UPDATES: Since this post was written, the offer referenced in this has expired. See our Best Offers page for current card information..
The Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard was already a terrific card, but it has recently become even better.
A new name
To understand why I think the new name is an improvement worth talking about, consider the situation prior to the name change:
Barclaycard offers two versions of the Arrival card. One, with no annual fee, offers 2 points per dollar for travel and dining (like the Sapphire Preferred card) and the other, with a $89 annual fee, offers 2 points per dollar for all purchases. Before the recent name change to the latter card, both cards had the same name. In my blog and in conversations, I would differentiate them by writing/saying things like “the Arrival card (the one that earns 2 points per dollar everywhere)…” Then, Barclaycard helped this issue a bit by calling the second card “Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard – Earn 2x on All Purchases”. That was certainly descriptive, but it didn’t exactly roll off the tongue… or the keyboard. I like that we can now refer to the Arrival and the Arrival Plus as separate products. I know it seems silly to care about a minor name change, but I do. I like it.
Already one of the best
Allow me to quickly review some of the Arrival Plus’ original features:
- Earn 2 points per dollar for all purchases
- Redeem points for travel related purchases at a value of 1 cent per point
- 10% rebate for points redeemed for travel (update: the rebate has since been lowered to 5%)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Free subscription to Tripit Pro (update: this offer has ended, but some people may receive a targeted offer for a free one year subscription. See this post for details.)
The fact that this card earns two points per dollar for all purchases makes it a very good choice for everyday spend. You can still do better by selectively using cards that earn 3X to 5X at certain merchants, but for non-bonus spend, this card is hard to beat.
You do need to redeem points for travel to get the most out of them. If you redeem for cash or other prizes your points will be worth only about half a cent each. At that rate, you’d be much better off with a no fee 1.5% cash back card. When points are redeemed for travel, though, points are worth 1.1 cents each, thanks to the 10% rebate. That means that this card earns approximately 2.2% back, towards travel, for all spend (see “What is the Barclay Arrival card’s rebate really worth?”).
Another nice feature of the card is how points are redeemed for travel. You do not need to worry about award availability or which airlines or hotels you stay at. You can book travel in any way you want and simply pay with the Arrival Plus card. Once the charge shows up on your online statement, you can pay all or part of that expense with points, online (as long as the expense is $25 or more).
The fact that this card has no foreign transaction fees makes it a good choice for international travel. Those who do not travel often internationally may be better off with the no fee Fidelity Investment Rewards card that earns 2% cash back for all purchases.
As a long time fan of TripIt, I see the free subscription to TripIt pro as a nice to have perk. The free version of TripIt already did what I needed without hassle, but now with TripIt pro I don’t have to click through an ad for TripIt Pro each time I log in. It’s almost worth it for that feature alone 
.
Now with Chip & PIN
The Arrival Plus card is, as far as I’m aware, the first mainstream card in the US to offer Chip & PIN capability. When using credit cards internationally, you may occasionally run into situations where cards with chip & PIN capability are required (automated train ticket kiosks are an often cited example). So, it’s great to see that the Arrival Plus card now has this feature. For some reason, that’s beyond me, Barclaycard describes the feature as Chip and Signature with PIN capability, rather than simply Chip & PIN. Fortunately, The Points Guy has already proven that the Chip & PIN capability works as advertised (see “Using the Arrival Plus Chip+ PIN to Buy Train Tickets at CDG”).
When I learned of this new feature, I called the number on the back of my card to ask for the new version and to set my PIN. They readily offered to send out my card in the next week or two and then directed me to an automated system to set my PIN. I don’t know if I’ll really need it when I next travel abroad, but its great to know that its there, just in case.
Other new features
In addition to adding Chip & PIN capabilty to the card, Barclaycard threw in a few other small improvements:
- Expanded definition of “travel”: Previously, travel was defined as “Airlines, Travel Agencies & Tour Operators, Hotels, Motels & Resorts, Cruise Lines, Passenger Railways and Car Rental Agencies.” Now, they’ve added the following to the list: “Timeshares, Campgrounds, Tourist attractions, Discount travel sites, Buses, Taxis, Limousines, and Ferries.”
- Longer time to redeem points: Previously, you could redeem points for any travel that occurred in the last 90 days. Now, you can redeem points for travel that occurred in the last 120 days.
