Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card review 2024: High earning potential but low ongoing benefits
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 1:28 p.m. UTC May 7, 2024
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The brand-new $99 annual fee Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card * The information for the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. comes with industry-leading earning potential on spending with the airline. However, the absence of substantial perks might persuade you to go with the higher-annual-fee Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card * The information for the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. or look elsewhere. Here’s our full Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card review.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card basics
- Annual fee: $99.
- Welcome bonus: 20,000 Avios after the first transaction, an additional 20,000 Avios, plus 150 Qpoints after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
- Rewards: 4 Avios per $1 spent on eligible Qatar Airways purchases, 2 Avios per $1 at restaurants and 1 Avios per $1 on other spend.
- APR: 21.24% to 28.24% variable APR on purchases.
- Recommended credit score: Good to excellent.
- Does the card offer preapproval? No.
- Other benefits: One year of Silver Tier elite status, instant access upon approval.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card review
As one of two new cards issued in partnership with Cardless, the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature card has an annual fee of just $99 and impressive earning potential. However, the ongoing benefits of the card are lackluster, falling short of the standard of excellence the airline is known for. Outside of a first year of Silver elite status, the card doesn’t offer many extras to cardholders to justify the price.
This could be partly due to Qatar already having so many perks integrated into their in-flight experience. For example, the credit card doesn’t need to offer a checked bag allowance as a perk when all travelers receive at least one checked bag when flying.
If you don’t earn enough of the airline’s Qpoints to maintain your Silver tier status in Qatar’s elite status program after your first year as a cardholder, you might feel like you’re not getting your annual fee’s worth.
The Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature is best for a particular traveler. You need to fly Qatar Airways or Oneworld partners regularly enough to be willing to pay an annual cardholder fee in exchange for some benefits. But if that particular traveler is you, it’s worth considering the $499-annual-fee Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite instead, which comes with an extensive array of perks for the price.
Pros
- High earning potential on Qatar Airways purchases: If your primary motivation for applying for the card is to earn Avios to use on flights, this card delivers.
- No foreign transaction fees: As is standard on cards issued by Cardless, you don’t have to worry about incurring additional fees when making purchases abroad.
- One year of Silver elite status: Upon being accepted for the card, you will earn one year of Silver elite status. This is the first tier of three and includes valuable benefits in the air and at the airport.
Cons
- Low non-bonus category earning: Outside of Qatar Airways and restaurant spending, the card earns just one point per dollar, so you’ll likely want a separate card for other spending.
- Minimal ongoing benefits: The elite status perk is valid for one year. If you don’t earn enough to renew your status, you’ll lose one of the card’s primary benefits.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card rewards
One of the best parts of the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature card is its bonus category earning potential. Cardholders will earn 4 Avios per $1 spent on eligible Qatar Airways purchases, 2 Avios per $1 at restaurants and 1 Avios per $1 on other spend. If you regularly fly Qatar Airways and want to maximize your earnings, this card is a great way to do it.
The airline is known for offering one of the most luxurious business class products in the sky and is well-regarded as a premier international airline. Headquartered in Doha, Qatar, the airline flies to nearly 170 destinations around the globe.
If you link your credit card to your Privilege Club account, you can collect and spend Avios at participating retail, dining, entertainment and lifestyle venues. The Avios you earn on payments with your linked credit card is in addition to the Avios you earn for using your card for payment. This is a great way to earn extra points on non-bonus category spending.
Additionally, cardholders will earn 2 Qpoints for every $2,000 spent on their card. Qpoints are the elite status metric with Qatar Airways. The exact number of Qpoints needed to earn status will depend on whether you want to renew your current tier or upgrade to the next one, as seen in the table below.
| MEMBERSHIP TIERS | QPOINTS REQUIRED TO UPGRADE (WITHIN ANY 12 MONTH PERIOD) | QPOINTS REQUIRED TO RENEW (EARNED 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO RENEWAL DATE) |
|---|---|---|
Silver
| 150 Qpoints
| 135 Qpoints
|
Gold
| 300 Qpoints
| 270 Qpoints
|
Platinum
| 600 Qpoints
| 540 Qpoints
|
As a new cardholder, you receive one year of Silver elite status. This means you need to earn just 135 Qpoints to keep your status after your first year, rather than 150 to achieve status in the first place. If you prefer to upgrade to Gold, you’d need to earn 300 Qpoints. Note that you must earn at least 20% of your Qpoints on flights operated by Qatar Airways.
