Barclaycard Freedom Rewards points

Barclaycards that earn Freedom Rewards points are not currently available to new customers. If you're already using the scheme, here's how to collect and redeem points, and if you're not, find out about popular alternatives.

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The Barclaycard Freedom Rewards credit card is no longer available, however, if you already have Freedom points, you might still be able to use them. Barclays have annoucned that Freedom Rewards will be closing in June 2024, and that your account will be moved to Barclaycard Rewards.

Barclaycard Freedom Rewards program

If you had a Barclaycard Freedom Rewards card, chances are you were already collecting points. Barclaycard usually gave you 1 point for every £1 you spent, but the earn rate doubled when you used the card at supermarkets, petrol stations and for travel with Transport for London.

For example, if in a month you spent £100 on the Tube, £100 on petrol and £500 on your grocery shopping (all earning double points), then £600 on other purchases with your Barclaycard (earning single points), you would have earned 2,000 Freedom points that month.

You could then redeem these points for vouchers, which could be spent at retailers and entertainment venues who were Barclaycard Freedom partners.

The Barclaycard Freedom Rewards scheme was reserved for customers who had a Freedom Rewards credit card, which isn’t available to new customers anymore. If you’re a new customer looking to earn rewards on your credit card spending, you’ll have to browse alternatives – you can use this guide to compare rewards credit cards.

How do you redeem Barclaycard Freedom points?

If you still have Freedom points, these can be redeemed for vouchers, which start from £5 for 1,750 Freedom points.

You can redeem your Freedom points by logging into the Freedom Rewards store, where you can check your points balance and convert them into vouchers to spend at a Freedom partner.

You’ll need to pick your Freedom partner and redeem your Freedom points for either an e-voucher sent via email, or a voucher or gift card sent to you by post.

Emailed vouchers arrive almost instantly, while posted ones could take up to 10 days.

Pros and cons of Barclaycard Freedom Rewards

Pros

  • Double points on grocery shopping, petrol and Transport for London.
  • You collected points even when you used the card abroad.
  • Wide choice of partners to redeem your points.
  • Special offers that allowed you to collect more points or increase their value.

Cons

  • Low value per point.
  • Points expire after three years.
  • You can’t redeem your points for cash.

Who are Barclaycard Freedom partners?

Despite not being able to turn Freedom points into cash, you do have quite a range of options to choose from when redeeming your vouchers at a Freedom partner. The most well-represented category is entertainment – including the cinema, theatre and day trips – but there are also still various deals for food and shopping.

While most voucher options are for physical shops or venues, you can spend some vouchers online.

Compare alternative rewards cards

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Name Product UKCCF Finder Score Finder score Max. intro bonus Earn-rate with brand Default earn-rate Annual/monthly fees Representative APR Link Key benefit Representative example
M&S Bank Credit Card Purchase Plus Offer Mastercard image
4.1
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
N/A
1 point per £1 spent
1 point per £1 spent
£0
24.9% APR (variable)
Check eligibilityCard details
1 point per £1 spent with M&S and 1 point per £5 spent elsewhere. Enjoy 55 days interest free, preferential rates plus no cash advance fee when buying M&S travel money with the card.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 24.9% APR (variable).
M&S Bank Credit Card Transfer Plus Offer Mastercard image
3.9
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
N/A
1 point per £1 spent
1 point per £5 spent
£0
24.9% APR (variable)
Check eligibilityCard details
1 point per £1 spent with M&S and 1 point per £5 spent elsewhere. Enjoy 55 days interest free, preferential rates plus no cash advance fee when buying M&S travel money with the card.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 24.9% APR (variable).
John Lewis Partnership Credit Card image
3.9
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
N/A
1.25 points per £1 spent
1 point per £4 spent
£0
28.9% APR (variable)
Check eligibilityCard details
Earn 2.5% back as points towards gift vouchers on eligible spend at John Lewis and Waitrose in the first 60 days from account opening. Earn 5 points for every £4 spent on eligible purchases at John Lewis and Waitrose and 1 point for every £4 spent elsewhere. 1 point = 1p (min 500pts)
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 28.94% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 28.9% APR (variable).
American Express® Rewards Credit Card image
3.9
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
10,000 points
1 point per £1 spent
1 point per £1 spent
£0
30.7% APR (variable)
Check eligibilityCard details
Earn 1 Membership Rewards® point for every £1 spent thereafter. Earn up to 90,000 bonus points per year through refer a friend, 4,000 points awarded for every friend approved. 1 point = 0.45p (min 1,000 points) to shop, other rewards have differing conversions.
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 30.7% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 30.7% APR (variable).
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We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
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Valentina Cipriani was a writer at Finder UK. She wrote news, features and guides about banking and credit cards, helping people to improve their financial lives. She holds an MA in International Journalism. See full bio

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