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Barclaycard launches Freedom rewards

New rewards to spend in store are coming for Barclaycard customers.

Barclaycard today unveiled a new rewards scheme for all cardholders.

The Freedom scheme offers 1% cashback in most participating stores, although it drops to 0.5% in some such as Shell petrol stations.

The major difference is the points can also be spent in stores, instead of through a special rewards website.

When they tap in their PIN, Barclaycard customers will see a points balance on the terminal and will be asked if they want to spend it immediately.

Sarah Newman, managing director of Barclaycard Freedom, said: “The simplicity of Barclaycard Freedom means that customers earn Reward Money without the need to do anything extra - they simply use their Barclaycard to make a purchase.

“The beauty of the scheme lies in the fact that Reward Money can then be redeemed on purchases in most retailers."

Around 30,000 stores have signed up to the scheme including Shell, Yo!Sushi, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Flight Centre and jewellers F Hinds.

Npower has also signed up to the deal offering Barclaycard customers £60 worth of rewards if they sign up to a dual fuel energy bill.

Not all Barclaycard customers can qualify for Freedom. Those with the Barclaycard i24, Goldfish, Choice and Cashback cards cannot earn rewards.

Chris Eagle, commercial manager at Creditchoices.co.uk, said: “Customers often complain that rewards are hard to claim or lead to complex equations of pounds-to-points-ratios. Barclaycard Freedom is an interesting development as you can cash in rewards as you shop.

“The 1% cashback offer stands out quite well, matching levels from Egg and Capital One.”

“If you pay off your balance each month, rewards or cashback can be a nice bonus. However, if you are lugging a debt around, the best option is to shop around to find a lower rate with a 0% balance transfer card.”

He added: “If you are turned down for a credit card, it is really useful to check your credit record to see if there is anything holding you back.”