Loyal Expedia users looking to maximize their rewards and enjoy premium treatment have come to the right place. The Expedia®+ Voyager Card from Citi offers bonus points on an ongoing basis for purchases from Expedia and on dining and entertainment, giving you the opportunity to earn points, faster.

But it’s not a perfect fit for everyone — the card comes with an annual fee and limits travelers to booking through Expedia. Whether or not these limitations are a make-or-break-it for you, this review will help you understand where the Expedia®+ Voyager Card shines, and where it needs a little polish.

Highlights

• 4X Expedia+ points for eligible purchases made with Expedia, 2X points for eligible dining and entertainment purchases, and 1X point for all other purchases
• 25,000 Expedia+ bonus points as a welcome gift when you spend at least $2,000 within three months of account opening
• Complimentary +gold status with Expedia, which includes benefits such as hotel room upgrades and extra opportunities to earn bonus points
• 5,000 anniversary points each time you spend at least $10,000 per calendar year
• $100 in statement credits towards travel incidentals purchased from eligible airlines or wifi hotspot providers, or towards application fees for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®
• No international transaction fees

At a glance

Expedia®+ Voyager Card from Citi deep dive

The Expedia®+ Voyager Card can be a great way for frequent Expedia users to earn points and benefit from additional perks such as hotel room upgrades and anniversary bonuses. But it comes with an annual fee and limits you to booking travel through Expedia, so it’s not the best fit for every traveler.

Read on for our summary of some pros and cons of the Expedia®+ Voyager Card.

Get it: If you’re a big Expedia user willing to pay a fee for the highest rewards rates and premium treatment

Compared to the no-fee Expedia®+ Card, the Voyager card offers better rewards rates, a higher status tier (+gold rather than +silver) and its associated benefits, as well as l perks like an anniversary bonus and statement credits for travel incidentals. So those who book frequently on Expedia may find it well worth the $95 annual fee.

Some of the benefits of the Expedia®+ Voyager Card from Citi include:

• A big welcome bonus: Earn 25,000 Expedia+ bonus points by spending at least $2,000 within three months of opening your account. These points can be redeemed for $350 towards your stay at a +VIP Access™ hotel. This offer is not available to those who have opened or closed an Expedia+ or Expedia+ Voyager card within the past two years
• Automatic status: Expedia®+ Voyager cardholders enjoy complimentary +gold status, which includes perks like complimentary room upgrades and additional point bonuses when you book travel
• Bonus points on (eligible) travel and entertainment: Eligible Expedia purchases, including flights, travel packages, hotels, and activities, earn four Expedia+ points per $1 spent. Each $1 spent on eligible dining out and entertainment purchases earns two points, and all other purchases earn one point per $1
• Help on airline incidentals: Expedia®+ Voyager cardholders can take advantage of up to $100 in statement credits for travel incidentals such as checked bags and in-flight wifi. Purchases made from one of ten qualified airlines and two wireless hotspot providers qualify for this benefit. The $100 credit can also be used toward application fees for either the Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® programs. If you take advantage of this benefit each year, your Expedia®+ Voyager Card can essentially pay for itself
• Anniversary bonus for big spenders: Earn 5,000 Expedia+ points after each year in which you spend at least $10,000 on your Expedia®+ Voyager Card
• Travel abroad: With no international transaction fees, use your Expedia®+ Voyager Card on international travel without incurring additional expenses

Skip it: If you don’t book enough travel to make an annual fee worth it, or you’d rather not be limited to booking through Expedia

While the Expedia®+ Voyager Card can offer high rewards levels and additional benefits, it comes at a price, so it’s a better fit for those who know they’ll use it enough to make up for the annual fee.

Those looking for a way to earn extra points on infrequent Expedia purchases may be better off with the Expedia®+ Card, which earns fewer points and comes with fewer perks, but has no annual fee.

Additionally, both Expedia+ cards are most valuable when used for booking and rewards redemption on Expedia, so those who prefer the flexibility of booking with other websites or directly with hotels or airlines may be better served by a travel rewards card not tied to a specific site.

Consider the drawbacks of the Expedia®+ Voyager Card from Citi:

• Pay to play: With an annual fee of $95, you’ll want to be sure you redeem at least that much in rewards or other benefits from your Expedia®+ Voyager Card per year
• Limited point earning and redemption options: As you might expect, the Expedia®+ Voyager Card only allows you to earn points and redeem them for awards when you book through Expedia. If you’d prefer the flexibility of booking through any site or directly with hotels and/or airlines, you may be better served by a different travel rewards card
• The best rewards rates require work: The Expedia®+ Voyager Card rewards program is more complicated than some other cards, so those looking for a simple way to maximize their point earning may be better suited to a card with flat rewards rates, such as the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® or the Chase Sapphire Preferred®

Summary

The Expedia®+ Voyager Card from Citi is a great way for Expedia lovers to maximize rewards on their purchases, and offers extra perks beyond what the no-fee Expedia®+ Card comes with.

As with any card that carries an annual fee, however, it’s worth making sure you’ll take advantage of enough of this card’s benefits to make it worth it. Those looking for a no-fee card or one that allows more flexibility for booking travel may be better suited to a different travel rewards card, so be sure to do your research before applying for your next credit card.

The post Expedia®+ Voyager Card from Citi Review appeared first on Credible Blog.