The Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare program offers access to more than two-dozen resorts in the U.S. and Mexico if you participate in its “points-based vacation ownership.” That basically means you pay for a real estate interest and in return, you get points you can spend on vacation rentals.
The Holiday Inn Club Vacations World Mastercard — issued by First Electronic Bank and managed by financial technology company Imprint — is a co-branded credit card for the Holiday Inn Club Vacations timeshare program. It earns rewards on vacation bookings and other costs associated with timeshare ownership and use. And while there’s no annual fee for the card, timeshares can come with considerable costs.
Here are five things to know about the Holiday Inn Club Vacations credit card.
1. The timeshare spiel comes first
What’s an article about timeshares without the initial sales presentation? (Sadly, reading this all the way through won’t get you a few free nights at a resort. Sorry.)
The Holiday Inn Club Vacations credit card is designed for program members. If you aren’t one currently, here’s some information from Holiday Inn Club Vacations:
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On average, Holiday Inn Club members spend $16,290 on their initial purchase of 75,000 points, which will get you a one-bedroom villa for a long weekend during the peak travel season.
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The most popular membership package costs $40,000, which gets you 200,000 points. That’s enough to fund multiple stays over the course of a year.
At this point, you might be thinking, “That’s a lot of money.” And you’re right, although you can finance it and even earn rewards on your mortgage payments with the Holiday Inn Club Vacations credit card. Just note that there’s no 0% APR offer on the card, so that could be an expensive proposition.
As for whether buying a timeshare fits into your budget and life, well, that’s between you and your financial planner.
2. Earn 3% back on Holiday Inn Club purchases
The Holiday Inn Club Vacations World Mastercard earns:
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3% back in rewards on Holiday Inn Club Vacations purchases, including vacation bookings, on-site dining and purchases, and even payments toward your timeshare mortgage.
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1% back on all other purchases.
You can redeem rewards toward more Holiday Inn Club Vacations purchases, which include vacation rentals, on-site purchases, your mortgage and HOA fees.
3. There’s a welcome offer
Earn a $50 welcome bonus after you spend $1,000 on the card in the first 90 days. Spend it all in one place!
4. Enjoy World Mastercard benefits
The Holiday Inn Club Vacations World Mastercard also comes with World Mastercard benefits, which include discounts with specific merchants such as Lyft, Peacock, Instacart, Booking.com and more.
5. This card isn’t connected to Holiday Inn hotels
Holiday Inn Club Vacations isn’t connected to Holiday Inn hotels, which are part of IHG Hotels and Resorts and the IHG Rewards program. If you prefer the classic hotel stay without the sense of ownership, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns up to 26 points per $1 spent at IHG hotels, and 5 points per $1 on gas and dining. It also has a sign-up bonus: Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The annual fee is $99.
