Emirates launches two UK Skywards credit cards, but you can’t apply yet

Good news: Emirates has announced two new UK credit cards that earn Emirates Skywards miles, both issued by Jaja Finance (no, we hadn’t heard of them either). They are the Emirates Skywards Premium Credit Card and the Emirates Skywards Rewards Credit Card, and they aren't just focusing on Londoners, as you will see further into the article.

Bad news: you can’t apply for either of them yet. An exclusive early application period went out to a select few on 29th October, and it has already closed.

In practice, these are invitation-only cards for now. When I tried the application link, it essentially told me “nuh-uh honey, not for you”.

An Emirates Skywards spokesperson confirmed to Points Well Made:

Emirates Skywards can confirm it has opened the first application stage for two new Emirates Skywards Credit Cards in the UK, in partnership with Jaja Finance, the UK’s AI-enabled consumer finance platform. The pilot launched on 29 October 2026 by email to a small group of UK-based Skywards members, and all available places were taken within 24 hours. A second, invitation-only phase opens later this year, followed by a public launch in the coming months.

In other words, the cards are real and the applications that went through were part of a limited pilot. The rollout has three stages.

Stage	Timing	Who can apply
Pilot	Launched 29th October 2026	A small group of UK Skywards members, invited by email. All places have gone
Second phase	Later this year	Invitation only
Public launch	In the coming months	Open to everyone

What are the two Emirates Skywards credit cards?

Both cards are issued by Jaja Finance and both carry a purchase rate of 29.94% APR variable.

	Premium Card	Rewards Card
Annual fee	£250	£120
Representative APR	107.2% variable	59.7% variable
Welcome bonus	30,000 Skywards miles	20,000 Skywards miles
Spend to earn the bonus	£3,000 in 90 days	£3,000 in 90 days
Status	Silver in year one	None
Lounge access	None	2 annual Emirates lounge passes for the UK
Maximum credit limit	£10,000	£7,000

The representative APRs are based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and the annual fee on each card, which is why they look so high. Remember, you will only pay interest if you carry a balance, and as with any points card you should clear it in full every month.

How many Skywards miles do the cards earn?

The two cards earn at the same rate on UK spending, so the difference comes down to Emirates spend and overseas spend.

	Premium Card	Rewards Card
Per £1 on Emirates	3 miles	2 miles
Per £1 outside the UK	1.5 miles	1 mile
Per £1 in the UK	1 mile	1 mile

A 2.99% foreign exchange fee applies to overseas spending which makes the earn rate slightly less attractive.

You also earn Tier Miles. So for every 4 Skywards miles you earn on the card, you will get 1 Tier Mile. Welcome bonus miles don’t count towards Tier Miles as is usually the case with these things. Tier Miles, if you are wondering, are Emirates' version of tier points, and they are what you need to climb all the way up to that shiny Platinum level, if that’s your aim. There's some further tier information later in this article, so keep an eye out for that.

Miles are calculated on the pound value of each purchase, rounded down, and should be with you within six weeks of the end of your statement period. Monthly earning is capped at four times your credit limit.

What are the welcome bonuses and when do they end?

If you were lucky enough to get an email and managed to apply for one of the cards, the welcome bonuses are running until 30th November.

To trigger the welcome bonus, you need to spend £3,000 within the first 90 days on either card. You will receive 30,000 miles on the Premium card or 20,000 miles on the Rewards card. These are special offers running to 30th November 2026, and Emirates says the bonus should arrive within a fortnight of you spending the £3,000.”

You won’t qualify if you have held an Emirates Skywards credit card in the past 24 months, and the bonus is lost if any of the qualifying purchases are refunded or reversed.

We don't know yet whether future releases of the card will also feature this welcome bonus, but it would be disappointing if these offers weren't to continue.

Do you get status on either of the cards?

Yes, but only on the Premium card, and it really is one of the better perks. Premium cardholders get Silver status for their first card year, and if you already hold Silver, an extra year is added. After year one, you’ll need £5,000 of foreign-currency spend per card year to keep it. If you currently hold Gold or Platinum status, there is no similar benefit. You get nothing. Sorry.

Premium cardholders also get a fast track to Gold. In a card year, you’ll need £5,000 of non-sterling spend and £3,500 spent directly with Emirates, and that Emirates figure goes up to £5,000 from year two. Tier Miles earned through the card are capped at 15,000 per card year. The usual route to Gold takes 50,000 Tier Miles, so this is a real shortcut.

Silver status is a pretty nice perk. In practice, Silver opens just one Emirates lounge door: the Business Class Lounge in Dubai, which isn't really anything to sniff at, but it's a shame it doesn't include UK lounges as well.

But the best perk is that unless you have Silver status or above, you cannot book First Class points redemptions on Emirates flights ... and they are basically gifting this to you just for holding the card.

Will the cards include lounge access?

The Rewards card (the cheaper of the two) includes two Emirates lounge passes each year, and you can use one for whoever you might be travelling with. They are valid at the Emirates lounges at Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. It is really nice to see that they aren't just going all London-centric on us. Yes, three of the airports listed are London airports (don't worry, I can count), but Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow are great hubs for Emirates to include.

The passes only work when you are flying with Emirates and can’t be used on reward tickets or other discounted tickets, so cash fares only. They expire at the end of the card year and don’t roll over.

Who even is Jaja Finance?

Jaja Finance launched in 2016, but this is their first airline card. They currently issue cards for the Asda, and Bank of Ireland, but in the past they've also issued cards for the Post Office and the AA.

Are the Emirates Skywards credit cards worth getting?

On paper, both cards seem competitive. The welcome bonuses are healthy, and the earn rates are fair when you compare them to the competition. After the transfer rate was cut from American Express to Emirates late last year, we privately suspected this was in preparation for the launch of their own card.

There are two things I really like about the cards. For the Rewards card, I am glad to see non-London airports listed for the lounge passes, which makes this card a strong contender for anyone whose closest airports are Birmingham, Manchester or Glasgow. For the Premium card it's great that Silver status has been included for the first year, if you don't already have it. Since Emirates closed off reward bookings in First for anyone who doesn't hold status with them, this is a benefit that a lot of people who currently earn Skywards miles will like.

Everyday UK spending earns 1 mile per £1 on both cards. If most of your spending stays in the UK, I'll be honest, it’s hard to justify the extra £130 a year for the Premium card, unless Silver status is what you’re after.

With applications closed, there is nothing to decide yet. The second, invitation-only phase is due later this year and the public launch in the coming months, so check back for updates on the timing and on whether the welcome bonuses, currently due to end on 30th November 2026, are extended.

You can read any further information on the Emirates website here.

Helena

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