Typically there are three different types of travel loyalty credit cards you can apply for:
- cards you get just for the sign-up bonus
- cards you get primarily for the strong on-going earnings rate
- cards you getbut don’t usebecause they come with generous perks
Head for Pointstends to focus on the first two types. I thought it was worth another look atthe three loyalty cards which offer decent on-going perks even if you don’t use them.
For clarity,my list does NOT include perks which require you to hit a spending target each year to receive themsuch as the British Airways American Express 2-4-1 voucher or the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard upgrade voucher.
All of the perks discussed below are yours simply because you took out the card.
The place to turn forfull details of all airline and hotel loyalty credit cardsis, of course, our ‘Top Credit Card Offers‘ page, which summarises all of the cards and deals currently available.
Looking through the list,these are the three cards you might want to get but keep in your desk drawer gathering dust:
The Platinum Card from American Express
The Platinum Card from American Express
Bonus: 60,000 points
SPECIAL OFFER
Read our full review
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 60,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £6,000 within six months
- You will also receive £200 to spend at Amex Travel after hitting the £6,000 target
- This is a special offer which runs to 13th June
- Earn 1 Membership Rewards point per £1 spent
- Points transfer at 1:1 into Avios, Virgin Points and other airline and hotel schemes
Other information:
- Two Priority Pass cards, each allowing two people into 1,400 airport lounges
- Elite status in four major hotel loyalty programmes
- Comprehensive travel insurance
- £300 per year of restaurant credit
- £100 per year to spend at Harvey Nichols
- Annual fee: £575
Representative462.4% APRvariable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £575 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases29.4% APRvariable.
Apply here
See if you qualify for the 60,000 points sign-up bonus and £200 Amex Travel credit+
You will receive 60,000 American Express Membership Rewards points as a sign-up bonus on The Platinum Cardif you spend £6,000 within six months of signing up.
You will also receive £200 to spend at Amex Travel when you hit the spending target.
These are both special offers which run to 13th June.
Membership Rewards points are hugely flexible. You can transfer them into Avios, Virgin Flying Club or other airlines (at 1:1) or into various hotels schemes, into Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.
This is the ONLY personal American Express card where you still qualify for the bonus if you already hold a British Airways American Express card.
To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card which earns Membership Rewards points. This includes The Platinum Card and Preferred Rewards Gold.
You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.
You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held any other American Express card, including the British Airways, Marriott and Nectar cards.
If you cancel The Platinum Card at any point, you will receive a pro-rata refund of your membership fee.You will not lose your sign-up bonus.
For clarity, you can still apply for The Platinum Card even if you do not qualify for the bonus. You would still benefit from the long list of other benefits.
Learn more about the card benefits+
The Platinum Card from American Express comes with an unrivalled list of benefits for the keen traveller.
Your personal travel patterns will determine which of these is the most valuable. The key benefits are:
Full comprehensive travel insurance for you, your family and the family of your supplementary cardholder, subject to enrolment
TwoPriority Passcards, each of which allows the holder and a guest unlimited free access to 1,400 airport lounges
Elite status in four major hotel loyalty schemes: Marriott Bonvoy (Gold), Hilton Honors (Gold), Radisson Rewards (Premium), MeliaRewards (Gold)
Access to Eurostar lounges, irrespective of travel class
£150 per year to spend in over 160 UK restaurants
£150 per year to spend in over 1,200 international restaurants
£100 per year to spend at Harvey Nichols, instore or online (no minimum spend required)
£300 per year of dining credit – £150 to be spent at 150+ UK restaurants and £150 to be spent at 1,200+ restaurants outside the UK
The Platinum Card from American Expressis the most complex and most debatable card here.
Because you can get a very generous 30,000 Membership Rewards points sign-up bonus (converts into 30,000 Avios or 30,000 Virgin Flying Club miles amongst other things) it may be worth giving the card a try to see if it works for you.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 13th June, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card is doubled to 60,000 Membership Rewards points – and you get £200 to spend at Amex Travel too! Apply here.
