Virgin Atlantic Reward+: Fees, Points and Eligibility

The Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card is a rewards credit card that earns Virgin Points on your spending and charges an annual fee. It is the paid tier of the two Virgin Atlantic cards: the free Reward card earns at a lower rate, while Reward+ earns faster and unlocks travel benefits sooner. The headline offer is 18,000 bonus Virgin Points if you make a purchase in the first 90 days from account opening, with no minimum spend requirement¹.

The card is aimed at people who already collect Virgin Points through Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club and who will spend enough on the card to make the annual fee worthwhile. It is not a balance transfer or a low-rate card, and it is not designed for borrowing. Points are not earned on cash advances, balance transfers, money transfers, interest or fees¹.

Since 2 April 2026 the card has been provided by Nationwide, after Virgin Money's business transferred across. Your card, its terms and its rewards continue as before, but the company behind it has changed³.

How it works

The card earns Virgin Points on what you spend, at two different rates. Spending directly with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays earns at the higher rate, and everyday purchases earn at the lower rate⁴. Points are not earned on cash advances, balance transfers, money transfers, interest or fees¹. The provider's site sets out the current earning rates, because these can change.

The welcome bonus is 18,000 Virgin Points, paid if you make a purchase using the card in the first 90 days from account opening. There is no minimum spend requirement attached to it¹. Which? recorded the same 18,000 point offer in its air mile credit card tables, updated on 2 September 2026⁶.

Beyond the points, the card unlocks a reward voucher once you reach a set amount of spending on purchases in a year. The voucher can be used for a flight upgrade or a companion ticket⁴. Vouchers can only be redeemed on bookings for Virgin Atlantic operated flights, as a round trip companion reward seat or a round trip cabin upgrade¹. You can spend your reward for up to 24 months from the date it is issued².

There is a monthly cap on the Virgin Points you can earn, set at an amount equal to your credit limit and reset each month on your credit card statement date. The cap does not apply to bonus points⁷.

How the fees and charges work

The Reward+ card carries an annual fee, charged once a year rather than monthly. The provider's site has today's figure⁴. The fee is added to your statement the month after you switch, and each year on your anniversary month if you remain on Reward+. Depending on your anniversary date, it may be due in less than 12 months⁸.

If you move up from the free Reward card, you pay the annual fee for the Reward+ product, and you only need to pay the full annual fee once per year⁵. After the switch is complete, the fee is added to your statement the month of your anniversary⁵.

Moving the other way, from Reward+ down to Reward, has its own fee rules. If you have never used your Reward+ card in the year you switch, the annual fee is refunded automatically. If you have used it, you are not entitled to a refund for any Reward+ annual fee you have been charged for that year⁵.

Interest, cash withdrawal charges and any other fees sit in the card's terms rather than in the rewards scheme, and the provider's site and terms set out the current figures. Because points are not earned on interest or fees, carrying a balance does not build rewards¹.

Who can apply and how to apply

Credit is available only to UK residents aged 18 or over, subject to status⁷. Before applying, you complete a card checker tool, which gives an initial eligibility check. It is quick to use and does not affect your credit score².

There is a separate route for existing customers. You can take up the Reward+ offer if you have a personal Virgin Money current account or credit card, but the offer will not apply if you already have a Virgin Atlantic Credit Card. In that case you apply using the link in the email sent to you, or through the current account app or the credit card app².

If you already hold the free Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card, you can switch up to Reward+ instead of applying fresh. To do so you must have a Virgin Atlantic Flying Club membership linked to your credit card, not have already switched twice in your anniversary year, and be up to date with all credit card payments and within your credit limit⁸. If you are behind on payments or over your limit, you cannot switch⁵. You request the switch using an online form, and you start earning Virgin Points at the Reward+ product rate from the date the switch is completed⁵.

If you qualify for a reward voucher at the point of switching, Virgin Atlantic adds it to your Flying Club account within 30 days of your switch⁵. Limited-time extra bonus point offers do not apply to existing customers switching⁵.

How your money is protected

You are not liable for a fraudulent transaction carried out by someone using your card, card details, passwords or security information without your permission⁹. That protection stops where you have given permission: if your card or security details are misused by someone who has them with your, or an additional cardholder's permission, you will have to pay for all transactions⁹.

Virgin Money sets out eight key ways it protects customers' money, including checking application information, monitoring accounts, checking payment details, sending one-time passcodes, getting money back, blocking accounts and securing connections¹¹. Card holders who are innocent victims of fraud are fully covered¹². Your card is automatically registered for Mastercard Identity Check, which helps protect it when you shop online¹².

Paying by credit card also gives you more protection if something goes wrong with a purchase¹³. If you paid for something with a credit card, you might have more protection than with other payment methods¹⁴. That is separate from fraud cover: it applies to problems with the goods or services themselves.

Switching between the two Virgin Atlantic cards

The two Virgin Atlantic cards are designed to sit alongside each other, and moving between them is a defined process rather than a new application. The free Reward card pays a smaller welcome bonus of 3,000 Virgin Points for a purchase in the first 90 days, and Which? recorded the same figure on 2 September 2026¹⁷. The Reward card also has a higher spending threshold for its travel benefits than Reward+⁶.

When you switch from Reward to Reward+, all Virgin Points earned on card purchases made with your Reward card are doubled, with the increase applying to points earned from the start of your anniversary year⁸. You start earning at the Reward+ rate from the date the switch completes⁵.

The switch has conditions. You need a Flying Club membership linked to your card, you cannot have already switched twice in your anniversary year, and your account must be up to date and within its limit⁸. If you are behind on payments or over your limit, the switch is not available⁵.

Problems, complaints and getting help

If you find you are having difficulty meeting your monthly Virgin Money credit card payments, the provider publishes steps to help, including budget guidance and contact options¹⁸. Free, impartial debt advice is available from MoneyHelper and from debt advice charities, and there are separate routes to free help in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

If you have a complaint, Virgin Money's credit card terms set out how to raise it: you can call 0800 011 3210, write to The Customer Relations Team, Virgin Money Credit Cards, PO Box 5293, Worthing BN11 9TL, or email customerrelations@virginmoney.com¹⁰. If a complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, the Financial Ombudsman Service can look at it.

The provider's published complaints data gives a sense of scale: in the three months from 1 July to 30 September 2019, it recorded 6,360 complaints in banking and credit cards¹⁹. That is an old figure and reflects the business as it was then, not the current operation.

You can manage most card tasks yourself, including payments, card and PIN, account preferences, closing an account, disputing a transaction and switching your credit card²⁰. The app also lets you report your card lost, stolen or damaged²¹.

What changed when the card moved to Nationwide

Virgin Money's business, including the Virgin Atlantic credit cards, transferred to Nationwide on 2 April 2026, making Nationwide the card provider³. The transfer followed Court approval on 23 February 2026³. Balance transfers between Virgin Money and Nationwide credit cards ended at 23:59 on 2 April 2026, so customers can no longer move balances between the two card ranges³.

For cardholders, the practical effect is a change of provider rather than a change of product. Your card, its terms and its rewards continue, and the Virgin Atlantic branding and Flying Club link are unchanged.

Virgin Money is a trading name of Clydesdale Bank PLC, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under registration number 106078²². Clydesdale Bank PLC appears on the Bank of England's list of banks incorporated in the UK authorised to accept deposits, with FRN 121873²³.