Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card review – October 2018

A credit card made for Holland America Line cruises regulars.

30-second take

• Get this card if you spend heavily with Holland America Line cruises.

• Pick something else if you want a general travel rewards card.

• Apply with a good to excellent credit score of 680 or higher.

The basics

This card is relatively light on perks, but for the Holland America Line regulars it may have a great value. It costs nothing to own the card and you get to earn points on your purchases. Plus the signup bonus is a quick reward.

With several redemption options, you won’t be limited to using your rewards on Holland America Line cruises. You’ll earn the most points and redeem for the highest value when you choose Holland America Line, so regular customers will get more out of this card.

The perks

• Signup bonus.

  After you make your first purchase, you’ll earn 5,000 points. That’s enough for a $50 of onboard credit when you take a Holland America Line cruise.

• No annual fee.

  You won’t have to pay an extra fee every year to own this card.

• Earn points.

  Earn 2x points on Holland America Line purchases. For everything else, earn 1x points. Redeeming points is simple, and you have several redemption reward options to choose from.

You’ll also like …

• Intro APR for balance transfers.

  Get a 0% intro APR period for the first fifteen billing cycles following your account opening. Balance transfers must post to your account within 45 days of card membership to qualify. After that, an APR of 15.99%, 20.99%, or 25.99% variable applies.

• No foreign transaction fees.

  Use your card internationally without incurring fees. Other cards have up to a 3% fee for every transaction.

• Concierge service.

  Get assistance with dining, travel, hotel and entertainment reservations.

• Fraud liability protection.

  You’re not responsible for unauthorized charges on the card when you report them.

What to watch out for

• Balance transfer limitations.

  To use the intro APR period for balance transfers, your transfers must post within 45 days of card membership.

  Each balance transfer will also cost you either $5 or 3% of the transaction, whichever is greater.

• Potentially high APR.

  You could have a purchase and balance transfer APR as high as 15.99%, 20.99%, or 25.99% variable . This is relatively high when compared to average rate of 16%.

• Penalty fees.

  If you make late or returned payments, you’ll pay up to $37. Luckily, the card doesn’t have a penalty APR.

Consider other cards if …

• You want a general travel rewards card.

  Consider the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card, which offers a decent signup bonus and lets you earn miles on every purchase. Similar cards you may consider are the Discover it® Miles Travel Credit Card or the PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express® Card.

  The PenFed card has one of the lowest APRs when compared to other travel cards. Among its other many perks, you also get to earn a large number of miles and score a $100 travel credit annually.

• You want cash back.

  If you prefer no-annual-fee cash back cards, the PenFed Power Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card offers 1.5% back on all purchases or 2% for PenFed Honors Advantage members. Similar cards are the American Express Cash Magnet™ Card from American Express and Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card, both earn 1.5% back.

  However, if you don’t mind paying an annual fee, you can get up to 6% back on groceries and 3% back on gas and select department stores on up to $6,000 in purchases each year. After that, a 1% back rate applies with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.

• You want a low APR.

  The Barclaycard Ring® Mastercard® offers an APR on purchases, balance transfers and cash advances of 13.99% variable. This is one of the lowest rates you’ll find when compared to other cards. In addition, the card has no annual fee, no fee on balance transfers and no penalty APR.

How does a balance transfer work with this card?

If your requested transfer amount exceeds your credit limit, Barclays may decline your request or they may accept a partial amount. Keep in mind that Barclays won’t accept balance transfers from another Barclays account.

For each transfer you make, you’ll pay either $5 or 3% of the transaction, whichever is greater. That means a $1,000 balance transfer costs $30 in fees. It also takes at least four weeks for your balance transfers to post to your account, so you’ll need to request them early if you want to take advantage of the intro APR offer.

You have 10 days from the day your card is approved to cancel any balance transfers you initiate. Just call the number on the back of your card.

What should I know before I apply?

To apply for the card, you must be at least 18 years old and a US resident. Residents of Puerto Rico and US territories are not eligible.

You need to provide information, such as:

• Full name and contact information
• Employment and financial information
• Social Security number, date of birth and mother’s maiden name

What credit score do I need?

Apply with a good to excellent credit score of 680 or higher to increase your chances of getting approved. As with most credit products, to get the best APR and credit limit you’ll want to apply with a higher credit score. Barclays usually pull your credit from TransUnion.

What do customers say about the Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card?

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited Barclays in 2001 and rated the bank with an A+. At the time of writing, 53 customer reviews in addition to the BBB rating land Barclays a composite score of 3.77 out of 5 stars. Most reviewers on the BBB site take issue with the bank’s customer service.

How to apply for the Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card

1. Go to the Barclays website and find the Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card. Click Apply now.
2. Complete the application with all the required details.
3. Review your application and submit it.

How long will it take to get my Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card?

Barclays usually makes an immediate decision on your application. In some cases, you may have to submit additional information and wait a few business days to a few weeks for your application to be processed.

Once approved, expect your card to arrive in the mail within 7 to 10 business days.

I got the card. Now what?

• Download the Barclays app. Get access to your free FICO® score, set up automatic payments, track your spending and more.
• Make minimum payments. You won’t earn points for your purchases during a billing cycle if the minimum amount is not paid.
• Avoid interest. You have a grace period of at least 23 days to pay your balance. Try to make your payments by then to avoid paying interest on your purchases.
• Customer service. If you have questions, contact Barclays customer service at 1-866-928-8598.

Bottom line

Whether this is a good card for you comes down to how much you spend with Holland America Line. If you’re a regular cruiser, you’ll quickly accumulate points you can use for future trips — and not just for Holland America Line cruises.

If you don’t travel with Holland America Line often, you may be better off looking into a general travel rewards card.

Frequently asked questions

• Does the card have a signup bonus?

  Yes. After you make your first purchase, you’ll get 5,000 points, worth $50 for Holland America Line purchases.

• If I qualify for the signup bonus, when will I receive my points?

  You’ll receive the points at the close of the billing statement after you make your first purchase or balance transfer.

• Do points expire?

  As long as you keep your account open and in good standing, your points won’t expire.

• Is there a minimum I have to spend with Holland America Line to use points as statement credit?

  Yes. To use statement credits, you must spend at least $50 with Holland America Line.

• Does the card have an annual fee?

  No, the card has no annual fees.

• What are my points worth?

  The more you spend on Holland America Line purchases, the more statement credits your points are worth toward those purchases.

  For purchases of:

  • $50–$499.99 your points are worth 1%
  • $500–$1,499.99 your points are worth 1.25%
  • $1,500–$2,000 your points are worth 1.5%
  • $2,001–$4,000.99 your points are worth 2%
  • $4,001 and more your points are worth 2.5%