Bad News for Barclaycard Arrival Plus Cardholders!

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There are some BIG changes happening with the Barclaycard Arrival Plus card, and it’s NOT good news.

Folks on Reddit reported yesterday you can NO longer apply for the card.  And a Barclaycard representative shared information about major reductions in this card’s perks!

I spoke to a Barclaycard representative and they confirmed the bad news.  I’ll explain.

What’s Going On?

Link:   Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite Mastercard®

Link:   My Review of the Barclaycard Arrival Plus

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite Mastercard® is (was!) 1 of my favorite cards for Big Travel.  That’s because you could get 2.2% back when you redeemed Barclaycard Arrival miles for travel purchases of $25 or more.

That’s changing.

Here’s what we know so far.  I’ve confirmed these details with a Barclaycard representative.

1.   No New Applications – for Now

You can NOT currently apply for the Barclaycard Arrival Plus or the fee-free Barclaycard Arrival.  The online application links have been shut down.  And you can NOT apply over the phone.

The representative I spoke with said “check back in a few weeks.”

2.   Major Perk Downgrades

Barclaycard is making it harder to redeem miles for statement credits toward travel.  And they’re changing the 10% bonus when you cash in your miles!

I was able to confirm:

• You’ll no longer receive 10% of your miles back when you redeem them for travel.  Instead, you’ll only earn 5% back.
• In the past, you could use Barclaycard Arrival miles towards statement credits for travel purchases of at least $25.  Now, you’ll have to redeem them for purchases of at least $100 (10,000 Barclaycard Arrival miles).
• If you choose to redeem miles for cash back, the minimum redemption is increasing to 5,000 Barclaycard Arrival miles ($25).  Previously, you could redeem for as little as $12.50 (2,500 Barclaycard Arrival miles).
• The free TripIt Pro subscription is being discontinued 🙁
• Tourist attractions (museums, theme parks, Disney, etc) will be removed from the qualifying travel redemption list.

As far as I know, NO new perks are being added to the card.  When I asked the representative if the annual fee is changing, she said it will stay the same.

Getting 5% of your miles back (instead of 10%) turns this into a 2.1% back card for travel redemptions.

But what I really don’t like is how they’ve quadrupled the minimum redemption amount and removed tourist attractions from the travel redemption list!

Now, you’ll only be able to cash in your miles for travel purchases of $100 or more.

That makes the card much less useful!  I know lots of folks would use Barclaycard Arrival miles towards things like taxis (when was the last time you paid a $100+ cab fare?), bus tickets, or admission to tourist attractions.

Note:   For current cardholders, these changes will take effect on their card anniversary when the annual fee is charged.  I’m sure many of us will give serious thought to whether it’s worth paying the annual fee!

Bottom Line

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus is being changed and isn’t currently accepting new applications.

The changes are NOT good news:

• You’ll only get 5% of your miles back (not 10%) when you redeem them for travel
• The minimum travel redemption amount is increasing to $100 (from $25); for cash back, it goes up to $25 (from $12.50)
• You’ll no longer get a free TripIt Pro membership
• Tourist attractions no longer qualify as travel

If you have the card, these changes will take effect on your card anniversary when your annual fee (currently $89) posts.

Will these changes make you reconsider keeping your Barclaycard Arrival Plus when the annual fee comes due?