What the Priceline Rewards Visa actually does
The Priceline Rewards Visa is a co-branded credit card issued by Barclays that gives you points when you use it to book travel through Priceline or spend money elsewhere. You earn points faster on Priceline bookings than on regular purchases, and those points convert into travel discounts you can use on hotels, flights, rental cars, and vacation packages through Priceline's site. The card has an annual fee, which means you pay money each year just to hold it, whether you use it or not.
The card does not give you points that transfer to airline or hotel loyalty programs — the points stay within Priceline's ecosystem. If you book travel outside Priceline, you get no points at all, even if you use the card. That matters if you prefer booking directly with airlines or hotels, or if you use other travel sites.
Key Takeaways
- You earn more points per dollar spent on Priceline bookings than on other purchases, but the exact rate depends on which version of the card you hold.
- The card charges an annual fee that you pay once per year; you must decide whether the points you earn will cover that cost.
- Points only work through Priceline's website and app — you cannot transfer them to airlines, hotels, or other travel programs.
- The card reports to the three credit bureaus, so opening it affects your credit score and closing it later can affect your score again.
How points work and what they're worth
When you book a hotel, flight, or rental car through Priceline using this card, you earn points at a rate that varies depending on which Priceline Rewards Visa version you have. Standard purchases outside Priceline earn points at a lower rate. Priceline does not publish a fixed dollar value for each point — instead, the value depends on what you book and when you redeem.
Points show up in your Priceline account after the transaction settles, which usually takes a few days. You can then use them toward future Priceline bookings by selecting them as a payment method at checkout. Priceline sometimes runs promotions that let you earn bonus points on certain types of bookings or during specific periods, but these are not may provide and change regularly.
The real question is whether the points you earn exceed the annual fee. If you book one or two trips per year through Priceline, the math might work. If you book rarely or prefer other travel sites, the fee becomes a cost with no payoff.
Annual fee and other costs
The Priceline Rewards Visa charges an annual fee that you pay once per year. This fee does not go toward points or rewards — it is straightforward the cost of holding the card. Barclays does not waive the fee for new cardholders or for periods when you do not use the card. If you close the card, you still owe the fee for that year.
The card also carries a standard interest rate (called the APR) that applies to any balance you carry from month to month. This rate varies based on your credit score and current market conditions. If you pay your full statement balance each month, you pay no interest. If you carry a balance, interest accrues daily and adds up quickly.
Some versions of the card offer travel protections like trip cancellation insurance or emergency medical coverage, but these vary by card tier. Read the benefits guide that comes with your card to see what protections you actually have.
How opening this card affects your credit
When you explore for the Priceline Rewards Visa, Barclays pulls your credit report, which creates a hard inquiry. This temporarily lowers your credit score by a few points — usually between 5 and 10 points — and stays on your report for about a year. If you explore for multiple credit cards in a short time, each inquiry stacks, and the damage adds up.
Once approved, the card itself becomes part of your credit history. It affects your score in two ways: it lowers your average age of accounts (new accounts pull the average down), and it changes your credit utilization ratio (the percentage of your total credit limit you are using). Opening a new card with a high limit can actually improve your utilization ratio if you keep the balance low.
Closing the card later also affects your score. Your available credit shrinks, which can raise your utilization ratio. The closed account stays on your report for seven years, but stops helping your score after about ten years of inactivity. If you decide the annual fee is not worth it, closing the card costs you points in the short term but saves you money long-term.
When this card makes sense and when it doesn't
The Priceline Rewards Visa works best if you book travel through Priceline multiple times per year and spend enough on those bookings to earn points that exceed the annual fee. If you travel frequently and use Priceline for most bookings, the points can add up fast enough to justify the cost.
The card does not make sense if you book travel rarely, prefer booking directly with airlines or hotels, or use other travel sites like Kayak, Google Flights, or Expedia. In those cases, the annual fee becomes a pure cost with no benefit. It also does not make sense if you cannot pay your full balance each month, because the interest charges will quickly exceed any points you earn.
If you already have a travel rewards card from your bank or an airline, compare the two before explore. Some cards earn points that transfer to multiple airlines and hotels, which gives you more flexibility. Others have no annual fee but earn points at a lower rate. The best card depends on how you actually book travel, not on which card sounds best.
What happens if you stop using the card
If you decide the Priceline Rewards Visa is not worth the annual fee, you can close the account. Barclays will not charge you a penalty for closing early, but you will still owe the annual fee for the current year if you have not yet paid it. Any points in your Priceline account stay there — closing the card does not erase them — but you cannot earn new points without the card.
Before you close the card, use any remaining points toward a booking. Once the account closes, you lose the ability to earn new points, so redeeming what you have is the only way to get value from them. Check your Priceline account to see your current point balance and what it could cover.
If you want to keep the card but avoid the annual fee, contact Barclays and ask if they will waive it. Some cardholders report success with this, especially if they have a long history with the card or hold other Barclays products. There is no may provide, but asking costs nothing.
Comparing this card to other travel rewards options
The Priceline Rewards Visa competes with cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the American Express Gold Card, and airline-specific cards from United, American, and Delta. Each has different earning rates, annual fees, and redemption options. The key difference is flexibility: most competing cards let you transfer points to airline and hotel partners, while Priceline points only work through Priceline's site.
If you value choice and want to book with different airlines or hotels depending on price and schedule, a flexible card might serve you better even if the earning rate is lower. If you always book through Priceline and want to maximize points on those bookings, the Priceline card could be the right fit. Run the numbers for your own travel patterns before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I lose my points if I close the card?
No. Points stay in your Priceline account even after you close the card. You can continue to use them for future bookings as long as you have a Priceline account, but you cannot earn new points without the card. Redeem your points before closing if you want to get the most value from them.
Can I use Priceline points to pay the annual fee?
No. Priceline points only work toward travel bookings on Priceline's site. You must pay the annual fee with cash or another payment method. Some cardholders use points to book a trip, which frees up cash to cover the fee, but that is an indirect approach.
What if I carry a balance on this card?
Interest charges will quickly outpace any points you earn. If you cannot pay your full statement balance each month, this card (or any rewards card) is not a good choice. Focus on paying down existing debt first, then consider a rewards card once you can pay in full each month.
How do I know if the points are worth the annual fee?
Track your Priceline spending for a year and calculate the points you earned. Multiply that by the average value Priceline assigns to points (usually between 0.5 and 1.5 cents per point, depending on what you book). If that total exceeds the annual fee, the card paid for itself. If not, you lost money.
Can I get the annual fee waived if I am a new cardholder?
Barclays does not automatically waive the fee for new cardholders. Some offers may include a delayed first fee or a bonus points grant that offsets the cost, but read the offer terms carefully. Call Barclays before you explore to ask what the current offer includes.