There are so many travel cards on the market; it’s hard to decide what card to have. One of my favorite travel cards for the person who does not travel on big trips a lot is the BarclayCard Arrival card. Sure this card isn’t going to get you free first class tickets to the Far East or to the South Pacific, but let’s be honest, how realistic are those redemptions for the average person?! Instead, for those people who tend to travel around the US, buy cheap plane tickets, take cruises, buy vacation packages and more, the BarclayCard Arrival World MasterCard is for you. One of the best Barclay card is the Barclaycard Arrival™ World MasterCard® and here are 10 reasons why you should consider this card if you do not already have it.
1) Barclaycard Arrival World Mastercard is the only card I carry that gives me two points on EVERY purchase EVERY where EVERY day! Unlike other major cards that only reward card holders with 2 points in certain categories, Barclay Arrivals card gives you two points everywhere!
2) 40,000 points for spending $3000 in the first 90 days. 40,000 points equals a $400 statement credit! That’s right, spend $3,000 and get $400 back! All you have to do is buy a plane ticket or spend $400 on anything travel related (i.e car rental, train ticket, hotel, airfare) and then cash in the 40,000 points for a $400 statement credit
3) Earn 10% bonus back on travel related point transactions. Points can be used for a number of items including statement credits, however when you apply the points towards a travel related purchase you earn 10% of the points back. This means the 40,000 point bonus really equals 44,000 points or $440 dollars!
4) No Foreign transaction fees! Anyone who travels needs a card that can be used worldwide and this card can be! Sure all credit cards can be used outside the USA, however most cards tack on a nasty 2-4% foreign transaction fee for using the visa when away from home. Avoid paying more by using this card!
5) Buy Airfare or Hotel rooms on points and still earn miles/points! That’s right, you can double dip with this card because when you use your Arrival points for travel related purchases, you are actually receiving a statement credit to reimburse you for your travel costs. This means you earn two points for your initial purchase and then you also earn miles for your flights or points for your hotel stay! This is because the airline or hotel actually receives payment for your purchase and then Barclay refunds the costs to you. No airline cobranded card can offer you a deal like this!
6) Receive a complimentary subscription to TripIt Pro mobile app! TripIt does a rather remarkable job of finding all the important pieces of your travel details and stripping out the fine print, creating easy to read and easy to follow itineraries that includes important flight information, car rental details, hotel info and more.
7) Since points carry a cash value of 1 cent each, each point redemption can be used to pay for part of all of your travel costs. This means if you buy an $800 cruise, your cost is now only $400 after you apply the 40,000 points towards the cost of the cruise. You are now longer bound by not having “enough points” to travel
8) No blackout dates EVER on ANYTHING! With the Barclays Arrival card you no longer have to worry about blackout dates as the card allows you to apply points to any travel plans at any time
9) Wide Range of Travel & Point redemptions! Barclay defines travel as: Airlines, Travel Agencies & Tour Operators, Hotels, Motels & Resorts, Cruise Lines, Passenger Railways and Car Rental Agencies. With more “travel” categories, points can be used towards a wider range of redemptions. For example, someone who lives in Southern California and uses the Amtrak/metrolink partnership could redeem their points for their monthly Amtrak/metrolink pass. The same would work for someone in New Jersey with the NJT & Amtrak partnerships!
10) Peace of mind when using a MasterCard. Not only does this card diversify your wallet by adding a MasterCard (most airline/travel cards tend to be visa or American Express) Master card gives you Worldwide Automatic Travel Accident Insurance, reimbursement for expenses if your baggage is delayed or misdirected, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, MasterCard® Global Service with 24-hour emergency assistance, and $0 fraud liability.
There are plenty of reasons to consider getting this card, but for me, the number one reason is the most important reason. I mean, after all $400 in free travel is an amazing deal and who doesn’t love FREE travel or free money! This is a great fixed based earning card that earns 2 point per dollar everywhere, but with the 10% rebate, this card truly becomes a 2.2 point per dollar card, further making this card even more valuable!
If you are looking for a new card, consider adding this travel card to your wallet. If you have any issues with your application, visit my Barclays Tip & Tricks page to ensure your very own success!
