The Club Carlson Rewards Visa is a Visa Signature rewards credit card created for people who frequently stay at Carlson hotels. It currently offers a signup bonus to new members but there is no introductory APR available with this card. The Club Carlson Rewards Visa is issued by US Bank and has an annual fee of $75 (not waived).
Important: Applicants who do not meet the credit requirements to receive the Club Carlson Rewards Visa Signature Visa card are automatically considered for the Club Carlson Platinum Rewards Visa which comes with different terms and benefits.
New account holders have the opportunity to earn 85,000 Bonus Gold Points once you are approved for the Club Carlson Rewards Visa card. These Bonus Points are good for up to nine free award nights worldwide (at Category 1 hotels). It works like this:
- To earn the one-time First Purchase Bonus of 50,000 Gold Points, you must make a purchase on your card within 90 days from account opening.
- There is no spending threshold for your initial purchase.
- To earn the additional 35,000 Gold Points, you must spend at least $2,500 in net purchases also within the first 90 days that your account is open.
- Net purchases are defined as the total amount of transactions minus any returns, credits or other adjustments.
- Fees (including the Annual Fee), balance transfers, interest charges, and cash-like purchases such as traveler’s checks, money orders or foreign currency do not qualify as purchases.
- Once you make your initial purchase and/or meet the spending threshold for the additional Bonus Points, it may take 6 – 8 weeks for the Gold Points to post to your Club Carlson account.
Note: This New Account Bonus offer is not available to any applicant who has had this Card or another Club Carlson credit card within the last 12 months. If your account is not open for a minimum of six months, Club Carlson and US Bank may deduct the Bonus Points from your Club Carlson account.
Members earn points at the following rates:
- 10 points per dollar spent in eligible net purchases at participating Carlson Rezidor hotels
- 5 points per dollar spent on all other eligible net purchases
The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group consists of more than 1,370 hotels in over 110 countries and territories. It includes the following properties:
- Quorvus Collection (Luxury – Full Service)
- Radisson Blu (Upper Upscale – Full Service)
- Radisson (Upscale – Full Service)
- Radisson Red (Upscale – Select Service)
- Park Plaza (Upscale – Full Service)
- Park Inn (Upper Midscale – Full Service)
- Country Inns & Suites (Upper Midscale – Select Service)
Members can redeem points for Award Night stays at participating Carlson Rezidor Hotels. The following chart shows the number of points needed at specific category properties.
| Hotel Category | Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | Category 4 | Category 5 | Category 6 | Category 7 | |
| Points Needed for an Award Night (Standard Room) |
9,000 | 15,000 | 28,000 | 38,000 | 44,000 | 50,000 | 70,000 | |
| Points Needed for an Award Night (Premium Room) |
13,500 | 22,500 | 42,000 | 57,000 | 66,000 | 75,000 | 105,000 | |
Cardholders receive these additional benefits:
- Earn one free night when you spend at least $10,000 in one year and renew your card
- Receive 40,000 renewal points each year when you renew your card
- Automatically be upgraded to Gold status level once you activate your account and make an initial purchase
- Enjoy 24/7 concierge service to assist you in booking events, making purchases and finding what you need
- 0% fraud liability
The variable APR on purchases and balance transfers ranges from 14.24% to 23.24% and is based on your creditworthiness at the time of approval. Additionally, a balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the amount of the transfer (whichever is greater) is applied to all balance transfers which post to your account.
Club Carlson Rewards Visa charges a 2% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in U.S. Dollars while traveling outside of the U.S. There is a 3% foreign transaction fee applied to transactions made in a Foreign Currency.
This card comes with EMV chip technology for enhanced security when making purchases at a chip-enabled terminal.
There is an annual fee of $75 (not waived).
The Facts
Below we have broken down the specific details of the Club Carlson Rewards Visa Visa Signature to help you determine if it’s a good choice for you.
The Good:
Signup bonus:
This card offers a unique, two-tiered signup bonus to new members. You earn 50,000 Bonus Gold Points once you make an initial purchase on the card. Plus, you can receive an additional 35,000 Bonus Gold Points by spending at least $2,500 in net purchases within the first 90 days that your account is open. These 85,000 Bonus Points are enough to earn nine free Award Nights at a Category 1 hotel. Even if you don’t meet the spending threshold, you still earn a considerable amount of points (50,000) from the start.
Note: This New Account Bonus offer is not available to any applicant who has had this Card or another Club Carlson credit card within the last 12 months. If your account is not open for a minimum of six months, Club Carlson and US Bank may deduct the Bonus Points from your Club Carlson account.
Automatic Gold Elite Status:
As soon as you activate your card and make an initial purchase, your account is automatically upgraded to Gold Elite Status. Normally, this level would require you to stay 35 nights (or 20 stays) in a calendar year. As a Gold Elite member, you receive a 15% discount on food and beverages at participating hotels, complimentary room upgrades and a 35% point bonus.
Loyalty Points:
Cardholders receive 40,000 renewal points each year when you renew your card.
One Free Night:
Members earn one free night when you charge a minimum of $10,000 in one year and then renew your card.
Easy to earn points:
Members earn points at the following rates:
- 10 points per dollar spent in eligible net purchases at participating Carlson Rezidor hotels
- 5 points per dollar spent on all other eligible net purchases
Easy to redeem rewards:
Members can redeem points for Award Night stays at participating Carlson Rezidor Hotels starting at 9,000 points for a Standard Room at a Category 1 hotel.
Additional benefits:
- 24/7 concierge service
- 0% fraud liability
- EMV chip technology
The Bad:
No introductory APR:
There is no introductory APR available with this card. The variable APR on purchases and balance transfers ranges from 14.24% to 23.24% and is based on your creditworthiness at the time of approval.
Annual fee:
The annual fee of $75 is not waived for the first year of membership.
Foreign transaction fee:
The Club Carlson Rewards Visa card charges 2% for transactions made in U.S. Dollars while traveling internationally and 3% for transactions made in a foreign currency.
The Ugly:
Not everyone will qualify for the Visa Signature card:
Applicants who do not meet the credit requirements to receive the Club Carlson Rewards Visa Signature Visa card are automatically considered for the Club Carlson Platinum Rewards Visa which comes with different terms and benefits. There is no guarantee of approval for either card.
Limited earning and redemption choices:
If you typically don’t stay at Carlson Rezidor Hotels while traveling it may be difficult to earn (and redeem) a significant amount of points.
This card delivers generous rewards to people who like to stay at Carlson Hotels and do so on a regular basis. For travelers who prefer more flexible travel rewards, the Barclaycard Arrival Plus MasterCard may be a better choice.