Ways a UK business can earn Avios, compared
A UK business earns Avios on card spend (0.8 to 1.25 per £1) or through RewardsPilot (4 per £1 of net spend), or buys them from British Airways (up to 200,000 a year). Cards cover payees that take cards; RewardsPilot covers HMRC, supplier and payroll bills paid by bank transfer, without credit. BA On Business earns company points, not Avios.
Side by side
Each provider’s published terms on 5 November 2026. Terms change; check the provider’s own page.
| What it is | What spend it covers | Avios per £1 of business spend | Cost or fee | Credit | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RewardsPilot | A corporate rewards membership. The business pays RewardsPilot's invoice from its own funds and RewardsPilot pays the bill | Any genuine business payment by bank transfer: VAT, PAYE, Corporation Tax, supplier invoices, rent, payroll | 4 Avios per £1 of net spend (4 RewardsPilot points per £1; each point is 1 airline mile). Or 3% of the spend as cash | No subscription or set-up fee for qualifying clients. RewardsPilot's invoice carries VAT on its service, intended to be recoverable for a VAT-registered business, subject to its own position | None. Bills are paid from the business's own funds | RewardsPilot published rate and Rewards Programme Rules |
| Business credit card (example: Capital on Tap Business Credit Card) | A business credit card whose points convert to Avios | Card spend wherever Visa is taken. HMRC accepts corporate credit cards online for a non-refundable fee. Cash withdrawals do not earn points | 1 point per £1: 0.8 Avios per £1 on the free card, 1 Avios per £1 on Pro | Free card: no annual fee. Pro: £299 a year. HMRC's card fee on tax bills; interest on any balance carried | Yes, up to £250,000, from 13.86% APR (variable) | Capital on Tap, "Avios business credit card" and "How rewards work" |
| American Express British Airways Accelerating Business Card | A business credit card that earns Avios directly | Card spend wherever Amex is taken. HMRC's online card service does not take American Express | 1.25 Avios per £1, plus 10,000 bonus Avios for every £20,000 spent, up to three times a calendar year | £250 a year | Yes, a credit card subject to American Express's approval | American Express, "British Airways Accelerating Business Card" |
| BA On Business | British Airways' programme for companies. Its points are a company balance for reward flights and upgrades, separate from Avios | Flights on British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines only (base fare and surcharges, not taxes) | 0 Avios. 1 to 1.5 On Business points per £1 of flight fare, by annual company spend (1 up to £29,999; 1.25 from £30,000; 1.5 from £300,000) | Free to join; a VAT number is normally needed | None | Reward Flight Finder, "How does the British Airways On Business loyalty programme work?" (updated 23 September 2026) |
| Buying Avios from British Airways | Avios bought for cash | None. It is a purchase, not a reward on spend | 0 Avios per £1 of spend. Bought at 2.5p, 2p, 1.75p, 0.99p each depending on quantity; capped at 200,000 a year | About £3,500 for the 200,000 annual maximum at the standard 1.75p | None | 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) |
Paying HMRC by card: GOV.UK says corporate credit and corporate debit cards are accepted online for a non-refundable fee, personal debit cards with no fee, and personal credit cards not at all (HMRC stopped taking them on 13 January 2018). HMRC's manual says its online service does not take American Express or Diners Club. Whether the card's points are earned on the payment is the issuer's rule; Capital on Tap's rewards pages do not say.
Worked example: £50,000 of monthly bills
An illustrative month: £20,000 payroll, £15,000 HMRC (VAT and PAYE) and £15,000 supplier invoices, all net of VAT. Payroll goes by bank transfer and cannot go on a card. The card figures are upper limits: they assume every supplier takes that card.
| Option | Can take | Spend it can take | Avios a month | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RewardsPilot | All of it | £50,000 | 200,000 | Or £1,500 cash |
| Capital on Tap Business Credit Card | HMRC (with HMRC's fee) and suppliers that take cards; not payroll | £30,000 | up to 24,000 (free) / 30,000 (Pro) | Whether HMRC payments earn points is not stated by the issuer |
| Amex BA Accelerating Business | Suppliers that take Amex; not HMRC, not payroll | £15,000 | up to 18,750 | Plus up to 30,000 bonus Avios a year |
| BA On Business | None of these bills (flights only) | £0 | 0 | On Business points on flights, not Avios |
| Buying Avios | Not a way to pay bills | £0 | 0 | Buys up to 200,000 a year, about £3,500 |
What the Avios buy: how many Avios for a flight · Avios calculator · RewardsPilot or a business credit card.
