Get-Out-O'-Debt.com

Archive for the ‘expedia credit card’ Category

Are Expedia credit card rewards truly worth it? Here are the pros and cons you need to know…

For starters, there are actually two different credit cards – both being an Expedia MasterCard issued by Citi, but the costs and rewards are different for each.

Expedia card w/ no annual fee
This one only has a $50 signup offer and the following rewards:

• For purchases on Expedia it’s 2 points per dollar
• For other purchases it’s 1 point per dollar
• There is 1 point given per 3 miles flown

Expedia card elite with $75 annual fee
For $75 per year this credit card gives more rewards and benefits. When you see the Expedia credit card $100 off promotion while booking a flight, it is referencing this card.

• For spending on Expedia, groceries, gas, and drugstores it’s 2 points per dollar
• On other spending it’s 1 point per dollar
• For each mile flown 1 point is given

This card also has some additional benefits such as getting one companion ticket with a new account.

Should you apply?

Overall, my Expedia credit card review is favorable for both cards, but I don’t think they are the best out there. We went over the “pros” above so now let’s take a look at the “cons”

The problem with double points on Expedia
I use Expedia.com on a regular basis to book my flights, however they aren’t the only site I use. So if I were to buy tickets from another site using the Expedia MasterCard unfortunately there wouldn’t be any double points earned.

Now you may think the solution is “Just buy from Expedia then!” but unfortunately it’s not that simple. In January 2011 it was announced that Expedia would no longer be offering tickets for American Airlines. That’s a big problem, especially considering that American Airlines is the biggest carrier at some airports I fly to.

With more and more airlines getting fed up with paying commissions to sites like Expedia I can’t help but wonder if we will see more of this in the future with other airlines. You already see some airlines advertise that their own websites have the guaranteed lowest fares – I like the idea of getting higher rewards even if I’m buying directly from an airline’s site.

The signup bonus is only average
Don’t get me wrong… something is better than nothing, but as someone that writes credit card reviews for a living, I can honestly tell you the Expedia credit card promotions are a big yawn.

The $50 for the basic card is definitely on the low end for a travel credit card. Even the $100 is still on the low end and when you consider the annual fee is $75 that means you are basically only getting $25.

What are the absolute best cards for travel?

Below are two sponsored offers which I feel are a much better value than the Expedia credit cards:

Citi ThankYou Premier card – This is a brand new travel card from Citi that has a signup bonus worth $200, free companion ticket every year, excellent rewards on spending, and no foreign transaction fee when used internationally. Check out this Citi Thank You Premier card review to learn more.

Discover Escape card – What’s so unique about this card is that you earn 2 points for every dollar spent – that means you are basically earning 2% on all your spending. To learn more check out this Discover Escape review.