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Booking.com Launches Genius Rewards Credit Card
The travel site Booking.com has introduced a new rewards credit card for customers.
About the Booking.com Genius Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card
The no-annul-fee Booking.com Genius Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card has arrived. With this new card, customers can earn Travel Credits back on each purchase.
First, the Booking.com card earns 6% Travel Credits on stays purchased in the Booking.com app, plus 5% on flights, stays, car rentals, attractions, cruises, and airport taxis purchased on Booking.com. In addition to those platform-specific earnings, the card also offers rewards in everyday spending categories.
For example, the Genius Rewards card earns 3% Travel Credits on dining purchases, 3% on gas, and 3% on groceries. Meanwhile, the card also earns 3% in Travel Credits on purchases made during a stay booked on Booking.com. This benefit is capped at a total of $10,000 in net purchases each cardholder anniversary year and applies to in-person transactions made within a 50-mile radius of the eligible property’s address. All other purchases with the Booking.com Genius Rewards card earn 2% Travel Credits.
As for other benefits, the card includes automatic Booking.com Genius Level 3 status. This entitles customers to 10% to 20% off on stays and 10% to 15% off on select rental car bookings. Plus, Genius Level 3 includes priority support. Elsewhere, cardholders can earn up to $100 in extra Travel Credits per year when they spend $15,000 or more on the card.
To mark the launch of the Booking.com Genius Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card, a special welcome bonus is also being offered. Currently, new cardholders can earn $150 in Travel Credits after spending $1,500 in purchases on the card within 90 days of account opening.
My Thoughts
I’ll say off the bat that, having never used Booking.com, this new card isn’t for me. However, there are some interesting ideas here. First, I appreciate that the base earning rate is 2% instead of the standard 1%. Additionally, the 1% bonus while you travel is an inspired feature, even if that might not add up to as much as you might think.
Alas, the biggest downside is that these Travel Credits can only be redeemed on Booking.com. That pretty much locks you into this program when you might be better served in a different ecosystem, such as Chase, Amex, Capital One, or Citi. But, if you’re a big Booking.com fan and would rather stick with their simple platform rather than trying to learn the points and miles game, then this may not be a bad option.
Author
Other Articles by Kyle Burbank
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