Network perks

(Last updated: September 2021)

In this article, we'll talk about issuers vs. networks, types of rewards and perks, network statuses, which network perks are included within each network status, and finally, which issuer offers the credit cards with the best network perks on average.

Issuers vs. networks

• The issuer (a.k.a. issuing bank): The bank who gave you that nice shiny credit card (e.g., Chase, Capital One).
• The payment network (a.k.a. association or interchange): The network that links everybody together (e.g., Visa, Mastercard).

Types of rewards and perks

Most credit cards, especially mid-tier and high-end credit cards that (e.g., travel credit cards that have an annual fee) come with the following types of rewards and perks:

• Signup bonus (a.k.a. welcome bonus, early spend bonus, intro bonus): This is typically in the form of a statement credit (e.g., $200), points (e.g., 50,000 points), or miles (e.g., 50,000 miles). Almost all signup bonuses require you to spend more than a certain amount (known as the "spend threshold") within a certain number of days or months (usually within the first 90 days of having the card).
• Ongoing rewards: This is typically in the form of cash back (e.g., 2% cash back), points (e.g., 2 points per dollar spent), or miles (e.g., 2 miles per dollar spent).
• Issuer perks: These are special benefits offered to cardholders by the card issuer (e.g., Chase, Capital One). Some of these benefits are only given to cardholders of a particular credit card, while others are given to cardholders of multiple credit cards offered by that issuer.
• Network perks: Not only do card issuers have a set of benefits offered to cardholders, but so do the payment networks (e.g., Visa and Mastercard) that those credit cards are associated with.

Network statuses

Not only is each credit associated with a particular payment network (e.g., Visa or Mastercard), but also with a particular network status (a.k.a. network level), such as "World Elite Mastercard" vs "Gold Mastercard" and "Visa Signature" vs. Visa Infinite".

Each network status comes with its own set of network perks for cardholders. (But note: Even if a particular network status is associated with, for example, 10 network perks, the contract negotiated between a credit card issuer and network for a particular credit card might cut out some of those network perks for that credit card's cardholders, in order to decrease costs for the issuer.)

List of Mastercard Network Statuses

Personal Mastercard credit cards come in various status tiers. Those tiers are as follows (rank-ordered from lowest to highest status):

1. Mastercard Classic (a.k.a. standard Mastercard)
2. Gold Mastercard
3. Platinum Mastercard
4. World Mastercard
5. World Elite Mastercard
6. Mastercard Black

Business Mastercard credit cards come in one of the following status tiers (ranked from lowest to highest status):

1. Professional Mastercard
2. Business Platinum Mastercard
3. World Elite Mastercard for Business

List of Visa Network Statuses

Personal Visa credit cards typically come in three different tiers. Those tiers are as follows (rank-ordered from lowest to highest status):

1. Traditional Visa (a.k.a. Visa Platinum, regular Visa)
2. Visa Signature
3. Visa Infinite

Business Visa credit cards come in one of the following status tiers (ranked from lowest to highest status):

1. Visa Professional
2. Visa Business
3. Visa Business Signature
4. Enhanced Visa Signature Business

Additional Info

• This website has some good information about credit card benefits, including network status tiers.
• This Capital One web page contains benefit guides (PDFs) for each of the various network status tiers that are offered by Capital One credit cards.

Network perks per network status

Mastercard

Standard Mastercard

• Higher rewards:
  • Fuel Rewards Network: This is a discount program that works at gas stations, grocery stores, and even restaurants. This benefit allows you to link your Mastercard to your Fuel Rewards Network account and earn additional rewards, rather than carry a separate discount card.
• Concierge:
  • Mastercard Global Service: Provides emergency assistance including card replacement, cash advance, and ATM location.
• Travel protections:
  • MasterTravel Travel Accident Insurance: Insurance for loss of life or limb at no extra charge when you use your credit card to purchase your fare.
• Financial protections:
  • Identity Theft Resolution Services: Includes an identity theft resolution kit and access to specialists.
  • Zero Liability: Waives the $50 maximum liability to cardholders under the Fair Credit Billing Act for fraudulent charges.
• Shopping protections:
  • Price Protection: You can be reimbursed if an eligible purchase experiences a price drop within 60 days of purchase.
  • Extended Warranty: Doubles the manufacturer’s warranty for periods of up to 12 months on eligible purchases.

Gold Mastercard

All of the Standard Mastercard perks, plus:

• Travel protections:
  • Rental car insurance ("MasterRental Insurance"): Provides reimbursement for damage due to collision or theft.
  • MasterAssist emergency services: When you travel more than 100 miles from home, you have 24/7 access to medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services, including medical and legal referrals, missing luggage, and more.

Platinum Mastercard

All of the Gold Mastercard perks, plus:

• Concierge:
  • Concierge Services: Phone representatives can assist you with gift buying and delivery, event tickets, and other personal services.
• Travel protections:
  • MasterAssist Plus: Coverage of up to $25,000, when traveling outside of the country, for certain emergency medical and emergency family travel costs.
• Shopping protections:
  • Return protection (60 days): You can be reimbursed for eligible items that the store won't take back within 60 days of purchase.
  • Purchase Protection (90 days): Coverage for eligible items you buy with your card if they are lost or stolen within 90 days of your purchase.

