Best Features Of A Travel Credit Card: All You Need To Know
Whether you choose adventure, relaxation or culinary experiences during travel, there’s no doubt that it helps you make great memories. With rising costs of booking flights, hotels, and sightseeing packages, considering your finances is a vital part of the journey even before you take off! That’s exactly where credit cards come in handy. Some of the best travel card:
- Allow you to get discounts on flight and hotel bookings
- May offer travel/hotel memberships so you can save more
- Secure your travel with insurance and emergency assistance
- Safer than carrying cash
- Help you to travel comfortably with rail/airport lounge access
As you can tell, travel credit cards come with features that allow you to get discounts on expenses you are likely to incur when on a holiday or work trip. Not all cards in this category come with the same features, so be smart when selecting one.
Top Features To Look For
From room upgrades to lower forex mark-up fees, these cards can help you enjoy a great travel experience. Here are the features you should definitely not miss:
- Flight/Rail Ticket Discounts
When you travel, the first thing you need to do is book your flight or rail tickets. Travel credit cards provide you flat discounts on these and help you to save more. Credit card issuers tie up with travel aggregators or hotel/flight companies to provide these offers.
For instance, you want to travel to Goa from Delhi by flight. It would normally cost you around ₹6,000. But, if you pay using a credit card, you may get offers and that same ticket may cost you ₹5,000. Make sure that the card you pick has offers connected to such bookings.
- Hotel Booking Benefits
A great stay can transform a mediocre holiday into a great one, so booking your hotel room is a big part of travel. Choose a card that has a tie-up with certain hotel chains or offers free memberships to hotel loyalty programs. This way you can get discounts on room bookings, a room upgrade, free meals, or more.
- Airport Lounge Access
With free beverages and snacks, comfortable seating, an array of phone charging ports, and big screens, airport lounges make waiting for your flight more comfortable. Certain cards give you complimentary access to these. Read the terms connected to this and compare them to zero in on a card. You can base your decision on the number of times you travel within and outside India.
- Insurance Covers
Mostly, travel credit cards provide you complimentary travel insurance and cover you from:
- Lost/damaged baggage
- Trip delays
- Trip cancellations
- Baggage delays
- Forex Mark-up Fee
Using a card for purchases outside the country comes at a cost, which varies. Keep in mind that:
- You may pay up to 3.5% of the transaction amount as the foreign mark-up fee
- Selecting a card that keeps this fee low helps you transact overseas more affordably
- EMI Conversion
Sometimes during trips, you may incur some extra costs, which might affect your monthly budget. Ensure that your travel credit card lets you convert your expenses into EMIs. It will help you to maintain your budget and reduce your financial burden, even after a vacation.
- Rewards Program
Shopping is an integral part of travel for many, and if you are one of these people, make sure you’re getting rewarded to shop! Pick a travel card only when you know:
- How much cashback you will get on international retail transactions
- How many reward points you can earn, and if there are accelerated points
- Any milestone benefits you can get on spending above a certain mark
Things to Consider When Choosing A Travel Credit Card
A little research will help you determine the benefits of credit cards that will be useful while travelling.
- Before selecting a travel credit card that meets your needs, consider the joining and yearly fees. Try to compare the cards based on their perks and any additional costs you will have to pay if you use the card.
- If you book through a certain travel aggregator, make sure you use their co-branded travel credit card to maximize your benefits.
Well, if you are looking for some of the best travel cards, then the One Credit Card can be a perfect choice. It is a lifetime-free credit card, which means that you don’t need to pay any joining, annual or hidden fees.
If you are a One Credit Card user. You can:
- Save up to 12% on flight tickets booked through Ixigo
- Get 8% off* on travel bookings through EaseMyTrip
- Enjoy up to 15% off on travel bookings done via Goibibo
- Get flat 15% off on car bookings done through Zoomcar
- Enjoy low forex mark-up fee of 1%
What’s more, you get 5X reward points on your top two spend categories. You can easily track these on the swift and smooth One Credit Card App. Apply online for the One credit card minimum due meaning and save more on your next vacation.
