Contents
The RCI Elite Rewards Mastercard from Barclaycard has an offer for 2,500 bonus rewards when you make your first purchase. We value these rewards to be worth around $25. That’s a lackluster welcome offer compared to what other no-annual-fee cards are offering. See our list for other travel cards such as the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
RCI is a major exchange network that lets owners swap or rent out their timeshares. Affiliated properties can be found in 110 countries at more than 4,300 resorts.
RCI Elite Rewards Mastercard is a barebones rewards card designed for those who often stay at RCI timeshare properties. You’ll earn 5x rewards for RCI spending, 2x rewards on eligible travel purchases and 1x points on everything else. Plus, enjoy a 5% rewards rebate every time you redeem.
Not a fan of RCI? Then this co-branded card won’t do you any good. Instead, opt for a rewards card offered by your favorite hotel group.
| Bonus Available | Get 2,500 bonus rewards after your first purchase. |
| Bonus Value* | $25 |
| Travel Credit | Receive a $250 vacation credit towards one RCI vacation when you spend $10,000 in purchases each calendar year. |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits | Earn 5x rewards for every $1 spent on eligible RCI purchases. 2x rewards for every $1 spent on eligible travel purchases. 1x rewards for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Get 5% rewards back every time you redeem. |
| Foreign Transaction Fees? | No |
| Annual Fee | $0 |
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by MoneysMyLife and not the card issuer. Read our card review for more details.
View our latest valuations here.
Recommended Credit Score (Get Your Free Score)
PROS
- No annual fee
- Annual spend bonus
- Redemption rebate
- No foreign transaction fees
CONS
- Good-Excellent credit needed to qualify
- Small welcome bonus
MARRIOTT BONVOY BOLD® CREDIT CARD
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has a limited time offer for 60,000 bonus points when you spend $2,000 within the first 3 months. We value these 60k points at around $540.
This card earns 14 points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. Other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains) will earn 2 points per $1. All other purchases will earn 1 point per $1.
You’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, qualifying you for Silver Elite status.
There are no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee.
RCI Elite Rewards Card 2,500 Bonus Rewards Offer
Take advantage of the RCI Elite Rewards card’s introductory offer: 2,500 bonus rewards. I value these rewards at around $25 (more on that below).
To qualify, charge your first purchase to your card. There’s no spending requirement or time limit to worry about.
What Are RCI Elite Rewards Worth?
Like many other credit cards, the value of your rewards depends on how you use them. My valuation puts each RCI Elite reward at approximately $0.01. That’s on par with the industry average.
When you’re ready to redeem your rewards, you have a few options, including:
- RCI Member Rewards credits
- Cash back direct deposits and statement credits
- Travel booked through BarclaysUS.com, including flights, hotel stays and car rentals.
- Gift cards
- Merchandise
- Experiences
- Charitable donations
Every once in awhile, RCI will run redemption discounts, which boost the value of your rewards. If you’re not in a rush to redeem, it’s best to sit back and wait for the promotional discount.
RCI Elite Rewards Card Top Features
Every calendar year, you’re eligible for a $250 vacation credit towards an RCI vacation when you charge at least $10,000 to your RCI Elite Rewards card. To hit the threshold, you need to spend more than $833 a month.
Here are some ideas on meeting the spending requirement:
Receive a 5% rewards rebate every time you redeem to use towards your next redemption. For example, if you redeem 40,000 rewards, you would get 2,000 rewards as a bonus.
Make purchases abroad without worrying about foreign transaction fees with the RCI Elite Rewards card.
Bottom Line
The RCI Elite Rewards Mastercard is a good option for:
- Timeshare owners and members of RCI
- Those who rent vacation space through RCI
- RCI property guests
You’ll earn bonus rewards for RCI and travel spending, and you have multiple options for redeeming them.
On the other hand, if RCI timeshares aren’t your thing, you’ll find more value with a card that offers bigger rewards in other bonus categories.
What’s The Competition?
Below are some of the top competitors to the RCI Elite Rewards Mastercard you should consider.
HILTON HONORS AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Hilton Honors American Express Card has an offer for up to 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points. Earn 80k points when you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, earn 50k more points when you spend $5,000 in the first 6 months. Our valuation puts the 130k combined points at around $780 in value ($0.006 per point).
This Hilton credit card earns 7 Hilton Honors points per $1 spent directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Honors portfolio of brands. U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas station spending earns 5 Hilton Honors points per dollar. All other purchases will earn 3 Hilton Honors points per dollar.
Other features include no foreign transaction fees and free Hilton Honors Silver Status. This card has no annual fee. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
CAPITAL ONE® VENTUREONE® REWARDS CREDIT CARD
The Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card has an offer for 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months. We value these 20k bonus miles at around $280.
This card has no annual fee. The annual fee version of this card is the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card, with better features.
The VentureOne Rewards card offers unlimited 1.25X miles on all purchases. You can redeem for statement credits for travel and gift cards. Another option is to transfer miles to airline partners. Read more on this here.
| OFFER LINK | OFFER | OUR REVIEW |
| Chase Business Complete Banking℠ | $300 Cash | Review |
| Chase Total Checking® | $225 Cash | Review |
| Chase Secure Banking℠ | $100 Cash | Review |
| TD Bank Beyond Checking | $300 Cash | Review |
| TD Bank Convenience Checking℠ | $150 Cash | Review |
| HSBC Premier Checking | $450 Cash | Review |
| Axos Business Checking | $100 Cash | Review |
| Aspiration Checking | $150/$200 Cash | Review |
| Ally Invest | Up To $3,000 | Review |
| Betterment | Up To 1 Year Free | Review |
| BlockFi | Up To $250 BTC | Review |
| Voyager (code BH5F1A) | $25 In BTC | Review |
| TradeStation | $100 Bonus | Review |
| Coinbase | $10 In BTC | Review |
| Robinhood | Free Stock | Review |
| Motley Fool | Stock Advisor Discount | Review |
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Disclaimer: These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. It is not the bank advertiser's or any other entity's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.