- Improved card design: According to Barclaycard, the new card is sleeker and more durable.
Vs. Sapphire Preferred
For the past few years, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card has been my go-to card for international travel. It has no foreign transaction fees and it offers 2 points per dollar for travel and dining, which tend to be the bulk of my expenses when traveling anyway. Plus, the Sapphire Preferred offers a 7% annual dividend on all points earned, so it really earns 2.14 points per dollar for travel and dining and 1.07 points per dollar everywhere else.
As a travel card, the Sapphire Preferred has two weaknesses. One is that, even though it now comes with a Chip, it only offers Chip & Signature, not Chip & PIN (but I’m sure that will change sometime soon). Second, the card is useless in situations where merchants use the old fashioned credit card imprint devices. The Sapphire Preferred does not have raised numbers, so imprints of the card are useless.
Weaknesses aside, I would personally prefer to earn 2.14 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar for travel and dining than 2 Arrival points per dollar. Unlike the Arrival card points, the Sapphire Preferred card’s Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to airlines and hotels (and even to Amtrak) for the potential of outsized value from those points. So, as long as I have both cards, I’ll continue to use the Sapphire Preferred for travel & dining (as long as a PIN or imprint isn’t needed). And, I’ll use the Arrival card everywhere else when traveling abroad.
The real question, though, is whether it is worth paying the annual fee for both cards. For most people, the answer is no. If you need a good card for international travel, they’re both good choices, but the incremental value of using one or another for specific purposes is unlikely to be worth the additional annual fee. In my case, when my Arrival Plus annual fee comes due I’ll probably call to see if they’ll waive the annual fee. If not, I’ll see if I can downgrade to the no fee Arrival card. Hopefully, by then, the Sapphire Preferred will have full Chip & PIN capabilities and can go back to being my single go-to international travel card. The right strategy for you, though, will depend on your preference for easy to use Arrival points vs. potentially more lucrative (but more complicated to redeem for maximum value) Ultimate Rewards points. Another factor will be whether you already pay an annual fee for an Ink Plus or Ink Bold card. Since the benefits of those cards largely overlap the Sapphire Preferred card, it might not make sense to pay the annual fees for both.
Summary
Barclaycard has made the already excellent Arrival Plus card even better. For now, it is my top pick for the single best travel credit card. The Sapphire Preferred is really close, though, and may edge ahead in my opinion once Chase delivers true Chip & PIN capability.
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[…] If you want a card that retains its value past the first year (unlike the Discover It Miles card), you travel internationally, you do not have a ton of money invested in Bank of America or Merrill Lynch, and you want to earn rewards that can be used for any travel purposes, then this is your card. It earns 2 points per dollar for all purchases; points can be redeemed for any travel purchases; you get a 10% rebate on all points redeemed for travel (making this effectively a 2.2% rebate card); and it has no foreign transaction fee. Pretty much the only downside is the $89 annual fee. See also: The Arrival Plus: More than just a new name. […]
[…] offers two versions of its Arrival card. (The Arrival & the Arrival Plus.) The Arrival Plus is the interesting version as it gives you two miles per dollar for all purchases. If you use […]
[…] Bank offers two versions of its Arrival card. (The Arrival & the Arrival Plus.) The Arrival Plus is the interesting version as it gives you two miles per dollar for all purchases. If you use […]
[…] I’m fond of the Arrival Plus card, I tried to think of other ways to justify paying the annual fee. What if I redeemed enough […]
I am using my Sapphire Preferred on trip in Europe but it makes me wonder whether I could have brought 5X gift cards with me?
No, most gift cards that you buy in the US only work in the US
Yes in that case you would get the full 16,000. But are the extra 63 points worth the $15.80 in card fees? Obviously not, so it still makes sense to use promo codes.
huh, I know I hit reply to Jack C’s last comment, but the above posted as a new comment. Perhaps because I mistyped the capcha on the first attempt?
Could be. I don’t think I have any way to move your comment unfortunately.
Great post…..as I approach traveling more across Europe I want the ability stay at boutique properties and this seems to be a great card for that option……or have I missed something else?
Yes, it is a good option for that since you can redeem points for boutique properties, trains, etc.
