World Elite Mastercard Benefits Complete Guide [2023]: Don't Miss Out on These Perks

It’s important to consider the different benefits available when you compare credit cards. Most credit cards are designed with specific benefits in mind, such as enhancing your travel experiences or offering annual credits. However, card networks like Mastercard and Visa provide additional benefits to supplement those offered by credit card issuers.

All Mastercard offers (credit cards) provide certain benefits depending on which tier your credit card falls under. As you move up Mastercard tiers, you gain access to additional perks with more potential value. This guide will help you understand more about Mastercard benefits, including the top World Mastercard and World Elite Mastercard benefits.

Overview of World Elite Mastercard benefits

The highest Mastercard tiers are World Mastercard and World Elite Mastercard. These tiers offer the most and best benefits.

Keep in mind, Mastercard is a card network, not a card issuer. Any of a credit card’s benefits are ultimately up to the card issuers, like Chase, Citi, Barclays, and more. So it’s possible to have a World Elite Mastercard without all the World Elite benefits because the card issuer hasn’t allowed them.

The following table shows which benefits are included for the standard Mastercard, World Mastercard, and World Elite Mastercard tiers.

Benefit	Mastercard	World Mastercard	World Elite Mastercard
Zero liability protection	Yes	Yes	Yes
Global service hotline	Yes	Yes	Yes
Identity theft protection	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mastercard Priceless Cities	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hotel stay and rate guarantees	No	Yes	Yes
Airport concierge	No	Yes	Yes
Professional travel services	No	Yes	Yes
ShopRunner membership	No	Yes	Yes
Golf experiences and offers	No	Yes	Yes
Luxury hotel and resorts benefits	No	Yes	Yes
Car, air, cruise, and vacation packages	No	Yes	Yes
Onefinestay discount	No	Yes	Yes
Other exclusive partner discounts and benefits	No	No	Yes
World Elite concierge	No	No	Yes

World Elite Mastercard benefit details

It’s nice to see long lists of perks, but how useful are all these Mastercard benefits? Let’s go over each of the World Elite Mastercard benefits in more detail so you can decide which are potentially the most valuable to you.

Zero liability protection

Mastercard’s zero liability protection covers you in the event your card is lost or stolen and someone uses it to make unauthorized purchases. This applies to in-store purchases, over-the-phone purchases, online purchases, purchases made from a mobile device, and ATM transactions. You must immediately contact your financial institution if your card is lost or stolen to not be held responsible for unauthorized purchases.

Global service hotline

Mastercard’s global service hotline is available virtually to offer emergency assistance whenever you need it, in any location, and in any language. It can help you report a lost or stolen card and help you get a replacement card if you need it. It can also answer any questions about your account or help you find an ATM location.

Identity theft protection

Millions of people are victims of identity theft each year in the U.S., which is why Mastercard offers free identity theft protection. This benefit can help you monitor changes on your credit that may indicate fraud, including new accounts opened in your name or new credit inquiries.

You’ll be sent alerts about detected suspicious activity so you can immediately work to mitigate any potential damage. Identity theft resolution specialists are available 24/7 to help you take necessary steps to further protect your accounts and resolve existing issues.

Mastercard Priceless Cities

Priceless Cities offers Mastercard cardholders exclusive access to a wide range of experiences. This may include culinary, travel, or celebrity experiences, and more. Past experiences have included virtual tours of popular global landmarks, cooking classes, and sending messages to loved ones from famous athletes.

Hotel stay and rate guarantees

If you aren’t satisfied with your three-star or higher hotel stay booked through the Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services program, a designated agent will help to resolve your issue(s) or find you comparable accommodations.

And the hotel rate guarantee ensures that if you’ve booked a qualifying hotel stay through the Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services program and you find the same booking at a lower price online, you can submit a claim to receive a reimbursement for the difference.

Airport concierge

You can schedule a dedicated agent to guide you through any of over 700 airport destinations worldwide through which you’re arriving, departing, or connecting on a flight. These agents are available 24/7 to help ease your process of traveling through a new airport.

Professional travel services

Use this Mastercard benefit to get professional help planning your upcoming trip. Experienced travel advisors are available 24/7 to offer assistance for your travel needs. As you provide more of your preferences, you’ll receive more personalized and curated results.

ShopRunner membership

Receive a free ShopRunner membership as a Mastercard World Elite cardholder. ShopRunner members get free two-day shipping and free return shipping on purchases from over 100 online retailers. Popular stores include Saks Fifth Avenue, Under Armour, and Tommy Hilfiger.

