Score up to $600 in free travel, automatic discounts, and cellphone insurance with 2 new Expedia credit cards

Expedia and Wells Fargo launched two new credit cards: One Key and One Key+. Both cards offer elite status and generous welcome bonuses of up to $600.

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• Expedia's new One Key travel credit cards offer elite status and member discounts on Expedia travel.
• Both cards come with cellphone insurance and earn 3% on Expedia travel, gas, dining, and groceries.
• Read Business Insider's guide to the best credit cards.

Introduction to Expedia and One Key

Expedia and Wells Fargo just launched two new travel credit cards on the Mastercard network: the One Key Card and the One Key+ Card. In addition to generous perks and benefits, both cards offer welcome bonuses worth at least $400 in free travel credit. 

What is One Key?

Expedia is best known as one of the largest online travel agencies (OTA) in the world and also owns Hotels.com and Vrbo. The One Key loyalty program, launched in summer 2023, combines customer activity across all three brands so members can earn travel credit, free upgrades, and automatic discounts on travel booked through Expedia. 

The One Key cards aren't the travel giant's first foray into the world of credit cards. The no-annual-fee One Key Card replaces the former Hotels.com credit card which is no longer available to new applicants. Current Hotels.com cardholders can continue using their cards until September 2024, when the existing card will be product-changed to the One Key Card.

What you should know about the One Key Expedia credit cards

I evaluated the One Key Card and the One Key+ Card by comparing them against the best travel rewards credit cards. The benefits are fairly standard amongst popular travel cards — not because their offerings are mediocre, but because the market for travel cards is so competitive. 

That being said, both cards are great options if you're a traveler who values simplicity. If you regularly book flights, hotels, rental cars, or excursions through Expedia, Vrbo, or Hotels.com, consider one of these two cards for significant annual savings. 

At first blush, the One Key Card and the One Key+ Card seem nearly identical, down to their names. Here's what you should know about their similarities and differences, as well as our winner in each category.

No annual fee vs. $99

The One Key Card doesn't have an annual fee, making it a good option for travelers who avoid credit cards with associated cost. 

The higher-tier One Key+ Card offers more benefits for $99 a year, including a $100 annual OneKeyCash credit, which effectively negates the cost of holding the card. 

Winner: Either card, depending on your individual needs. The One Key+ Card is best for people who travel at least once a year, and the One Key Card is best for infrequent travelers who value no-cost benefits when they leave home. 

$400 or $600 in OneKeyCash

Both cards earn OneKeyCash, Expedia's rewards currency for its eponymous loyalty program. OneKeyCash can be earned and used for flights, hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals, and experiences booked through Expedia's three brands: Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. 

The One Key Card comes with a welcome offer, also called a sign-up bonus, of $400 in OneKeyCash after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months. 

Meanwhile, you can earn $600 in OneKeyCash after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months with the One Key+ Card. 

These aren't the best credit card offers on the market, but they're easy to use, and generous relative to the spending requirement. Read our guide to the best current credit card sign-up bonuses to learn about more lucrative or versatile welcome offers.

Winner: One Key Card for low spending requirements relative to the bonus amount

$100 annual OneKeyCash credit

This benefit is only available on the One Key+ Card: Cardholders get $100 in OneKeyCash each year on their card anniversary. 

Winner: One Key+ Card for yearly bonus that offsets the cost of the annual fee

Up to $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck 

This is another One Key+ Card-exclusive benefit: Pay for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck expedited airport security screening using this card, and get a statement credit of up to $100, which is enough to cover the cost of Global Entry. This benefit is available once every four years, in time for your next security renewal cycle.

Quite a few other travel cards offer this benefit — and some of the best Global Entry and TSA PreCheck credit cards even include credit for CLEAR® Plus.

Winner: One Key+ Card 

Complimentary elite status and benefits

Both cards offer automatic elite status within Expedia's One Key loyalty program.

