If you bank with Barclays, you can add Barclays Blue Rewards to your current account for a fee and unlock various rewards. We explain how to use the scheme and whether there are better deals available.
Key takeaways
Barclays revamped its Blue Rewards in 2024 and it offers less than it used to.
It might be for your if you want to watch Apple TV Plus and get a free MLS Season Pass.
We have a guide on the different Barclay’s current accounts so you can compare your options before deciding.
What is Barclays Blue Rewards?
Barclays Blue Rewards is a paid-for add-on you can opt to include on your Barclays current account. The scheme costs £5 a month and gets you access to the Blue Rewards Saver and Rainy Day Saver accounts, which pay higher rates of interest compared to other Barclays savings accounts. You’re also able to earn cashback at selected retailers and it comes with an Apple TV Plus subscription and MLS Season Pass.
Compare current accounts that are eligible with Barclays Blue Rewards
To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Fees, features and customer service across 20+ of the most popular banks are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the account – simple.
To earn the rewards, you’ll need to have a Barclays current account and agree to pay the membership fee of £5 a month. You’ll also need to pay at least £800 into your current account each month and register for the Barclays app or online banking.
What are the benefits?
The benefits of Barclays Blue Rewards are the access to higher rates on savings accounts than other Barclays accounts, cashback at selected retailers and a subscription for Apple TV Plus (normally £8.99 a month), complete with the MLS Season Pass (normally £14.99 a month or £99 for a season). MLS is Major League Soccer, which is the top football league in North America and Apple TV Plus is the only place to watch it, so this is a decent perk if you’re a fan.
Who is it for?
Barclays Blue Rewards is suitable for anyone who holds a Barclays current account. To qualify for a Barclays current account you will need to be a UK resident and at least 18 years old. To qualify for Barclays Blue Rewards you will need to be happy to pay £5 a month, be able to pay at least £800 into your current account each month and register for the Barclays app or online banking.
Our expert says: Is Barclays Blue Rewards worth it?
"If you have a Barclays current account, you might be able to add Blue Rewards to it by paying a monthly fee of £5 and depositing at least £800 a month into your account.
But what do you get in return? Well, Barclays has recently revamped its offering (for the worse) so that you no longer get a £5 monthly cash award, cancelling out your monthly fee.
Instead, you’ll get access to a Rainy Day Saver account paying 5.12% AER (variable) and a Blue Rewards Saver account paying 3.56% AER (variable), as well as the opportunity to earn up to 15% cashback at certain retailers (plus an extra 1% between September and November 2024).
You’ll also be able to enjoy an Apple TV Plus subscription, worth £8.99 a month, including the option to add on Apple’s MLS Season Pass if that’s something you’re interested in.
Ultimately, it’s this Apple subscription that will be the key driver if you’re looking at Barclays Blue Rewards. After all, there are plenty of other current accounts with linked competitive savings accounts and cashback offers, so there’s no point applying for Blue Rewards just for that. But even so, I’m still not convinced it’s worth paying £5 a month when there’s very little else on offer."
If you’re a loyal Barclays customer, then adding Barclays Blue Rewards to your current account will get you access to some very competitive savings accounts, which is a particularly attractive bonus, especially if you want to keep all your accounts with one bank. However, there are more competitive schemes out there and better savings accounts available that don’t charge a monthly fee.
If you normally subscribe to Apple TV Plus then you could save money with Barclays Blue, though there are other ways to get it for free. If you’re a massive fan of MLS then Barclays Blue Rewards seems to be made just for you, as you get an MLS Season Pass thrown into your Apple TV Plus subscription, too. However, even here the value might not be as good as it seems, with Apple sometimes offering a discount on the MLS Season Pass or even making it free for Apple TV Plus subscribers, which is what it is at the time of writing.
It’s well worth comparing what else is on offer from other banks before taking the plunge. You can compare a range of current accounts in our full guide.
Frequently asked questions
If you already have a Barclays bank account and are registered for online banking or use the Barclays app, you can simply switch on Blue Rewards by logging in. If you're not already a current account holder with Barclays, you'll need to open an account first.
No, if you are already signed up to Barclays Avios Rewards, which enables you to collect Avios to spend on flights, you won't be able to sign up to Barclays Blue Rewards unless you cancel Avios Rewards first.
You can cancel Barclays Blue Rewards at any time through online banking or through the app.
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Rachel Wait is a freelance journalist and has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade, covering everything from insurance to mortgages. She has written for a range of personal finance websites and national newspapers, including The Observer, The Mail on Sunday, The Sun and the Evening Standard. Rachel is a keen baker in her spare time. See full bio
Jason is a writer and editor. He worked as a senior subeditor for Finder for 5 years and in that time became familiar with a wide range of financial products and services. Before that, he worked for Australian Associated Press. He has a BA from Macquarie University in Australia. Jason loves to help other people find new ways to save money. See full bio
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