Which fits which business
A business that needs credit or pays at tills and checkouts
A business credit card gives a credit line and works wherever cards are taken. The card's Avios are earned only on what goes on the card.
A business whose staff fly British Airways, Iberia or American Airlines
On Business is free to join and earns company points on those flights, alongside whatever earns the Avios.
A business whose large bills go by bank transfer
HMRC, payroll and many suppliers do not take cards, or charge for it. RewardsPilot pays those bills from the business's own funds and earns 4 Avios per £1 of net spend.
A business short of Avios for one booking
Buying from British Airways is immediate, priced per Avios and capped at 200,000 a year.
Questions
What is the cheapest way for a UK business to get Avios?
It depends on what the business spends. On the published terms above, RewardsPilot gives 4 Avios per £1 of net spend with no subscription or set-up fee for qualifying clients; Capital on Tap and the Amex British Airways Accelerating Business Card give 0.8 to 1.25 Avios per £1 of card spend; buying from British Airways costs 0.99p to 2.5p each, capped at 200,000 a year.
What are the alternatives to a business credit card for earning Avios?
BA On Business earns company points on BA, Iberia and American Airlines flights (not Avios). Avios can be bought from British Airways. RewardsPilot earns on bank-transfer bills, including HMRC, suppliers and payroll, without credit.
How can my company earn air miles on supplier payments?
By card, where the supplier takes cards: 0.8 to 1.25 Avios per £1 on Capital on Tap or the Amex British Airways Accelerating Business Card. By bank transfer, through RewardsPilot: 4 RewardsPilot points per £1 of net spend, each worth 1 airline mile, including Avios.
What is the best way to earn rewards paying Corporation Tax?
HMRC accepts corporate Visa and Mastercard credit cards online for a non-refundable fee, not personal credit cards and not American Express; the points depend on the issuer. Through RewardsPilot, HMRC is paid by bank transfer with the company's own reference and the payment earns 4 RewardsPilot points per £1.
Does BA On Business earn Avios?
No. On Business earns a separate company balance of On Business points on BA, Iberia and American Airlines flights, 1 to 1.5 points per £1 of fare by annual spend.
Can a business use more than one of these?
Yes. They cover different spend: a card for till and online purchases, On Business for flights, and RewardsPilot for bills paid by bank transfer.
Sources
- RewardsPilot published rate and Rewards Programme Rules
- Capital on Tap, "Avios business credit card" and "How rewards work"
- Capital on Tap, "How rewards work"
- Capital on Tap, "Pro"
- American Express, "British Airways Accelerating Business Card"
- InsideFlyer, "Amex adjusts British Airways business card rewards" (23 July 2026; rate change from 7 October 2026)
- Reward Flight Finder, "How does the British Airways On Business loyalty programme work?" (updated 23 September 2026)
- 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)
- GOV.UK, "Pay your tax bill by debit or corporate credit card"
- GOV.UK, "Pay your Corporation Tax bill: by debit or corporate credit card"
- HMRC Debt Management and Banking Manual, DMBM200180 (cards accepted online)
All checked 5 November 2026 unless a date is shown.
RewardsPilot is not a bank or a lender and does not provide credit or financial advice. Programme facts come from the published RewardsPilot rate and the Rewards Programme Rules. Other providers’ figures are their published terms on the date checked; no product is reviewed or ranked. Capital on Tap, American Express, British Airways and Avios are trade marks of their owners; RewardsPilot is not affiliated with them.