Cardholders of the One Key+ Card enjoy mid-tier Gold status, which earns 2x OneKeyCash on eligible stays through Expedia and Hotels.com, comes with complimentary upgrades and other perks when available, and offers member-exclusive discounts of 20% or higher on select hotels. They can earn top-tier Platinum status by spending $30,000 per calendar year on this card. 

One Key cardholders get entry-level Silver elite status, which earns 50% more OneKeyCash on eligible stays and comes with member discounts of 15% or more. They can earn Gold status by spending $15,000 per calendar year on this card. 

Winner: One Key+ Card for better status and benefits

3% OneKeyCash rewards on Expedia travel, gas, dining, and groceries

Both cards earn 3% on eligible purchases through Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, as well as on gas, dining, and groceries. If you don't want to commit exclusively to Expedia rewards, consider alternative options among the best credit cards for gas purchases, the best credit cards for dining, restaurants, and food, and the best credit cards for buying groceries.

Winner: Tie

1.5% vs. 2% on other purchases

The One Key Card earns 1.5% back on purchases outside of the bonus categories above, while the One Key+ Card earns 2% back on all non-bonus transactions. 

As with other reward categories mentioned above, OneKeyCash rewards aren't as flexible as straight cash back. If you value easy redemptions, you may like a flat-rate card from our guide to the best 2% cash-back credit cards. If you don't mind a little extra work, consider getting a good 5% cash-back credit card. 

Winner: One Key+ Card for slightly higher returns per dollar spent

No foreign transaction fees

Neither card comes with any foreign transaction fees, which makes either option a great addition to your travel wallet. Credit cards with no foreign transaction fees can save you an average of 3% of your total purchase, which adds up quickly on international trips.

Winner: Tie

Up to $1,000 cellphone insurance with $25 deductible

Cellphone insurance is one of the most underrated benefits offered on select credit cards. Many of the best credit cards with cellphone protection are issued by Wells Fargo, which is one of the best issuers in this regard: Almost every Wells Fargo credit card comes with generous cellphone protection, even the ones with no annual fee. 

You don't need to purchase your cellphone with these cards to be eligible for insurance. Instead, simply use the card to pay your full phone bill each month. You can submit up to two claims per calendar year, of up to $1,000 per claim, minus a $25 deductible. Eligible claims are reimbursed for the cost of a phone repair or replacement of equal or lesser value, minus the deductible, depending on the damage. 

Winner: One Key Card for offering the same benefit as the One Key+ Card without charging an annual fee

Trip protection benefits

The best credit cards with travel insurance can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars when trips go awry. Expedia's One Key credit cards come with mid-tier protection, which can still be worthwhile if you don't have other insurance coverage available. 

• Common carrier travel accident insurance
• Trip cancellation and interruption
• Auto rental collision damage waiver

Winner: The One Key Card is the clear winner here, offering the same tiers of benefit coverage as the One Key+ Card without an annual fee

World Elite Mastercard benefits

Both cards include the following World Elite Mastercard built-in protections:

• Advanced security features including Mastercard ID Theft Protection
• Zero liability protection
• Global services for emergency assistance

Winner: Tie

Compare Expedia credit cards to popular travel credit cards

Both Expedia cards are solid choices for casual travelers. But non-branded credit cards can be even better, since they don't lock you in to a single carrier or third-party travel provider. Here are some of our top alternative suggestions if you're considering a versatile travel option.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card shares Wells Fargo as the common issuer with both One Key cards, which means Autograph Journey cardholders enjoy the same powerful cellphone insurance coverage mentioned above.

This card does have an annual fee of $95, but earns rewards at a better rate and with more flexibility than the One Key+ Card:

• 5 points per dollar on hotels
• 4 points per dollar on airlines
• 3 points per dollar on other travel and restaurants
• 1 points per dollar on other purchases

Cardholders also receive a $50 statement credit toward airfare every year with a $50 minimum airline purchase. 

