How to earn 1000s of extra points on your credit card (without spending extra cash)

Credit card rewards programs can earn you some pretty amazing deals, particularly when it comes to travel. Avios points are one of the most popular ways for credit card holders to bag free flights, hotels, holiday experiences and more. But racking up enough points for something as lucrative as a business class flight can feel like a mountain to climb. And a small fortune to spend. But there's a little-known shortcut that could help you earn an extra 36000 Avios points a year without spending an extra penny. Nope, you don't have to sell your first-born or complete 10,000 online surveys to gain the extra points. You just need Curve, the digital wallet linking all your debit and credit cards into one single payment card. Curve has a crafty little feature called Curve Fronted, which gives you the power to pay virtually any bill with a credit card where credit cards aren't accepted. So you can spend more on your credit card, without having to change your spending habits. Pay for your energy bills, your tax bill, school fees – even rent, and rack up rewards on the expenses you wouldn't normally put through your credit card. So, how does the magic happen? Well Curve is technically a debit card, so even though your credit card is the account actually charged for the transaction, the payment will go through as a debit transaction. You just have to switch on the "Curve Fronted" feature in the app to unlock credit card payments where they aren't accepted. 

Earn up to 36000 extra points

Curve Fronted transactions do come with a 2.5% fee per transaction on the Curve Standard plan. So paying your bills with a credit card is not always "worth it for the points". But If you're set on a business class flight from London- New York, you might want to consider Curve Metal, the premium Curve plan. With Curve Metal, you can use Curve Fronted absolutely free with a generous £3,000 limit every rolling 30 days.With a £1 spend equal to 1 Avios point, this means you could potentially earn up to 36,000 extra Avios points per year without spending any extra money. Considering the estimated value of Avios points at around £0.01p per point, your free Curve Fronted allowance would be worth around £360 a year. The £17.99 monthly subscription for Curve Metal would already be paying for itself, making it a compelling option for avid points collectors. For context, just 30,000 Avios points are needed for a return business class flight within Europe with British Airways. If you're already on the path to a complimentary flight or hotel stay, Curve Metal could go a long way in getting you there quicker. But Curve Metal isn't just about paying bills with a credit card. On top of earning thousands of extra credit card points, you can build up your very own bank of cashback in the Curve app.

The best cashback card 

 Curve Metal offers 1% cashback at 12 retailers of your choice. This includes major supermarkets, petrol garages, trainlines, travel sites, Uber, and global brands like Amazon, Apple, ASOS, and many more. By spending on your credit cards via Curve Metal, you can double up on rewards, earning cashback from Curve and accumulating points at the same time. If you're spending between £1000-£3000 a month on food, travel, clothing, and general expenses – it's likely you will earn between £10-£30 a month in cashback with Curve. And it doesn't stop at 1% cashback. There's a whole host of additional cashback offers in the app. And Curve Metal customers get better cashback rates than those on the Curve Standard plan e.g. Curve customers on the standard plan get 3.4% cashback every time they shop at Primark. With Curve Metal, this rises to 4.8%. You earn instant cashback every time you shop at places like Argos, Waterstones, Zizzi's and lots more. And there's an array of one-time offers too. This could be 8% cashback at Sainsbury's, or 40% cashback at Amazon Prime video. Your offers will change all the time and become more personalised the more you shop with Curve. Unlike some other cashback programs, Curve Cashback is super simple to use in the real world. Any cashback you earn goes into your very own cashback card in the app. You can build up your cashback over time, and whenever you want to spend it, just select your cashback card as your payment card, the same way you select your credit card or debit card. You can't withdraw your Curve Cashback but you can spend it anywhere. 

Saving Money Abroad

Another major advantage of Curve Metal is the elimination of foreign transaction fees from any credit card or debit card added to your Curve Wallet. Most banks and credit cards charge around 3% on all spending abroad. And some banks charge as much as 5% to withdraw money abroad. 

Just look at the hidden fees banks charge you to spend abroad. 

Spending £1000 on holiday could end up costing you anywhere between £27-£50 in hidden fees. With Curve Metal, you never have to worry about paying another travel fee again, no matter what card you use abroad. You don't need to compare exchange rates,  spend hours looking at the terms and conditions of your banking apps, or pre-order currency from your local post office. You can just spend with one card, anywhere in the world, just like you would at home. The elimination of fees offers another advantage. It means you can use your credit cards abroad and rack up more points abroad without incurring the high fees typically associated with using your credit card abroad. That business class flight isn't looking like such a pipe dream anymore, is it? 

Download Curve from App store or Google Play store. If you have a Samsung device, get Samsung Pay+ which is powered by Curve and includes all the benefits mentioned in this article.