travel

Review: Mastercard Black

⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Mastercard Black Card positions itself as a high-end luxury card for travelers. It’s issued by Barclays Bank Delaware and is sometimes called the Barclaycard Black. It’s not a commonly-discussed travel card, likely because other options are far more popular. The Black card is typically worse than competing options like the Capital One Venture X.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $495 annual fee
  • Zero foreign transaction fees
  • 1x points on everything (up to 2% cash back)
  • $100 annual airline credit (per calendar year)
  • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (every 5 years)
  • Metal card

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Review: American Express Gold (2021-2022)

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Note: This review is from 2021, and significant details have changed. Check out our updated 2024 review!

The American Express Gold Charge Card is a mid-to-high tier card for food and travel. It earns a decent amount of points at restaurants and grocery stores, and has benefits to offset the high annual fee. It’s one of the more flexible cards from American Express, and it wouldn’t hurt for most people to take a look.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $250 annual fee
  • Zero foreign transaction fees
  • 4x points on dining (restaurants, takeout, delivery)
  • 4x points on groceries (up to $25,000 spent at U.S. grocery stores)
  • 3x points on flights
  • 1x points on everything else
  • Metal card
  • AMEX Offers

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Review: American Express Green

⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The American Express Green Charge Card is a mid-tier card for food and travel. Its annual fee is higher than its closest competitors, but the Green card could be worth considering for certain travelers. Most people are better off with no-fee cards which out-earn the Green.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $150 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 3x points on dining (restaurants, takeout, delivery)
  • 3x points on travel (including public transit, airfare, hotels, car rentals, and more)
  • 1x points on everything else
  • AMEX Offers

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Review: Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature Flagship Rewards

⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) Flagship Rewards credit card is a simple card for everyday use that carries a small annual fee. It covers most general spending, although other options could be better.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $49 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 3x points on travel
  • 2x points on everything else
  • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (once every 4 years)

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Review: Chase Sapphire Reserve

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The Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) is a luxury credit card for travelers which offers many perks. It’s also an integral part of the “Chase Trifecta” rewards strategy, which significantly boosts earnings. The Sapphire Reserve excels in the travel and dining categories, and has some of the best travel insurance protections on any card.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $550 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 10x points on hotels and car rentals (booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards)
  • 10x points on Chase Dining prepaid reservations (through Chase Ultimate Rewards)
  • 5x points on flights (booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards)
  • 3x points on dining
  • 3x points on travel
  • 1x points on everything else
  • $300 annual travel credit
  • $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (once every 4 years)
  • Chase Offers

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Review: American Express Platinum

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The American Express Platinum Charge Card is a luxury travel card. It was updated in 2021 to add more credits, and they increased the annual fee, which remains out of reach for many people. Whether the card is worthwhile depends heavily on usage of the Platinum’s many credits.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $695 annual fee (previously $550 per year)
  • Zero foreign transaction fees
  • 5x points on flights ($500,000 maximum)
  • 5x points on hotels (booked through AMEX Travel)
  • 1x points on everything else
  • Metal card
  • AMEX Offers
  • Wide variety of credits

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