Expedia Credit Card Review
The Citi Expedia Credit Card offers a good rewards program for people who frequently book travel through the online portal. However, other travel cards offer more flexible rewards, so you should consider where you book your travel before signing up.
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Card Details
Pros
- Expedia+ rewards points are unlimited.
- There’s no annual fee.
- You get complimentary Silver status.
- As a Silver member, you’ll get extra points – including 1 extra Expedia+ point for every $5 spent on Flights, and 2 Expedia+ points for every $1 spent on hotels, or packages with a hotel.
- You’ll get 1 Elite Qualifying Hotel Night toward gold status for every $2,500 you spend each year
- You’ll get complimentary Citi Concierge and Citi Private Pass access
Cons
- Charges 3% for foreign transaction fees
- Does not offer a 0% intro APR on purchases or balance transfers
- Must book travel on Expedia to get extra bonus points
- Must use rewards points to book travel on Expedia
Recommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent
Is the Expedia Credit Card a Good Option for Travelers?
Naturally, the Citi Expedia+ credit card is best for those who frequently book travel on Expedia. It allows you to earn a significant number of travel rewards points by booking travel with the online platform — 3 points for every dollar spent.
It also offers the great perks that Citi cardholders have come to expect like Citi Concierge and City Priority Pass, which give you VIP access to special tickets and experiences, although few people capitalize on these perks.
But before you sign up, it’s important to review all of the benefits and downsides of the card.
In this review:
- Benefits of the Expedia Credit Card
- Downsides of the Expedia Credit Card
- How it Compares to Similar Cards
Benefits of the Expedia Credit Card
This travel rewards card has some attractive benefits, starting with the fact that it has no annual fee.
On top of that, you can earn 10,000 Expedia Rewards bonus points by spending $1,000 with the card in the first 3 months after opening your account. In addition, you’ll get an extra $50 in statement credit if you book travel on Expedia within the first three months and the charge exceeds $50. The card also gives you 1 point for every dollar spent on everyday items.
By carrying the card, you’ll also be granted automatic Silver status, which allows you to earn additional rewards points for eligible Expedia purchases: one point for every $5 spent on flights and 2 points for every $1 spent on hotels or vacation packages.
Finally, you’ll receive a number of perks that come with Citi credit cards, such as VIP access events and pre-sale tickets via Citi Private Pass.
Downsides of the Expedia Credit Card
The biggest downside of the Citi Expedia+ card is that you can earn 3 points for every dollar on travel only if you book your trip on Expedia. This may give you slightly more flexible earning opportunities than an airline credit card, but some of the best travel credit cards allow you to earn bonus points on travel no matter where you book.
Additionally, it’s disappointing to see a credit card that’s meant for travel imposing foreign transaction fees. You’ll pay 3% for every purchase you make outside of the U.S., so while this may be a decent card to book your travel, it might not be one to take on your trip.
Finally, you can only redeem your points on Expedia’s website, but this shouldn’t be a problem if you typically use the site to book a trip each year.
How it Compares to Similar Cards
Expedia Credit Card vs Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card
The Bank of America Travel Rewards card is another no-fee travel rewards card. But unlike the Citi Expedia+ card, it has no foreign transaction fees and it allows you to earn more rewards points on everyday purchases: 1.5 points for every dollar you spend. On top of that, cardholders with an existing Bank of America bank account can earn an additional 10% in points bonus.
Bank of America offers a sign-up bonus of 25,000 bonus points if you spend at least $1,000 within three months of account opening, and you can redeem your points for any travel purchases made on any travel site — giving you more flexibility over your points redemption.
Expedia Credit Card vs Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is another comparable travel rewards card. It charges an annual fee of $95, but that fee is waived for the first year. The card offers 50,000 bonus points if you spend just $3,000 within the first 3 months of account opening — a bonus that may be harder to reach, but ultimately worth more in travel credits.
The card offers two miles for every purchase and 10 miles for every hotel booking on hotels.com. Finally, the card gives you perks like a free credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, which can help make up for the annual fee.
Bottom Line: Is the Expedia Credit Card Right for You?
Although the Citi Expedia+ credit card has a generous rewards structure if you frequently purchase travel on Expedia.com, its everyday rewards aren’t as enticing. The fact that you are limited in how you can redeem those rewards also reduces the appeal of this card. In addition, it’s unfortunate that this travel rewards card charges a foreign transaction fee, making it a bad card to use if you’re travelling internationally. If you’re loyal to the Expedia brand, you should check this card out. But ultimately, there are likely better travel credit cards out there for most people.
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