The Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® is one of the most popular travel reward credit cards out on the market today. How does it compare to some of the other heavy hitters like the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
Let’s outline the comparisons below:
 Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® |
 Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
|---|
| Annual Fee | Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $89 | Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $95 | ||
| Restaurants | 2 points/dollar | 2 points/dollar | ||
| Travel | 2 points per dollar | 2 points per dollar | ||
| All Other Purchases | 2 points per dollar | 1 point per dollar | ||
| Bonus Offer | 40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in first 3 months from account opening | 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in first 3 months |
Similarities:
- Both cards have a 40,000 point sign up bonus after spending $3,000 in 3 months.
- Both cards waive the introductory annual fee the first year, the Sapphire Card then has a $95 annual fee (with some bloggers reporting this will increase to $125 in the near future) and an $89 annual fee for the Barclaycard.
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred will earn you 2x points at restaurants & travel and then only 1 point for all other purchase, while the Barclaycard will earn you 2x points on all purchases.
- Both cards have no foreign transaction fees
Differences:
- The Barclaycard gives you a 10% bonus on all points redeemed. For example, if you redeem 50,000 points you’ll get 5,000 points back into your account. The Chase Sapphire Preferred gives you a 7% annual dividend for all points earned.
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred allows you transfer points to a list of travel partners that can make your points more valuable if used correctly. The Barclaycard allows you to redeem points for travel – 40,000 points would equal a $400 ticket.
Use the $430 sign up bonus and accrue Arrival points at an accelerated rate with 2x points per dollar spent on all purchases to book free travel. If you’re looking to save your points for more expensive international flights and need to pay off miscellaneous travel expenses such as hotels, car rentals, or even cruises, then this card is perfect for you. With the 10% bonus on all points redeemed, you save money while saving money…what a concept!
Final Verdict:
As versatile as Ultimate Rewards points are, I really like the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® because you essentially earn 2.2 points per dollar spent on all purchases, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred only earns 2 points per dollar when you spend on travel and at restaurants. If you want a card that will help you earn more points at a faster rate, I highly recommend the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard®. If you’re looking for ways to meet the $3,000 spending threshold through manufactures spending, read about ways to meet your spending threshold. For a more detailed rundown on all the benefits this Barclaycard has to offer, read below:
Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard®
- Earn 40,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days — that’s enough to redeem for a $400 travel statement credit
- 0% intr APR for 12 months for each Balance Transfer made within 45 days of account opening. After that, a variable APR currently 14.99% or 18.99%, depending on your creditworthiness.
- Earn 2X miles on all purchases – Miles don’t expire as long as your account is open, active and in good standing
- Chip card for increased confidence and convenience to pay abroad as easily as you do at home
- Redeem your miles for travel statement credits – redemptions start at 2,500 miles for $25 toward travel purchases made in the last 120 days
- Get 10% miles back to use toward your next redemption every time you redeem for travel statement credits
- No foreign transaction fees on anything you buy while in another country
- Complimentary online FICO® Credit Score access for Barclaycard Arrival cardmembers
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