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Barclays refreshes Blue Rewards with Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass included

18 June 2024
  • Apple TV+ and Major League Soccer Season Pass subscriptions now included in Blue Rewards, which remains £5 per month
  • Blue Rewards customers also benefit from cashback and Barclay’s high-interest Rainy Day Saver account, offering interest of 5.12% AER/5% gross on balances up to £5,000
  • Barclays introduces promotional offer, with 1% cashback earned on all eligible debit card spend up to a value of £5 each month from September to November, in addition to existing up to 15% off cashback offers
  • Product cash rewards removed, with the last rewards payments made 3 September 2024

18 June 2024: Barclays announces a refresh of Blue Rewards, introducing Apple TV+1 and Major League Soccer Season Pass2 subscriptions for all Blue Rewards customers, included within the existing £5 monthly fee. Customers can access their subscriptions immediately via the Barclays app.

Barclays is also introducing a promotion increasing the value of cashback on Blue Rewards, with customers able to earn 1% on all eligible debit card spend up to a value of £5 each month. The promotion runs September-November and rewards are in addition to existing retailer cashback offers.

As part of the refresh, product cash rewards will be removed – including for current account, mortgages, life insurance and Barclayloan – with these changes taking effect from 4 September 2024.

Blue Rewards has evolved over the last year, with Barclays introducing benefits such as access to high-interest savings accounts and cashback on spending with popular brands.

Following the refresh, Blue Rewards customers can receive fixed benefits worth up to £44 per month – an increase from £35.50 previously – in addition to cashback and higher interest on savings.3 Barclays will undertake ongoing reviews to ensure Blue Rewards customers are getting fair value for their £5 monthly fee. In cases where customers are not receiving fair value, they will be alerted and Blue Rewards (and its fee) will be removed, leaving customers on Barclays’ standard, fee free account.4

Manuel Baldasano, Head of Customer and Digital at Barclays UK, says: “We’ve been evolving Blue Rewards based on what we know our customers value and, with entertainment high on their wish list, we’re delighted to introduce top quality shows from Apple TV, in addition to our best savings rates and cashback programme, all for the same £5 monthly fee.

“Our refreshed Blue Rewards proposition, which sits alongside our fee free account and Premier banking, means that customers can choose what works best for them.”

Features included with the refreshed Blue Rewards, all for £5 per month:

  • Access to the Rainy Day Saver account

Customers can open with as little as £1 and earn interest of 5.12% AER/5% gross5 p.a. – Barclays’ highest interest rate for instant-access savings on balances up to £5,000 – which could earn customers up to £250 a year in gross interest.6

  • Access to the Blue Rewards Saver account

Customers can open with as little as £1 and earn 3.56% AER/3.50% gross5 p.a. interest on their savings in the months they don’t make any withdrawals, and a lower rate when they do.6

  • Barclays Cashback Rewards

Customers can earn up to 15% cashback7 at participating retailers when they pay with their current account debit card linked to their Blue Rewards membership. Customers need to be registered for the Barclays app to activate their cashback and start earning.

  • Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass subscriptions

Customers need to be registered for the Barclays app to activate their subscriptions and link their Apple ID. Once activated, any customer who already pays for one or both subscriptions will no longer be charged monthly. Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass are available to customers on a wide variety of platforms, including on web browsers, streaming boxes/sticks and smart TVs, in addition to Apple devices.8

Barclays Premier Banking customers will receive all the benefits of Blue Rewards automatically, with no monthly fee or additional cost.9

A full overview of the Blue Rewards features can be found here, and an overview of the Premier current account features here.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Apple TV+ delivers a curated offering of premium programming, with a focus on compelling drama and comedy series, as well as high profile feature films, available to access across multiple screens.

