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TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card review: Should you sign up for this travel rewards card? – MoneySense
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The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite isn’t necessarily the first TD travel card you think of, given TD’s deep relationship with Air Canada and Aeroplan—but it’s worth considering for its flexible redemption program and partnership with Expedia. You can use the Expedia For TD online portal to redeem rewards for flights, hotels and car rentals with virtually any carrier on Expedia.
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A hefty sign-up bonus, comprehensive insurance coverage and generous earn rates makes the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card a solid choice if you want to use your credit card rewards towards travel-related purchases.
The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card
Three things you need to know about the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite
- You earn Points under the TD Rewards program
You earn 3 TD Points per dollar spent on everyday purchases (1.5% earn rate), including gas and groceries. For travel purchases booked online through ExpediaForTD.com, you get three times the regular earn at nine TD Points per dollar spent (4.5% earn rate). The TD Points system is easier to understand than the bank’s Aeroplan Credit Cards. Your Point values stay the same no matter where you’re flying, so it’s easy to work out how much they’re worth. Plus, TD Points can be redeemed on any airline, not just Air Canada or Star Alliance Partners. While Aeroplan Miles are valuable, if you prefer simplicity the TD First Class card might be more up your alley. - The card comes with an attractive sign-up bonus
The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card comes with a generous sign-up bonus. The annual fee ($120) and fee for your first additional cardholder ($50) are waived for the first year; that’s a savings of $170, and with two of you earning TD Points, you can reach your goals faster. Earn up to 145,000 TD Rewards points. You’ll earn 20,000 TD points with your first card purchase, then another 115,000 when you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 180 days. Earn a birthday bonus of up to 10,000 rewards points. Conditions apply. Must apply before May 28, 2023. For Quebec residents, please click here. - You’ll get travel insurance and discounted lounge access
The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card comes with up to $1 million of travel medical insurance for the first 21 days of a trip, while trip cancellation, trip interruption, common carrier travel accident insurance, travel assistance services and delayed and lost baggage insurance round out the card’s benefits. For a premium rewards card, The TD First Class’s insurance is fairly standard, however; so, if you’re looking for more comprehensive credit card insurance, you could consider a card like the National Bank World Elite Mastercard,* which comes with up to $5 million in out-of-province-of-residence medical/hospital insurance for trips up to 60 days (if you’re under 54).
The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card also gives you a discount on access to Priority Pass.
How to redeem your TD Rewards
You can redeem your TD Points for travel in two ways:
The best—and most valuable—way is through the Expedia For TD online portal, where you can redeem 200 TD Points per dollar in travel credit (0.5%) and pay the balance of the cost (if any) using your credit card (you’ll also earn Points on this spend).
Your other redemption choice is the “Book Any Way” option, which lets you book via other travel websites; however, your bookings can cost up to 25% more if you go this route. When using “Book Any Way” you’ll redeem at 250 TD Points per dollar (0.4%) applied as a statement credit on your first $1,200 in travel purchases and 200 TD Points per dollar (0.5%) for your travel purchases over $1,200. In comparison, with Expedia For TD, you’ll get a better and more consistent return of 0.5% on all your travel spending.
In both cases, the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card allows you to redeem for any seat on any airline. Additionally, you can redeem Points for rewards in small increments (minimum 200), so this means you don’t need to build up a large pool of Points before you’re able to apply them towards travel.
Finally, through the TD Rewards site, you can shop for items such as a Vitamix or a Dyson vacuum, or even gift cards. However, you won’t get the same value as you would booking travel. For example, a $50 gift card at Best Buy will cost you 20,000 TD Points, whereas you can use the same amount of Points for $100 in travel on the Expedia For TD portal.
What are the best ways to benefit from this card?
Ultimately, your best bet is to redeem Points for travel from ExpediaForTD.com. Generally, prices on the website are similar to those on the main Expedia website, and you’ll be able to redeem at the rate of 200 Points per $1. If you redeem Points for travel outside of the TD portal, your Points will lose up to 25% in value; however this could be a smarter route if you find a really good deal on another travel portal.
If you do find a better hotel or flight deal elsewhere, you have the option to price match, but there are some restrictions: you must have booked within the last 24 hours; your travel plans must be at least 48 hours away; and travel dates, and flight and hotel classes must all be the same to submit a claim.
Are there any drawbacks to the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card?
There is a minimum personal income requirement of $60,000 or a household income of $100,000. However, this is a common requirement for many cards in the same category.
Other cards offer more incentive to spend in categories like groceries, dining and entertainment. The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card only offers three times the Points earn on travel booked through the Expedia For TD portal (4.5%)—everything else is at the base three TD Points per dollar (1.5%) rate. To compare, the Scotiabank Gold American Express has a five-times Points accelerator on restaurants and groceries (5% per dollar).
Finally, the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card doesn’t offer airport lounge access—only a 20% discount on a Priority Pass membership—and you’ll be charged foreign transaction fees. So, if you like to use airport lounges, or you often find yourself shopping in a foreign currency, you may want to consider a card that offers those perks.
Bottom line
TD’s unique partnership with Expedia, accelerated earn rates and incremental Points redemption structure make the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite card a worthwhile consideration for those who travel frequently.
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