The 9 most valuable World Elite Mastercard benefits
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. When discussing the pros and cons of credit cards at TPG, we tend to focus on the sign-up bonuses, perks and bonus categories that make that card unique. However, regardless of who issues your card, it likely gets some perks from …
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
When discussing the pros and cons of credit cards at TPG, we tend to focus on the sign-up bonuses, perks and bonus categories that make that card unique. However, regardless of who issues your card, it likely gets some perks from the payment network it’s part of.
Mastercard has a similar setup. In addition to perks specific to each card (and its respective issuer), all World Elite Mastercard products have access to a common group of benefits.
Mastercard has two relatively new partnerships that will give cardholders even more value: savings on Peacock subscriptions and Instacart orders.
Here’s a breakdown of the new perks, as well as the most valuable benefits you’ll get with your World Elite Mastercard.
Click here to find the best World Elite Mastercard for your wallet.
The best World Elite Mastercard offers
While you may not have previously been familiar with the World Elite Mastercard branding, many top travel rewards cards are part of Mastercard’s World Elite program. Here are a few of the best offers currently available:
| Card | Welcome offer | Annual fee | Notable perks |
| Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees) | Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. | $95 | Earn 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions (excluding air travel) booked via the Citi travel portal.
Earn 3 points per dollar spent on air travel, other hotel purchases, gas and electric vehicle stations, restaurants and supermarkets. |
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) | Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first three months of account opening. | $595 | Enjoy an Admirals Club membership, the first checked bag free for you and up to eight companions on eligible American Airlines flights, priority check-in and early boarding. |
| JetBlue Plus Card | Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases and pay the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. | $99 | Enjoy the first checked bag free for you and up to three travel companions, a 50% discount on inflight purchases and 10% of your redeemed points back. |
| Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard | Earn 70,000 miles after you spend $2,000 on the card in the first 90 days of account opening. | $99 | Receive a $100 companion discount after each account anniversary, plus enjoy the first two checked bags free. |
| IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. | $99 | Receive an anniversary award night worth up to 40,000 points, IHG Platinum Elite status and a fourth-night-free reward on award stays. |
The information for the JetBlue Plus Card and the Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Instacart savings
At the time of writing this, World Elite cardholders get a free two-month trial of Instacart+ with a new subscription and $10 off their second eligible Instacart purchase each month.
Instacart+ typically costs $9.99 per month, so the two-month trial saves just under $20. If you can take advantage of the $10 off a second order each month as well, you’ll save almost $140 in a year — decent savings for Instacart fans, especially for those who already have an eligible card in their wallet.
However, this is far from the most valuable Instacart credit card perk available. Eligible Chase cardholders can get a complimentary Instacart+ membership and up to $15 in Instacart statement credits each month with no second purchase requirement.
Still, those who don’t have an eligible Chase card and have been wanting to try Instacart+ will benefit from this addition.
Peacock subscription credit
The other most recent addition to the World Elite Mastercard perk list is $5 off Peacock Premium Plus or $3 off Peacock Premium each month.
A Peacock Premium Plus subscription costs $13.99 (plus tax) per month, and cardholders get a $5 statement credit, reducing their monthly cost to $8.99. A Peacock Premium subscription costs $7.99 (plus tax) per month, and cardholders get a $3 statement credit, reducing their monthly cost to $4.99.
The World Elite Mastercard benefit is great news for those who don’t have their subscription covered elsewhere.
Exclusive discounts with select merchants
Mastercard has also partnered with some popular merchants to provide savings on everyday expenses.
One of the most popular deals we’ve seen is a $5 Lyft credit when you take at least three rides in a month. If you max out the available benefits every month, you can recoup the annual fees on many World Elite Mastercards before taking into account the other benefits.
World Elite concierge
While everyone here presumably enjoys traveling, not all of us enjoy the legwork that goes into planning a good trip. Thankfully, Mastercard’s 24-hour concierge service can help you make travel plans, secure a hard-to-get reservation at popular restaurants or even track down items like concert tickets.
I’ve gotten a lot of value out of my credit card concierge services over the years, and I consider them one of the most underrated perks.
ShopRunner membership
With more and more purchases moving from physical stores to online, customers are placing increased importance on fast shipping. Thankfully, all World Elite Mastercards come with complimentary ShopRunner memberships, giving you free two-day shipping and return shipping at over 100 retailers.
Depending on how often you like to shop, this can add up to a considerable amount of savings over the course of the year.
Mastercard Luxury Hotel & Resorts portfolio
This program functions very similarly to The Edit by Chase Travel or American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts — but with even more properties to choose from. With over 3,000 luxury properties in Mastercard’s portfolio, customers enjoy complimentary room upgrades (upon availability), complimentary breakfast, $50 to $100 in amenity credits, early check-in, late checkout and other unique benefits at thousands of hotels worldwide.
This program is an excellent way for less frequent travelers to enjoy elitelike benefits.
Hotel stay guarantee
World Elite cardholders are ensured the best possible travel experience with the hotel stay guarantee clause.
Should you run into problems after booking a three-star (or greater) hotel through the program, the 24-hour Lifestyle Managers will work to “make it right” and offer up to $1,000 to move you to a comparable property.
Mastercard Travel Rewards
Mastercard Travel Rewards is an international program that provides cash-back rewards on hundreds of offers when traveling across 25 countries and shopping at sought-after brands. You can earn rewards at participating businesses, like restaurants and entertainment, while traveling and online.
This travel benefit is available on select personal and small-business World Elite Mastercard products and adds to the existing suite of benefits. The JetBlue Plus Card and the HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard® are just two of the cards offering this special benefit.
It’s simple. There are no coupons or codes, just automatic cash-back rewards.
To find out more and check out the valuable offers available to you, click here.
Priceless Experiences
For decades, Mastercard’s Priceless program has represented the company’s belief that experiences matter more than things. Priceless Experiences is an online marketplace full of thousands of unique experiences in cities worldwide that are curated exclusively for Mastercard customers.
From sunset river cruises in Bangkok to a guided paddleboat tour of Sydney Harbour, Priceless Experiences will likely have an experience waiting wherever you live or travel.
Other benefits worth mentioning
While these other benefits are more niche, World Elite Mastercard holders can access other lifestyle and travel benefits. For instance, cardholders can save up to $1,000 per round trip on private jets thanks to Mastercard’s partners like Caledonia Jets and Vitesse Worldwide.
Bottom line
While evaluating a new card, it’s essential not to overlook the significance of the card network, especially considering the multitude of benefits offered by participating in a program like the World Elite Mastercard.
Many of these perks get overshadowed by card-specific ones like bonus categories and welcome offers. Still, whether you already have a World Elite Mastercard in your wallet or are considering applying for one in the future, you should try and take advantage of all the perks available to you.
Want to access these perks and more? Click here to choose the best World Elite Mastercard for your wallet.