  • Apple TV+ is the first all-original streaming service and still the only streamer to have ever won the Oscar for Best Picture with “CODA" while continuing to earn multiple accolades with 453 wins and 2,072 award nominations to date and counting. It boasts global phenomena with the likes multi Emmy-Award winning “Ted Lasso," "Severance" and "The Morning Show" as well as standout UK local productions that have become global hits like “Hijack", "Slow Horses" and "Bad Sisters"..
  • This year, Apple TV+ has expanded its award-winning slate of originals with highly anticipated and critically acclaimed new series, including “The New Look,” “The Dynasty: New England Patriots,” “The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin,” “Manhunt,” “Palm Royale,” “Sugar,” “Franklin,” “Dark Matter,” “Presumed Innocent,” and more. Upcoming Apple Original series and films include “Land of Women," "Sunny" staring Rashida Jones, "The Instigators" starring Matt Damon, and "Bad Monkey" starring Vince Vaughn.
  • Plus, fans can also savour new seasons of widely celebrated titles such as “Loot," "The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy," "The Big Door Prize," “Acapulco," “Trying" and even more beloved originals from Peanuts for the whole family to enjoy.
  • Apple TV+ is available on more than a billion devices through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com. Viewers can also access Apple TV+ from the Apple TV app on Apple Vision Pro, where they can watch originals alongside other apps in their physical space; within an Environment, so the screen feels 100 feet wide; and in Spatial Audio for an even more immersive viewing experience.

2. Following an unforgettable 2023 season marked by the arrival of eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi who joined Inter Miami last July, bringing a global spotlight to Major League Soccer - MLS Season Pass is the only place fans can access every live MLS regular-season football match, the entire Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, Leagues Cup, MLS All-Star, Campeones Cup, and select MLS NEXT and MLS NEXT Pro matches and tournaments all in one place, with no blackouts.

  • Subscribers also get exclusive on-demand content and the most expansive and accessible programming lineup ever, including MLS Countdown and MLS Wrap-Up, MLS 360, MLS La Previa and MLS El Resumen where fans can follow stars including Cucho Hernandez (Columbus Crew), Roman Burki (St. Louis City FC), Hany Mukthar (Nashville SC) and Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF).
  • MLS Season Pass is available on more than a billion devices through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com. Fans can also access MLS Season Pass from the Apple TV app on Apple Vision Pro, where they can watch games alongside other apps in their physical space; within an Environment, so the screen feels 100 feet wide; and in Spatial Audio for an even more immersive viewing experience.

3. Details of Blue Rewards potential maximum monthly benefit values:

  • New Blue Rewards, £44 p/m
    • Apple TV+, £8.99
    • MLS Season Pass, £14.99 (available for the duration of the MLS season as a monthly or annual subscription, from February to October)
    • Rainy Day Saver account, £20 (Approx £250 yearly interest on £5,000 deposited)
    • Blue Rewards Saver, dependent on deposit balance
    • Barclays Cashback Rewards, dependant on participating retailer offers used
  • Previous Blue Rewards, £35.50 p/m
    • Product cash rewards, £15.50 (£5 for two or more direct debits, £3 for residential mortgage product, £1.50 for life insurance product, £5 for life plus critical illness reward, £1 for Barclayloan product)
    • Rainy Day Saver account, £20 (Approx £250 yearly interest on £5,000 deposited)Blue Rewards Saver, dependent on deposit balance
    • Barclays Cashback Rewards, dependant on participating retailer offers used

4. Fair value is determined by whether a customer has activated at least one of the core Blue Rewards features (Rainy Day Saver, Blue Rewards Saver, Cashback, Apple TV+) and is earning at least £60 value in a 12 month period. If a customer is not getting value, we will remove Blue Rewards (and its fee) after a 60 day notice period, but they will remain on our standard, fee free account. This check is being paused until March 2025 to give customers time to benefit from the refreshed benefits of Blue Rewards, including Apple TV+. If a customer is not benefiting in this time period, we will send monthly engagement notices to encourage them to activate any unused features.

5. ’Gross’ is the rate payable without tax taken off. AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) illustrates what the interest rate would be if interest was paid and compounded once each year.

6. Interest is calculated daily using the statement balance and is paid monthly on the first working day of the month. Product details and interest rates are correct at the time of sending. Interest rates are variable.

7. Terms and conditions for cashback apply. These are separate to the Barclays Blue Rewards terms and conditions. Spend must be on the debit card nominated for Blue Rewards. To earn cashback, you’ll need to follow the individual retailer offer terms.

8. For more information on how to stream Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass, please visit Apple’s guide at https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/tvplus/welcome/web

9. Roll out of full Blue Rewards features to Premier customers will be staggered, with savings rates, Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass available immediately and cashback to follow in August.

About Barclays

Our vision is to be the UK-centred leader in global finance. We are a diversified bank with comprehensive UK consumer, corporate and wealth and private banking franchises, a leading investment bank and a strong, specialist US consumer bank. Through these five divisions, we are working together for a better financial future for our customers, clients and communities.

For further information about Barclays, please visit our website home.barclays