Is Best Western MasterCard Credit Card Worth It?

Whether you travel for business or pleasure, a solid travel-based rewards credit card could be a powerful tool to carry. These cards offer convenient use coupled with a generous rewards program that provide consumers will many great benefits.

Best Western is one of the most recognized and celebrated hotel chains in North America. Business and leisure travelers alike choose this hotel chain because of the consistently high level of quality they provide no matter where your journeys might take you. If you are a frequent traveler, though, you have probably considered a travel rewards-based credit card in order to capitalize on benefits specifically designed for the thrifty traveler. The Best Western MasterCard is one such card you might consider.

Rewards Points

Obviously, the first benefit you will examine when considering a new credit card, like this one, is how the rewards points program works. Whether you are a dedicated fan of the Best Western hotel chain or simply a frugal traveler always looking for a good deal on your travel arrangements, this card could provide you with benefits that you will appreciate:

• Earn 1.5 Best Western Rewards points for every $1 charged in retail purchases
• Earn 50 Best Western Rewards points for every cash advance made over $50
• Earn as many as 20,000 bonus Best Western points when you make your first qualifying retail purchase
• Earn one additional tier elite status Best Western Rewards program upgrade when you satisfy certain conditions each calendar year
• Earn bonus Best Western Rewards point when you use your card to stay at Best Western hotels or with affiliated retail partners

Interest Rates

Of course, when you have chosen to consider a new credit card one of the things you will examine is the table of interest rates. Each credit card carries multiple interest rates for the different kinds of transactions it is capable of processing. The Best Western MasterCard carries benefits for:

• Retail purchases
• Balance transfers
• Access cheques and deposits
• Cash advances

The important thing to remember with cards that are able to process multiple types of transactions is that the interest rates can often be drastically different. Fortunately, the different kinds of interest rates available for this card are relatively similar, which means that no matter how you use your card you can expect to see a similar interest rate. You should keep in mind that these rates are affected by your credit history and the prime market rate at the time of your application.

Fee Structure

Every credit card carries not only interest rates but also a fee structure as well. These fees are established in order to discourage irresponsible activity or to aid in processing less common transactions. Thus, with this card, you will find penalty and account fees for:

• Going over your credit limit
• Having a payment returned
• Having an access cheque returned
• Ordering an extra or replacement copy of your account statement
• Having an inactive balance

Similarly, you can also expect to pay processing or transaction fees for:

• Making a wire transfer
• Making a balance transfer
• Access cheques and deposits
• Ordering a cash advance

Typically, processing fees are a percentage of each transaction. Some credit cards will also charge a base fee while others will only charge fees to a certain limit. Be sure to look closely at the fee structure of this card (or any card, for that matter) if this is something that it is important to you.

The Application

If all of these features and benefits sound good to you then you will also be pleased to learn that you can quickly and easily apply for the Best Western MasterCard credit card online. Access the application via the web and supply them with a few pieces of pertinent information and you are on your way. The application will request from you:

• Your contact info (name, address, phone number, etc)
• Your financial situation (housing status, monthly payment, other types of accounts you might hold, etc)
• Your employment information
• Card features you prefer (whether you want to have access to balance transfers, whether you would like optional insurance).

Final Word

If you travel often and are looking for a way to save some money, the Best Western MasterCard credit card might be worth carrying with generous benefits in regards to the Best Western network and moderately consistent and competitive rates.