Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is a card APR?
Card APR (annual percentage rate) is the yearly cost of credit on a credit card, written as a percentage and published by the issuer for purchases, for promotional periods and for cash advances. In the United Kingdom, American Express explains that a Representative APR is designed to help you compare and understand the cost of credit, and that it includes the purchase rate together with any annual card fee. [2] The rate matters most for a balance that is carried rather than cleared: issuers charge no interest on purchases when the statement balance is repaid in full each month. [2]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- A card APR is quoted per year and, on the UK cards described here, is built from a purchase rate and, where one is charged, an annual or monthly card fee. [2]
- Two cards can show the same purchase rate and very different headline APRs: on American Express UK pages, The Platinum Card and the British Airways American Express Credit Card both list a 29.1% p.a. variable purchase rate, while their representative APRs are 685.3% and 29.1%. [2]
- Promotional 0% periods are time-limited windows that start when the account opens, not a permanent headline rate. [1]
How is a card APR built up?
A purchase rate is the annual interest an issuer charges when a card is used for purchases, and paying the balance in full each month means no purchase interest is charged. [2] The Representative APR takes that purchase rate and includes the annual card fee where one applies. [2] American Express says the £1,200 assumed credit limit is the amount all UK lenders use to calculate the Representative APR so that rates are easier to compare, and that it does not relate to the limit an applicant will actually be offered. [2]
| Issuer | Card | Representative APR (variable) | Purchase rate p.a. (variable) | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barclaycard | Amazon Barclaycard | 28.9% | 28.9% | £0 monthly fee |
| Barclaycard | Barclaycard Avios | 29.9% | 29.9% | £0 monthly fee |
| Barclaycard | Barclaycard Avios Plus | 80.1% | 29.9% | £20 monthly fee |
| Barclaycard | Barclaycard Platinum (balance transfer cards) | 24.9% | 24.9% | Transfer fee varies by card |
| Barclaycard | Barclaycard Rewards | 28.9% | 28.9% | No monthly fee stated on the published example |
| Barclaycard | Barclaycard Forward | 33.9% | 33.9% | Credit limit £50–£1,200 |
| American Express | British Airways American Express Credit Card | 29.1% | 29.1% | No annual fee |
| American Express | The American Express Rewards Credit Card | 29.1% | 29.1% | No annual fee |
| American Express | Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card | 52.5% | 29.1% | £95 annual fee |
| American Express | American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card | 85.8% | 29.1% | £195 annual fee (£0 in year one) |
| American Express | The Platinum Card | 685.3% | 29.1% | £650 annual fee |
Barclaycard presents its figures as a representative example for the terms most accepted customers get, and shows a monthly fee next to the APR and purchase rate on its Amazon, Avios and Avios Plus examples; the Platinum cards instead list a balance transfer fee, the Forward card lists a £50–£1,200 credit-limit range, and the Rewards card shows only the APR and the purchase rate. [1] American Express states the same £1,200 assumed limit against each of its cards. [2]
Why is the headline APR not the rate you pay?
Barclaycard says approval depends on an applicant's financial circumstances and borrowing history, so the terms offered may differ from those shown, and the interest rates may differ too. [1] American Express says credit limit and interest rates depend on its credit assessment of the applicant and may differ from the figures advertised, and that rates may also vary based on individual circumstances, either at application or afterwards. [2]
Rates also move with the wider market: American Express says its purchase and cash interest rates move up and down in line with the Bank of England Base Rate. [2] A published APR therefore works as a comparison tool between products rather than as a forecast of the rate on any one account, which is why the monthly statement or the cardmember agreement is the place to find the rate actually being charged. [2]
How do 0% purchase offers change the picture?
