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The Mastercard® Gold Card™, issued by Barclays, is one of the most expensive luxury travel cards on the market. Cardholders pay an annual fee of $995 ($295 for each authorized user added to the account).
However, the benefits and credits this card offers can make it worth the fee for those who like to travel in style. Plus, the physical credit card is quite a conversation-starter. It’s made of a 24K-gold-plated stainless steel front and carbon back weighing in at 22 grams.
Barclays also issues the Mastercard® Black Card™ and the Mastercard® Titanium Card™, luxury travel cards that come at a slightly lower price point than the Mastercard® Gold Card™. How frequently you travel and how robust you need your card’s travel benefits and credits to be will likely be the deciding factor in which of these cards is right for your wallet.
Travelers who like to maximize their rewards and appreciate the flexibility to transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs might not find these cards a good fit, however. The earning rate is low and you can only book travel through InComm InCentives. A better choice might be the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Intro Purchase APR
N/A
Regular Purchase APR
18.74%
Intro BT APR
0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening.
Regular BT APR
After that, (and for balance transfers that do not post within 45 days of account opening) your APR will be 18.74%. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate
Annual Fee
$995 ($295 for each Authorized User added to the account)
Cash Advance Fee
Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
Foreign Transaction Fee
0% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
Balance Transfer Fee
Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Rewards
This card earns points at a low flat rate but offers a boosted value when you redeem points for airfare or cashback. Get 2% value for airfare redemptions with no blackout dates or seat restrictions. 2% value for cash back redemptions. Earn one point for every one dollar spent.
Concierge to help you out 24/7
This service is available 24/7 to assist with travel bookings and more. Barclays describes the Luxury Card Concierge as offering cardholders “a complete lifestyle management tool.” You can access it via live chat, phone, or email. Some of the things cardmembers have used it for include:
Priority Pass Select membership
With a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, you can access more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world. Enjoy unlimited visits for yourself, authorized users, and guests.
Annual airline credit
Credits will automatically be applied to your account for up to $200 of flight-related purchases such as airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades, and more.
Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit
If you dislike being stuck in line, Global Entry (which offers expedited arrival from international locations) or TSA PreCheck (which offers expedited domestic security screenings) can make your airport experience smoother. You can get a statement credit for the application fee (up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck) when you charge it to this card. This credit is available once every five years.
Note that if you have Global Entry, TSA PreCheck is included.
Even more benefits
Additional benefits with the Mastercard® Gold Card™ include:
Intro APR period
New cardmembers get a 0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. Note that there’s a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
High annual fee
Premium travel cards often have annual fees in the $500 range, but the Mastercard® Gold Card™ makes that look downright affordable by comparison. Its annual fee is $995 ($295 for each authorized user added to the account). So, for example, if you got this card and added a spouse as an authorized user, you’d be paying $1,290 a year to carry the Mastercard® Gold Card™.
Low rewards rate
Earning one point on every $1 spent is a subpar rewards rate. For a premium card with an eye-popping annual fee, you’d expect better rewards. It’s true that when redeeming points for airfare or cash back with this card, each point is worth 2 cents. However, that only comes out to an effective 2% rewards rate, and there are cards with no annual fee that earn a flat-rate 2% back on every purchase.
No sign-up bonus
With some premium travel cards, a generous sign-up bonus can help offset the annual fee for the first year you have the card. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers the following sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® Unfortunately, the Mastercard® Gold Card™ does not offer a sign-up bonus.
Can't transfer points to partners
Many popular travel cards, including those from Capital One, Chase, and American Express, let cardholders transfer points to travel partners. This provides flexibility when booking travel, because you have the option of converting your rewards to points with your favorite airline or hotel loyalty program. With the Mastercard® Gold Card™, you can’t transfer points — you must book travel via InComm InCentives on myluxurycard.com or by calling the customer service number on your card.
If you’re looking to save a few hundred dollars on your card’s annual fee, earn a generous welcome offer, and gain the flexibility to transfer points to airline and hotel partners, consider The Platinum Card® from American Express. The annual fee is $695, but that’s still a few hundred dollars cheaper than what cardholders will pay to carry the Mastercard® Gold Card™. You can earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
To see the rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
Points can be transferred from The Platinum Card® from American Express to the following partners:
For ongoing rewards, cardholders earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply. You’ll also get benefits such as:
When it comes to luxury travel cards, The Platinum Card® from American Express is hard to beat.
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Apply Now on Luxury Card's secure site
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Apply Now on American Express's secure site
Terms Apply
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Apply Now on Chase's secure site
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| Annual Fee | |||
| $995 ($295 for each Authorized User added to the account) | $495 ($195 for each Authorized User added to the account) | $695 | $550 |
| Welcome Offer | |||
| N/A | N/A | Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® |
| Rewards Rate | |||
| 2% value for airfare redemptions with no blackout dates or seat restrictions. 2% value for cash back redemptions. Earn one point for every one dollar spent. | 2% value for airfare redemptions with no blackout dates or seat restrictions. 1.5% value for cash back redemptions. Earn one point for every one dollar spent. | 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply. | 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards® |
| Intro Purchase APR | |||
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Regular APR | |||
| 18.74% | 18.74% | See Pay Over Time APR | 20.74% - 27.74% Variable |
| Intro Balance Transfer APR | |||
| 0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. | 0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. | N/A | N/A |
| Regular Balance Transfer APR | |||
| After that, (and for balance transfers that do not post within 45 days of account opening) your APR will be 18.74%. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate | After that, (and for balance transfers that do not post within 45 days of account opening) your APR will be 18.74%. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. | N/A | 20.74% - 27.74% Variable |
| Balance Transfer Fee | |||
| Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. | Balance Transfer Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. | N/A | Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater |
| Recommended Credit | |||
| Excellent | Excellent | Excellent/Good | Excellent |
| Card Details | |||
| Mastercard® Gold Card™ | Mastercard® Black Card™ | The Platinum Card® from American Express | Chase Sapphire Reserve® |
Thanks to its robust concierge service, travel-related fee credits, and the airport lounge access it provides — not to mention its stylish, 24-karat gold plating — the Mastercard® Gold Card™ might appeal to those looking for a luxury travel card. However, some travelers are likely to balk at the annual fee of $995 ($295 for each authorized user added to the account).
If that’s more than you want to pay to carry a travel card, you might prefer the less expensive Mastercard® Black Card™, also issued by Barclays. It doesn’t offer quite as much as the Mastercard® Gold Card™, but its annual fee is only $495 ($195 for each authorized user added to the account). You might also consider The Platinum Card® from American Express, which provides excellent value for an annual fee of $695.
To see the rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
