The Best Travel Credit Cards of 2019 and the 3 Types of Filipino Travelers Who Will Benefit From Them

If you have a family vacation coming up or planning a getaway in the coming year, this article can be handy in finding out which type of Filipino traveller you are and which travel credit cards are best for you.

#1 The “What’s In It For Me?” Traveler

This type of Filipino traveler does not readily sign up for a credit card without first checking what the bonuses and welcome gifts are.

Nothing escapes their eagle eyes. They often browse and compare welcome gifts and rewards.

If they could, they would book free flights, or redeem free miles, cash vouchers, and cashback as a credit cardholder. For these types of Filipino travelers, these are the ideal credit cards.

Credit Card	Welcome Gift	Terms & Conditions
RCBC AirAsia Visa	8,000 B1G Points	Must be a new RCBC credit cardholder The card must have accumulated retail purchases within sixty days from card issuance
Citi PremierMiles Visa	Free roundtrip ticket to Japan credited as 30,000 PremierMiles	Must be a new Citibank credit cardholder Apply from now until October 31, 2019 Spend at least P40,000 accumulated purchases within sixty days from card receipt
Citi Prestige Card	Free two roundtrip ticket to Japan credited as 120,000 Thank You Points	Must be a new Citibank credit cardholder Apply from now until October 31, 2019 Spend at least P40,000 accumulated purchases within sixty days from card receipt
BDO Visa Platinum	One (1) medium-sized (69/25cm) Samsonite Orfeo Spinner Luggage)	Must be a new BDO credit cardholder Apply from now until September 30, 2019 Spend at least P300,000, whether single receipt or accumulated purchases within ninety days from card receipt

#2 The “I Need a Break” Traveler

When this type of Filipino traveler sees their friends’ travel photos on Instagram, they can’t help but wish they were traveling to some fantastic location, too.

Being a parent is truly rewarding yet challenging. Every day, parents juggle work and family life. Sometimes they wish they can also travel, not just for beautiful Instagram photos, but mainly to have a break and keep their sanity intact!

They make sure that they’re on top of the household expenses and other financial obligations. They work hard for the future and strive to be moneysmart everyday. Therefore, the credit card that they’ll get should not affect their cash flow.

Parents and family-oriented folks are looking for credit cards that are practical, earn cashback and rewards, and qualify them for travel insurance benefits. Just like the following credit cards:

EastWest Bank Priority Visa Infinite

• Waived annual fees for life for principal and supplementary cardholders
• Exclusive membership privileges anywhere in the world
• Priority Pass and access to over 1,200 airport lounges in more than 140 countries and 500 cities around the world
• Up to 2 complimentary access to Sky View lounge
• Free comprehensive travel accident and inconvenience insurance up to P20 million if you use your card to purchase tickets
• Premium perks when you shop, dine, and play golf at participating establishments both local and overseas
• Upgrades and VIP privileges at over 900 luxury properties globally when you book via Visa
• Access to 24/7 Concierge Service for all your travel needs, from hotel reservations to car rentals and many others

You can check the EastWest Bank Priority Visa Infinite page for other travel perks and privileges.

Metrobank Travel Platinum Visa

• Earn 1 mile for every P17 you spend overseas when you use this card to book for flights and accommodations
• Earn 1 rewards point for every P20 spend in all transactions
• Get Visa Global Customer Assistance Service accessible 24/7 in case of emergencies, such as stolen card, emergency cash advance, and more
• Free travel accident insurance coverage up to P5 million if you purchase airline tickets using the card
• Enjoy Priority Pass Membership and get access at over 950 airport lounges all over the world (call 8-700-707 to avail the membership)
• Access to 24-hour VIP Concierge Service for all your travel needs, from dining referral and reservations to golf course reservations, car rentals, and more
• Perpetually waived annual fees for the first supplementary card
• Exclusive lifestyle offers at participating hotels and establishments (50% off at Midas Hotel & Casino valid until September 30, 2019)

For more travel perks and privileges, you can refer to Metrobank Travel Platinum Visa page.

