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By Amy Rich
Staff Writer, 26 March 2008
IF you're a frequent flyer (or would like to be), did you know that you could be earning three times as many miles by collecting Tesco Clubcard points instead of BA Miles or AirMiles directly?
There are a number of credit cards and their associated airlines that offer air miles as incentives for spending on the card.
Most of these air mile credit cards offer a fairly similar rate of earning, usually around 1 mile per £1 spent, and while this can vary, the actual reward worth of the different miles collected generally works out to within a few pound between each program (unless you opt for the annual fee version).
However, rather surprisingly, when browsing the inner pages of the Tesco Clubcard points guide... a choice of reward is to convert the Clubcard points and effectively 'buy' either BA Miles or AirMiles™ with them.
You'd think the rate of exchange would work out less than by earning these air miles directly through a branded card, but you'd be wrong; when spending at Tesco - using the Tesco Clubcard credit card would actually earn you 3 times as many BA Miles or AirMiles™ than if you'd used their own card.
Here's the breakdown...
The 'maths' bit
Before your mind spontaneously combusts with the thought of having to do some long division (or some such mumbo jumbo) - don't worry, we’ve done it for you. Phew!
The Facts on the Tesco Clubcard credit card when in Tesco
Every £4 you spend at Tesco on your Tesco Clubcard credit card amounts to 5 Clubcard points - that’s 1.25 points per £1.
1 Clubcard point = 1 penny worth of Clubcard Vouchers
£2.50 Clubcard vouchers (250 points) = 600 BA Miles
£2.50 Clubcard vouchers (250 points) = 60 AirMiles™
If you spend £1250 at Tesco on your Tesco Clubcard credit card, you'll get 1562 Clubcard points = 3600 BA Miles or 360 AirMiles.
The Facts on the Tesco Clubcard credit card when out of Tesco
If you spend on your Tesco Clubcard credit card outside of Tesco's, you'll get considerably less BA Miles/AirMiles. For a £1000 spend on non-Tesco items, you'll get 250 Clubcard points = 600 BA Miles or 60 AirMiles™. On a BA credit card the same spend would get you 1000 BA Miles.
The Facts on the BA Miles credit card
The BA Miles credit card gives 1 BA Mile for every £1 spent anywhere.
£1250 spent on a BA Miles credit card will earn you 1250 BA Miles.
The Facts on the Lloyds TSB AirMiles Duo credit card
The Lloyds TSB AirMiles Duo credit card is two credit cards in one - and American Express card and a MasterCard. Spending on the American Express card gives you 1 AirMile for every £10 spent. The MasterCard gives you 1 AirMile for every £50 spent.
A £1250 spend on a Lloyds TSB AirMiles Duo credit card (American Express) will equate to 125 AirMiles™.
A £1250 spend on a Lloyds TSB AirMiles Duo credit card (MasterCard) will equate to 25 AirMiles™.
Any downsides to not using a branded BA or AirMiles™ credit card?
If you're a frequent flyer you may want to look into getting a branded credit card too. If you fly with BA regularly then paying for your flights with a branded BA credit card will earn you additional BA Miles. You usually get extra miles for the cost of the flight with the credit card, plus the miles for the distance as a member of the program.
But, if you're not a frequent flyer - but are a frequent shopper and don’t want to clog up your wallet with endless bits of plastic, the Tesco Clubcard credit card will be your best option.
The outcome?
Even if maths isn't your forte you'll be able to see that the Tesco Clubcard credit card is far and away the best in terms of notching up those BA Miles and AirMiles points - especially if you do all your food shopping at Tesco's (which, let's face it, is a pretty large proportion of the population!)
So, if you spend much of your time eyeing up the delicatessen counter in your local Tesco's, instead of paying for all your goods with cash or on a standard debit card, you’d be much wiser to get a Tesco Clubcard credit card and notch up the rewards.
Free flight to Malta anyone?! Yep, thought so.
 Tesco Clubcard credit card review
Compare air mile credit cards
 Credit card guide
Credit card features archive
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