The One Credit Card Perk Almost Everyone Forgets to Use
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I've talked to so many people who swear they're "using all their card benefits." Then I ask if they used their annual hotel credit yet. The answer is almost always no.
It's the quietest perk in the travel-card world, and it's one of the easiest to turn into real savings every year.
What the hotel credit actually does
Many travel cards give you a yearly credit when you book a hotel through their portal. It usually knocks $50 to $200 off the stay. No hoops. No elite status. Just a prepaid reservation.
A couple popular examples:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: $50 hotel credit when you book through Chase Travel
- American Express® Gold Card: Hotel Collection credits when you book two nights or more (terms apply; enrollment may be required)
- Several hotel and airline cards offer $100 property or experience credits
A lot of cardholders never touch it. Or they use it by accident without realizing it was one of the easiest ways to erase part of their annual fee.
The best travel credit cards have hotel credits and often come with welcome bonuses worth hundreds of dollars in travel. You can compare the top options available right now.
Why people forget it
Hotel credits get buried. They reset yearly. They live inside portals you don't open often. And they don't scream for attention the way rewards or bonuses do.
Miss it once or twice and you've left hundreds of dollars unused.
It makes your travel card cheaper
If a card charges $95 a year and gives you a $50 hotel credit, you've already recouped more than half the fee with a reservation you were likely making anyway.
Use the credit and the math behind keeping a travel card starts to feel a lot easier.
How to make sure you don't miss it this year
You only need two steps.
- Check your card's benefits page and confirm the exact amount.
- Make one prepaid hotel booking through the portal before your anniversary date.
It takes five minutes and saves you real money.
If you're comparing travel cards or want to see which ones offer the strongest hotel credits, check out our top travel card picks and apply for any of them today.
Our Research Expert
Jake FitzGerald is a full-time Editorial Strategist and Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, leading content production and distribution while also writing about credit cards, bank accounts, and other financial products. He has more than a decade of experience editing and shaping financial content to give readers clear, trustworthy money advice. His work focuses on delivering practical insights that empower people to make smarter financial decisions. Off the clock, he’s a fan of college football tailgates and still loyal to his favorite putter -- despite what his short game suggests.
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