The British Airways American Express Accelerating Business Card is designed for one very specific type of business owner: someone who wants to turn company spending directly into Avios.
Unlike American Express Business Gold and Business Platinum, it does not earn flexible Membership Rewards points. Instead, eligible business spending earns Avios directly, with an additional 10,000 bonus Avios for every £20,000 spent, up to three times per calendar year.
The card is also changing materially on 7 October 2026. The base earn rate falls from 1.5 Avios per £1 to 1.25 Avios per £1, On Business earning ends, and a new benefit worth up to £200 per calendar year is introduced for bookings through Avios Hotels or Avios Car Hire.
That makes it important to judge the card on the terms that will apply going forward rather than relying on an older review.
This article contains my American Express referral link. The referral journey opens with an Amex card offer, but you can then choose a different eligible American Express business card – including the BA Accelerating Business Card – or switch to the personal-card range. If you apply through the referral journey and are approved, I may receive a referral reward. Check the offer shown for the card you actually choose before applying.
See the current American Express referral offers and choose the BA Accelerating Business Card →
BA Accelerating Business Card at a glance
| Feature | Current / announced position |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | £250 |
| Base earn until 6 October 2026 | 1.5 Avios per eligible £1 |
| Base earn from 7 October 2026 | 1.25 Avios per eligible £1 |
| Spend bonus | 10,000 Avios for every £20,000 spent, up to 3 times per calendar year |
| Maximum annual spend bonus | 30,000 Avios |
| On Business points | Earned currently on eligible BA spend; ends 7 October 2026 |
| New benefit from 7 October 2026 | Up to £200 statement credit per calendar year on Avios Hotels or Avios Car Hire bookings |
| Employee cards | Up to 20 complimentary Employee Cards |
| Interest-free period | Up to 56 days on purchases when paid in full |
| Foreign-currency fee | 2.99% |
| Card network | American Express |
| Rewards currency | Avios directly |
The headline earn rate is changing on 7 October 2026
As of September 2026, the card earns 1.5 Avios for every eligible £1 spent.
From 7 October 2026, that rate drops to 1.25 Avios per £1.
That is a meaningful reduction, but it does not tell the whole story because the card’s annual spend bonuses remain.
10,000 bonus Avios for every £20,000 spent
The Accelerating Business Card awards 10,000 bonus Avios every time you complete another £20,000 of eligible card spend in a calendar year, up to three times.
That means the bonus thresholds are:
- £20,000 spend: +10,000 Avios;
- £40,000 spend: another +10,000 Avios; and
- £60,000 spend: another +10,000 Avios.
The maximum annual threshold bonus is therefore 30,000 Avios.
What does that do to the real earn rate?
From 7 October 2026, the headline rate will be 1.25 Avios per £1. But businesses that naturally hit the £20,000 thresholds can do better.
| Calendar-year spend | Base Avios at 1.25/£ | Threshold bonuses | Total Avios | Effective earn rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | 25,000 | 10,000 | 35,000 | 1.75 Avios/£ |
| £40,000 | 50,000 | 20,000 | 70,000 | 1.75 Avios/£ |
| £60,000 | 75,000 | 30,000 | 105,000 | 1.75 Avios/£ |
This is why I would not judge the card purely on the future 1.25 Avios headline rate.
If a business naturally spends £20,000, £40,000 or £60,000 a year on eligible purchases, the threshold bonuses materially improve the return.
Until 6 October 2026, the effective rate is even higher
Before the base-rate change, 1.5 Avios per £1 plus the threshold bonuses creates an effective 2 Avios per £1 at the £20,000, £40,000 and £60,000 thresholds.
| Spend | Base Avios at 1.5/£ | Bonus Avios | Total | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | 30,000 | 10,000 | 40,000 | 2 Avios/£ |
| £40,000 | 60,000 | 20,000 | 80,000 | 2 Avios/£ |
| £60,000 | 90,000 | 30,000 | 120,000 | 2 Avios/£ |
That rate is temporary because the underlying 1.5 Avios rate ends on 6 October 2026.
Current welcome offer: 40,000 Avios until 6 October 2026
American Express and British Airways are currently advertising an enhanced welcome offer of 40,000 Avios for eligible new Business Cardmembers who:
- apply by 6 October 2026; and
- spend £5,000 in the first three months of Cardmembership.
The standard advertised welcome bonus is usually 30,000 Avios, so the current offer is materially higher.
There is an important eligibility restriction: under the current promotion, you will not receive the welcome bonus if you have held the BA Accelerating Business Card or any other American Express Business Card within the previous 12 months.
That means someone who already has Amex Business Platinum or Business Gold may still be able to apply for the card, but should not assume they qualify for the welcome bonus.
This is a time-limited offer and should be rechecked after 6 October 2026.
What happens to On Business on 7 October?
At present, the card also earns 2 On Business points for every eligible £1 spent on qualifying British Airways flights.
