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Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 23 Jun 2017, 13:58
by Sealink
With the capping of credit card charges at 0.3% Amex is withdrawing licensing of their brand to other card providers.

So the days of the Mbna Amex are numbered. Hopefully the Visa version will have improved earning or an actual Virgin Amex (like BA) will be *ahem* on the cards...

More info here:
http://www.headforpoints.com/2017/06/23 ... edit-card/

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 23 Jun 2017, 14:17
by mitchja
MBNA have been offering a VISA version of the VS card for some time now.

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 23 Jun 2017, 17:11
by LucyLu
Oh no, where am I going to earn all my points from? eek! I use my Amex card for as much daily spending as I can

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 23 Jun 2017, 18:55
by Sealink
mitchja wrote:MBNA have been offering a VISA version of the VS card for some time now.


Yes they come as a pair. But Amex earned more.

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 23 Jun 2017, 21:05
by mswadley
Not sure how much influence Virgin has on MBNA or Amex?
If his does happen I'd probably go to the BA Amex card along with I suspect many others.

Would Virgin consider a similar arragement? 80% of my miles are from the CC, 15% from shopping and only 5% from flights.

Even though I rate VS way above BA this could prove a game changer for me.

How do others feel?

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 23 Jun 2017, 22:48
by SlimpyJones
I'll probably just switch to a Visa. I only use my Virgin Amex for buying flights.

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 24 Jun 2017, 07:50
by dickydotcom
It certainly wont be worth paying for the Black card if you can only have Visa.
I must find out when my renewal date is and prepare to cancel.

Dick D

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 24 Jun 2017, 08:15
by mitchja
Not that this would change the fact AmEx are pulling their license for other card issuers, but weren't there rumours that Virgin where looking at bringing the VS card back 'in house' to Virgin Money when MBNA was put up for sale last year? Lloyds Banking group now own MBNA since early this year.

If MBNA do ditch the AmEx card, my black VS card will be going here too as it's barely worth the £140 annual fee now as it is now as I never spend enough to even get the upgrade voucher anyway. Mine next re-news in April (your re-newal month is the month before you pay the annual fee)

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 24 Jun 2017, 08:37
by tvr_p
I can see quite a few options:

1. They discontinue both cards
2. They follow the AA model and charge ~£70 for a white Visa which earns ~1mile/£1, keeps the vouchers at the same thresholds as now. Continue to charge £140 for a black Visa which earns ~2miles/£1 and the same thresholds
3. Bring the cards into Virgin Money
4. Go the BA route and ask Amex to issue a free and paid card
5. Have a single Visa which is better than the current white, worse than the current black & priced around £75-£100
6. As per 2, but include either TP earning potential and/or silver/gold status

There are probably a load of other options I haven't thought of, ultimately we'll see what happens when the current contract with MBNA expires and each make a decision depending on the offerings and our personal circumstances/preferences

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 24 Jun 2017, 09:27
by dickydotcom
One thing I did pick up on in the linked article was paying income tax by card.
I've just check on the legislation and a Visa credit card gets a fee of .415%
So a £4000 tax bill is only going to cost £16.60 to earn 4000 air miles as opposed to £75 if I wanted to buy them.
Have I done my sums correctly?

Dick D

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 26 Oct 2017, 15:28
by mdhayes
sounds like an announcement tomorrow about this, according to HFP

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 26 Oct 2017, 15:58
by mitchja
If VS do go back to Virgin Money, Virgin Money need to shape up big style....as other than offering contactless, there's no ApplePay, no Android Pay and not even a specific iOS/Android app!!

They seem a long way behind the others.

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 26 Oct 2017, 19:56
by Raffles
mdhayes wrote:sounds like an announcement tomorrow about this, according to HFP


No there isn't - and I have pushed back the article I was going to run. Looks like the New Year.

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 27 Oct 2017, 11:02
by Rotty
was it a UK or EU ruling?

if the latter maybe we can have them back after Brexit :p

Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 27 Oct 2017, 11:21
by oldboy
mswadley wrote:Not sure how much influence Virgin has on MBNA or Amex?
If his does happen I'd probably go to the BA Amex card along with I suspect many others.

Would Virgin consider a similar arragement? 80% of my miles are from the CC, 15% from shopping and only 5% from flights.

Even though I rate VS way above BA this could prove a game changer for me.

How do others feel?


I will probably also switch to the BA Amex card if the VS one is discontinued. I have just paid for our round the world cruise (Jan 18), I booked via VH due to the miles (£200k) that I would earn.

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 27 Oct 2017, 11:54
by SlimpyJones
I think it's fair to assume that miles would be earned on whichever new VS credit card comes out.

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 30 Oct 2017, 14:54
by David-A
The cards have disappeared from the MBNA overview page (listing the cards they offer).

However the application forms still appear to be live - if you click through direct from Virgin Atlantic website, or ironically, Virgin Money website.

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 08 Jan 2018, 21:37
by DocRo
dickydotcom wrote:One thing I did pick up on in the linked article was paying income tax by card.
I've just check on the legislation and a Visa credit card gets a fee of .415%
So a £4000 tax bill is only going to cost £16.60 to earn 4000 air miles as opposed to £75 if I wanted to buy them.
Have I done my sums correctly?

Dick D



This was great while it lasted but seems HMRC will no longer allow payment of tax liability by personal credit card from end of this week
Bye bye 10s of thousands of cheap miles for me

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 09 Jan 2018, 10:17
by dickydotcom
Thanks for the heads up DocRo

My card runs up to the 10th of the month so I have still got two days this week to use it to pay HMRC and defer the bill until March and get my miles.

Dick D

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 22 Jan 2018, 12:10
by AlphaEcho
I thought that with the annual charge for my card due this month I would have heard from Virgin / MBNA that the cards were going to be stopped.

However, checking my balance today I can see that the £140 annual fee has been added to my account. Maybe they are waiting for your cards to expire before you have to look elsewhere, if that's the case I still have over a year to go.

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 22 Jan 2018, 14:11
by sungod
DocRo wrote:
dickydotcom wrote:One thing I did pick up on in the linked article was paying income tax by card.
I've just check on the legislation and a Visa credit card gets a fee of .415%
So a £4000 tax bill is only going to cost £16.60 to earn 4000 air miles as opposed to £75 if I wanted to buy them.
Have I done my sums correctly?

Dick D



This was great while it lasted but seems HMRC will no longer allow payment of tax liability by personal credit card from end of this week
Bye bye 10s of thousands of cheap miles for me


have you looked into this...
https://www.headforpoints.com/2018/01/2 ... rd-no-fee/

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 01 Feb 2018, 17:03
by Paul
With the new month I was hoping for some info on a new Virgin Atlantic credit card (and a nice sign up bonus???) but can't find any info. Does anyone know what happening?

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 01 Feb 2018, 18:12
by oceanscape

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 01 Feb 2018, 20:16
by mitchja
oceanscape wrote:They've got the FAQ ready
https://uk.virginmoney.com/virgin/vaa-amex/faq.jsp


I wouldn’t read too much into that as if you read down to the very bottom of that page though, it does mention MBNA several times in the text:

The Virgin Atlantic Credit Cards are issued by MBNA Limited.


I think that’s just a generic FAQ.

Re: Virgin MBNA/Amex on the way out

PostPosted: 03 Feb 2018, 16:28
by LaurenH
Well my Amex and Visa came together. I use Amex everywhere that takes it and the Visa elsewhere. I await to see what they decide with this.