How to earn
Avios.
Cards, transfers, flights and everyday partners all pay Avios — and the routes in differ between the UK and the US. Here is every one, with the rates.
You earn Avios by flying and by spending. UK credit cards earn 1 to 1.5 Avios per £1 and Nectar converts at 400 to 250; in the US, Chase, American Express, Capital One, Bilt and Wells Fargo points transfer to Avios at 1:1. Hotels, car hire and other partners pay Avios too.
- UK credit cards earn 1 to 1.5 Avios per £1 on everyday spending.
- In the US, Chase, Amex, Capital One, Bilt, Wells Fargo and Citi points transfer to Avios at 1:1.
- Nectar converts to Avios at 400 to 250, and back at 250 to 300.
- Avios move between British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Qatar at 1:1.
- Flights on British Airways, oneworld airlines and Aer Lingus earn Avios.
On this page
How much do UK cards earn?
Everyday card spending is the steadiest way to build an Avios balance, because it earns on things you were buying anyway. UK cards earn between 1 and 1.5 Avios per £1 on ordinary spending: some credit Avios directly, others credit a points currency that you transfer or convert.
| Card | Earns on everyday spending | How it becomes Avios |
|---|---|---|
| British Airways American Express Credit Card | 1 Avios per £1 | Directly |
| British Airways American Express Premium Plus | 1.25 Avios per £1 | Directly |
| Barclaycard Avios Mastercard | 1 Avios per £1 | Directly |
| Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard | 1.5 Avios per £1 | Directly |
| American Express Preferred Rewards Gold, Platinum and Rewards cards | 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 | Transfer at 1:1 |
| Nectar Credit Card from American Express | 1.25 Avios per £1, converted | Nectar, at 400:250 |
| HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard | 1.5 Avios per £1, converted | HSBC points, at 2:1 |
Avios a year18,000
Estimate only. Card earn rates and sign-up bonuses vary and change; "worth" uses a typical 1p per Avios (see the value calculator for where that comes from), and the reward reference is 27,500 Avios for a one-way off-peak economy seat to New York, its price since British Airways' December 2025 repricing.
Which UK points turn into Avios?
Three UK currencies turn into Avios. American Express Membership Rewards points transfer at 1:1, usually instantly. Nectar points convert in fixed blocks of 400 Nectar to 250 Avios, and back at 250 Avios to 300 Nectar, so round trips lose points. HSBC Premier points convert at 2:1. Moving points is one-way, so move them when you have a use for them.
The details, and when to time a move, are in Amex to Avios and the Nectar to Avios converter.
How do you earn Avios in the US?
In the US, Avios mostly arrive by transfer rather than from a co-brand card. Six bank currencies move to Avios at 1:1, so points earned on almost any major travel card can become Avios when you need them — and once they land, Avios move between British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Qatar at 1:1, so which program a bank sends them to matters less than it looks.
| Points currency | Ratio | Into |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | 1:1 | British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus |
| American Express Membership Rewards | 1:1 | British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar |
| Capital One Miles | 1:1 | British Airways, Qatar |
| Bilt Rewards | 1:1 | British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar |
| Wells Fargo Rewards | 1:1 | British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus |
| Citi ThankYou Points | 1:1 | British Airways, Iberia, Qatar |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3:1, plus 5,000 Avios per 60,000 points moved | Avios |
| Hilton Honors | 10:1 | Avios |
The one US card that earns Avios directly, the British Airways Visa Signature from Chase, earns 3 Avios per $1 on British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia flights, 2 on hotel stays booked directly, and 1 on everything else.
What else earns Avios?
Flights earn Avios on British Airways, the other oneworld airlines, Aer Lingus, LATAM and China Southern, credited to the Avios account you give when you book; how many depends on the fare and cabin. Outside flying, partners across travel and everyday spending pay Avios too — hotels, Avis and Budget car hire, Heathrow Express, ParkVia airport parking, Uber rides in the UK and PizzaExpress among them. You can also buy Avios, though at full price that is rarely worthwhile.
