How to earn Avios and points on rent and other big bills

Rewards come from card spending. Rent, council tax and school fees are usually paid by standing order, Direct Debit or bank transfer, so they never touch your card. For many households that's well over half of their monthly spending, earning nothing.

Here's what a year of payments adds up to on a card earning 1 point per £1:

• £900 a month rent: 10,800 points a year
• £1,500 a month rent: 18,000 points a year
• £2,500 a month rent: 30,000 points a year
• £6,000 a term in school fees, three terms: 18,000 points a year
• £180 a month council tax, 10 months: 1,800 points a year

Some cards earn more than 1 point per £1 and some earn less, so multiply by your own card's rate.

• Avios cards, such as the British Airways American Express cards and Barclaycard Avios cards, earn Avios for flights and upgrades.
• American Express Membership Rewards cards earn points you can move to several airline and hotel schemes.
• Virgin Atlantic credit cards earn Virgin Points.
• Cashback cards pay a percentage back as money.
• Debit cards mostly earn little or nothing, but you can still use them to pay by card.

• Time it with a new card. Use your bills to reach a sign-up bonus spend target.
• Aim for annual rewards. Some cards give an extra reward, such as a companion voucher, once you spend a set amount in a year. Rent can get you there.
• Keep it on one card. Putting your bills and everyday spending on the same card adds up faster.
• Always clear the balance. Interest will wipe out the value of your points.

Payments through Omrello go through as normal card purchases, not cash withdrawals. Even so, each card provider sets its own rules on what earns rewards, so check your card's terms. We'll show which cards work well when we open.