How do I earn Avios when buying petrol?

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This articles shows you how to earn Avios points when you buy petrol.

There used to be many ways of earning Avios when buying petrol. You could earn at Shell, at Esso and at Tesco filling stations.

During Summer 2019, this is all going to change. There is a big shift underway in petrol station loyalty at the moment.

This is what is going on:

Texaco Star Rewards withdrew as a Virgin Atlantic transfer partner in late 2018

On 31st May 2019, BP is withdrawing from Nectar. The company is planning to launch a stand-alone loyalty scheme which will not earn transferable points.

At the same time, Esso is withdrawing from Tesco Clubcard. At present, you can earn Clubcard points (which can be converted to Avios or Virgin Flying Club miles) when you buy petrol or in-store items at Esso garages. Esso will then join Nectar.

On 30th June 2019, Shell is closing Shell Drivers Club. It will be replaced by a new scheme called Shell Go+ which will NOT be points-based. This means that you cannot earn Avios by transferring Shell Drivers Club points from 30th June.

How can I still earn Avios from petrol stations?

This is how I expected the situation to be from June 2019 for Avios collectors.

You would need to buy your fuel at a Tesco-branded filling station, where you would earn Clubcard points which can be converted to Avios.

This is your ONLY option left because:

Shell – no, once Shell Drivers Club closes on 30th June

Esso – no from June 2019, you’ll no longer be able to collect Clubcard points to convert to Avios

Tesco – yes, Tesco-branding filling stations will still allow you to earn Avios via Clubcard

How many Avios do I earn when I buy petrol at Tesco?

It’s not a bad deal, as it happens. You are better off than you were from Shell Drivers Club.

You earn 0.5 Tesco Clubcard points for every £1 you spend on standard fuel. This is 50% fewer points than you earn when you spend in Tesco food stores, but the profit margin on petrol is very low.

Clubcard points convert to Avios at the rate of 1 Tesco Clubcard point = 2.4 Avios.

This means that you earn 1.2 Avios per £1 spent at a Tesco filling station. This is a decent rebate on your spending, and Tesco petrol is usually a little cheaper than Esso or Shell anyway.

Every three months, Tesco will email or post you vouchers for the points you have earned in the previous quarter. To transfer them to Avios, simply go to this page of the Tesco Clubcard website. The Avios should reach your British Airways Executive Club account within 24-48 hours.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works. You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

(Head for Points is the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website with 1.8 million monthly page views. Want to learn more about earning and spending Avios? Click here to read our latest news stories, click here to join our email list and click here to read our ‘Avios Redemption University’ series.)

How to get 20,000 Avios from Amex Gold or 30,000 Avios from Amex Platinum (December 2021 offer)

The sign-up bonus on American Express Preferred Rewards Gold converts to 20,000 Avios and the card is free for the first year. You can apply here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

You don’t qualify for the Amex Gold bonus if you have a British Airways American Express card. You DO qualify for the bonus on The Platinum Card, which converts into 30,000 Avios. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have your own small business, the best way of earning Avios is via the Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa. It has a sign-up bonus which converts to 10,000 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also look at the British Airways Accelerating Business card, because it currently has a limited time offer of 60,000 Avios when you sign up by 14th November. You can apply here.