations)
  • Arrival+ Annual Fee
  • Argosy Cruises (SEA, classified as RECREATION)
  • Autoeurope.com
  • BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) San Francisco
  • Balloons over Bagan
  • Bieber bus tickets
  • Boston MBTA Charlie Card reload & Commuter Rail passes & tickets
  • Burj Khalifa observation decks
  • Buying Lifemiles from Avianca
  • Capitaine Train Tickets (capitaine.com)
  • Carmel Limo (NYC car service)
  • carrentals.com
  • cheaptickets.com hotel
  • Chinese Visa Application Fees (had to call in. Credit showed up in account in 2 business days. See Post 912 and 921 for details)
  • City Taxi (Tampa)
  • CostcoTravel
  • Cotai Waterjet (Hong Kong)
  • CT Limo
  • Daily Getaways purchase of HHonors points
  • DB Bahn Trains Germany (bahn.de)
  • Disneyland Hong Kong (Manual redemption required)
  • DriveNow - all locations in EU/US
  • Dublin Bus Tours Hop on, Hop off (Green)
  • Eiffel Tower (manual redemption by phone allowed)
  • Empire State Building tickets
  • Enterprise rent-a-car, paid at the counter when returning the car (used Chase United Visa initially for primary coverage, but asked to pay with a different card when returning the car)
  • Eurostar Train Tickets (eurostar.com)
  • Europcar.com
  • Expedia.com
  • Hertz Rent-a-Car (booked on hertz.com)
  • Hong Kong Airport Express Pass
  • Hotel bookings through Rocketmiles (even refundable bookings or those tied to other promotions)
  • Hotels.com
  • Hotwire
  • ItaliaRail (online booking agency for TrenItalia)
  • LA Swamp Tours, Steamboat cruise, Haunted History Tours (New Orleans)
  • Lahaina-Maui Ferry Tickets - booked online at www.go-lanai.com
  • Las Vegas Show Booked through hotel
    Las Vegas show tickets booked online (Mandalay Bay Box office)
  • Limo Charges - Two limo charges that I made in March PRIOR the the recent changes to what qualifies as "Travel" showed up as eligible travel charges. I guess with the changes to what's covered, and for how long, these got pulled back in.
  • Lyft
  • M-Life advance reservation deposit
  • Montway Auto Transport (deposit)
  • New York City MTA Subway Cards
  • New York Waterways Ferry (between NJ and NYC)
  • Ngong Ping 360 (Hong Kong)
  • Norwegian Cruise Line purchase made from telephone order from vacationstogo.com
  • Norwegian Cruise Line (deposits and payments)
  • NS Hispeed Train Tickets (nshispeed.com)
  • NYC Taxi
  • Orbitz.com purchase
  • ORCA card for Seattle area tolls (considered the very typical GOVERNMENT SERVICES NOT ELSEWHERE CLASSIFIED)
  • Paris RATP Metro/VATP (buy 10-ticket pack for >$25 and save cost)
  • PeruRail (Machu Picchu train)
  • PMRF Beach Cottages (Kauai)
  • Priceline
  • Primetime Shuttle (Worked from LAX-SNA)
  • rail europe on Travelocity
  • rail JR Rail in Japan, load as tourist attraction, call in to get it credit (Post#938)
  • Safari Helicopter Tour (Kauai)
  • Sandals.com resort booking (unique vacations) was not redeemable last year. Is redeemable online now
  • SEASTREAK LLC - NYC (Commuter Ferri)
  • Singapore Cable Car
  • Southwest $100 gift card
  • Southwest Early Bird Check-in (billed separately from airfare charges)
  • Spirit of NY Dinner Cruises - www.spiritcruises.com, which have cruises in several other cities as well.
  • Starwood Vacation Ownership (SPG Timeshare) Westin Princeville Kauai (coded as Timeshare).
  • St Pauls Cathedral (manual redemption by phone allowed)
  • Super Shuttle (mixed, worked in SF when (billed SUPERSHUTTLE EXECUCARS), worked in Boston (SUPERSHUTTLE BOSTON), failed in LA (SUPERSHUTTLE), Worked in Cancun.
  • Taxi in Zrich
  • Top of the Rock tickets - NYC
  • Trenitalia Online
  • Trimet (Portland OR public transportation)
  • Trip Advisor Rental
  • TurboJET (Hong Kong)
  • Uber
  • Uber GC through MPX $100 (re-confirmed 11/1/2018, using Arrival Premier)
  • United Baggage Fee
  • Universal Studio Orlando tickets (had to call in)
  • Viator (sightseeing/tours)
  • Victoria Clipper (passenger ferry)
  • Wedding at the Stratosphere's Chapel in the Clouds (billed as stratosphere)
  • Windsor Castle (manual redemption by phone allowed)
  • Wine purchases from different wine tasting rooms
  • WMATA (Washington DC Metro) - [[COLOR="Red"]reconfirmed 10/5/15]
  • Zipcar

