Best UK travel cards 2026: business + personal, no-FX, rewards, lounge access
GUIDE · Five UK cards we actually use at The Boarding Pass Club — ranked by what they're best for, not by who pays the highest affiliate commission. Two free options, two paid options under £100/year, one no-
1 / 6Five UK cards we actually use at The Boarding Pass Club — ranked by what they're best for, not by who pays the highest affiliate commission. Two free options, two paid options under £100/year, one no-FX business hack.
💳Open the £600 Revolut Business referral →The 5 cards we recommend (and what each is best for)
Revolut Business
Free · No FXBest for: UK ltds + sole traders who travel for business. Zero FX fees on £1,000/month spend. Multi-currency accounts in 30+ currencies. Free debit card.
Annual fee: £0 (Basic tier)
FX markup: 0% (up to £1,000/mo), then 0.5%
Welcome bonus: £600 cashback via our referral
Capital on Tap Business Rewards
£299/year · Avios + LoungesBest for: UK ltds + sole traders who want Avios on every spend + free airport lounge access. The closest thing to an Amex Platinum at less than half the price.
Annual fee: £299 (Rewards tier — free DragonPass lounge included). Free tier also exists at £0.
FX markup: 0% on Rewards tier
Earn rate: 1 point per £1 spent · convert to Avios at 1:1
Chase UK current account
Free · 1% cashbackBest for: personal spending in the UK + abroad. 1% cashback on debit-card spend (capped £15/month). Zero FX fees. Pays interest on round-ups.
Annual fee: £0
FX markup: 0%
How to get it: Download the Chase app, register with your existing UK bank details — approval is instant.
No affiliate — we use it personally and recommend it on merit.
Wise multi-currency debit
Free · Mid-market FXBest for: sending money abroad + holding foreign currency balances. The mid-market exchange rate (~0.5% better than most banks). Free debit card.
Annual fee: £0
FX markup: 0.4–0.6% (mid-market rate)
Sweet spot: bigger one-off foreign transfers, paying overseas hotels in their local currency.
Sign up at wise.com — referral programme exists but isn't open to us yet.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
£195/year · PointsBest for: personal cardholders who fly long-haul. 20,000 Membership Rewards welcome bonus + 2 free lounge passes/year + £120 dining credit.
Annual fee: £195 (first year often free via promos)
FX markup: 2.99% (so DON'T use it abroad — pair with Chase or Revolut for foreign spend)
The play: use it for UK spend to rack up Membership Rewards, then transfer to Avios/Virgin/Hilton for big-ticket flights/hotels.
No affiliate.
How we'd actually stack them
The honest combo for a UK business owner who travels:
- Capital on Tap Business Rewards — main UK business card, earn Avios on every £1.
- Revolut Business — every foreign-currency spend (hotels, GetYourGuide, foreign suppliers).
- Chase personal current account — UK personal spend + cashback.
- Wise — bigger one-off transfers + holding USD/EUR.
Total annual cost: £299 (just Capital on Tap). Total value back over a year of moderate business travel: typically £800-£2,500 in avoided FX fees + lounge access + Avios.
🧳 Travel essentials
🎟️ Top things to do in London
Skip the queues with pre-booked tickets. Compare prices across GetYourGuide and Tiqets — both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Free guide: 13 UK Airport Hacks 2026
The hacks we actually use — park-and-fly for £4/night, free lounge access, zero FX fees, mistake fares and 9 more. Get the PDF + daily deals email.
A boarding-pass print: travel posters by PosterKingz UK
Boarding-pass-style prints, destination minimalist posters and stadium maps. Free UK shipping over £30. By Wayne (yes, same Wayne) who runs both this site and PosterKingz UK.
Browse the prints →#ad — we earn a small commission at no cost to you when you book through our links.
