Sometimes getting a top of the line travel card isn’t enough. You get miles which is definitely great – but not much else. Sometimes like me, you want just a bit more.
Things like access to airport lounges, a concierge, custom itineraries, and loads of other perks make a card more of a luxury card than just a top-tier travel card.
That’s why I am reviewing three credit cards offered by Luxury Mastercard®- so you can determine if you want and would enjoy a card with luxury options. If you’re willing to pay for it, let’s figure out which of the three is best for you and your financial situation.
The three cards, compared
| Titanium | Black | Gold | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card |  |
 |
 |
| APR | 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable | 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable | 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable |
| Annual fee | $195 ($95 for each Authorized User added to the account). | $495 ($195 for each Authorized User added to the account). | $995 ($295 for each Authorized User added to the account). |
| Rewards | 1 point per dollar spent; 2% back on airfare, 1% on cash back. | 1 point per dollar spent; 2% back on airfare, 1.5% on cash back. | 1 point per dollar spent; 2% back on airfare and cash back. |
The Luxury Card™ Mastercard® Gold Card™ is the highest-level credit card from Luxury Card – made of 24-karat gold. It’s made of 24-karat gold plated stainless steel front and carbon back for durability and distinction. Check out the unboxing video of the Gold Card in this fun 2+ minute video:
Key facts
- Best for: Big spenders
- Intro offer/sign-up bonus: None
- Cash back: 1 point for every $1 you spend; 2% value for airfare redemptions; 2% value for cash back redemptions
- Intro APR: See Issuer Website for more details*
- Regular APR: 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable
- Foreign transaction fee: 0% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
- Other unique features: $200 in annual air travel credit toward flight-related purchases including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more.
Pros
- Tons of travel benefits – You get a plethora of travel perks with this card, including access to over 1,300 airport lounges for free. You’ll travel with distinction and perks.
- Excellent redemption rate for points – With 2% back on airfare redemption, it beats out most other travel cards.
- Great for getting cash back, too – Luxury Gold’s cash back redemption rate is double that of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, making it a great option for cash back.
- Heavy, sturdy card – this card is 22g in weight (and it’s made of 24-karat gold), by far one of the heaviest cards I’ve seen.
Cons
- Extremely high annual fee – the annual fee is very high, and it costs a lot to add authorized users.
- No sign-up bonus – for this large of a fee, I’d love to have seen a sign-up bonus for cash back, miles, or something else.
Key facts
- Best for: Frequent fliers.
- Intro offer/sign-up bonus: None.
- Cash back: 1 point for every $1 you spend; 2% value for airfare redemptions; 1.5% value for cash back redemptions.
- Intro APR: See Issuer Website for more details*.
- Regular APR: 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable
- Foreign transaction fee: 0% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
- Other unique features: $100 in annual air travel credit toward flight-related purchases including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more.
Pros
- Lots of travel perks – Like the Gold Card, the Black Card has a bunch of different benefits you can take advantage of for traveling; many of which you won’t get with other credit cards.
- High redemption rate for airfare – It lines up with the Gold Card with 2% back on airfare redemption, making it one of the highest returns of travel cards I’ve seen.
- Cash rate still good – Even at 1.5% back, the cash back redemption rate is higher than most travel cards.
- Sturdy card – It’s not gold, but it’s still heavy and sturdy at 22g in weight.
Cons
- Annual fee still high – The annual fee is still very high compared to the benefits and rewards you get.
- Expensive to add other users – I’m not impressed by the cost to add an authorized user, especially when it doesn’t really add value aside from having someone else earn rewards.
- No sign-up bonus – The fact there’s no sign-up bonus to help chip away at the annual fee is disappointing.
Key facts
- Best for: Luxury benefits without the cost.
- Intro offer/sign-up bonus: None.
- Cash back: 1 point for every $1 you spend; 2% value for airfare redemptions, 1% value for cash back redemptions.
- Intro APR: See Issuer Website for more details*
- Regular APR: 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable
- Foreign transaction fee: 0% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
- Other unique features: Most of the same benefits of the Gold Card.
Pros
- Great redemption rate for airfare – Even the entry-level card gets 2% back on airfare, still keeping it atop the list of other premium travel cards.
- Heavy card – The card itself is on par with the others cards, coming in at 22g. This will last you a while without any damage.
Cons
- Annual fee and cost to add others – $195 ($95 for each Authorized User added to the account) still feels like a lot for this card, compared to what you get with rewards and other benefits. And, $95 for each authorized user is unacceptable in my opinion, it should be free.
- No signup bonus – You won’t get any extra points or miles for signing up.
Concierge service
The concierge service is really what these three cards are all about in my book. It’s what truly makes them the luxury that they truly are. Here’s why:
You’ll have access to a 24/7 concierge service that can just about anything. They can book your travel, assist you with travel bookings, various personal requests while you’re traveling or planning your trip including even help you propose to your partner! You’ll get the highest caliber of personal service 24/7 anywhere you are which I know you can’t put a price tag on when you need assistance and whatever you need is taken care of you easily and quickly – no questions asked.
Annual fees
There’s no secret here, Luxury Cards comes with some incredibly high annual fees.
- For the Gold Card, you’ll need to pay a $995 ($295 for each Authorized User added to the account) annual fee.
- The Black Card comes with a $495 ($195 for each Authorized User added to the account) annual fee.
