British Airways and American Express Launch Accelerating Business Card for SMEs

American Express has partnered with British Airways to launch a new credit card that enables UK SME owners to earn both accelerated On Business Points and Avios.

New card members earn 2,200 On Business Points when spending £3,000 or more in the first three months of card membership, which is enough to redeem a return flight from London to Amsterdam, Frankfurt or Zurich for anyone working for their business.

The points can also be put towards an upgrade.

Card members will receive an annual bonus of 3,000 On Business Points if they spend £20,000 or more by their card anniversary, equivalent to another return flight to Europe for themselves or another employee.

They will also earn 1.5 Avios for every eligible £1 spent on their Card and 1.5 On Business Points for every eligible £1 spent with British Airways.

On Business is British Airways’ complimentary loyalty programme to help company owners and their employees make the most of their corporate travel. Business travel can be unpredictable, and one of the advantages of On Business is that it lets business travellers book seats using their points up to one day before travel and make date and time changes to flights at no additional cost.

Avios can be spent on reward flights, upgrades, hotels, car rental and used for part payment, allowing customers to cut the cost of their personal flights, all through the British Airways Executive Club.

The British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card also gives SMEs greater control over their cash flow. A key Card benefit is the access to up to 56 calendar days without interest, or the choice to pay over time.

Colin O'Flaherty, General Manager, Global Commercial Services, UK at American Express, said, “We work with thousands of business owners across the UK and we know that their world never stands still, and that they are always looking for the next opportunity to take their business further. We are therefore delighted to launch the British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card which will help company owners leverage their spending and earn rewards which can help progress and strengthen their businesses.”

The additional benefits of the card are:

- Complimentary supplementary cards for up to 99 employees, so business owners can consolidate all business expenses and manage the spend under one Business Card Account easily. This can also help build up Avios and On Business Points balances faster, which can be reinvested in future business travel. Avios from all supplementary card spend are earned by the main cardholder.

- Access to the 24/7 Global Assist phone line.

- Emergency Card Replacement service.

- Travel insurance including cover for flight cancellations, delays and delayed luggage when paying with the card, and greater protection if flying with British Airways.

- Purchase and Refund Protection.

Ailis Gavan, On Business Manager at British Airways, said, “This new card offers business owners across the UK the opportunity to collect On Business Points, as well as Avios. Businesses can spend these On Business Points on seats and upgrades through our On Business programme, which is free to join and can make business travel simpler with an online travel management tool.”

As the British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card is a financial product, numerous terms and conditions apply.

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