There are a lot of long-term benefits that can have real value:
- 2Priority Pass cards, each getting you and a guest into 1,300 airport lounges for free. If you give your second card to your partner, you have a family of four covered. London lounges include the Aspire lounge in Heathrow T5 and the Club Aspire and No1 lounges in Heathrow T3, as well as a number of Gatwick options.
- Access to thePlaza Premium Lounge in Heathrow Terminal 5as well as the other Plaza Premium lounges in Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh and globally. Whilst these lounges are not in Priority Pass, you can get in – with a guest – by showing your American Express Platinum card.
- Eurostar lounge access (cardholder only, no guests, although your supplementary Platinum cardholder can get in with their card)
- Lounge access with Delta in the US
- Access toAmex’s upmarket ‘Centurion’ lounge networkat selected US airports, Hong Kong andLondon Heathrow Terminal 3
- Marriott Bonvoy(Sheraton, Le Meridien, Aloft, St Regis etc) hotels Gold status,
- Hilton Honors(Conrad, DoubleTree, Waldorf Astoria, Hampton etc) Gold status
- MeliaRewards(Melia, INNSiDE, Tryp, ME) Gold status
- Radisson Rewards(Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn) Premium status
- Travel insurance, subject to enrolment, which is fully comprehensive (some minor benefits such as lost luggage requiring you to pay for your flights and hotels with an American Express card, although ‘big stuff’ like medical cover is covered regardless) – although read the small print if you have pre-existing conditions
- Comprehensive car hire insurance
- Discounts and/or added benefits in luxury hotels via the Fine Hotels & Resorts programme
- £150 per year to spend in 150+ UK restaurants(no minimum spend required)
- £150 per year to spend in 1,200+ restaurants outside the UK(no minimum spend required)
- £100 per year to spend at Harvey Nichols, online or instore (no minimum spend required)
…. plus some other bits and pieces, including car hire status.
A lot of people, including myself, have a Platinum card for the benefits but – because of the weak 1 point per £1 earning rate – do not use it much.
HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard
HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard
Bonus: 80,000 points
Read our full review
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 80,000 HSBC points, paid over two years
- Earns 2 HSBC points per £1 spent
- Points convert at 2:1 into Avios or 10 other programmes
Other information:
- Only available to HSBC Premier account holders
- Receive free airport lounge access with LoungeKey
- Annual fee: £195
Representative59.3% APRvariable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £195 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases18.9% APRvariable.
Apply here
See if you qualify for the 80,000 points sign-up bonus+
The sign-up bonus on theHSBC Premier World Elite Mastercardis 80,000 points.
This is paid in two parts. You receive 40,000 HSBC points (worth 20,000 Avios or other airline miles or hotel points) for spending £2,000 within three months and a further 40,000 HSBC points (=20,000 points) for spending £12,000 within twelve months.
The annual fee is £195 and you need to pay the fee for the second year in order to receive the second half of the bonus.
There is no restriction on receiving the bonus if you have previously held the card, as long as you cancelled it over six months ago, or are upgrading from the free HSBC Premier Mastercard.
Learn more about the card benefits+
The points earned with the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard can be transferred to 11 airline and hotel loyalty schemes – Asia Miles, British Airways Executive Club / Avios,Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, Finnair Plus, Flying Blue (Air France KLM), Qantas Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, TAP Miles&Go, IHG One Rewards and Wyndham Rewards.
They can also be redeemed for other items including retailer gift cards.
Cardholders can access any airport lounge in the LoungeKey network for free. No guest are allowed, but you can get your partner a supplementary credit card on your account for an annual fee of £60. Children would be charged at £20 per visit.
You need to be a HSBC Premier current account holder to apply for this card. HSBC Premier comes with a range of additional benefits including comprehensive travel insurance.
The HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercardis only available to HSBC Premier current account holders, and a substantial financial commitment to HSBC is required to receive one.
