Expedia Rewards Card Review

Millions of people book travel through Expedia each year. The popular online travel marketplace offers deals on travel bookings like flights, hotels, car rentals, and more.

Expedia offered two co-branded credit cards that offset the cost of future trips booked on the site. One of those cards was the Expedia Rewards Card, which allowed you to earn and redeem points for travel. The no-fee travel rewards card may have been good for Expedia enthusiasts, but did it offer more value than other, more flexible travel rewards credit cards?

Who got the Expedia Rewards Card?

The Expedia Rewards Card was for individuals who frequently booked travel through Expedia.com. You’d earn rewards when you booked travel like flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, and vacation packages through the popular online travel site. You could use your points toward rewards travel through Expedia as well.

The co-branded Citi credit card was also suitable for those starting in travel rewards. It offered less value than Citi’s other old Expedia credit card, but it also didn't carry an annual fee. If you wanted to get your feet wet in the travel rewards world and liked the flexibility of booking travel through Expedia, the Expedia Rewards Card was a good fit.

The Expedia Rewards Card was not for people who didn't plan to book travel very often through Expedia. Almost all of its redemptions were tied to the travel site. You were better off applying for a more flexible travel rewards card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card.

Expedia Rewards Card benefits and perks

• Silver status: Cardholders automatically earned Expedia Rewards Silver status. Silver status got you an extra discount on select Expedia hotel bookings. You also earned more points on travel booked through the site.
• Citi entertainment: The Expedia Rewards Card was a Citi credit card and came with access to the Citi Entertainment program. Through the program, you could purchase tickets for exclusive and once-in-a-lifetime concerts, events, and experiences.

Drawbacks to the Expedia Rewards Card

• Points could expire. Your points expired if you didn't earn or use your Expedia Rewards points within a set timeframe.
• Redemptions were limited. Redemption options were limited to use within the Expedia ecosystem. There were no options for cash redemptions or to transfer to partner programs.
• No extra benefits. The Expedia Rewards card was missing many of the benefits offered by other travel rewards credit cards, such as travel credits, rental car insurance, and other trip insurance coverages.

Earning and redeeming Expedia Rewards

Best ways to earn

One of the best ways to earn Expedia points quickly was to spend enough to earn the card’s welcome bonus. 

You also earned bonus points with all of your card spending.

Note that not all Expedia purchases would earn you bonus rewards. Some travel bookings didn't count as eligible purchases.

As mentioned, the Expedia Rewards Card earned automatic Silver Status, which net people an additional discount on eligible Expedia purchases.

Unfortunately, the Expedia Rewards Card offered no other bonus spending categories, like dining, groceries, or fuel purchases. 

Maximizing your redemptions

Almost all of the redemption options in the Expedia Rewards program were for travel through the site. Redemption options included:

• Flights
• Hotel stays
• Rental cars
• Vacation packages
• Activities

One cool perk with this card was you could use Expedia points to partially pay for most travel bookings, lowering your trip’s overall cost. Booking flights was the exception to this rule. Your redeemed points were needed to cover the total fare, including any additional taxes and fees.

There was also an option to donate your Expedia Rewards points to St. Jude’s Children's Research Center.

Expedia Rewards Card FAQs

Other cards to consider

Since the Expedia Rewards Card is no longer an option, you may be better off with the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card. Often touted as one of the most versatile travel rewards credit cards available. It also has a $95 annual fee, but comes with a massive welcome offer, car rental and several other trip insurance coverages, purchase protection, and more. With this card, you also get access to the Chase Travel℠ Program, where you can redeem points for travel, statement credits, gift cards, shopping, or transfer them to more than a dozen hotel or airline travel partners.

To see other travel card options, check out the best travel credit cards.