HSBC Platinum Visa

• Both a rewards and air miles credit card
• Earn 1 air mile for every P25 you spend at participating merchants and establishments (maximum monthly spend of P60,000; read the Accelerated Rewards T&Cs here)
• Earn 4x bonus points for every P20 you spend overseas at participating merchants and partners (redeem AirMiles/KrisFlyer Miles with these bonus points)
• Earn 3x bonus points for every P20 you spend on shopping and dining at participating establishments and restaurants locally
• Earn 1 bonus point for every P20 on other spending categories
  6% rebate on your first Caltex transaction, and 3% rebate on your succeeding purchases all year round
• Exclusive Travel Insurance Coverage up to P10 million as a principal cardholder if you purchase tickets using the credit card
• Access to exclusive privileges at over 27,000 establishments in 160 countries & territories around the world
• Waived annual fee for the first year
• Other features like card instalment with 0% interest up to 36 months at participating merchants; cash advance; card balance transfer

Check out the HSBC Platinum Visa page for other travel perks and privileges.

Security Bank Platinum Mastercard

• Earn 1 rewards point for every P20 you spend and redeem air miles, e-gift certificates, waived annual fees, or cash rebate
• Dual currency billing where you can pay in US dollars for your overseas transactions
• Higher credit limit than the Classic and Gold Mastercard
• LoungeKey experience when travelling (access to hundreds of airport lounges worldwide just by presenting your Platinum Mastercard)
• Access to the latest offers when you book or reserve via Mastercard concierge services by calling 1800 8739 5245 (Globe) or 1800 1852 0014 (PLDT)
• Free travel accident insurance coverage if you purchase airline tickets using the card
• Waived annual fee for the first year
• Other features like 0% instalment plan of 3-12 months, and balance transfer payable in 3-24 months

You can refer to Security Bank Platinum Visa page for other travel perks and privileges.

#3 The “Frugal Digital Nomad” or “Budget Traveler”

This type of Filipino traveler loves freebies as much as they love maximising their travel budget. They are practical and meticulous, and they will patiently refresh their browsers during major seat sales.

Because they value every peso, they know where to spend their money. When it comes to travel credit cards, they will go for those that offer the lowest monthly interest rates and 0% instalment plans for big purchases.

They will also be looking for cashback credit cards that offer rebates on spending categories like travel.

Credit Card & Card Type	Terms & Conditions	Other Travel Perks & Privileges
EastWest EveryDay Titanium Mastercard – Cash Rebate Card	Get 5% essential spend rebate on non-essential spend (e.g. hotel bookings or airline tickets) worth P10,000 and above 3% essential spend rebate on non-essentials worth P5,000 – below P10,000 3.50% monthly interest charge Annual fee: P2,800	You can use the card around the world at more than 30 million establishments in over 200 countries Get up to 70% of your credit limit on cash advance feature Convert your big purchases and travel expenses payable in 6-12-18-24 months with low-interest rates
AUB Gold Mastercard – Rewards Card	Earn 1 point for every P20 you spend Redeem Mabuhay Miles with rewards points (minimum of 4,000 miles to redeem) 2.25% monthly interest charge Waived annual fees for life for the principal cardholder	Enjoy complimentary airport lounge access Redeem GetGo points with rewards points Redeem AirAsia B1G points with rewards points Redeem Panda Travel voucher of P500 or P1,000
Citi Rewards Card	Earn 1 rewards point for every P30 you spend Use non-expiring points to redeem free flights, hotel stays, and merchandise 3.5% monthly interest charge Waived annual fee for the first year Annual fee: P2,500	Earn 3X rewards point when you book Cebu Pacific tickets Use your points to pay for items at participating merchants Enjoy Citi World Privileges and get deals and discounts in 90 other countries Get up to 50% off at participating hotels, resorts, and airlines
HSBC Red Mastercard	Earn 1 bonus point for every P20 spend Get 4x bonus points on overseas transactions Points can be used to redeem air miles (with accumulated monthly spend of P40,000 per month) 3.5% monthly interest charge Waived annual fee for life for principal cardholders	Reserve via Agoda website and use the card to get 7% off (promo period until December 31, 2019) Book at Expedia and get 10% off (promo period until December 31, 2019) 0% instalment plan for your big purchases up to 36 months at participating merchants

Read up on our MoneySmart review of the Citi Rewards or the HSBC Red Mastercard for more details. 

Which type of traveller are you? If you’re planning to apply for a new credit card, find the one that suits your lifestyle.