You receive free airport lounge access at 750 airports worldwide via the LoungeKey programme. Guests are charged at £20, although if you regularly travel with the same adult it would be cheaper to pay £60 to get them a supplementary credit card on your account. It is a cheaper way of getting lounge access than buying your ownPriority Passcard.
If you get the standard version of the HSBC Premier Mastercard, you also get a LoungeKey card but are charged £20 per lounge visit, no freebies.
You would also get comprehensive travel insurance, although this is technically a benefit of the free HSBC Premier current account and you would receive this even if you decided not to take out the credit card.
The card has a chunky £195 annual fee BUT you receive a sign-up bonus – paid over two years – of 80,000 HSBC points. These convert to 40,000 Avios or 11 other airline and hotel programmes. If you value an Avios at 1p then the card is effectively free for two years if you offset the £390 of fees against the 40,000 Avios received if you hit the bonus targets.
Our fullreview of the HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard is here.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express
Marriott Bonvoy American Express
Bonus: 40,000 points
SPECIAL OFFER
Read our full review
Sign-up bonus and earn rate:
- Get 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy points when you spend £3,000 within 90 days
- You will also receive a free night voucher, valid at any hotel costing up to 25,000 Bonvoy points
- These are both special offers which run until 30th May
- Earn 2 Marriott Bonvoy points per £1 spent
- Earn 6 points per £1 spent at Marriott hotels
- Points convert at 3:1 into Avios or other airline miles
Other information:
- 15 elite night credits per year to help you towards higher status
- Free night, up to 25,000 points, when you spend £25,000 per year.
- Upgrade to Gold Elite status when you spend £15,000 in a card year
- Annual fee: £75
Representative47.4% APRvariable based on an assumed £1,200 credit limit and £75 annual fee. Interest rate on purchases29.4% APRvariable.
Apply here
See if you qualify for the 40,000 points sign-up bonus and free night voucher:+
You will receive 40,000 points as a sign-up bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy American Express cardif you spend £3,000 within 90 days of signing up.
You will also receive a free night voucher for any Marriott Bonvoy hotel selling for up to 25,000 points per night.
These are both special offers which run to 30th May.
To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT, currently or in the previous 24 months, have held any other personal American Express card.
You are OK if you had a supplementary card on someone else’s American Express account.
You are OK if, currently or in the previous 24 months, you have held a Business American Express card.
For clarity, you can still apply for the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card even if you do not qualify for the bonus. You would still benefit from the 15 elite night credits per year, the free night (up to 25,000 points) for spending £25,000 and Gold Elite status for spending £15,000.
Learn more about the card benefits+
You will receive 15 elite night credits per year in Marriott Bonvoy.The first batch will arrive within 60 days on applying and then in Spring in each subsequent year.
15 elite nights will automatically get you Silver Elite status in Marriott Bonvoy and put you nearer to Gold Elite and higher tiers.
If you spend £15,000 per card year, you will be upgraded to Gold Elite status in Marriott Bonvoy.
If you spend £25,000 per card year, you will receive a free night voucher, valid at any hotel where reward nights cost up to 25,000 points.
TheMarriott Bonvoy American Express cardcomes with 15 free elite night credits per year.
15 night credits means that you will immediately qualify forfree Silver Elite status in Marriott Bonvoy. This has few real benefits, except for a 10% bonus on base points earned from Marriott hotel stays, so it is debatable whether it is worth the £75 annual card fee on its own.
However,it also puts you 15 nights nearer the very valuable Platinum Elite statuswhich usually requires 50 nights. Platinum Elite comes with guaranteed lounge access, breakfast benefits and a guaranteed 4pm check-out.
You will also receive 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points as a sign-up bonus, if you qualify and meet the spending target.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 30th May, the sign-up bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card is doubled to 40,000 Bonvoy points – and you get a free night voucher too! Apply here.
Our fullreview of the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card is here. You canapply here.
Conclusion
Overall, there are some interesting deals to be had with some credit cards which makes them worth keeping, even if you don’t use them.
For bigger spenders, especially heavy travellers,The Platinum Card from American Expressis worth a look.
