Easy Travel Rewards with No Annual Fee: Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard
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Editor's note: This card is no longer available.
The Barclaycard Arrival™ World MasterCard® is often ranked as one of the easiest and best travel rewards cards available, especially for those who prefer making a variety of types of travel purchases with different brands. If you're looking for a simple, low-fee, travel credit card for earning rewards on your purchases, this card is worth considering.
How This Card Works
This card awards 2x miles for each dollar spent on travel and dining purchases and 1x miles for each dollar spent on everything else.
You can redeem miles at 2,500 for a $25 statement credit against travel purchases made within the last 120 days. You can also redeem for statement credits toward other types of purchases, merchandise, and gift cards. As a cardmember, you receive a redemption bonus of 5% each time you redeem. You can earn an unlimited number of miles which do not expire.
Other Benefits
Free FICO score. Receive complimentary access to your FICO score for managing and keeping track of your credit rating.
Pros
Bonus. Every time you redeem miles, you receive a 5% bonus for redeeming. This bonus adds value to your miles and can help you reach your next redemption faster. For example, if you redeem 25,000 miles toward travel purchases totaling $250, you receive an automatic miles bonus of 1,250 miles just for redeeming.
Easy redemption. This card makes it fairly easy to redeem your miles. You don't have to worry about booking flights or hotel rooms with specific brands, and you can redeem as soon as you reach 2,500 miles. You can also redeem for general statement credit, gift cards, and merchandise, but the value of your miles decrease with these options.
No foreign transaction fees. If you frequently travel abroad, this card can save you as much as 3% in foreign transaction fees. It is rare for travel rewards cards without annual fees to not charge a foreign transaction fee for purchases made outside of the U.S. (See also: Best Cards Without Foreign Transaction Fees)
Cons
Double miles on certain purchases. If the majority of your purchases are on dining and travel, you can rack up miles quickly. However, if your spending varies and covers multiple other categories such as groceries and gas, you can earn more with other cards. (See also: 5 Best Credit Cards for Groceries)
Most value redeeming for travel. Although you still get the 5% redemption bonus, the value of your miles decrease if you redeem for non-travel options. For example, cash back statement credit redemptions start at 2,500 miles for $12.50 and $25 gift cards are available at 5,000 miles. If you need to redeem rewards in other ways, there are better options. (See also: Top 5 Travel Rewards Credit Cards)
Potentially high APR. You can avoid paying high amounts of interest on your purchases if you pay your balance in full each month. If, however, you consistently carry a balance, the APR on this card can become expensive. (See also: Best Low Interest Rate Cards for Carrying Balances)
Who This Card Is Best For
This card is best for travelers who spend primarily in the dining and travel categories. It is also best for those who can get the most value from their miles by redeeming for travel statement credits. Further, it is the most ideal for those who pay their balances in full each month. This card is also one of the least expensive travel rewards cards available because there is no foreign transaction or annual fee.
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