The number of Qpoints you earn on a flight will depend on your route, the fare class you choose and your current status. For example, I’m flying on a roundtrip, business class flight from Madrid to the Maldives in July 2024. I don’t currently hold elite status with Qatar, so this trip will earn 66 Qpoints. If I were a cardholder of the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Card, I’d be almost halfway to renewing my Silver status after this trip.
The welcome offer allows you to earn 20,000 Avios after the first transaction, an additional 20,000 Avios, plus 150 Qpoints after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has around $29,525 in annual expenses that can be charged to a credit card. Here’s how our sample household’s rewards could break down:
| SPENDING CATEGORY | SPENDING AMOUNT | POINTS PER DOLLAR | POINTS EARNED |
|---|---|---|---|
Flights
| $1,414
| 4 points
| 5,656 points
|
Restaurants
| $3,639
| 2 points
| 7,278 points
|
Other
| $24,472
| 1 point
| 24,472 points
|
TOTAL
| $29,525
| 37,406 points
|
The cardholder in this example earns a grand total of 37,406 Avios annually. The value of an Avios will depend on the redemption method, but you can generally expect to be able to purchase a flight with this earning.
To redeem your points, you can purchase flights on Qatar Airways or on Oneworld partners which include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian and SriLankan Airlines. You can also redeem your Avios on partner airlines including Bangkok Airways, JetBlue, Latam Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Oman Air, RwandAir, S7 Airlines and Virgin Australia.
Avios can also be used to purchase upgrades, preferred seat selection and extra baggage. You can also use them to access the Privilege Club Collection, to book packages with Qatar Airways Holidays and to dine and shop at Qatar Duty Free.
Qatar Airways has connectivity for 12 major cities in the U.S.: New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Houston, Dallas Fort Worth and Washington, D.C.
Let’s look at some popular routes and how many Avios it will cost to get there. A flight from Miami (MIA) to Dubai (DXB) with a layover in Doha (DOH) will cost just 45,000 Avios one-way in economy, plus $136.40 in taxes and fees.
If you love hiking, you can fly from Seattle (SEA) to Kilimanjaro (JRO) with a layover in Doha for just 85,000 Avios round-trip, plus $338.80 in taxes and fees.
With the number of routes offered by the airline and its partners, you can certainly go places with the points you earn on your card.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card perks
One of the most notable perks of the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature card is one year of Silver elite status. As a Silver elite member, you will receive:
- 25% tier bonus on earning Avios with eligible flights.
- Priority stand-by, check-in and boarding.
- Complimentary access to lounges in airports and two guest lounge passes every year.
- Extra baggage allowance of 1 piece or 15 kg (33 lbs) and 20% savings on preferred seat selection.
- Savings of up to 15% when paying with Avios on shopping at Qatar Duty Free.
Qatar Airways is a member of the oneworld alliance, which means your Silver elite status gives you oneworld Ruby status and the opportunity to collect Avios when flying with oneworld airlines.
Ruby privileges include access to Business Class priority check-in, access to preferred or pre-reserved seating and priority on waitlists and when on standby.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card drawbacks
Although the fast track to one year of Silver Elite status is a fantastic perk, it would be great to see that perk be a permanent feature of the card. Once that year ends, the card won’t have many concrete perks outside of earning Avios. Other airline cards with comparable annual fees might include annual statement credits, discounts on award redemptions, discounts on in-flight purchases or priority boarding.
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How the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card compares to other airline cards
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card vs. Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card * The information for the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite is the higher-end sibling of the Visa Signature card. As such, the card has many more benefits, but at a cost of $499 per year. The earning potential is higher as you can earn 5 Avios per $1 on eligible Qatar Airways spend, 3 Avios per $1 at restaurants and 1 Avios per $1 on other spend. Plus, for every $1,500 you spend on your card, you’ll earn 2 Qpoints.
