PayRewards adds Avios transfer for US business users

PayRewards has added British Airways loyalty currency Avios to its points transfer network, allowing US business customers to convert PayRewards points into Avios at a 1:1 rate.

Customers earn PayRewards points on business payments made by ACH or credit card, including rent, utilities, taxes and vendor invoices. Those points can now be transferred into Avios and used for British Airways flights between the US and London, as well as flights on partner airlines, subject to reward seat availability.

Avios is the third airline transfer option on the platform, after Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. More transfer partners are due to be added.

Avios is used across several airline loyalty schemes, including British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus. British Airways operates nonstop services to London from 27 US cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Boston, Washington and Dallas, where PayRewards is based.

For customers redeeming through British Airways, Avios can be used across cabins from economy to business class. One-way flights start from 27,500 Avios plus GBP £75 in taxes and charges on an off-peak route between New York and London.

Rewards model

PayRewards is targeting a part of corporate spending that often earns no points, particularly payments made by ACH. Vendor payments by bank transfer account for a large share of business spending each year, yet usually come with no loyalty rewards.

Its platform lets businesses earn points on those transactions as well as on card payments. When a customer pays by card, the business keeps the rewards offered by its card issuer and also receives PayRewards points on the same spending.

There is no monthly platform fee, but transaction fees apply. Card payments carry a 2.9% service fee, plus a rewards fee of 1.75% on the Core tier, which offers 1 point per USD $1, or 3.25% on the Plus tier, which offers 2 points per USD $1.

Expansion plans

PayRewards launched in the US in August 2026. It is backed by USD $28 million in Series E funding and is part of the Pay.com.au group, which operates a business payments and rewards platform in Australia.

Its parent company has processed more than USD $7 billion in business payments for more than 30,000 businesses over the past 12 months. The US launch is an effort to apply that model in a market where small and medium-sized businesses are seeking more return on routine operating costs.

PayRewards also offers other redemption options beyond airline transfers, including using points against invoices, gift cards and merchandise. The Avios partnership broadens its appeal to business owners who travel frequently or want to convert operating spend into personal or corporate travel.

Avios has a large international footprint. The loyalty currency is used by airlines including British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, Qatar Airways, Finnair and Loganair, and is collected and redeemed across travel, retail and financial services partners in more than 200 countries.

According to figures released alongside the announcement, more than 20 million Avios are collected and 16 million are redeemed every hour through partnerships with thousands of brands. This gives PayRewards customers access to a broad loyalty network beyond flights to London.

Blake Hutchison, Chief Executive Officer of PayRewards, said the product is designed to turn routine accounts payable spending into a source of rewards for business owners.

"American business owners pay trillions of dollars in accounts payable each year, and much of it earns nothing," said Blake Hutchison, chief executive officer of PayRewards. "We help them earn on all of it. With Avios as a partner, the rent, inventory and vendor invoices an owner already pays could become a lie-flat business class seat on a nonstop flight to London, whether the trip is to win new business in Europe or to take the vacation they have earned."