News: TopCashback drops Avios transfers, 20% HSBC transfer bonus to Flying Blue launched

News in brief:

TopCashback is ending conversions into Avios

TopCashback is ending its relationship with Avios at the end of the year.

TCB, website here, effectively allowed you to buy Avios at 0.95p each by trading any cashback due for points – you received 105 Avios for every £1 you sacrificed. I considered this a decent deal given that I know I can get more than 0.95p of value from an Avios.

Since IAG Loyalty is happy to sell Avios for 0.95p, and that the volumes from TCB are presumably decent, I have to assume that this deal is now seen as conflicting with Avios’s own activities.

Get a 20% transfer on HSBC transfers to Flying Blue

Well, here is something new. If you have a HSBC Premier credit card, you can get a 20% bonus if you transfer your points to Flying Blue, the Air France / KLM scheme, by 31st October.

HSBC has typically run a 25% transfer bonus to Avios once per year. It comes around on such a regular basis that most cardholders have begun to factor it in when considering whether to keep the card. This is the first bonus to any airline or hotel partner other than Avios, I believe.

As I usually say when these deals come along, no bonus under 50% should be enough to make you consider a transfer that you wouldn’t normally have done. If you are already active in Flying Blue and have a pot of HSBC points which need a home, this may be worth a look.

You need to have a HSBC Premier current account (free if you meet the £75,000 salary requirement) to get either of the HSBC Premier credit cards. The free card earns the equivalent of 0.5 airline miles per £1 whilst the £195 World Elite card earns 1 mile per £1. Full details are in our card reviews here (free HSBC Premier card) and here (HSBC Premier World Elite).

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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – January 2024 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:

For a non-American Express option, we also recommend the Barclaycard Select Cashback card for sole traders and small businesses. It is FREE and you receive 1% cashback on your spending.