WorldPerks® Visa® Signature Card  

REVIEW:
The WorldPerks® Visa®, issued by U.S. Bank, is ideal for those with excellent credit who travel regularly with Northwest Airlines® or any of their airline partners.

Through the rewards program, cardholders earn two miles for each dollar spent through Northwest Airlines® and one mile for each dollar spent on all other purchases. Up to five miles per dollar can also be earned at participating restaurants. Upon approval, up to 20,000 bonus miles are applied to the account. Earned miles can be redeemed for free travel with Northwest Airlines® or any of their partners. Although miles do not expire, there are some mileage restrictions. For instance, those who spend more than $80,000 in any calendar year or over $10,000 per billing cycle will be limited to one mile for every two dollars spent over that amount.

However, those who elect to have their credit card bill automatically paid in full each month (or are members of Northwest® WorldPerks® Platinum Elite, Gold Elite, or Silver Elite) will be exempt from all reward limitations.

Although the $90 annual fee is slightly high and the interest rate for purchases is above average for a reward card, the signature card has no pre-set spending limit. It is important to understand that the APRs for all transactions are tied to the highest Prime Rate during a three-month period. Due to this policy, the APRs may never reach the lowest possible interest rates. Cardholders should also be aware that the signature version of this card does not allow balance transfers.

In addition to the rewards program, cardholders can expect common signature card benefits offered by U.S. Bank, such as a personal concierge service, travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance, purchase protection services, and online account access. Nevertheless, this card has fewer benefits compared to other signature cards.

Therefore, those who can afford to pay in full each month (to avoid finance charges), plan to sign up for the auto-payment option (to avoid reward limitations), and will be able to earn a free ticket or other travel-related service within a two-year period (due to the high annual fee) will benefit most from what the WorldPerks® Visa® has to offer.