World Elite vs. World Mastercard: Benefits and value
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with the latest card issuer information.
We're all aware of the useful benefits that come with our credit cards, from annual travel credits to free checked bags. But what about the less obvious ones? If you own a credit card through Mastercard, it will be one of the following: a Mastercard, World Mastercard or World Elite Mastercard.
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You can find out which version you have by looking for the label just above the Mastercard logo. World Elite Mastercards tend to carry higher annual fees. So, is it worth it to spend more? What benefits are you getting out of owning a World or World Elite Mastercard?
Related: Comparing Visa Signature and World Elite Mastercard benefits
If you're equally as confused, don't worry. We'll go over the main differences between the three Mastercards and the various perks that come with each type of version.
The standard Mastercard program
The standard benefits of a Mastercard vary based on the card issuer and the product. However, benefits you'll get directly from the Standard Mastercard program include:
- Zero liability protection: You won't be financially responsible for unauthorized charges to your card.
- Mastercard Global Emergency Services: Get emergency assistance anytime, anywhere, helping you with card replacement, cash advances if your wallet or card is lost or stolen or other inquiries.
- Mastercard ID Theft Protection™: Powered by Generali Global Assistance, this perk adds an extra level of security with exclusive technology to monitor fraud or suspicious activity on your account and assigns a resolution specialist in cases of identity theft. To activate this benefit, visit the Mastercard ID Theft Protection website to enroll your card.
The World Mastercard program
The next level (World Mastercard) is where you'll really start to reap the benefits. In addition to all the Standard Mastercard perks, you'll enjoy the following:
- DoorDash: Get a three-month membership to DoorDash DashPass, offering members unlimited free delivery fees and reduced service fees from thousands of restaurants, grocery and convenience stores on orders over $12. Plus, get a $5 discount on their first two orders every month through Sept. 30, 2022.
- HelloFresh: Get a 5% discount on each HelloFresh purchase. New HelloFresh customers will also receive up to a $90 discount on their first four orders.
- Lyft: After taking three Lyft rides in a calendar month, receive an automatic $5 credit once per month.
- ShopRunner: Receive a complimentary ShopRunner membership, getting you unlimited free two-day shipping and return shipping on 100+ retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Staples.
- Cell phone protection: By paying your cell phone bill with your World Mastercard, you'll receive up to $1,000 in yearly coverage (maximum two claims per year, for up to $600 per claim) if you damage your phone or if it gets stolen.
- Priceless Experiences: Access exclusive events in your local city or destinations you're visiting. For golfers, you'll also enjoy Priceless benefits for golf experiences.
- Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services: Offers trip planning assistance for cardholders, amenities, free nights, upgrades and premium travel offers from best-in-class travel companies across Mastercard hotels, air travel, tours, cruises, car rentals and more. When booking through this program, you'll also receive:
- Hotel stay guarantee: If you’re not pleased with a three-star or higher-rated hotel stay, Mastercard will work to make it right.
- Lowest hotel rate guarantee: If you find a lower price on a prepaid hotel stay, Mastercard may reimburse you the difference.
- Mastercard Airport Concierge: Enjoy a 15% discount on personalized meet-and-greet services from over 700 airports worldwide.
Related: Select Mastercard customers now receive DoorDash perks — check here to see if you qualify
Best World Mastercard credit cards
An array of our favorite travel rewards credit cards bear the World Mastercard logo, including:
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
This card is great for frequent travelers who prefer American Airlines and also want to earn generous rewards on common purchases. The card offers 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, purchases at telecommunications, cable and satellite providers, car rentals and gas stations and 1x everywhere else. The $99 annual fee is waived the first year, making the card an excellent value.
The information for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
JetBlue Card
This is a rare World Mastercard with no annual fee, making it an incredible value. It gives you 3x points on JetBlue purchases, plus 2x points on restaurants and grocery stores and 1x on everything else. Issued by Barclays, the card has a 10,000-point bonus offer after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. You’ll also get perks such as 50% off inflight purchases and no foreign transaction fees.
These benefits may sound modest, but pair them with the benefits you’ll get in the World Mastercard program, and you have a solid card that doesn’t cost anything to carry.