The generous sign-up bonus of 30,000 Membership Rewards points, airport lounge access and the free hotel status cards mean that you don’t have much to lose by giving it a try, despite the heavy fee.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 13th June, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card is doubled to 60,000 Membership Rewards points – and you get £200 to spend at Amex Travel too! Apply here.
PS. In case you are wondering, I deliberately excludedThe American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card. Whilst you getfour free airport lounge passes per year, these do not justify the £160 annual fee from Year 2 onwards. Of course, in Year 1, it is a different story.
Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing here should be construed as financial advice, and it is your own responsibility to ensure that any product is right for your circumstances. Recommendations are based primarily on the ability to earn miles and points. The site discusses products offered by lenders but is not a lender itself. Robert Burgess, trading as Head for Points, is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as an independent credit broker.
Category
American Express Platinum card,HSBC Premier Mastercard,Marriott Bonvoy American Express
FAQs
Which credit cards should you get even if you never use them? ›
If you have one or more credit cards you rarely or infrequently use, there likely won't be a penalty fee or immediate ding to your credit score. However, a card issuer may choose to deactivate an inactive account eventually and in such a case your credit score could take a hit.
Is it good to have a bunch of credit cards you don t use? ›If you have one or more credit cards you rarely or infrequently use, there likely won't be a penalty fee or immediate ding to your credit score. However, a card issuer may choose to deactivate an inactive account eventually and in such a case your credit score could take a hit.
What is the most credit cards I should have? ›If your goal is to get or maintain a good credit score, two to three credit card accounts, in addition to other types of credit, are generally recommended. This combination may help you improve your credit mix. Lenders and creditors like to see a wide variety of credit types on your credit report.
What is the easiest credit card to get right now? ›| Credit Card | Best For | Editor's Rating |
|---|---|---|
| OpenSky® Plus Secured Visa® Credit Card | Easiest to Get | 4.5/5 |
| First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard® Secured Credit Card | No Bank Account | 3.7/5 |
| Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card | No Annual Fee | 5/5 |
| Fingerhut Credit Account | Online Shopping | 4.7/5 |
Multiple credit cards help you afford your everyday purchases but also your emergency expenses. You can rely on credit when you run into an unexpected expense, but with two cards you can prevent that large expense from hurting your credit score.
Do unused credit cards hurt your score? ›Not using your credit card doesn't hurt your score. However, your issuer may eventually close the account due to inactivity, which could affect your score by lowering your overall available credit. For this reason, it's important to not sign up for accounts you don't really need.
What is the no 1 way to raise your credit score? ›Paying bills on time and paying down balances on your credit cards are the most powerful steps you can take to raise your credit. Issuers report your payment behavior to the credit bureaus every 30 days, so positive steps can help your credit quickly.
How much of a $500 credit card should you use? ›It's commonly said that you should aim to use less than 30% of your available credit, and that's a good rule to follow.
How much of a $200 credit card should you use? ›How much should I spend with a $200 credit limit? Experts recommend that you keep your spending below 30% of your total available credit. If you are approved for a credit card with a $200 limit, you should aim to keep your total spending below $60 to maintain a favorable credit utilization ratio.
How many credit cards should I have for 800 credit score? ›Consumers with 800+ credit scores have an average of 8.3 open accounts. High credit score consumers have an average of 8.3 open accounts — similar to the 7.9 we found in 2021.
Which bank will give credit card easily? ›
1. HDFC Bank instant approval credit card. HDFC Bank credit cards are not only 100% secure, but they also provide instant activation and ownership.
What is the most difficult card to get approved for? ›Centurion® Card from American Express
Why it's one of the hardest credit cards to get: The hardest credit card to get is the American Express Centurion Card. Known simply as the “Black Card,” you need an invitation to get Amex Centurion.
Most Widely Accepted in the U.S.: Visa and Mastercard are both accepted at almost 11 million U.S. merchant locations. Least Widely Accepted Internationally: American Express (160+ countries and territories); Discover (200+). Least Widely Accepted in the U.S.: American Express and Discover (10.6 million locations).
