Among points and miles hobbyists, two credit card issuing banks seem to get the most attention: American Express and Chase. These two get the most awareness for good reasons – between American Express’ Membership Rewards and their relationship with Delta Air Lines, followed by Chase’s Ultimate Rewards and flexibility among travel providers, these two banks offer a lot of value to the end traveler. However, they are not the only credit card issuers that are worth paying attention to.
One of my personal favorite credit card providers is Barclaycard: For qualified individuals, this bank is one of the most generous and often overlooked credit card issuers in the marketplace. To make things even better, many of their cards come with either no fee, or a low annual fee, allowing frugal travelers to spend more time on their adventures and less on budgeting around fees.
When it comes time to look over the quarterly round of applications, Barclaycard should definitely not be overlooked. Here are my three picks for the best overall Barclaycards.
Best Barclaycard for all-around travel: Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard
On the surface, the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard may appear to be yet another two percent cash back card. However, one of the joys of this card is the flexibility of points. Frugal travelers can use their miles for nearly any travel expense – from airfare on their preferred carrier, to hotel rooms, to rental cars – without worries of blackout dates or devaluation. Additionally, travelers also receive a five percent rebate on every redemption, adding even more value to those miles.
Editor’s Note: This 50K offer may be expiring soon
Backed by the World Elite MasterCard benefits suite, frugal travelers can try out the card for one year without an annual fee. Afterwards, an annual fee of $85 applies – which can be easily recovered in one single trip with this card.
Best Barclaycard for Airline Miles: The JetBlue Card
While Barclaycard also offers the Lufthansa Miles & More Premier World MasterCard for international travelers, perhaps the best overall Barclaycard for airline miles card is The JetBlue Card. This card comes with no annual fee – meaning cardholders can keep all of their miles without justifying the cost! As a bonus, the card also comes with a low minimum spend bonus, granting 10,000 TrueBlue points after $1,000 in purchases over the first 90 days.
The one downside to this card is the limited reach of JetBlue across the country. For those who don’t live near a JetBlue airport (like myself), earning points may not amount to a lot of frugal travel. A strong alternative is the Barclaycard American AAdvantage Aviator Red MasterCard, which offers many of the customary benefits of holding an airline-branded card and offers a rebate on expended points.
Best Barclaycard for Hotel Nights: The Choice Privileges Visa Signature Card
Last month, I discovered the joys of Choice Hotels, with their low points redemption requirements and partnership with Preferred Hotels and Resorts. Their credit card, the Choice Privileges Visa Signature Card, offers additional value for travelers on a budget.
This no annual fee card offers 32,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days of opening the card. Smart budgeters can also earn an additional 8,000 points every year after spending $10,000 or more annually. This turns into either five nights at a Choice Hotel, or one night at some Preferred Hotels and Resorts, including the Pulitzer Amsterdam. The card also grants cardholders free elite gold status, and 15 points per dollar on stays at Choice Hotels. Overall, the benefits translate into a lot of value.
While Barclays may be the lesser known card issuer in the frugal travel world, their cards can hold a lot of value. Frugal travelers who want to see the world at a low price may be best served adding one of these credit cards to their wallet.
Which are your favorite Baryclaycards? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ https://www.frugaltravelguy.com
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ https://www.frugaltravelguy.com