Buying Avios: what it costs, and how a UK business earns them instead
Buying Avios from British Airways costs between 0.99p and 2.5p each, capped at 200,000 a year. A UK business does not need to buy them: paying its VAT, PAYE, supplier and payroll bills through RewardsPilot earns 4 RewardsPilot points per £1 of net spend, and each point transfers to one airline mile, including Avios.
What British Airways charges for Avios
British Airways sells Avios at a price per Avios that falls as you buy more, with a separate subscription for buying a fixed amount every month or year.
| Buying | Price per Avios | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000 Avios | 2.5p | standard price |
| 5,000 Avios | 2p | standard price |
| 200,000 Avios | 1.75p | standard price, the annual maximum |
| 200,000 Avios a year by subscription | 0.99p | 12-month commitment, paid monthly or annually |
- British Airways runs a bonus on bought Avios every couple of months, typically up to 50% extra. Even at the best bonus the price stays above 1p per Avios unless you commit to the 200,000-a-year subscription.
- The most you can buy is 200,000 Avios a year, whichever route you take.
- Head for Points puts the value of an Avios at a floor of 0.5p and up to 1.5p or more when redeemed well, and works its sums on a 1p-per-Avios rule of thumb.
Source: Head for Points, "How much does it cost to buy Avios?" (1 Feb 2026) and "What is the cheapest way to buy Avios?" (17 Aug 2026). Checked 29 September 2026. British Airways can change its prices at any time.
What the same Avios cost a business that earns them
A VAT-registered UK business earns 4 RewardsPilot points for every £1 of eligible spend it puts through the programme, calculated on the net amount excluding VAT. Each point transfers to 1 airline mile with the airline programmes RewardsPilot works with. The spend is the VAT bill, the PAYE bill, the supplier invoice or the payroll the business was paying anyway.
| Avios wanted | Bought from BA | Business spend that earns them here | Or sold back for cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20,000 | £400 at 2p | £5,000 | £150 |
| 50,000 | £1,000 at 2p | £12,500 | £375 |
| 100,000 | £2,000 at 2p | £25,000 | £750 |
| 200,000 | £3,500 at 1.75p | £50,000 | £1,500 |
The comparison is the point. 200,000 Avios is the most British Airways will sell you in a year, for about £3,500. A business paying £50,000 of bills through RewardsPilot earns the same number of points in the course of doing so, and there is no annual cap: £100,000 of spend earns 400,000 points, £1,000,000 earns 4,000,000.
How it works
- The business joins as a member. Membership is open to VAT-registered UK businesses with genuine corporate expenditure. There is no minimum monthly spend.
- It submits a bill to pay: HMRC, a supplier, rent, or payroll through CrestPay. RewardsPilot invoices the business and pays the bill on its behalf.
- When the invoice payment clears, points are credited at 4 per £1 of the net amount. They show in the member portal in real time and never expire.
- The business redeems them for flights, hotels and car hire through the portal, transfers them to the airline or hotel account it chooses within 24 hours, or sells them back for cash at 3% of the spend behind them.
The VAT on RewardsPilot’s invoice
RewardsPilot invoices its own service, Corporate Membership and Business Services Ecosystem, with VAT applied to the full taxable supply value. Under the specialist tax advice obtained for the structure, for VAT-registered businesses using the services for taxable business activities that VAT is intended to be recoverable through the normal VAT return, subject to the business’s own VAT position and the normal recovery rules, so it is principally a cash-flow timing consideration. This is not tax advice, and each business should satisfy itself with its own accountant. RewardsPilot will speak to your accountant directly.
Questions
Can a business buy Avios from RewardsPilot?
No. RewardsPilot does not sell points or miles. A member earns 4 RewardsPilot points for every £1 of eligible business spend put through the programme, and each point transfers to 1 airline mile, Avios included, with the airline programmes RewardsPilot works with.
How many Avios does £50,000 of business spend earn?
200,000 RewardsPilot points, which transfer to 200,000 airline miles. Eligible spend is the net amount excluding VAT. Buying 200,000 Avios from British Airways at its standard 1.75p price would cost £3,500.
Which bills earn points?
Any genuine business payment put through the programme: HMRC bills such as VAT, PAYE and corporation tax, supplier invoices, rent, and payroll funded through CrestPay. Points are credited when the invoice payment clears. VAT itself, refunds and reversed amounts do not earn points.
Is there a limit on how many points a business can earn?
No. There is no minimum monthly spend and no spending limit, and points never expire. British Airways caps bought Avios at 200,000 a year; earned points have no cap.
How quickly do points reach the airline?
Transfers to the airline or hotel account you choose are processed within 24 hours of the request.
Can the business take cash instead of miles?
Yes. Points can be sold back to RewardsPilot at any time for 3% of the eligible spend behind them, paid within 24 hours. 200,000 points, earned on £50,000 of spend, would be bought back for £1,500.
What about the VAT on RewardsPilot's invoice?
RewardsPilot invoices its own service, Corporate Membership and Business Services Ecosystem, with VAT applied to the full taxable supply value. Under the specialist tax advice obtained for the structure, for VAT-registered businesses using the services for taxable business activities that VAT is intended to be recoverable through the normal VAT return, subject to the business's own VAT position, so it is principally a cash-flow timing consideration. This is not tax advice; RewardsPilot will speak directly with your accountant.
Programme facts on this page come from the published RewardsPilot rate and the Rewards Programme Rules. Rewards are corporate rewards earned on genuine business expenditure.