This is in addition to the Avios earned on the card.
That benefit ends completely on 7 October 2026.
For a business that regularly books BA flights and actively uses the On Business programme, this is a real loss. Older reviews describing the card as earning both Avios and accelerated On Business points will therefore become outdated from that date.
The replacement benefit: up to £200 credit on Avios Hotels or Car Hire
From 7 October 2026, Cardmembers will instead be able to receive up to £200 in statement credits each calendar year when booking through Avios Hotels or Avios Car Hire.
This changes the proposition significantly.
The benefit could effectively offset much of the £250 annual fee if you naturally make eligible bookings through those channels. But I would not automatically value the £200 at face value.
Before booking, I would compare:
- the Avios Hotels or Car Hire price;
- the direct hotel or rental-car price;
- any hotel loyalty points or elite benefits that might be lost by booking through a third party; and
- the cancellation terms.
A £200 statement credit is only £200 of genuine value if the underlying booking is one you would otherwise have made at a comparable price.
No Companion Voucher
This is an important distinction from the personal British Airways American Express cards.
The Accelerating Business Card does not earn a British Airways Companion Voucher.
Its spend-based incentive is the series of 10,000-Avios bonuses at £20,000 intervals.
If your main reason for holding a BA Amex is specifically to earn a Companion Voucher for personal leisure travel, the personal BA Amex products need to be considered separately. See my BA Amex Premium Plus guide for the personal-card voucher, fee and current earning rules.
Up to 20 complimentary Employee Cards
The business card allows up to 20 complimentary Employee Cards.
This can be useful because employee expenditure can be consolidated into one business account while contributing towards:
- the main Avios balance;
- the £20,000 / £40,000 / £60,000 annual threshold bonuses; and
- centralised expense tracking.
The main Cardmember remains responsible for charges made on the Employee Cards.
Until 6 October 2026, eligible employee-card spending can also contribute to On Business earning where applicable; that part disappears when On Business earning ends.
Up to 56 days interest free
American Express currently advertises up to 56 calendar days interest free on purchases where the balance is paid in full and on time.
The card also allows the business to pay over time with interest rather than operating solely as a charge card.
There is also a Plan It instalment feature for eligible purchases of £100 or more, allowing selected transactions to be spread over fixed monthly instalments for a disclosed fee rather than interest.
None of those features change my basic view of rewards cards: paying interest simply to earn Avios is usually a poor trade.
Travel and purchase protections
The Accelerating Business Card has a more substantial protection package than the Avios earn rate alone suggests.
Current published benefits include:
- Travel Accident Protection of up to £250,000 on eligible public-transport business trips paid for with the card;
- Travel Inconvenience cover for eligible delays, missed connections, overbooking and delayed baggage when the trip is paid with the card;
- enhanced Travel Inconvenience amounts on qualifying British Airways flights;
- Purchase Protection for eligible items stolen or damaged within 90 days, up to the policy limits;
- Refund Protection for certain eligible UK purchases where a retailer refuses a return, subject to limits;
- 24/7 Global Assist; and
- emergency card replacement.
Insurance and protection terms matter, so I would always check the policy wording before relying on a particular benefit for a trip or purchase.
The major weakness: 2.99% FX fee
Like the other UK Amex business cards, the BA Accelerating Business Card currently charges a 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee.
That can overwhelm the value of the Avios earned.
For example, £5,000-equivalent of foreign-currency spending would incur approximately £149.50 in FX fees before assigning any value to the Avios.
This is one reason I would not automatically use the card for overseas hotels, restaurants or international supplier spend simply because it earns Avios.
Capital on Tap currently charges no FX fee and is a Visa, making it an obvious product to compare for foreign-currency business spending.
See my Capital on Tap Business Credit Card guide.
Amex acceptance is another limitation
American Express acceptance is broad, but it is still not universal.
Some suppliers, independent businesses, restaurants and hotels do not accept Amex.
That means a business relying solely on the Accelerating Business Card may still need a Visa or Mastercard backup.
Again, this is where Capital on Tap can complement rather than simply compete with the BA Amex.
BA Accelerating Business vs Capital on Tap Pro
| BA Amex Accelerating Business | Capital on Tap Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | £250 | £299 |
| Network | American Express | Visa |
| Core airline earn | 1.25 Avios/£ from 7 Oct 2026 | 1 Avios/£ normally |
| Enhanced earning | 10,000 Avios per £20,000 spend, up to 3 times/year | 1.25 points/£ with qualifying Daily Repay/preloading |
| Effective rate at £20k/£40k/£60k | 1.75 Avios/£ from 7 Oct | Up to 1.25 Avios/£ with enhanced earning |
| FX fee | 2.99% | None currently |
| Transfer flexibility | Avios directly | Avios, Virgin Points, Radisson |
| Bill Pay | No direct equivalent | Available to eligible accounts |
| Lounge access | No core lounge membership | Priority Pass on Pro |
| Hotel status | None included | Radisson VIP |
The BA Amex is stronger if your objective is specifically to generate a large Avios balance and your business naturally hits the £20,000 thresholds.