Wells Fargo Autograph Rewards are more valuable than OneKeyCash, with an average point value of 1.3 cents apiece by Business Insider's valuations vs. the flat rate of 1 cent apiece for OneKeyCash. Cardholders also have more redemption opportunities and earn the same or more points per dollar spent on all bonus categories other than gas and groceries.

Read our full Wells Fargo Autograph Journey credit card review.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is our top choice on our guide to the best travel rewards credit cards. 

This card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which are worth 1.8 cents apiece, on average, by Business Insider estimations. Cardholders earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and 2x points on all other travel purchases, including hotels. Rewards can be redeemed through the Chase Travel℠ Portal at a value of 1.25 cents apiece, or transferred to airline and hotel partners such as Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG for even better rates.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also offers some of the best travel insurance across all credit cards, so it's a good card to use for hotel bookings and airfare.

As with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also offers a $50 annual statement credit for hotels booked through Chase Travel. This credit alone halves the effective cost of the card's $95 annual fee. 

Read more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred card review.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

If you travel enough to seriously consider a premium credit card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the best one you can get on a budget. Cardholders earn 10x on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One; 5x on flights through Capital One and tickets purchased through Capital One Entertainment purchases; and 2 miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases. 

This card has a $395 annual fee () offset by the following benefits:

• $300 annual travel credit that covers hotels, airfare, and car rentals booked through the Capital One Travel Portal
• 10,000-mile bonus each year on your card anniversary, worth at least $100 in travel 
• Airport lounge access to Priority Pass and Capital One lounges for yourself and up to four authorized users at no additional cost
• A welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Capital One miles offer some of the most flexible redemptions. You can transfer rewards to more than a dozen hotel and airline partners, or book through Capital One at a flat rate. If you pay cash for flights and hotels through Capital One, you earn 10x miles on hotel purchases and 5x on flights. Finally, you can use your miles to "erase" eligible purchases on your statement credit.

If you travel frequently enough to consider premium airport benefits and don't mind booking through third-party travel vendors instead of chasing status with a single airline or hotel chain, this card can be a much more valuable alternative to the One Key+ Card.

Learn more in our Capital One Venture X Rewards credit card review.

Expedia One Key credit card vs. Expedia One Key+ credit card

Business Insider's experts compared the One Key Card and the One Key+ Card across several categories of merit:

• Annual fee relative to benefit value — Does the credit card's benefits significantly outweigh the cost of its annual fee?
• Welcome offer and ongoing rewards — Do new cardholders get a generous boost toward travel goals as a reward for signing up? Are the ongoing rewards earned from this card worth keeping it open beyond the first year?
• Supplementary benefits and protections — Does this card offer purchase protection, travel insurance, or any other perks that make it worthwhile to choose this product over others in your wallet?

On all three fronts, we believe the no-annual-fee One Key Card is the clear winner for most people since many of the One Key+ Card's benefits are met or exceeded by other travel cards with annual fees.

Learn more about our methodology: How we rate credit cards.

Expedia credit card frequently asked questions

What is One Key?

Expedia's One Key loyalty program launched in July 2023, and combines member activity across the company's three travel brands: Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. Customers can earn OneKeyCash and trip elements for booking flights, hotels, vacation homes, car rentals, and excursions through any of these brands. 

Which One Key credit card is better?

The One Key Card offers many of the same benefits as the One Key+ Card without charging an annual fee. Many of the One Key+ Card's best benefits can be found on other travel rewards credit cards with better reward rates or benefits. 

Is the One Key card the same as the One Key Plus card?

The One Key Card and the One Key+ Card are "siblings", with similar benefits. The One Key+ Card has an annual fee of $99, while the One Key Card does not have an annual fee. 

Who issues the One Key Expedia credit card?

Wells Fargo issues the One Key Card and the One Key+ Card, which are both World Elite Mastercards, in partnership with Expedia.  

Is the One Key credit card the same as the Hotels.com credit card?

The new One Key Card will replace the old Hotels.com credit card, which is no longer open to new applicants.