The information for the JetBlue card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Other World Mastercards that may be worth the cost
- Amtrak Guest Rewards® World Mastercard® — $79 annual fee; 3x points on eligible Amtrak purchases, 2x on other travel and 1x elsewhere
- Frontier Airlines World Mastercard® — $79 annual fee, waived the first year; 5x miles on eligible Frontier purchases, 3x at restaurants and 1x elsewhere
The information for the Amtrak Guest Rewards and the Frontier Airlines World Mastecard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The World Elite Mastercard program
World Elite cardholders enjoy all the standard and World Mastercard benefits (including DoorDash and Lyft benefits) listed above, plus the following:
- Fandango: For every $20 spent on Fandango movie tickets or Fandango’s streaming services, receive a $5 Fandango reward for future movie tickets or at-home purchases.
- World Elite Concierge: This 24/7 concierge service acts as a personal assistant, helping you plan dinner reservations or book tickets to events.
- Cell phone protection: By paying your cell phone bill with your World Elite Mastercard, you'll get a higher amount of coverage than the World Mastercard cell phone coverage. If you damage your phone or it’s stolen, you may get reimbursed for up to $800 per claim (maximum two claims per year and $1,000 in yearly coverage).
Best World Elite Mastercard credit cards
Many of the best travel rewards credit cards are part of the World Elite Mastercard program. Here are some of our favorites:
Citi Premier® Card
The Citi Premier's modest $95 annual fee is more than offset for the first year by a sign-up bonus of 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. The card offers 3 points per dollar on restaurants, groceries, gas stations, air travel, hotels and 1x on all other purchases. Points never expire and can be transferred to any of Citi’s 16 airline partners. The card also has no foreign transaction fees.
Related: Reasons to get the Citi Premier card
JetBlue Plus Card
For frequent JetBlue flyers, this card offers a lot of bang for the buck. The $99 annual fee gets you a free checked bag when you fly JetBlue (for you and three companions) and 5,000 bonus points each year on your account anniversary. Earn 6x points on JetBlue purchases, plus 2x at restaurants and grocery stores. You can also earn a $100 statement credit on JetBlue Vacations purchases of $100 or more. Plus, using your JetBlue Plus Card is a great way to earn Mosaic status, JetBlue’s elite status, since you automatically gain status after spending $50,000 with your card in a calendar year.
The information for the JetBlue Plus has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Other World Elite Mastercard credit cards to consider
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® — $99 annual fee (waived for the first 12 months); earns 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, at gas stations and restaurants and first checked bag free
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® — $450 annual fee; includes Admirals Club membership. Earn 2 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases and first check bag free. Earn 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases
- Citi Prestige® Card — $495 annual fee; earns 5x points on air travel and at restaurants and 3x points on hotels and cruise lines, $250 annual travel credit and two fourth-night-free awards on hotel stays each year
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Are World Elite benefits worth the annual fee?
The easiest World Elite benefits to use (among those not included with World Mastercards) is probably the Lyft and DoorDash credits. All it requires is setting a World Elite Mastercard as your method of payment. Meanwhile, the savings with Fandango tickets can add up if you’re a frequent moviegoer. The ShopRunner membership can also make the World Elite and World Mastercards worthwhile, with lots of savings available for shopping online.
Related: Best credit cards for online shopping
Many of the benefits related to the World and World Elite Mastercard program offer peace of mind. For instance, it’s nice to know that if you have a less-than-stellar hotel stay at a three-star or better property, Mastercard has your back. And it’s nice to have more personalized service through Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services. But these aren’t necessarily perks that will automatically translate into cost savings that offset the annual fee.
Bottom line
If we’re only considering World Elite Mastercard benefits and not the other card perks, the best option for getting World Elite benefits is probably the Citi Premier® Card, which has a great earning structure that includes a lot of bonus points opportunities. Citi’s ThankYou points can be transferred to 16 airline programs for potentially even more value.
Otherwise, travelers who can realize just one of the other tour, cruise or limo discounts available with World Elite Mastercard will find the Citi/AAdvantage Platinum or the JetBlue Plus Card to be well worth the annual fee. Businesses looking for World benefits and American Airlines perks likely can’t go wrong with a CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card for all their needs.
Additional reporting by Dawn Allcot and Stella Shon.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. and at U.S. supermarkets. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles50,000 Bonus MilesAnnual Fee
$250Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees