Why You Might Need a No-Commission Hotel Credit Card (Even If You Don’t Travel Frequently)
Even if you only travel a few times a year, a hotel credit card without an annual fee may be useful only because of the benefits. Many of these entry-level cards include free room nights, insurance coverage, priority bookings, and no overseas transaction fees. Here are some of the best deals.
Most people receive hotel cards for bonus points.
The main benefit of hotel credit cards is the bonus points you receive for every transaction, and they usually cost around 50 cents for every point earned . These points also have bonus multipliers if you use the card for certain purchases, such as hotel rooms or restaurants. These cards also come with welcome bonuses that offer a ton of points for reaching spending targets when you first receive the card. For example, the Hilton Honor American Express currently offers 130k points (worth $ 780) if you spend $ 1,000 in the first three months.
But there are other perks too.
The special thing about free credit cards is that you don’t really need to spend a lot of money or travel a lot to get the benefits of the cards. Various perks such as free nights, upgrades and insurance coverage are automatically included. With that in mind, here’s a look at what some of the leading hotel chains are offering for cards with a $ 0 annual fee:
- Automatic Silver Elite membership, which gives you priority late check-out and 10% bonus points on stays.
- Lost baggage and delay insurance.
- Exclusive telephone line for reservations.
- No fees for overseas transactions.
Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Automatic Silver Elite status, which adds a 20% bonus to the points earned.
- Fifth night is free in standard rooms for stays of five nights or more when booked with Reward Points.
- Rental car insurance.
- If you spend $ 20,000 in a calendar year, you automatically receive Gold membership with even more benefits, including room upgrades and daily food and drink credit.
- No fees for overseas transactions.
Best Western Rewards Mastercard
- Automatic Gold Membership that provides 10% discount on rooms and early check-in and late check-out.
- If you spend $ 5,000 or more every 12 pay cycles, you earn an additional 20,000 bonus points.
- No fees for overseas transactions.
- Automatic Gold Elite membership, which includes free Wi-Fi, preferred number selection and late check-out.
- No fees for overseas transactions.
Hotels.com Rewards Visa Credit Card
- Mobile phone insurance.
- Travel insurance.
- For the first year, you get free breakfast, airport shuttle and free Wi-Fi at select hotels.
- No fees for overseas transactions.
As with other credit cards, you should make sure that you pay all charges immediately with the hotel card to avoid interest charges (otherwise the benefits may not pay off). And if you subscribe to a bunch of hotel cards, keep a close eye on the balance of each one, perhaps with calendar reminders or automatic alerts.