A no-annual-fee travel rewards card for customers loyal to Priceline.com.
30-second take
- Get this card if you’re a fan of Priceline.com.
- Pick something else if you book travel through different websites.
- Apply with a good credit score of 670 or higher.
| Product Name | Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card |
|---|---|
| Card Type | Visa |
| Annual Fee | $0 |
| APR (Annual Percentage Rate) for Purchases | 17.24%, 22.24% or 27.24% variable |
| Introductory Purchase APR | N/A |
| Introductory Balance Transfer APR | 0% for the first 15 billing cycles (then 17.24%, 22.24% or 27.24% variable) |
| Balance Transfer Fee | $5 or 3% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
| Cash Advance Rate | 27.49% variable |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | None |
| Cash Advance Fee | $10 or 5% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Interest Free Period | Up to 23 days |
| Late Payment Fee | $37 |
| Returned Payment Fee | $37 |
| Additional Cardholder Fee | $0 |
| Minimum Age | 18 years of age |
|---|
| Welcome Offer | 5,000 bonus points after first purchase. |
|---|---|
| Reward Value per Dollar | 1x points |
| Rewards Points Expiration | Never |
The basics
For the Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card, the star of the show is the points you’ll earn: 5x points on eligible purchases at Priceline.com. That’s an excellent rate that may result in a trove of points even if you only visit the site once in a while. On all other purchases, you’ll earn 1x points.
Normally, the credit card industry values points at 1%, or 1 cent apiece. If you have 20,000 points they’re worth $200. With the Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card, those 20,000 points are worth $300 at Priceline.com.
For comparison, the excellent Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers a 1.25% redemption rate when you book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. If you’re willing to book through Priceline.com, the Priceline card offers a better rate.
What is Priceline.com?
Priceline.com is a website where you find discounted rates for travel purchases like hotels, flights, cars and cruises.
The perks
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Signup bonus.
When you make your first purchase, you’ll earn 5,000 points. That’s enough for a $75 statement credit toward Priceline.com purchases or up to $50 for non-Priceline.com purchases.
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Get 10% back.
Redeem your points toward statement credits for eligible travel purchases with Priceline.com of $25 or more made in the last 120 days and get 10% points back to use toward your next redemption.
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No annual fee.
You won’t pay an annual fee to own this card and get all the benefits it offers.
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Earn points.
For eligible Priceline purchases, earn 5x points. For all other purchases you’ll earn 1x points. Redeem your points for a Priceline statement credit at a 1.5% value, or 1% for a non-Priceline purchase. You can also redeem for gift cards and merchandise.
How much are Priceline points worth?
Depending on what you redeem your points for, they can be worth:
- Priceline.com purchases — points are worth 1.5 cents.
- Non-Priceline.com purchases — points are worth 1 cent.
- Gift cards and certificates — points are worth 0.8 cents.
Suppose you make $5,000 in Priceline.com purchases for the year — that’s 25,000 points earned. If you redeem your points for Priceline.com purchases, you’ll get a value of $375. Another way to look at it is the $5,000 you spent got a 7.5% return. This is one of the highest redemption values you can get when compared to other rewards cards.
To get the highest value for your money, make eligible purchases which include Name Your Own Price, Express Deals™, cruises, Pay Now bookings and purchases of Trip Protection products made on Priceline.com and redeem your points at Priceline.com.
You’ll also like …
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Intro APR on balance transfers.
Use the 0% intro APR period for 15 months following your account opening for all balance transfers posted to your account within 45 days. A variable APR of 16.74%, 21.74% or 26.74% applies thereafter.
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No foreign transaction fees.
Use your card internationally without incurring fees. Other cards have up to 3% fee for every foreign transaction you make.
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Concierge service.
Get assistance with dining, travel, hotel and entertainment reservations.
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Fraud liability protection.
You won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card.
What to watch out for
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Balance transfer limitations.
To use the intro APR period for balance transfers, your balance transfers must post within 45 days of your account opening. Keep in mind that balances you want to transfer including the fees can’t exceed your credit limit. The fee for each transfer is either $5 or 3% of the transaction, whichever is greater.
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Potentially high APR.
Depending on your credit, you could have a purchase and balance transfer APR as high as 17.24%, 22.24% or 27.24% variable , which is relatively high when compared to other rewards cards.
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Penalty fees.
For any late or returned payments you’ll pay up to $37.
How does a balance transfer work with this card?
Get 0% intro APR period for 15 billing cycles following your account opening for balance transfers posted to your account within 45 days of card membership. After that, a variable APR of 16.74%, 21.74% or 26.74% will apply.
Each balance transfer will cost you either $5 or 3% of the transaction, whichever is greater. That’s $30 fee for a $1,000 balance transfer.
In case your requested balance transfer amount exceeds your credit limit, Barclays will either accept a partial amount or decline your request altogether. It should also be noted that if your balance transfer comes from another Barclays account, the bank won’t accept it.
The balance transfers you requested when you applied for the card can be canceled within 10 days of card approval. All you have to do is call the number on the back of your card and Barclays will cancel it.
What should I know before I apply?
To apply for the Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card, you must be at least 18 years old and a US resident. Residents of Puerto Rico and US territories are not eligible.
Also, you’ll need to provide information, such as:
- Full name and contact information.
- Residential status.
- Annual income and employment information.
- Social Security number, date of birth and mother’s maiden name.
What credit score do I need?
You’ll have a better chance of approval with a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
Barclays US usually pulls your credit score from TransUnion.
What do customers say about the Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card?
The Better Business Bureau rates Barclays US with an A+. And the 53 customer reviews, at the moment of writing, result in a composite score of 3.77 out of 5.
Most complaints revolve around poor customer service for the bank in general. As for the card, the majority of complaints go towards receiving a low credit line and issues with redeeming points.
How to apply for the Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card
- Go to the Barclays US website and find the Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card from the list of travel cards, then click Apply now.
- Complete the application form.
- Review your application and submit it.
How long will it take to get my Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card?
Barclays will likely make an immediate decision on your application using its automated preapproval system. In some cases, you may need to wait a few business days to a few weeks if additional information is required.
After your application is approved, you’ll get your card within 7 to 10 business days. If you want to get it sooner, Barclays can send it to you with expedited shipping for a $15 fee.
I got the card. Now what?
- Download the mobile apps. Get the Barclays US mobile app and the Priceline.com app and set up automatic payments and alerts or find the best travel deal and book it directly from your phone.
- Avoid interest. After the close of each billing cycle, you have a grace period of 23 days to pay your balance and avoid paying interest on your purchases, which is relatively high.
- Customer service. For any questions, contact Barclaycard customer service at 1-866-928-8598.
Bottom line
It’s hard to go wrong when the card is free. You can easily scoop up the signup bonus after making just one purchase with your card. And with tremendous points earnings on Priceline spending, you’ll quickly rack up points to use for future vacations.
Consider other travel rewards cards to find the one that best fits your needs and spending habits before you apply for this one.