- The most affordable card, the Titanium Card has a $195 ($95 for each Authorized User added to the account) annual fee.
The question of whether you want to shell out the money for the annual fee – is only one you can answer yourself.
APR
The Gold, Black, and Titanium Card have no intro APR on purchases, but the Luxury Black Card offer 0% intro APR for 15 months following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. After that, your rate goes to 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable on all three cards.
Rewards
The Luxury Gold Card gives you 1 point per $1 spent on all purchases. As a bonus, however, you get a 2% value for airfare (with no blackout dates) and cash back redemptions.
With the middle-tier Black Card, you’ll earn 1 point for every dollar you spend. When you go to redeem, you’ll get a 2% redemption value for airfare and a 1.5% redemption value for cash back.
The Luxury Card™ Mastercard® Titanium Card™ gives you 1 point for every dollar you spend, regardless of where you spend it. When you go to redeem, however, you can get 2% back on airfare and 1% cash back.
Travel perks
The Gold Card and the Black Card come with the following features – many of which are quite enticing in the world of nice perks and benefits in the world of travel.
Take a look!
- Global Entry & TSA Pre✓® Application Credit – Get a $100 automatic statement credit for the cost of the Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® application fee.
- VIP Airport Lounge Access with Priority Pass™ Select – Get free access to over 1,300 airport lounges across the world, regardless of the airline you’re flying.
- Off the Beaten Path Itineraries – Custom travel itineraries that give you exceptional experiences and immerse you in the local culture.
- Hotel & Travel Program – Receive a robust package of traveling services at over 3,000 properties that will make personal and company travel more comfortable. Plus the Luxury Card Travel® Program adds significant benefits to hotel stays, business trips, family adventures, and spontaneous getaways.
- Luxury Card app – It’s a slick app that lets you book travel, redeem rewards, and get 24/7 access to your concierge, and more.
- Luxury Card Experiences – You’ll have access to a variety of constantly-updated experiences, curated by Luxury Card, such as sports and entertainment. A nice perk, indeed!
- Airport Meet & Assist – A personal guide will escort you through the airport quickly and efficiently.
- Baggage Delay Insurance – With these cards, you’ll be reimbursed for qualifying items for up to $100 per day for three days for delays of over four hours from the point of arrival to your destination.
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption – You get additional coverage – up to $5,000 – for a round-trip purchase when you use your Luxury Card and certain accidental covered events cause your trip to be interrupted or canceled entirely.
- Travel Assistance – If you’re going 50 miles or more from home, you can get travel assistance 24/7. This includes things like medical assistance and legal referral support.
- Travel Accident Insurance – You’re covered for qualified common carrier accidental death and dismemberment, up to $250,000 (at no extra cost) when you charge your full trip on the Luxury Card.
- Auto Rental Collision Waiver – Get additional coverage including reimbursement for covered damages due to collision or theft on rental cars when you use your Luxury Card to pay for the rental. Note: make sure you decline any coverage provided by the rental agency.
- Mastercard Global Service – This is a service offered through Mastercard. You’ll receive help with emergency card replacements, lost and stolen card reporting, and emergency cash advances if needed.
- Mastercard Priceless – This is an exclusive experience for Luxury Card Mastercard holders where you’ll get access to things like invitation-only, for once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
- Smartphone protection – Here you’ll get additional coverage for damage or theft when you pay your smartphone bill using your Luxury Card.
- Lyft credit – Register and get three complimentary rides per month with your Luxury Card credit card and receive a $5 Lyft credit.
- Free ShopRunner perks – Get free two-day delivery and free return shipping on qualified purchases through ShopRunner.
- Fandango points –Receive a $5 Fandango Reward every time you spend $20 on movie tickets with Fandango or stream movies or TV shows on Fandango’s home entertainment streaming service using your Luxury Card.
Travel perks for the Titanium Card
The Titanium Card has most of the same benefits as the other two cards, minus the Global Entry & TSA Pre✓® Application Credit and the VIP Airport Lounge Access with Priority Pass™ Select.
How to choose the right one for you
As you can already see, Luxury Card is making cards for people who want luxury (surprise, right?). Therefore, you have to reset your expectations as to what you should be paying for an annual fee.
You’re here because you’re looking for a luxury credit card and you’re looking for conveniences that will make your life as hassle-free as possible.
What I know about all three Luxury Cards is that they offer a bunch of extra perks that you aren’t going to find anywhere else. For example, the 24/7 concierge and the ability to get custom itineraries created for you are one-of-a-kind type services that nobody else in the market seems to be offering.
That said, if you’re going to get one of these cards, you have to decide which is best for you.
Here’s a simple way I like to think about it:
- If you’re planning to spend a lot of money AND you want the choice of redeeming for airfare or cash, go with the Gold Card.
- If you are mostly focused on redeeming points for airfare and don’t plan to redeem for cash, the Black Card is probably best for you.
- If you want the lowest cost card that still gives you most of the luxury benefits, go with Titanium.
Summary
As you can see, Luxury Card offers some pretty awesome perks. And their cards don’t look half-bad either. Just remember that Luxury Card is not a bank. In fact, they’re backed by Barclays. They just service the card and add in all the cool benefits for you to give the option to travel with conveniences left and right.
If you’re in the market for a card that stands out as trying to give you the most convenience around traveling, I’d definitely check out one of these three cards from Luxury Mastercard®.