Capital on Tap is stronger on Visa acceptance, overseas spend, Bill Pay and broader travel benefits.
BA Accelerating Business vs Amex Business Platinum
The comparison with Business Platinum is fundamentally about Avios concentration versus flexibility.
| BA Accelerating Business | Amex Business Platinum | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | £250 | £650 |
| Core earning | 1.25 Avios/£ from 7 Oct | 1 Membership Rewards point/£ |
| Transfer partners | None – earns Avios directly | Wide airline and hotel network |
| Annual spend bonuses | Up to 30,000 bonus Avios | Travel-credit thresholds rather than Avios bonuses |
| Airport lounges | No core lounge membership | Global Lounge Collection |
| Hotel status | None | Hilton, Marriott, Radisson and others |
| FHR | No | Yes |
If you know the end goal is Avios, the BA business card can generate more of them from the same UK spend, particularly at the bonus thresholds.
If you want the freedom to choose later between BA, Qatar, Virgin, Flying Blue, Hilton, Marriott and other programmes, Membership Rewards is substantially more flexible.
See my Amex Business Platinum UK guide.
BA Accelerating Business vs Amex Business Gold
Business Gold also earns Membership Rewards rather than Avios directly.
Its standard earn rate is 1 Membership Rewards point per £1, and those points can be transferred 1:1 to Avios under the current UK programme.
That means £20,000 of normal spend could generate 20,000 Membership Rewards points – potentially 20,000 Avios – whereas the BA Accelerating Business Card would generate 35,000 Avios after 7 October 2026 if the £20,000 threshold bonus is earned.
The trade-off is that Gold’s Membership Rewards remain flexible and can go to many other airline and hotel programmes.
Who can apply?
The Accelerating Business Card has broader business-type eligibility than Amex Business Gold and Platinum.
American Express currently states that it is available to eligible sole traders and small businesses.
Key published criteria include:
- the business has a current UK bank or building-society account;
- the applicant is aged 18 or over;
- the applicant has a permanent UK home address;
- the applicant earns at least £20,000 per year; and
- the applicant accepts the £250 annual Cardmembership fee.
Approval remains subject to status and American Express’s own assessment.
The card does not require you to be VAT registered
Under the current On Business-linked eligibility wording, enrolling through the Accelerating Business application does not require the business to be VAT registered.
That makes the card potentially relevant to smaller businesses and sole traders that would not fit the Limited Company / LLP requirement attached to Amex Business Gold and Platinum.
The On Business element disappears from 7 October 2026, but the broader small-business positioning of the card remains important.
Is the BA Accelerating Business Card worth £250?
The strongest case is for a business that:
- wants to earn Avios specifically;
- has substantial eligible spend;
- can naturally hit one or more £20,000 annual spend thresholds;
- pays the balance in full rather than eroding the rewards with interest;
- does relatively little foreign-currency spending on the card; and
- does not need the broader hotel, lounge and insurance package of Business Platinum.
The weaker case is where your business:
- wants flexible points rather than Avios only;
- spends heavily overseas;
- has many suppliers that do not accept Amex;
- would not reach the £20,000 spend thresholds; or
- places more value on lounges, hotel status or other premium travel benefits.
How I would assess it after 7 October 2026
The post-October card is not simply “1.25 Avios per £1 for £250 a year”.
The better way to assess it is:
- 1.25 Avios/£ base earning;
- +10,000 Avios at £20k, £40k and £60k spend;
- + up to £200 annual Avios Hotels / Car Hire statement credit;
- − £250 annual fee;
- − 2.99% FX fee where relevant; and
- − the loss of On Business earning.
For a business spending exactly £60,000 of eligible UK spend, the future structure produces 105,000 Avios before considering any welcome bonus.
At the same time, the card remains much less flexible than Membership Rewards and materially weaker than Capital on Tap for overseas spending.
That is why I see it as a specialised Avios-earning business card rather than an all-purpose business travel card.
See the current American Express referral offers and choose the BA Accelerating Business Card →
The referral journey allows you to switch to another eligible American Express business card or to the personal-card range. Make sure the card name, welcome offer and eligibility shown on the final application page match the product you intend to apply for.
Related guides
- UK Business Cards & Bank Accounts That Earn Travel Rewards
- Amex Business Platinum UK Guide
- Amex Business Gold UK Guide
- Capital on Tap Business Credit Card UK Guide
- How Much Is an Avios Worth?
- Flight Redemptions with Avios and Companion Vouchers
- How I Use Points Transfer Bonuses
Official sources
Fees, earn rates, welcome offers, statement credits, protection benefits and eligibility can change. This guide was checked against the current American Express and British Airways information in September 2026. The 7 October 2026 changes are announced future terms and are clearly distinguished from the terms applying before that date.
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