Is the One Key+ Card Worth Its Annual Fee?
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The Expedia credit cards and Hotels.com credit card are long gone. The Expedia Group has replaced them with two cards associated with its One Key loyalty program for Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.
The cards are issued by Wells Fargo. The One Key™ Card is an entry-level card with a $0 annual fee; the One Key+™ Card is a $99-a-year "plus" card with enhanced benefits. Both cards earn 3% rewards when booking through Expedia, Hotels.com or Vrbo, as well as 3% rewards on dining, gas and groceries.
So, what’s the difference between the two cards and when is it worth paying the fee for to the One Key+™ Card?
on Wells Fargo's website
on Wells Fargo's website
Earn $300 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®.
Earn $400 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®.
Earn 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.
Earn 3% in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores and on dining (including takeout, delivery and food trucks).
Earn 1.5% in OneKeyCash on all other purchases.
Earn 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo.
Earn 3% in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores and on dining (including takeout, delivery and food trucks).
Earn 2% in OneKeyCash on all other purchases.
No foreign transaction fees.
Automatic Silver tier. Move to Gold tier if you spend $15,000 per year.
Cell phone protection.
Trip protections including coverage for rental cars, trip cancellation and interruption.
No foreign transaction fees.
Automatic Gold tier. Move to Platinum tier if you spend $30,000 per year.
$100 in OneKeyCash on each cardholder anniversary.
Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
Cell phone protection.
Trip protections including coverage for rental cars, trip cancellation and interruption.
Best benefits of the One Key+™ Card
The One Key+™ Card has a few elevated benefits that are different from its no-annual-fee counterpart:
2% in OneKeyCash on "other purchases" — those made outside the bonus categories of dining, gas, groceries and One Key brands. (The no-annual-fee card pays 1.5% on the same purchases.)
Automatic Gold elite status, with the possibility of earning Platinum after spending $30,000 on the card. (The One Key™ Card gives you automatic Silver elite status, with the possibility of earning Gold after spending $15,000 on the card.)
$100 in OneKeyCash each year upon renewal, which can offset the annual fee.
A statement credit of up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every four years.
Both One Key cards offer the chance to earn OneKeyCash, which can be redeemed for travel on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo reservations, as well as some other key benefits:
Cell phone protection.
Trip cancellation/interruption protection.
Mastercard World Elite benefits.
How does the One Key+™ Card compare to other hotel cards?
While many hotel credit cards offer elite status, bonus points and other benefits, they typically require you to stay within that brand to maximize the card's value. Plus, hotel loyalty programs devalue their redemption programs regularly, making it harder to redeem the property you want to stay at. For these reasons, many travelers might find the One Key program more flexible and easier to use than other hotel loyalty programs.
This chart compares a couple of the most popular hotel credit cards with the One Key+™ Card to help you judge whether the One Key+™ Card is worth the annual fee.
One Key+™ Card | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card | World of Hyatt Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
Annual fee | ||
$99. | $95. | $95. |
Welcome bonus | ||
Earn $400 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. | Earn 85,000 Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening. | Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent. |
Earning rates | ||
• 3% at Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo. • 3% on dining, gas and groceries. • 2% on everything else. | • 6 Marriott Bonvoy® points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. • 3 points per $1 on up to $6,000 a year in combined purchases on grocery stores, gas stations and dining. • 2 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases. | • 4 points per $1 at Hyatt hotels and resorts. • 2 points per $1 on dining, airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, gym memberships, and local transit and commuting. • 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases. |
Elite status | ||
Gold, upgrade to Platinum after $30,000 spent. | Silver, upgrade to Gold with $35,000 in purchases, 15 elite night credits, additional elite night credit for every $5,000 spent. | Discoverist, 5 nights credit plus 2 additional nights for every $5,000 spent. |
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck | ||
Up to $120 once every 4 years. | None. | None. |
Foreign transaction fees | ||
None. | None. | None. |
Travel protections | ||
Primary rental car, trip cancellation/interruption. | Baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip cancellation/interruption insurance. | Baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, secondary rental car coverage, trip cancellation/interruption insurance. |
Other benefits | ||
$100 OneKeyCash renewal bonus, cell phone insurance. | Annual free night (up to 35,000 points), purchase protection. | Annual free night (Category 1-4), second annual free night after $15,000 spent, purchase protection. |
Is it worth getting the annual fee version over the no-annual-fee version?
Determining which One Key card makes sense depends on how frequently you use Expedia, Hotels.com or Vrbo to book your travel.
The One Key+™ Card is the best option for travelers who plan to make at least one booking with Expedia, Hotels.com or Vrbo each year. Although you pay a $99 annual fee, the $100 OneKeyCash renewal bonus each account year can cover the fee.
Whether you're booking a flight, hotel, rental car or activity, it's easy to use that $100 credit. Plus, you'll be reimbursed up to $120 once every four years for the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
When choosing the One Key+™ Card, you're also eligible for a larger welcome bonus, and the card earns 33% more rewards on non-bonus spending than the One Key™ Card.
The bottom line
The One Key credit cards allow travelers to earn additional rewards when booking through Expedia, Hotels.com or Vrbo. Cardholders also receive automatic elite status and the opportunity to upgrade based on annual spending. The cards include numerous travel benefits, including primary rental car protection, no foreign transaction fees and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
When you're not traveling, you'll earn 3% rewards on dining, gas and groceries and up to 2% rewards on everything else.
Because $1 of OneKeyCash is equal to $1, the One Key+™ Card is essentially like having a 2% cash back card, except that you can only use the cash back on travel.
If you're one of the many travelers questioning whether individual hotel loyalty is worth it, you may be better off booking through Expedia Group's online travel agencies and using one of these new OneKey credit cards to earn rewards and elite status perks.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
