Iberia Visa Signature card bank card evaluate: Full particulars

The Iberia Visa Signature® Card is an intriguing option if you’re interested in collecting Avios points. You can redeem Avios for flights across the Oneworld alliance — and even transfer them to partners like British Airways or Aer Lingus. As a cobranded airline card, benefits are fairly run-of-the-mill, but this card can make sense for Avios fans. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

International airline credit cards typically have fewer benefits than their domestic counterparts. Unlike a cobranded airline card from, say, Delta, the Iberia Visa Signature card doesn’t come with priority boarding or a free checked bag. However, this is the only cobranded offering from Iberia available in the U.S. — and it’s ideal if you’re trying to earn extra Iberia Avios.

The Iberia Visa Signature Card comes with a $95 annual fee that isn’t waived for the first year, but the hefty sign-up bonus and a couple of money-saving perks more than offset the cost.

Iberia — and sister airlines British Airways and Aer Lingus — all earn their own version of Avios, and can be used for booking flights worldwide. Iberia is also part of the Oneworld alliance, which opens the door to thousands of mileage redemption possibilities with airlines on every continent. Avios is one of my favorite airline currencies to earn since they can be lucrative for short-haul flying and business class to Spain.

The recommended credit score for the Iberia Visa is at least 670.

Let’s take a closer look at whether this card deserves a spot in your wallet.

The Iberia Visa currently offers an impressive sign-up bonus of 85,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

TPG’s September 2024 valuations peg Avios at 1.4 cents apiece, making those 85,000 Avios worth $1,190.

One important note: The Iberia Visa Signature falls under Chase’s 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened more than five credit cards in the past 24 months (from all banks, not just Chase), your application will be automatically rejected — even if you have a nearly perfect score.

Although the Iberia Visa lacks many of the usual domestic cobranded airline card benefits, such as a free checked bag and priority boarding, it does offer a few perks that can make it a decent addition to your wallet.

A downside to the $1,000 voucher is that it must be used toward two tickets, so if you’re a solo traveler, you must find another person to book with.

With the Iberia Visa, you’ll earn Avios at the following rates:

• 3 Avios per dollar spent on purchases with Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Level
• 2 Avios per dollar spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel
• 1 Avios per dollar spent on all other purchases

If most of your flying — once flying gets back up to speed — is done on Iberia, British Airways or Aer Lingus, then you’ll earn the most bonus points when using this card. You’ll get 3 Avios for every dollar spent on purchases with Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Level.

Still, these aren’t especially impressive earning rates. You may decide to instead get a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards points since you can transfer them to Iberia Plus and other transfer partners.

As with most frequent flyer programs, you’ll get the best value from your Iberia Visa Avios if you use them for flights. However, you can also use Avios for flight upgrades, hotel stays, rental cars and experiences.

Iberia has a close partnership with British Airways and Aer Lingus, two airlines that also use the Avios currency. You can transfer your Avios between these airlines, which is a nice perk if you prefer a particular program. Once points are transferred to British Airways, you can transfer or combine them with Qatar Airways Avios for even more lucrative redemptions.

As a U.S.-based traveler, one of the best aspects of redeeming with Iberia is the ability to use Avios for short-haul flights on Oneworld partner airlines, including American Airlines.

Iberia uses a distinct distance-based award chart, different from that of British Airways and Aer Lingus. One of my favorite redemptions is an award chart sweet spot: a one-way business-class ticket between New York (JFK) or Chicago (ORD) and Madrid (MAD) for just 34,000 Avios off-peak.
On the negative side, the Iberia website is clunky and is not user-friendly. Also, for Iberia partners, each has its own distance-based award charts (most are identical), some of which require round-trip bookings.

Related: The best ways to redeem Iberia Avios

Transferring Avios on the Iberia Visa

Unlike other airline miles, you can transfer Iberia Avios to another airline as long as they stay under the same umbrella as the parent company of the International Airline Group. That includes transferring Avios to British Airways and Aer Lingus at a one-to-one ratio if you so choose.

This opens up a multitude of ways in which you can redeem your Avios on Oneworld partners. For instance, you can get value by transferring your Iberia Avios to British Airways to redeem on American Airlines for great value on domestic flights.

TPG managing editor for credit cards Matt Moffitt likes to use 12,500 Avios to fly Qantas Business Class between Sydney and Melbourne to see family when he visits Australia and loves that it includes lounge access.

Related: The airlines you can book using Avios

While other cobranded airline cards might be more of a direct competitor, that won’t be the case if you’re looking specifically for Avios. Iberia is a 1:1 transfer partner of both American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards and a 3:1 transfer partner of Marriott, so it’s pretty straightforward to earn Avios.

• If you prefer a more flexible currency and are under the 5/24 rule, The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a solid card option with a $95 annual fee and earning Ultimate Rewards points. With it, you’ll earn 3 points on dining, 2 points on travel and 1 everywhere else. For more information, read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
• If you prefer a flexible currency and are over the 5/24 rule: The American Express® Gold Card is a worthy competitor to the Chase Sapphire Preferred, although the annual fee is higher at $325 (see rates and fees). The card earns Membership Rewards points: 4 points on dining at restaurants (up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), 3 points on flights booked directly from the airline or amextravel.com, 2 points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked through amextravel.com and 1 point on everything else. For more information, read our full review of the Amex Gold.
• If you prefer another Avios-earning airline. The British Airways Visa Signature® Card is another airline card that earns Avios. It also earns 3 points per dollar on Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and Level but has useful benefits like 10% off eligible flights when booked through a special link and a reward statement credit. For more information, read our full review of the British Airways Visa.

For additional options, check out our best airline cards.

Related: How to transfer British Airways Avios to Iberia

With its low annual fee, the Iberia Visa is worth it for those who want to earn valuable Avios. Other Avios earning cards exist with the same annual fee but more benefits, such as the British Airways Visa card. However, if you want more flexibility or better earning rates, you’ll want to opt for a card that earns transferable rewards instead.

The Iberia Visa Signature card is a solid option if you want to start earning Avios or are already invested in the program. With a valuable sign-up bonus and decent perks, it’s worth adding to your wallet if you’re flying Iberia (or British Airways and Aer Lingus).

Still, those who don’t use Avios regularly will be better off with a card that earns American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards points and transferring them to Iberia Plus as needed.

Apply here: Iberia Visa Signature card

Related: The best Avios-earning credit cards: Which is the one for you?

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here.