    ="3"%Unsuccessful (please mention the amount redeemed - important as anything under $25 $100 cannot be reimbursed)
    Partial redemptions are possible - however you cannot redeem against that charge again. So if you have a $500 charge and you spend 40K points against it, you cannot redeem 10K points for the remaining $100 of that charge.
  • www.b-europe.com (SNCB rail)
  • Amtrak (possibly due <$25 charge)
  • Blue Water Rafting. Merchant category "Recreation Services -- Not elsewhere classified"
  • Brazil airline GOL booked online codes as DIRECT MARKETING/DIRECT MARKETERS--NOT ELESWH ..
  • Broadmoor Hotel Food and Beverage (Colorado Spring, CO)
  • budgetair.co.uk (charged >$200)
  • Car2go
  • De Palm Tours, Aruba (classified as Recreation. Called Barclay twice.)
  • Description: ZERVE *CA WHALES Merchant Category: THEATRICAL PRODUCERS (EXCEPT MOTION PICTURES), TICKET AGENCIES...Tickets to whale watching tour purchased over the phone.
  • Evan Evans Sightseeing tours (UK based)- http://www.evanevanstours.co.uk
  • Fastrak tag autoload for San Francisco bridge tolls ($25)
  • Global Entry
  • Gotobus.com Long Distance Buses, ~$100
  • Homeaway.com, posts as real estate. Barclays said they'd make a one-time exception but future purchases won't count as travel.
  • Hostelbookers.com deposit (maybe the charge which is >$25 will count?)
  • Hotels.com Gift Card
  • IHG points and cash hotel redemption
  • Malaysian Overnight Train KUL-SIN (ktmb.com.my)
  • Monterey Aquarium
  • Parking at DCA - $136 (7/9/19)
  • Parking at HSV ($96 in parking at Huntsville International Airport)
  • Parking at IAH (Houston Intercontinental - on airport) -$76 (PARKING LOTS AND GARAGES)
  • Parking at LAS
  • Parking at LGA $204
  • Parking at Port Imperial, Weehawken, NJ
  • Parking at SNA (John Wayne Airport)
  • San Francisco Clipper Card public transit (autoload from website)
  • Skyjump at Stratosphere Hotel LV $150 (01/14) - not charged by hotel.
  • Space Needle and Chihuly Garden Tickets
  • Starwood points purchase (BUSINESS SERVICES NOT ELSEWHERE CLASSIFIED)
  • Taxi Magic /Curb- Taxi service
  • Thello train (France-Italy night train, codes as rail-freight)
  • Trenitalia (both online and in stations, posts as rail-freight)
  • UBER eGift Card (bought through the UBER app) for $100 - Not coded as "travel," so couldn't redeem online and they wouldn't do it over the phone, either.



Airlines that post purchases of multiple tickets as one amount or split them:

One Amount
BA (USD based award ticket)

Multiple Transactions
UA (award)
DL (award)

Print Wikipost

Barclays Arrival Plus, now 70K w/$5k spend

Old Aug 20, 2014, 12:19 pm
  #976  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 5
Using Tax ID instread of SS number

Sorry if this was brought up already, but I was wondering if I can use my tax ID number from my business in the application for the Barclaycard, instead of my SS#.
Thanks,
Jeffphd is offline  
Old Aug 20, 2014, 12:31 pm
  #977  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: San Antonio
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 2,276
Originally Posted by Jeffphd
Sorry if this was brought up already, but I was wondering if I can use my tax ID number from my business in the application for the Barclaycard, instead of my SS#.
Thanks,
For a business credit card application, you'd be required to use both. No, you can't get a credit card without personally guaranteeing the debt and tying it to your Social Security or other ITIN.
KennyBSAT is offline  
Old Aug 20, 2014, 1:53 pm
  #978  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 434
Originally Posted by lyst
Yes, got 2nd card after closing 1st card for 2 months and just got the bonus on 2nd card.
Is 2 months some sort of requirement that I need to meet? Or do you think I can go ahead and downgrade to the free version and apply for a 2nd card?
xoxx is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2014, 7:45 am
  #979  
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BAY AREA
Posts: 1,124
Barclays Arrival/Arrival+ Cards (1.1%/2.2% travel credits)

has anyone who opened their acct last December got upgraded to elite card yet? I haven't yet and I really use the card heavily
trikotret is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2014, 7:48 am
  #980  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 3,945
Originally Posted by trikotret
has anyone who opened their acct last December got upgraded to elite card yet? I haven't yet and I really use the card heavily
I would just call them.
TAHKUCT is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2014, 5:35 pm
  #981  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 5
Question - I've been researching cards like gangbusters and I was really set on this one. However I'm a resident of Iowa, and the state I'm in has never been blacklisted before. Anybody know why? Is there any way around it? I mean could I register it with my sister's address and add her as a certified user or something? I'm incredibly bummed I can't get this card. I have no mastercards and I would really be interested in one. Thanks,
BryceC is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2014, 6:00 pm
  #982  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
[QUOTE=Happy;23374075
My suggestion is, ask for Reward Dept and dont bother to escalate to supervisor as it would be the Reward Dept handling your manual redemption any way.[/QUOTE]

When I had a problem not receiving my points I was able to talk to their corporate CSR department who said the rewards department cannot be called. The only way to talk to them was from a regular agent opening a case and sending it to the rewards department. I take everything with a grain of salt though.