Once the balance builds, how many Avios a flight needs tells you what it will buy — including from the US.
Earning Avios — common questions
Between 1 and 1.5 on most UK Avios cards: 1 on the British Airways American Express Credit Card and the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard, 1.25 on the British Airways Premium Plus card, and 1.5 on the Barclaycard Avios Plus. American Express Membership Rewards cards earn 1 point per £1, which transfers to 1 Avios.
Mostly by transferring bank points. Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One, Bilt, Wells Fargo and Citi points all transfer to Avios at 1:1, and the British Airways Visa Signature card earns 3 Avios per $1 on British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia flights, 2 on hotels booked directly and 1 on everything else.
Yes. Nectar converts to Avios in fixed blocks of 400 Nectar to 250 Avios, and Avios convert back at 250 to 300 Nectar. The two rates are not each other's inverse, so converting back and forth loses points.
Yes — on British Airways, the other oneworld airlines, Aer Lingus, LATAM and China Southern, credited to the Avios account you give at booking. How many you earn depends on the fare and the cabin.
Rarely at full price. Buying makes sense only to top up a balance that is a little short of a specific reward you have already found and priced.
Nanvero keeps your Avios balance current automatically from the statements British Airways already emails you, with no password, and the Playbook lets you name a flight and see how your planned spending and transfers add up against it. It's free to track up to five programs; the Playbook is part of Pro.
The earn and transfer rates are the ongoing rates as published by the sources below, each dated; where two sources overlap, they agree. Sign-up bonuses are left out on purpose: they are temporary and change month to month. The calculator works in pounds and uses the same Avios value as What are Avios worth?.
Where these numbers come from: Head for Points ongoing earn rates on UK Avios cards: 1 Avios per £1 (British Airways American Express, Barclaycard Avios), 1.25 (BA Premium Plus, Nectar Amex, converted), 1.5 (Barclaycard Avios Plus, HSBC Premier World Elite, converted); Membership Rewards 1:1, HSBC 2:1, Nectar 400:250 (3 August 2026); Head for Points flights on British Airways, oneworld airlines, Aer Lingus, LATAM and China Southern; partners including hotels, Avis and Budget, Heathrow Express, ParkVia, Uber UK and PizzaExpress; buying Avios “rarely worthwhile at full price” (2 February 2026); awardtravelfinder Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Wells Fargo transfer to Avios at 1:1; Marriott Bonvoy 3:1 with 5,000 bonus Avios per 60,000 points; Hilton Honors 10:1 (11 September 2026); Thrifty Traveler which US bank currencies reach which Avios program at 1:1 — British Airways from Chase, Amex, Capital One, Bilt, Citi and Wells Fargo; Iberia, Aer Lingus and Qatar from a subset (18 August 2026); Chase British Airways Visa Signature: 3 Avios per $1 on British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia flights, 2 on hotel stays booked directly, 1 on all other purchases (September 2026). Earn rates, transfer partners and cards change; check the issuer's or program's current terms before relying on a rate.
Avios calculator
The Avios calculator turns a year of card and everyday spending into the Avios it earns, values that total at the current typical rate, and shows how far it reaches on the reward chart. It needs no sign-up and no loyalty password, and answers in pounds, dollars and euros.
Nectar to Avios converter
Nectar and Avios convert in fixed blocks: 400 Nectar points become 250 Avios, and 250 Avios become 300 Nectar. The rate is not symmetrical, so converting back and forth loses value each time. The converter runs both directions in those set blocks and shows what any balance becomes.
What are Avios worth?
One Avios is typically worth about 1p, the working figure both the UK and US reference valuations settle near, so 10,000 Avios come to roughly £100. Weak via-hub economy redemptions land nearer 0.9p, while long-haul business can reach about 1.7p. The calculator converts any balance into pounds, dollars and euros.
Earn it once.
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Nanvero keeps your Avios balance current and shows how fast your earning reaches the flight you want. Free to track up to five programs; the Playbook is part of Pro.
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