Can plastic really earn you status? Almost every Avios card earns points you can spend — but only one earns Tier Points that count towards your tier. Here is which card, how it works, and where the limits bite.
The single biggest misunderstanding in the whole programme is confusing Avios with Tier Points. Plenty of cards shower you with Avios; almost none earn Tier Points. This page cuts through it and shows exactly which card moves your status — and by how much.
What you’ll learn:
Just one UK credit card earns British Airways Tier Points: the British Airways American Express Premium Plus. Every other Avios-earning card — the free British Airways American Express and the whole Barclaycard Avios range — earns Avios only, and zero Tier Points.
Remember the distinction: Avios are the currency you spend on flights and upgrades; Tier Points are the separate score that sets your status. A card can earn a mountain of Avios and still move your status not one inch.
Here is how the main UK Avios cards stack up on the only thing that matters for status — Tier Points:
| Card | Earns Avios? | Earns Tier Points? |
|---|---|---|
| BA Amex Premium Plus | Yes, up to a yearly cap | |
| Free BA Amex | ||
| Barclaycard Avios | ||
| Barclaycard Avios Plus |
If your goal is Avios for reward flights, several of these cards are excellent — see how to earn Avios. But if your goal is status, only the Premium Plus contributes.
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The card earns Tier Points through spend, and the mechanics are changing:
To put the cap in context: even the maximum 2,500–3,000 Tier Points is a useful chunk of the 7,500 needed for Silver, but only a fraction of the 20,000 for Gold. The card accelerates status; it does not hand it to you.
You still have to fly. Card Tier Points only count if you also fly a minimum number of eligible cash sectors on British Airways or Iberia — widely reported as two for Bronze and four for Silver or Gold. Reward flights do not count.
Not all spend qualifies. Balance transfers, cash withdrawals, interest, non-sterling transaction fees and the card’s own annual fee are excluded from eligible spend.
Timing matters. Card Tier Points can take a week or two to post, so trigger the spend well before the 31 March deadline or the points may land in the next year.
The Premium Plus carries an annual fee, so it earns its keep only if you value what it delivers: a meaningful Tier Point top-up, a strong Avios earn rate and its well-known companion voucher. If you are chasing status and already spend enough to hit the bonus thresholds, the Tier Points can be the deciding factor. If you rarely fly the minimum sectors, the Tier Points are wasted and a cheaper Avios card may suit you better.
Read the full breakdown in our BA Amex Premium Plus review, and see how its companion voucher works in the companion voucher guide.
Cards are only ever part of the picture. To close a status gap efficiently, pair the card with a well-planned tier point run.
The AviosArcana Editorial Team
We decode the British Airways loyalty programme in plain English, cross-checking every figure against BA’s published rules. We only recommend products we would use ourselves — and we tell you plainly when a card is not worth it.