The welcome offer is slightly elevated, too, allowing you to earn up to 5 Avios per $1 on eligible Qatar Airways spend, 3 Avios per $1 at restaurants and 1 Avios per $1 on other spend. The card also comes with one year of Gold elite status, which means the bonus Qpoints put you more than halfway to being able to renew your status for another year.
As a Visa Infinite card, you will have access to the Visa Infinite Concierge service, the luxury hotel collection, a primary auto rental collision damage waiver, a reimbursement via statement credit for the application fees for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry (up to $100) and more.
Between the two cards, the Visa Infinite comes out on top for both earning potential and perks but not every traveler wants to add a $499-annual-fee card to their wallet. The Signature might make sense if you’re looking for a lower cost way to accrue Avios with Qatar Airways.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card vs. United℠ Explorer Card * The information for the United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The United℠ Explorer Card * The information for the United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is the entry-level credit card for United Airlines travelers, with $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. It earns 2 miles per $1 on dining including eligible delivery services, hotel stays and United purchases and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. Cardholders get their first checked bag free for themselves and a companion, an up to $100 statement credit for the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and priority boarding. In addition, cardholders get two, one-time United Club passes each year and Premier upgrades on award tickets.
The Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature is the better choice based on earning alone. However, the United Explorer card has more benefits than the Qatar card and is for a U.S.-based airline, which means it will be better for domestic travel. Additionally, cardholders of this or any United credit card get access to “hidden” reward space with the airline that only cardholders or those with United Premier status have access to. The Qatar card doesn’t unlock any additional reward flight availability.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best airline credit cards due to its earning potential, multiple airline transfer partners and relatively low annual fee. For just $95 per year, cardholders can earn 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. Plus, cardholders can earn up to $50 in statement credits each year for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred allows you to transfer your points to 11 airline partners and three hotel partners, giving you greater flexibility to redeem your points. While the Chase Sapphire Preferred might have more utility for you overall, it doesn’t offer point transfers to Qatar, so there might be room in your wallet for both cards.
Is the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card worth it?
The Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature card is a welcome addition to the market. Qatar Airways is known for its luxury travel experience, and with increased routes serving U.S. travelers the card is worth the annual fee for a specific type of Qatar Airways frequent flyer.
The benefits of the card aren’t substantial, so you’ll want other cards in your wallet that will give you better travel perks, like a statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fees, lounge access, bonus points on everyday spending and comprehensive travel protections and insurance coverage. If you already have cards that include those benefits, you can justify the annual fee by the earning potential alone.
If you do apply for the card, you’ll want to work toward earning at least 135 Qpoints so you can keep your Silver elite status, as it’s a primary benefit of the card. However, if you don’t fly Qatar Airways regularly enough to meet the threshold to earn status, you might be better off with a general travel rewards card with a transferable point currency. American Express Membership Rewards® and Citi ThankYou® points transfer to Qatar Airways at a 1:1 ratio, so you can book award flights using those points.
The Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card is right for you if:
- You fly Qatar Airways frequently enough to justify paying an annual fee but not enough to justify getting the Visa Infinite card.
- You plan on taking enough flights throughout the year to earn Silver elite status.
- Your primary motivation for applying is earning bonus points on Qatar Airways purchases.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
A free checked bag is not a cardholder benefit, but Qatar Airways allows at least one checked bag on every flight, regardless of fare class. Cardholders also receive one year of Silver elite status, which includes an additional checked bag allowance.
The exact value of an Avios will vary depending on the redemption method. Using the previous example of the flight from Miami to Dubai, you can pay 45,000 Avios or $477, giving you a valuation of roughly one cent per point. However, you can likely find much better valuations, especially in higher fare classes.
The number of points you will need to purchase a Qatar Airways flight will depend on several factors, like the time of year, route, availability and more. If you are curious about how much a flight will cost, you can visit the airline’s Qatar Airways My Calculator page to compare routes.
The annual fee for the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature is $99.
*The information for the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card, Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card and United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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