Golf experiences and offers

Mastercard’s Priceless Golf program provides Mastercard World Elite cardholders with exclusive golf offers and experiences. This includes access to over 1,000 private country club golf courses across North America, savings on Topgolf reservations, and access to multiple golf tournaments and events.

Luxury hotel and resorts benefits

The Mastercard luxury hotel and resorts portfolio provides valuable benefits for travelers who can take advantage of the program. This includes free daily breakfast, available room upgrades, and a special amenity gift worth up to $100. In addition, you’ll also receive complimentary early check-in and late checkout when available.

Car, air, cruise, and vacation packages

If you’re planning a trip, you could save money by checking for exclusive discounts and benefits through Mastercard. You automatically receive elite membership status with car rental agencies like National, Avis, and Sixt. Plus, you might find deals on other aspects of your travel as well.

Onefinestay discount

Receive a 10% discount on onefinestay bookings with your World Elite Mastercard credit card. Onefinestay offers rental opportunities at thousands of homes and villas worldwide. Each home in the onefinestay portfolio is hand-picked to provide you with the best spaces for comfort and character. In fact, only one in 10 homes reviewed make it into the portfolio.

Other exclusive partner discounts and benefits

Mastercard World Elite cardholders also receive benefits from these partnerships:

• Lyft: If you take five eligible Lyft rides in a month and pay with your Mastercard World Elite credit card, you’ll receive $10 in Lyft credit. This credit is limited to once per month.
• Boxed: Purchases on Boxed with your Mastercard World Elite credit card earn 5% cash rewards. These rewards can be used on future Boxed purchases.
• Fandango: Receive $5 off future movie tickets or at-home purchases (in the form of Fandango VIP points) whenever you buy two movie tickets through Fandango with your Mastercard World Elite credit card.

World Elite concierge

Receive complimentary access to a 24/7 concierge that functions similarly to a personal assistant. Your World Elite concierge can help with specific needs and requests, which makes this a helpful and unique benefit. If you need tickets to a sold-out concert or want to reserve a table at a popular restaurant, contact your World Elite concierge for assistance.

Our favorite World Mastercard and World Elite Mastercard cards

There are loads of World Mastercard and World Elite Mastercard credit cards, but we’ve picked a few of our favorites to give you an idea of what’s available.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a unique Chase card because it’s part of the Mastercard network, whereas many other Chase credit cards are Visa. This is a huge benefit because it’s part of the Mastercard World Elite program.

The Chase Freedom Flex earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories (on up to $1,500 spent) and travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery service); and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Because this card has a $0 annual fee, it makes sense for daily spending and everyday purchases in its bonus categories. With its great earning potential and benefits such as cell phone protection and purchase protection, the Chase Freedom Flex is one of the best cashback credit cards available.

The Freedom Flex also has the added Mastercard benefit of extended warranty that extends U.S. manufacturer’s warranties by one year on eligible purchases.

Learn more about this card with our Chase Freedom Flex review.

JetBlue Plus Card

The JetBlue Plus Card is an excellent option for travelers who can take advantage of flying JetBlue Airways on a frequent basis. This Barclays credit card is part of the World Elite Mastercard program and earns 6X points on JetBlue purchases, 2X points at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases. It does have a $99 annual fee, but you can offset the annual cost with the card’s benefits.

Benefits include 5,000 anniversary points each year, a 50% discount on in-flight cocktail and food purchases, and a free checked bag for you and up to three companions traveling on the same reservation. You’ll also be able to earn elite status with JetBlue more easily with this card.

For another World Elite Mastercard card with different air travel benefits, consider the Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® World Elite Mastercard^® if you’re a frequent flyer of American Airlines.

Check out our JetBlue Plus Card review.

Citi^® Double Cash Card

The Citi^® Double Cash Card is often issued as a World Mastercard, but sometimes you might see it as a World Elite Mastercard as well. However, the World Elite upgrade will likely happen after you’ve already had the World Mastercard version and later become eligible for an upgrade.

This card is often regarded as one of the best rewards credit cards available because of its high earning potential. You can earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Even better, there’s no limit to how much cash back you can earn, no category restrictions on purchases, and it has a $0 annual fee.

The Citi Double Cash also offers a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for the 18 months after account opening (then 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)).

Get more details at our Citi® Double Cash Card - 18 month BT offer review.

FAQs

Bottom line

World Mastercard and World Elite Mastercard benefits offer a lot more value than what you’d find on a standard Mastercard credit card. However, between the two highest Mastercard tiers, there’s not too much that’s different. It may not be worth it to specifically apply for a card because of its World Elite Mastercard benefits, but they can be useful if one of your cards already has these benefits.