The new travel city credit card

The new Travelocity credit card... is this card a "true gem" or just overrated?

The premier site for online travelers, Travelocity.com, has partnered with Citibank to bring you a new reward card: the Travelocity.com World MasterCard.

The Travelocity card is the only card that earns discounted and free travel for online travel purchases from Travelocity.com, the extremely popular web site for travelers. Travelocity.com provides secure online reservation capabilities for air, car, hotel and vacation reservations, in addition to access to a vast database of destination and other travel information.

Once an individual makes their first purchase or balance transfer with the Travelocity card, they automatically earn 4,000 points toward a their first Travelocity.com reward certificate. Thereafter, the user earns one point for each dollar they spend using the card, and three points for each dollar in billed interest.

Earning points is fairly straightforward. If you use your Travelocity MasterCard to buy a $500 item, you earn 500 points. If you carry an average balance of $1000, you pay about $174 a year in finance charges. But you get points for that, right? Yes… about 522. So combined what does your 1022 points earn you? About $12.75 in travel benefits (based on 1.25 cents per point earned).

However… had you paid your balance off and placed that $174 in a savings account, not only could you have earned a little bit in interest, you would have $174 in savings to put toward your travels.

The card boasts MasterCard Global Service, emergency assistance, and no pre-set spending limit. And if you do carry a balance, you can earn some points toward travel however minimal they may be. For the entire list of benefits, go to the Travelocity.com site.

Does it measure up? The answer to this question really depends on your personal preferences and spending habits. To make an educated decision about whether the Travelocity MasterCard is for you, it would be wise to learn about the other reward cards that are available.

The Diners Club card The Diners Club card was awarded with the travel industry's Freddie Award for best airline reward credit card program in 1997, 1998, and 1999. You earn two points (equivalent to one mile) for every dollar you charge. Points can be traded in for merchandise, vacations, hotel stays, car rentals, and tickets on every major U.S. airline. You can also earn up to 12,000 free miles during your first year of membership that can be used at any major airline.

American Express Delta Sky Miles The Delta Sky Miles Card gives you bonus miles just for becoming a cardholder: 10,000 bonus miles for a gold card and 5,000 for the classic card. Thereafter, for every dollar you spend, you earn one mile. The deal is sweetened to two miles for every dollar spent at supermarkets, gas stations, drugstores, home improvement stores, and the U.S. Postal Service. You can also earn double miles for your wireless phone bill and for the purchase of Delta Air Lines tickets.

For more examples of reward cards, check out the CardRatings.com Card Reports section. This section contains reward card reviews for both travel and airmiles reward programs. Click on the "rewards card reports" link and on the "card holder reviews" link.

Using travel reward cards can be an excellent way to put resources toward a vacation or get aways. Take a look and see for yourself which card would best suit your spending habits, therefore earning you the most rewards for your card activity. Happy travels!




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