How many credit cards should you have as a beginner? ›Credit bureaus suggest that five or more accounts — which can be a mix of cards and loans — is a reasonable number to build toward over time. Having very few accounts can make it hard for scoring models to render a score for you.
Should I have 2 credit cards as a beginner? ›Opening multiple credit cards has its pros and cons, but if you're able to responsibly manage several credit card accounts, it can be beneficial to have more than one card. “If you trust yourself to open up multiple cards and not max them out — go for it.
Will 2 credit cards build credit faster than 1? ›Using two credit cards will build credit faster than one.
Having an extra credit card or two can generate more positive information to report to the credit bureaus, provided you pay the bills on time. The added available credit also makes it easier to maintain a low credit utilization ratio.
Why might my credit scores drop after paying off debts? Paying off debt might lower your credit scores if removing the debt affects certain factors such as your credit mix, the length of your credit history or your credit utilization ratio.
What increases your credit score? ›Factors that contribute to a higher credit score include a history of on-time payments, low balances on your credit cards, a mix of different credit card and loan accounts, older credit accounts, and minimal inquiries for new credit.
Will my credit score go down if I don't pay in full? ›A late payment can drop your credit score by as much as 180 points and may stay on your credit reports for up to seven years. However, lenders typically report late payments to the credit bureaus once you're 30 days past due, meaning your credit score won't be damaged if you pay within those 30 days.
How to build a 900 credit score? ›- Maintain a consistent payment history. ...
- Monitor your credit score regularly. ...
- Keep old accounts open and use them sporadically. ...
- Report your on-time rent and utility payments. ...
- Increase your credit limit when possible. ...
- Avoid maxing out your credit cards. ...
- Balance your credit utilization.
How to get a 720 credit score in 6 months? ›
- Pay on time (35% of your score) The most critical part of a good credit score is your payment history. ...
- Reduce your debt (30% of your score) ...
- Keep cards open over time (15% of your score) ...
- Avoid credit applications (10% of your score) ...
- Keep a smart mix of credit types open (10%)
- Pay all your bills on time. One of the easiest ways to boost your credit is to simply never miss a payment. ...
- Avoid excessive credit inquiries. ...
- Minimize how much debt you carry. ...
- Have a long credit history. ...
- Have a good mix of credit.
The good news is, there are steps you can take to close an account while minimizing the impact on your credit score. The bottom line is this: There's no right number of credit cards, used or unused. As long as you can manage the number of cards currently in your possession, you will be fine.
Is it bad to have multiple credit cards with no balance? ›It is not bad to have a lot of credit cards with zero balance because positive information will appear on your credit reports each month since all of the accounts are current. Having credit cards with zero balance also results in a low credit utilization ratio, which is good for your credit score, too.
Does having multiple credit cards build credit faster? ›Although adding extra credit cards to your profile won't directly help your score, it could provide an indirect lift by reducing your credit utilization ratio. Utilization is simply the amount you owe on your cards divided by your available credit.
Is 5 credit cards too many? ›How many credit cards is too many or too few? Credit scoring formulas don't punish you for having too many credit accounts, but you can have too few. Credit bureaus suggest that five or more accounts — which can be a mix of cards and loans — is a reasonable number to build toward over time.
Is it better to cancel unused credit cards or keep them? ›It is better to keep unused credit cards open than to cancel them because even unused credit cards with a $0 balance will still report positive information to the credit bureaus each month. It is especially worthwhile to keep an unused credit card open when the account does not have an annual fee.
Is 20 credit cards too many? ›So, while there is no absolute number that is considered too many, it's best to only apply for and carry the cards that you need and can justify using based on your credit score, ability to pay balances, and rewards aspirations.
How many credit cards does the average person have? ›Americans carry 4 credit cards on average. Here's how many you should have, according the experts. Managing multiple cards isn't for everyone. Credit cards often get a bad rap for having high interest rates and leading to unmanageable debt.