7 Travel Credit Card Rebates and Perks You’re Probably Not Using

Flying (and spending) a lot with an airline will unlock the many perks of elite status — think: free bags, shorter security lines, and upgraded seats — but it’s not the only way to receive valuable perks and savings while traveling. Many travelers also sign up for travel credit cards, which — in exchange for an annual fee — provide useful benefits that can quickly add up if you fly frequently. Here are a few of our favorite, often underrated rebates and perks of travel credit cards that can save you serious money. 

TSA PreCheck and Global Entry Credits

One of the best ways to speed through security at the airport? Enrolling in a Trusted Traveler Program, like TSA PreCheck. According to the TSA, 99% of PreCheck passengers wait 10 minutes or less, as travelers in these expedited lanes do not have to remove shoes, liquids, or laptops for screening. The TSA provides a helpful list of more than 40 credit cards that offer rebates on the application fee (currently $78 for a five-year membership). 

Many of these credit cards also cover the cost of Global Entry, a program that allows travelers to breeze through customs and immigrations after arriving from an international location. The fee for Global Entry is $120 for five years, and it includes TSA PreCheck, so check to see if your credit card covers it before signing up. Some cards also cover the cost for CLEAR, a membership program that uses biometric technology to allow travelers to bypass the ID check line and save even more time at the airport.

Free Checked Bags

With Southwest no longer the last holdout, checked baggage fees are pretty much unavoidable now — unless you hold the right credit card. This is one of the most popular reasons people sign up for airline co-branded credit cards, many of which waive the fee for your first checked bag each time you travel with that airline.

But did you know you can share this benefit with others? For instance, the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express card offers a fee waiver for up to nine people traveling together on the same reservation. Considering the fee for each first checked bag on Delta is currently $35, you could score substantial savings by booking your entire group or family on the same reservation. 

Airline Credits

Each time you swipe or tap your credit card on an airplane, you could also be racking up savings. Many airline co-branded credit cards offer a statement credit for in-flight purchases — for example, the JetBlue Card provides 50% off savings on in-flight food and beverages on JetBlue-operated flights. 

Other cards offer annual credits for money spent on airline incidentals, such as checked bag fees, change fees, pet fees, and seat assignment fees. The Platinum Card from American Express, one of the most popular premium travel credit cards (and one with a steep $695 annual fee), has a $200 annual credit for such purchases. However, you have to choose one specific airline each year to receive this perk. 

Offer Portals

Often, credit card holders overlook the exclusive discounts they can receive through dedicated offers. Each card issuer has a specific name for its offer portal — American Express has Amex Offers, Chase has Chase Offers, Capital One has Capital One Offers, and Citi has Citi Merchant Offers, for example. While these offers cover a wide range of retailers, some of which you may find more enticing than others, what’s true is that you will often find money-saving travel offers. 

Recently, I added an Amex Offer to spend $500 and save $100 on a Delta Air Lines purchase and to spend $350 and save $140 on a Marriott hotel stay. You should regularly log in to these portals to check and enroll for travel offers — it only takes a few minutes, and by not doing so, you’re leaving potential savings on the table. 

Travel and Rental Car Insurance

We embark on our travels with optimism, but with the understanding that sometimes hiccups can happen. That’s why many travelers opt for insurance, whether that’s trip interruption insurance or collision coverage on a rental car. But before checking that box for insurance on the checkout page for your plane ticket, check your credit card benefits to see if you’re already covered so you avoid paying unnecessarily for insurance.

Some travel credit cards offer valuable protections simply for being a cardholder and using that card to pay for your trip. For example, Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders receive travel and emergency assistance, trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, auto rental coverage, and travel accident insurance, among other benefits. While you probably hope to never need to take advantage of these, you’d be covered for out-of-pocket expenses if the worst happened. 

Purchase Protection

While we’re on the topic of unfortunate events, picture this scenario: You just upgraded your iPhone so you can capture better photos during a big trip coming up, but a week before you depart, you accidentally break it. Are you on the hook for an expensive last-minute replacement? Not so fast.

Many credit card companies offer purchase protection policies that reimburse you for recent purchases if they are accidentally damaged, lost, or stolen. You’ll need to have paid for the item with your eligible card, and purchases usually must be made within the last 90 to 120 days, depending on the card issuer. Some credit card companies even offer ongoing cellphone insurance, provided you pay for your monthly cellphone bill with the card.  

Shopping Sites

Love online shopping? You’re not alone. More Americans than ever are shopping online, but many of them are leaving money on the table by not using e-commerce portals, which offer cash back or bonus points on everyday purchases. Many airlines offer their own versions, such as Delta’s SkyMiles Shopping, which awards bonus miles for every purchase. 

One of the easiest to use is Rakuten. Start shopping on the Rakuten site (or use their free browser plugin) to see cash back offers and sales across a wide variety of retailers. Once you click over to the merchant, Rakuten will track your purchase and add cash back to your account. If you hold an American Express credit card that earns Membership Rewards points, you can opt to receive points instead, which are often considered more valuable because you can use them to redeem for travel through transfer partners, often at a better rate than paying cash outright.