3 Little-Known Benefits of Travel Credit Cards

When people look at travel credit cards, they typically focus on the features the card issuer emphasizes. Big welcome bonus of over 50,000 points. Credit Spending. Airport lounge available. These are all valuable and interesting benefits, so they are garnering the most attention.

There are also some common perks that are rarely mentioned or noticed. Some cardholders aren’t even aware that their travel card offers these benefits. If you already have a travel card or are planning to buy one, don’t forget to check out these lesser-known benefits.

1. Free protection against common travel issues

If you’ve rented a car before, you’ve probably heard sales pitches for optional rental insurance. Prices are not cheap, ranging from $20 to $40 per day. And if you refuse, you’ll get a legal disclaimer that says if anything happens to the car, you could be held liable for its full value, up to $50,000, or an amount determined by the rental company.

It doesn’t exactly excite you to hit the road. However, there is no need to worry as long as you pay with the correct credit card. Many travel cards include free rental car insurance that covers damage and theft.

There are several other common travel card protections: You can usually find this on your card issuer’s website and in a guide to the benefits that come with your card. Additional travel protection benefits some cards offer include:

• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance if your trip is canceled or cut short.
• Travel delay reimbursement for costs incurred due to prolonged delays
• Compensation for loss of baggage if baggage is lost
• Delayed baggage insurance to purchase while waiting for your baggage

2. Concierge service – your own personal assistant

Looking to make a restaurant reservation tonight? Or are you planning a vacation and looking for ideas on what to do? You can do this yourself, but if you have a travel card that includes concierge services, you can also have a concierge service do it for you.

Concierge services are a benefit found on many travel cards, but they can be easy to miss. It may be buried at the bottom of your list of benefits. I have been using a travel card for almost 8 years and recently called the concierge for my card for the first time.

The concierge can assist with a variety of requests. Call the concierge line and tell them what you need, and they might ask you a few questions to find out more. We will then process your request and contact you once it is complete or we have the information you need. At your option, we may contact you by email or phone.

As mentioned above, a concierge can help you make restaurant reservations or vacation plans. Here are some examples of ways a concierge can help you:

• Gift shopping, including choosing a gift that fits your budget and shipping it to the recipient
• Get concert tickets
• Recommend businesses in your area to provide the services you need

3. Transferable points that can be used for advanced bookings

Many travel cards allow you to use your points on travel purchases at a fixed price. Fees typically range from $0.01 to $0.015 per point, depending on the card. If the rate is $0.01 per point, the card issuer may advertise that 50,000 points are worth $500 in travel expenses.

However, some cards also include another option to transfer your points to a travel partner. The largest card issuers have partnerships with airlines and hotels so you can transfer your points to those airlines and hotels. And transferring your points allows you to get even more value from them, especially if you use them to book expensive travel.

You can transfer your points if you have a card in one of the following rewards programs:

Let’s say you book business class airfare for $1,500 or 50,000 miles. If you earn $0.01 per point on travel purchases, you’ll need 150,000 points to book that ticket with cash. However, if you can transfer your points to that airline, you can convert 50,000 points into miles. Then book your ticket and save 100,000 miles in the process.

You can get amazing deals this way, but most people don’t do it. According to The Motley Fool Ascent’s Credit Card Survey, only 14% of consumers send rewards to travel partners. If your card has this option, it’s worth taking advantage of.

Make the most of your travel credit card

Travel cards often come with a variety of features. Although it makes sense to focus on the most valuable benefits, they are not the only ones that are useful. Learn about everything your card has to offer so you can get the most out of it.

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