Originally Posted by JEFFJAGUAR
Okay. The Arrivals+ has now been out for 3 or so months. How muchg longer will we peasants, too cheap to pay the annual fee, have to wait to get the regular arrivals card with an emv chip. Obviously they have mastered the technology so now they should offer the regular Arrivals card with an emv chip.
I've had a regular A+ (not the world mastercard) with a chip for months now and just got back from a month-long overseas trip. The card worked wonderfully everywhere, including unattended train kiosks.

Originally Posted by alexmt
But you're earning two points that are worth well under half what Chase UR points are worth... you should easily be able to find 2-4 cents/mile redemptions for MileagePlus and Avios...
Depends on what your goal is.

Originally Posted by I Love to Travel
My Arrival+ did not work in Munich for the S-Bahn tickets (2 weeks ago). I ended up using my Andrew's card each time I bought tickets which worked fine. The Arrival+ worked fine as a chip+ signature card. My ARrival was upgraded to the A+ in May and one of the forms indicated to use the card once internationally as a chip+sig card and then the PIN would work afterwards - but it did not work in Munich.
Weird, I was able to use the Bahn machines in Frankfurt last month without issues. Once in Frankfurt I bought a bottle of water ($3.50!!) and after that all my PIN transactions worked fine all over EU and SE Asia.

Last edited by Superorb; Aug 21, 2014 at 6:05 pm
Superorb is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2014, 8:15 pm
  #983  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,762
Superorb...one question. At places where there was a cashier, did you use a pin or a signature?
JEFFJAGUAR is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2014, 8:38 pm
  #984  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 24
any way to cash out the points without actually traveling?
edubsmann is offline  
Old Aug 22, 2014, 6:15 am
  #985  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 427
I think you can cash them out for 2 points = $1.
bigugly is offline  
Old Aug 22, 2014, 6:21 am
  #986  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 427
I have another data point for travel redemption.

You can go to reservedirect.com for discount attraction tickets (which is what I used them for), hotel reservations, shows, etc. It is coded as a travel agency, and you can redeem against this expense. They have deals for the typical Florida locations, Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Myrtle Beach, Branson MO, and Hawaii.
bigugly is offline  
Old Aug 22, 2014, 6:24 am
  #987  
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 47
Originally Posted by edubsmann
any way to cash out the points without actually traveling?
Well I thought I could buy Disney tickets -- which are coded as "AMUSEMENT PARKS, CIRCUSES, CARNIVALS, FORTUNE TELLERS" -- and call them to argue they were a "tourist attraction" but no dice. I know you can buy Disney tickets through a 3rd party like AAA or Undercover Tourist but I was buying special event tickets direct through Disney.

So what I did was book a hotel and canceled the reservation later. The hotel charge stayed on the "Purchases available for redemption" page.

Last edited by aimorris; Aug 22, 2014 at 6:25 am Reason: .
aimorris is offline  
Old Aug 22, 2014, 9:00 am
  #988  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
Originally Posted by JEFFJAGUAR
Superorb...one question. At places where there was a cashier, did you use a pin or a signature?
Usually signature, but once or twice PIN. NEVER swiped, always inserted into the chip reader. Very happy with this card overseas.
Superorb is offline  
Old Aug 23, 2014, 5:34 pm
  #989  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,762
Intereting experience with Barclaycard customer service today. In looking at one of the Barclaycard USA blogs, somebody complained that they had wanted the world elite card and had received the world master card although it has a chip. The lights went on in my head. The World Mastercard is the arrival card with no annual fee or so I believe. So apparently arrival cards without annual fees exist with chips.

Call customer service and the first csr who probably works with dozens of cards said no, not available. I asked to speak to a manager who also claims not available. But then I said okay send me the re-designed card and we'll see what happens. Don't understand why one person can get a chipped card and somebody else can't. (Of course she told me that all cardholders would have a chipped card by October 2015 but I told her that's a year and a half away).

We'll see what happens but is there anybody here who has the Arrival World Mastercard, not the elite mastercard, with a chip?
JEFFJAGUAR is offline  
Old Aug 23, 2014, 6:18 pm
  #990  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Wine Country, Finger Lakes
Programs: LFFRS BOD
Posts: 1,355
I just received a letter from Barclays telling me that my Barclaycard Arrival Plus Mastercard sent recently was missing information. listed is

CL
Account open Date
Earn 2x miles on all purchases
Get 10%miles back to use toward your next redemption for travel credits.
Book travel anywhere etc...
No Foreign transaction fees on purchases while traveling abroad
Chip card for maximum acceptance when traveling worldwide.

then in closing any questions call this number or email.. etc.

ETA: My MC logo is not silver and I had sent a sm asking for details of this card.

Last edited by duranza; Aug 23, 2014 at 6:37 pm
duranza is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.