I have used the Barclay shopping portal three times when they offered 4X Boost points for AMEX gift cards. I used a promo code to waive the card fees but paid the $8.95 shipping fee for each order. Since I used my Arrival card I have always received the 2X points per transaction within a few days. The boost points though have always been short. The CSR reps at Barclay cannot answer my question as to why I am not receiving the full amount other than to say they will file a claim with the operators of the Boost portal. I was informed that with Boost any card fees or shipping charges were not eligible for the Boost points but I still should receive the extra boost point for the amount of the item purchased.
For example on my last order for four $1000 AMEX gift cards Boost gave me 15937 points instead of 16000 shorting me 63. That number doesn’t represent anything I can figure or the Barclay rep can explain. As I said the boost points on every order has been reduced some from the 4X points promised.
I am not letting Barclay get away with this and file a claim each time my points are less than what was offered. Whoever runs the Boost program for Barclays are sure casting a bad light on them in my eyes.
Jack C: What you are seeing is the same on all portals when buying Amex gift cards. When you use a code to make the cards fee free, Amex reduces your eligible purchase amount by the amount saved. For example, when buying 4 $1000 cards, you saved $3.95 X 4 in card fees which equals $15.80. So, your eligible total purchase amount (for portal purposes) is $4000 – $15.80 = $3984.20. And, $3984.2 x 4 points per dollar = 15936.8. Rounded up to 15937, that is the correct amount you received.
Ahhh finally I see the math here. A shame the reps at Barclay couldn’t have cleared that up. I totally disagree with the way they compute it though as I did in fact spend $4000 for the four cards. Are you saying if I had actually not used a code to waive the card fees and charged the $15.80 they would have awarded the full 16000 points?
U R giving me a cold headache Jack!
I just got back from Paris and had no problem with my chip & signature Sapphire Preferred card. I tried it on a lark at the train station at CDG and had no problem. I was able to use it other merchants throughout Paris without difficulty. Also of note was one merchant who had me use the chip reader instead of the mag stripe on the back when both were available.
Remember that mastercards zero fraud liability doesn’t count towards PIN based transactions.
Good to know, thanks!
…that is a huge downside to chip n pin coming to america. living in the uk, the credit card companies always blamed the consumer for any fraudulent pin based charge. The blanket explanation was always that, if another person had your pin, it must be your fault for not keeping it secure.
I requested the upgrade to Arrival-Plus a few weeks ago, when they first started offering them. The PIN can be set through the automated activation process by phone. I already used the new card online, but unfortunately the magnetic stripe was dead on arrival (pun intended). Store terminals could not read it at all. Barclays is sending me a replacement, so hope the 2nd time will be a charm.
That’s weird. My card just Arrived today (pun also intended) so I’ll have to try it before heading to Europe!
Update: I just learned the trick with my replaced Arrival+ Card. If a terminal in USA has a chip and stripe readers, the card will only work when inserted in the chip reader. The stripe will work perfectly fine in stripe-only readers. I learned that in a Walmart (of all places). Never expected WM terminals to have an inconspicuous chip reader. That terminal did not ask for the PIN, just to press “yes” for the amount charged.
Saverocity recently convinced me that Amex is much better to keep around instead of paying the annual fee on the arrival (unless you are huge MS’er).
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http://saverocity.com/travel/best-credit-cards-low-spenders/
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Sure it has its draw backs, but if we are taking about every day spend, for the average person it seems clear that the Amex is the more lucrative option.
I agree 100%, but the point of this post was around the Arrival card’s use internationally. With the Fidelity card you would have to pay a foreign transaction fee.
Ahh, sorry I missed that.
I don’t see where this card is as good as a 2% cash back card WITHOUT an annual fee … unless you do a LOT of annual spend on the card.
Excluding the initial bonus.
The no-fee 2% cash back cards charge foreign transaction fees so they’re no good for international use. Yes, for those who do not travel internationally much, a no-fee 2% cash back card is a better bet.
@Greg – it’s described as chip and signature with pin capability because it defaults to C&S when it’s run. Pin is the fallback apparently. All my transactions in Europe so far have required signatures, I don’t get prompted for a pin.
Aha, that makes sense. Thanks Sam
I understand you write about what’s on your mind, but is this post really something people expect when coming here? Another credit card pushing post from someone who used to have creative points-earning strategies? Why are all BA bloggers resorting to this?
I don’t have any insight into or control over what other Boarding Area bloggers write. As you said, I write what’s on my mind. Since credit cards are the tools needed for most point earning opportunities it would be crazy for me not to write about them.