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If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card, you may have noticed that it carries “Visa Infinite” branding. Since only a few cards in the US are Visa Infinite products and Visa has only recently rolled out a US Visa Infinite web page, we don’t blame you if you’re a bit clueless as to what this designation entails.
In addition to the CSR and Ritz-Carlton card, there’s the UBS Visa Infinite credit card, with a $495 annual fee and benefits including a $250 annual airline fee credit, Priority Pass lounge access and UBS concierge service.
We’ll outline the perks that come with the Visa Infinite program below, but the first thing to know is that Visa Infinite cards are a step up from the more common Visa Signature designation you’ll find on cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. As we go through the benefits, keep in mind that these are the possible perks available through the Visa Infinite program, but specific issuers can choose to tweak or leave out certain ones, as you’ll see with the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the $100 airfare discount. If you have a Visa Infinite card, be sure to share your experience in the comments!
Travel and Lifestyle Benefits
Save $100 on Round-Trip Domestic Coach Airfare
This is probably the standout benefit available through the program: When you pay for domestic coach round-trip airfare for two to five people with your Visa Infinite card, you’ll get a $100 discount. Note that the discount is per itinerary (not per ticket), and your name must be on each booking, so you can’t get more savings by purchasing tickets separately. Unfortunately, the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which earns 3x points on travel including airfare, does not come with this benefit. However, the Ritz-Carlton card earns 2x points on airfare purchased directly from the airline, so at least you can take advantage of this perk and still earn bonus points.
Global Entry Application Fee Credit
This Visa Infinite program will reimburse you for the $100 fee to apply for Global Entry. While this program is definitely worth signing up for to breeze through immigration, several other premium travel rewards cards also offer a Global Entry fee reimbursement, so this shouldn’t factor too heavily in your decision to get a Visa Infinite card.
Car Rental Discounts
Cardholders get special discounts at car rental providers such as Avis, National and Silvercar, and they’re also eligible for upgrades, preferred service and “VIP amenities.” Paired with the fact that the Visa Infinite program offers primary car rental insurance (more on that later in the post), using an eligible card could be a great choice for renting a set of wheels.
Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection
When you book a hotel stay with a Visa Infinite card, you’ll enjoy perks such as an automatic room upgrade on arrival (when available) and complimentary continental breakfast. It’s unclear how much this differs from the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection, especially since for both programs Visa says these benefits are available at 900-plus properties.
Visa Infinite Preferred Hotel Benefits
Relais & Châteaux is a group of about 500 luxury properties around the world, and as a Visa Infinite cardholder you can enjoy a “VIP welcome” at ~120 hotels in the portfolio. To enjoy this perk, you’ll need to book through the Visa Infinite Concierge service at least 72 hours in advance. The Relais & Châteaux collection includes some pretty amazing properties, so this benefit could potentially elevate an already-great stay.
Visa Infinite Concierge
Like most other premium card programs, the Visa Infinite program includes a dedicated concierge service that can assist with travel and dining arrangements, shopping, access to exclusive events and more. It’s unclear if this service can score you super-sweet finds like cheap tickets to Hamilton courtesy of Amex concierge, but you can expect great service and assistance with pretty much whatever outing you’re planning.
Travel Protections
Primary Rental Car Insurance
Through Visa Infinite, you can get primary coverage for up to $75,000 due to damage or collision of a rental car. Visa Infinite cards aren’t the only options to offer this coverage — the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and a few others do as well — but this is definitely a great perk to have, since you won’t need to file a claim with your own insurance company in the event of an accident or theft.
Trip Accident Insurance
Hopefully it’s something you’ll never have to use, but the program does offer coverage in the event of accidental death or dismemberment — up to a maximum of $500,000 when you pay for an entire common carrier ticket with your Visa Infinite card.
Trip Cancellation, Interruption and Delay Insurance
Other coverage includes reimbursement of up to $2,000 per insured trip for non-refundable expenses when you cancel a trip for a covered reason or when your trip is interrupted or delayed for a covered reason. We don’t have a full list of “covered reasons,” but if you’re suffering from a serious illness or injury you can expect this benefit to be offered. You also get coverage for expenses (up to $500 per day) when a purchased trip is delayed more than six hours or requires an overnight stay. This is actually more generous than the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card’s policy, which reimburses you up to $500 a day when a trip is delayed for more than 12 hours (or requires an overnight stay).
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
If your checked or carry-on baggage is lost or stolen on a common carrier, the program will reimburse you up to $3,000. This is similar to the coverage you’ll get with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, and superior to Amex’s coverage on non-premium cards (though you can get up to $3,000 reimbursed for combined checked and carry-on bag loss with a card like the Platinum Card from American Express).
Extended Warranty
When you purchase a product with a warranty of three years or less, you’ll get an extra year of coverage for up to $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per cardholder. This isn’t the only coverage option out there, and there are some more generous ones: Citi offers one year of extended coverage for items with a warranty of five years or less (and up to two extra years in some cases), while Amex provides up to one additional year for warranties of five years or less.
Purchase Protection
If an item is stolen or damaged within 90 days from the purchase date — and you purchased it with a Visa Infinite Card — you’ll be covered for up to $10,000 per claim (up to $50,000 per year). Under the coverage, you can either be reimbursed; have the item repaired; or get a replacement.
Return Protection
In addition to purchase protection that covers you in the event of theft or damage, the Visa Infinite program offers coverage of up to $300 per item and $1,000 per year when you’re unhappy with a product and the retailer won’t accept a return. To be eligible, you need to pay for the purchase with your Visa Infinite Card and file a claim within 90 days of the purchase date.
Bottom Line
Like other premium credit card programs, Visa Infinite offers a nice array of benefits. The opportunity to save $100 on domestic round-trip coach flights can certainly come in handy, as can the primary car rental insurance. Other perks like car rental discounts and special treatment at hotels aren’t unique to the program, but they can absolutely add to the value you get from your card — not a bad thing if you’re paying $450 a year for the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card.
Featured image courtesy of Château Saint-Martin, a Relais & Châteaux property.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
