Wells Fargo and Expedia Group have partnered to introduce two credit cards: the One Key™ Card (See rates and fees) and One Key+™ Card (See rates and fees). Both cards allow you to earn rewards in the One Key program, which is the loyalty program for Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.
In addition to useful bonus spending categories for common purchases, these cards feature welcome offers worth $300 and $400. If you have the old Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card, you'll be transitioned to the no annual fee One Key™ Card.
Here's what you need to know about these travel rewards credit cards and how they compare to other options.
What we know about the One Key cards
One Key™ Card
The One Key Card features no annual fee, a solid return on spending and a intro bonus worth $300 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.The low cost and small bonus spending requirement make it a decent beginner travel credit card.
It earns rewards at the following rates:
- 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo bookings (including stays, flights, cars, cruises, activities, event tickets and more)
- 3% in OneKeyCash at gas stations
- 3% in OneKeyCash at grocery stores
- 3% in OneKeyCash on dining
- 1.5% in OneKeyCash on all other purchases
You'll pay no foreign transaction fees with this card and it has a suite of insurance benefits you don't often get with a no-annual-fee rewards credit card. You can take advantage of cell phone protection that covers damage, theft or loss for up to $1,000 per claim and two claims per 12 months (a $25 deductible applies). Other coverages include travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and interruption, and rental car insurance (primary coverage in the U.S. except for New York residents).
The no-annual-fee One Key card also grants you One Key Silver status as long as you have the card. Silver status comes with a 15% discount at select hotels, priority support, a 50% bonus OneKeyCash at VIP Access Properties and other perks. You can upgrade to One Key Gold status by spending $15,000 on your card in a calendar year. Gold status comes with enhanced benefits, such as an increased discount at select hotels of 20%, price drop protection (for eligible flights) and 2X OneKeyCash at VIP Access properties.
One Key+™ Card
The One Key+ Card features a few enhanced benefits and a $99 annual fee. However, if you make a single booking through the One Key program each year, it can pay for itself because you get $100 in OneKeyCash every card anniversary. You can earn $350 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
It earns OneKeyCash at the following rates:
- 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo bookings
- 3% in OneKeyCash at gas stations
- 3% in OneKeyCash at grocery stores
- 3% in OneKeyCash on dining
- 2% in OneKeyCash on all other purchases
These rewards rates are similar to the no-annual-fee One Key card with the only difference being you earn 2% in OneKeyCash instead of 1.5% on spending that falls outside of a bonus category. You can also earn a one statement credit up to $120 for a Trusted Traveler Program, such as Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® (once every four years).
If you book most of your travel through the One Key program, you'll appreciate the Gold status you receive as a cardholder and you can earn the top-tier Platinum status after spending at least $30,000 on the card in a calendar year. Platinum status provides the best benefits of Gold status (upgrades when available at VIP Access properties, price drop protection) and other improved perks such as 3X OneKeyCash at VIP Access properties and Platinum VIP support.
The insurance benefits of this card match what you get with the no-annual-fee version. You'll be covered by:
- Cell phone protection up to $1,000 protection against damage or theft (subject to a $25 deductible).
- Travel accident insurance
- Rental car insurance
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
About the One Key program
Expedia Group's One Key travel rewards program allows you to earn and redeem rewards with Vrbo, Expedia and Hotels.com. You can book everything from hotels, rental cars and flights to vacation rentals, cruises, activities and event tickets.
The rewards you earn with the One Key program are called OneKeyCash and function similarly to cashback except that you can only redeem these rewards for eligible bookings through Vrbo, Expedia and Hotels.com. You can stack the rewards you earn as a One Key member with what you'll get when you use a One Key card. You earn 2% in OneKeyCash on most bookings as a One Key member, which means you can get at least 5% in rewards on eligible reservations when you pay with a One Key card since both cards earn 3% in OneKeyCash on these purchases.
The way you earn and redeem rewards for flights is slightly different than most other bookings with the program. You'll only earn 0.2% in OneKeyCash for flights that aren't part of a package and you can't redeem OneKeyCash for flights unless you have enough rewards to cover the entire flight. With most other redemptions, you can use your OneKeyCash to pay for part of a booking.
Is either of the One Key cards right for you?
The One Key cards can easily offer more value than what they cost. The One Key card has an easy-to-earn welcome offer, decent rewards rates and useful perks for a no-annual-fee card such as primary rental car coverage. The One Key+ offers a $100 annual OneKeyCash bonus that offsets the annual fee and gets you Gold status and increased rewards on everyday purchases.
But both of these cards have the same drawback you find with most co-branded credit cards, you're limited to redeeming rewards with that program. That makes the One Key cards better options to pair with other rewards credit cards, rather than great go-to cards for everything.
If you want a rewarding no-annual-fee card with extremely flexible redemption options, look at the Citi Double Cash® Card. It earns a minimum of 2% cash back on every purchase (1% back when you buy and 1% back when you pay). It also earns cash back as Citi ThankYou® Points. This gives you the option to redeem for cash back, gift cards, travel or transfer your points to a handful of Citi's travel partners. However, the Citi Double Cash lacks the travel protections available with the One Key card.
What makes the Citi Double Cash® Card special is that it sits near the top of its class in several categories. It is an excellent option if you want flat-rate rewards, a balance transfer intro-APR or no annual fee.
- Balance transfers get a long intro APR
- Generous flat-rate cash-back rewards structure
- Earns transferable rewards
- No annual fee
- It has a foreign transaction fee
- Intro APR only applies to balance transfer
- Points transfer ratios are reduced compared to premium cards
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.49% - 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Balance transfer fee
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a slightly lower ($95) annual fee than the One Key+ card. While the Capital One Venture doesn't offer an annual credit that offsets its fee, it makes up for it in the value of the rewards you earn. You'll get at least 2X Capital One miles on every purchase and you can use these rewards for all sorts of options. They're worth one cent each toward travel purchases and you can transfer Capital One miles to 18 airline and hotel loyalty programs, including Emirates Skywards, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, Avianca LifeMiles, Wyndham Rewards and many more.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a reasonable annual fee and earns flexible travel rewards, which makes it a great travel card for both beginners and frequent travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer
- You can transfer miles to Capital One's travel partners
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lacks ongoing travel benefits such as statement credits or lounge access
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $300 to use on hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that's more than $1,000 in travel value
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
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Information about the One Key™ Card, One Key+™ Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
