AA Reward Plus credit card: Now anyone can apply

The AA's new Reward Plus credit card, previously exclusive to AA members, is now available for anyone to apply for.

Responding to AA customer research, the card is designed to help drivers manage their petrol and diesel buying as well as earn cash back on everything else they buy.

At a time when petrol and diesel prices have risen by around 20p per litre over a year sales have slumped because of high prices.

The AA Reward Plus Visa card enables drivers to stretch their fuel budget a little further.  It offers generous rewards with 3 per cent cash back on fuel purchases and 0.5 per cent on everything else and, unlike other cash back cards, no annual fee.

Mark Huggins, director of AA Financial Services, says that rising fuel prices are hitting ordinary people hard.  "Government figures show that 1.7 billion fewer litres of fuel were sold at UK pumps during the first half of this year than during the same period in 2008, depriving the Treasury of about £985m in fuel duty," he says.

"Drivers are clearly economising: an AA/Populus study of AA members on the impact of fuel prices shows that they are not only shopping around for cheaper fuel which is benefiting the supermarkets, but also cutting back on fuel spending, non-fuel spending or both."

With fuel prices high on everyone's agenda, AA Financial Services decided to broaden the previous member exclusive card to all customers. "The plain fact is that high fuel prices are having an impact on family life," Mr Huggins says.  "Finding ways to get more out of every fill-up - earning cash back rewards, driving in a more fuel-efficient manner and avoiding making short trips to the shops by car - can all help to make an impact on family budgets."

Every time the card is used, points are awarded that can be redeemed for cash back or for a wide range of other goods and services, high street shopping vouchers, or AA products such as insurance and membership.

The card offers 19.9 per cent (variable) representative APR on card purchases.

Mr Huggins adds: "The AA card isn't complicated by confusing spending rules or limited periods. It delivers 3 per cent back on fuel up to £2,000 spend per year - that's the equivalent of an average £60 fill-up.  It's more than the national average annual spend on petrol of about £1,700.  But once that ceiling is reached, the card continues to earn points at the standard 0.5 per cent rate that applies to all purchases.

"As soon as the first anniversary of taking out the card is reached, the fuel earning rate returns to 3 per cent."

The AA Reward Plus Credit Card can be applied for only online at theAA.com.