Contents [Hide]
Club Carlson Premium Credit Card
Club Carlson is a relatively small hotel group, best known for brands like Radisson and Country Inn. This co-branded card issued by US Bank comes with a strong welcome bonus and some very solid ongoing perks, making it attractive both for the initial signup value and for long-term holding.
【Application Link】Click here
【Minimum Spending Requirement】Make any purchase after opening the card and earn 50,000 Club Carlson Gold points. Spend $2,500 within 90 days of account opening and earn another 30,000, for a total of 85,000 Gold points.
【Annual Fee】$75, not waived the first year.
Pros of Club Carlson Rewards
- Earn 10x Club Carlson points on purchases with Carlson Rezidor, and 5x points on all other purchases.
- Holding this card automatically upgrades you to Club Carlson Gold, the entry-level elite status in Club Carlson. Key benefits include complimentary room upgrades, early check-in, late checkout, and a 15% points bonus. In addition, each hotel stay comes with a welcome gift, usually small snacks, fruit, or beverages. If you are already Gold or higher, you receive 15 Qualifying Nights to help you reach a higher tier faster.
- After the first year, you receive 40,000 points each year when you pay the annual fee. That is like buying 40,000 points for $75, or 0.1875 cent/point, which is an excellent deal.
- Each year after account opening, spending $10,000 earns a one-night free hotel certificate, valid only in the US.
Cons of Club Carlson Rewards
- There is a 2-3% foreign transaction fee, so this card is not a good choice for use outside the US.
【Application Link】Click here
Special Tips for Applying for US Bank Cards
It is recommended that you freeze your reports with ID Analytics (IDA) and Advanced Resolution Services (ARS), two lesser-known credit bureaus. See this article. Doing so may improve your odds of getting approved for a US Bank credit card, with no obvious downside. If US Bank does not approve you for this card, they may instead convert your application to the Club Carlson Platinum Rewards credit card. Its benefits are similar to those of the Club Carlson Rewards card, and it offers a 60,000-point welcome bonus plus 25,000 annual bonus points. If your credit history is short or you have opened many cards recently, be prepared for that possibility.
Redeeming Club Carlson Hotels
Club Carlson hotel redemptions range from 9,000 points per night for Cat 1 properties to 70,000 points per night for Cat 7 properties. Even in major cities, many hotels can be booked in the Cat 2-5 range. For example, the Radisson JFK in New York is only Cat 5 and costs 44,000 points per night. The welcome bonus alone (85,000 plus the points earned from $2,500*5 in spending) is enough for two nights. Of course, the Radisson Martinique on Broadway in Times Square, New York, is a top-tier Cat 7 property at a steep 70,000 points per night.
Should You Apply?
This is an excellent card whether you look at the welcome bonus or the long-term value. The 85,000-point welcome bonus alone is worth about $340, and the benefits also include Club Carlson Gold elite status. If you get lucky and score a suite upgrade during a stay, that is even better. The annual fee is $75, but you get 40,000 points each year, which in some ways is even better than the annual free-night benefit offered by many hotel cards. In the past, this card also offered an amazing last-night-free benefit on award stays, but unfortunately that perk disappeared in 2015. Even so, this card is still very much worth applying for, as long as you have not opened too many cards recently, and your credit history is not too short (within one year) or your credit limits are not too low. Do you have the Club Carlson Premier Rewards card? Share your thoughts with everyone in the comments.