Several Barclaycard cards carry a 0% interest period on purchases that runs from the date the account opens. The Amazon Barclaycard offers 0% interest on all purchases for six months from account opening for new customers [1], and the Platinum cards pair balance transfer offers with purchase periods of three months, up to 21 months or up to 24 months depending on the card. [1] The longest purchase offer, up to 24 months, excludes foreign currency and some cash-like transactions. [1]
The balance transfer side is usually tied to a transfer deadline and a fee: transfers must be made within 60 days to benefit from the 0% offer, and the fee on each transfer is 3.15%, 3.45%, 1.49% or 0% depending on the Platinum card. [1] The Forward card offers 0% on balance transfers for six months and on purchases for six months, with a 2.9% balance transfer fee, and reduces the interest rate by 3% if all payments are made on time in the first year, with a further 2% in the second. [1] Each of these periods is described in months from account opening rather than as a headline rate. [1]
What interest applies to cash advances?
Issuers publish a cash interest rate separately from the purchase rate, and American Express says both move with the Bank of England Base Rate. [2] The Representative APR is built from the purchase rate and the annual fee, so it does not describe the cost of taking cash out. [2] The rate that applies to an individual account is shown at the top of the monthly statement and in the cardmember agreement. [2]
Cash withdrawals are also excluded from rewards on the American Express cards here: cash advances, including transactions treated as cash, are listed as ineligible spend for Membership Rewards points [2], and Avios are not earned on cash withdrawals or balance transfers on the British Airways American Express Credit Card. [2]
Exceptions and limits
- Market. The figures above are UK representative examples for cards issued in the United Kingdom by Barclaycard and American Express; they are not a guide to rates on cards issued in other countries. [1] [2]
- Representative, not personal. Both issuers state that the terms offered depend on the applicant's circumstances and may differ from those shown. [1] [2] Barclaycard labels its examples as the terms most accepted customers get. [1]
- Fee-driven headline rates. The Avios Plus card carries a £20 monthly fee against a 29.9% purchase rate and a representative APR of 80.1% [1], and The Platinum Card carries a £650 annual fee against a 29.1% purchase rate and a representative APR of 685.3%. [2]
- Promotional windows are fixed terms. The 0% purchase and balance transfer periods are counted from account opening or from the transfer deadline set for each card, and the foreign currency and cash-like transaction exclusion applies to the purchase offer on the Platinum card with up to 24 months. [1]
- Credit limits. The representative APR assumes a £1,200 limit [2], and the Forward card sets a limit range of £50–£1,200. [1]
Frequently asked questions
Does a card APR include the annual fee?
On American Express UK cards it does: the Representative APR includes the purchase rate and, for cards with an annual fee, the fee itself. [2] Barclaycard quotes representative APRs card by card, and its Avios Plus card shows an 80.1% representative APR against a 29.9% purchase rate while charging £20 a month. [1]
Do you pay interest if you clear the balance each month?
Not on purchases. American Express says it charges no interest on the balance owed when the full amount is paid on or before each statement date, every month; otherwise interest is charged daily from the date an amount is due until it is paid in full. [2]
Why is my rate different from the advertised APR?
Because rates may vary with individual circumstances, either at application or afterwards, and because purchase and cash interest rates move with the Bank of England Base Rate. [2] The rate on a particular account is shown on the monthly statement and in the cardmember agreement. [2]
Is a 0% purchase offer the same as a low APR?
No. A 0% offer applies for a stated period from account opening — six months on the Amazon Barclaycard, and three months or up to 21 or 24 months on the Platinum cards — while the standard purchase rate is 28.9% p.a. variable on the Amazon Barclaycard and 24.9% p.a. variable on the Platinum cards. [1]
Do cash withdrawals earn points or Avios?
No. Cash advances, including transactions treated as cash, are ineligible spend for Membership Rewards points [2], and cash withdrawals are excluded from Avios earning on the British Airways American Express Credit Card. [2]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Other issuers and card ranges outside the United Kingdom, including United States and Asia-Pacific products, are not covered here.
- Barclaycard credit cards and representative examples, checked 18 October 2026
- American Express UK credit cards, rates and APR definitions, checked 18 October 2026