World Mastercard

All of the Platinum Mastercard perks, plus:

• Concierge:
  • Mastercard Airport Concierge: This is a paid meet-and-greet service that assists passengers with arrivals, departures, or changing planes at over 450 airports around the world. Cardholders receive a 15% discount.
• Shopping protections:
  • Enhanced Price Protection: World Mastercard holders receive this protection for up to 120 days, as opposed to 60 days for standard Mastercard customers.
• Travel protections:
  • Trip cancellation insurance: If your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations, you can be reimbursed for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours, etc.
  • Baggage delay insurance: Reimburses you for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing when your baggage is delayed.
  • Lost or damaged luggage insurance: Insurance for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen baggage when you purchase the entire fare for a Common Carrier ticket (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) on your card.
  • Hotel burglary insurance: Reimbursement for personal property that's stolen from your hotel or motel room, when the room was paid for with your card.
• Travel benefits:
  • World Luxury Hotels & Resorts: Offers room upgrades, free breakfast, early check-in and late-checkout, and special welcome amenities to cardholders who book their stay through this hotel benefits program.
  • World Travel Experience: Travel advice and guides by region, as well as special discounts.
  • Access to airport lounges (for a fee): Access to Priority Pass airport lounges, but for a fee each time.
• Special offers:
  • Mastercard Priceless Cities: Offers discounts and exclusive offers for luxury goods and services in select cities around the world.

World Elite Mastercard

All of the World Mastercard perks, plus:

• Travel benefits:
  • Complimentary access to Priority Pass airport lounges: Access to Priority Pass airport lounges. (But for no fee, unlike what's offered for World Mastercard.)
• Travel upgrades, credits, and discounts:
  • World Elite Air Program: Cardholders receive benefits with several different travel providers. For example, Aer Lingus, Air China, Aeromexico, Austrian, Avianca, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, JAL, LAN/TAM, Lufthansa, Swiss, and Virgin Atlantic. In most cases, these benefits upgrade travelers to business class when they purchase a full fare economy ticket, or offer discounts of 20-30% off of the purchase of business- or economy-class tickets.
  • Airline ticket upgrades: Upgrades to business class from full-fare economy class.
  • World Elite Cruise Program: Cardholders can receive shipboard credits (credits for on-board purchases) when they book a cruise through this program. Credits tend to be $150-500 per room, and the cruise lines offered tend to be higher-end luxury and boutique lines around the world.
  • World Elite Tours & Vacations Program: Cardholders can receive significant savings and credits when booking tours and vacations around the world (typically $100-250 or 5% off of the standard price).
  • World Elite Car Rental Program: This program offers discounts of 15-25% when renting a car with Avis, National, or Sixt. Upon request, cardholders can also receive elite status with these programs, such as Avis First, National Emerald Executive, or Sixt Platinum.
  • World Elite Chauffeured Car Service: This program features savings on limousine services around the world, typically around 15-25% off of the standard price.
  • World Elite Private Jet Program: When first class just doesn’t cut it, this program offers discounts from select private jet charter operators.
• Shopping credits and discounts:
  • Discounts for particular merchants: Credits and discounts for merchants and services such as Lyft, Boxed, Fandango, ShopRunner, and onefinestay.
• Concierge:
  • Personal Travel Advisor and Mastercard Global Service Premium: These are similar to the "Mastercard Airport Concierge" perk offered to World Mastercard cardholders and "Concierge Services" perk offered to Platinum Mastercard cardholders, but with more personal service.
  • Personal assistant: A concierge service that will also be able to complete tasks such as pet care, dry cleaning, business and travel reservations, and more.

Comparison table: Perks per Mastercard network status

Visa

Visa (regular)

• Account features:
  • Year-end summary statement: Access a detailed yearly report of your card expenditures (online or print) for convenient budget analysis and financial planning.
  • Lost/stolen card reporting: Enjoy peace of mind knowing that if your Visa Signature card is ever lost or stolen, assistance is only a phone call away.
• Concierge and assistance services:
  • Cardholder inquiry service: Visa Customer Care Services (VCCS) provides 24-hour emergency services to Visa cardholders around the world.
  • Travel + emergency assistance services: Travel with confidence and count on Visa for a wide range of emergency services, 24 hours a day.
  • Roadside dispatch: 24-hour, toll-free referral dispatch for emergency roadside assistance services like towing, changing a flat tire, boosting a battery, fuel delivery, and more.
• Security and protections:
  • Zero liability: You're protected from unauthorized use of your Visa Signature card or unauthorized access to account information.
  • Emergency cash and card replacement: Emergency card replacement and cash service (a cash advance) if your card is lost or stolen.
• Shopping protections:
  • Extended warranty: Extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer's warranty (by an additional 1+ years) for eligible items that would otherwise have warranties of 3 years or less.
• Travel insurance:
  • Car rental insurance: Receive auto coverage for damage due to collision or theft.

Visa Signature

All of the Visa (regular) benefits, plus:

• Concierge and assistance services:
  • Concierge service: Complimentary concierge service 24 hours a day to assist clients with travel plans, shopping, and restaurant reservations.
  • Emergency medical and legal assistance: Helps you coordinate medical and legal service when you're traveling. (But the cost of any goods or services would still be your responsibility.)
• Exclusive access:
  • VIP treatment: Cardholders get access to special food and wine events and concert tickets, as well as the chance to attend sporting events as a VIP.
• Shopping protections:
  • Purchase Protection (90 days): Coverage for eligible items you buy with your card if they are lost or stolen within 90 days of your purchase.
• Travel benefits:
  • Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection benefits: Luxury hotel booking, room upgrades, VIP guest status, later checkout times, free in-room internet, complimentary continental breakfast, and a $25 food and beverage credit.
• Travel insurance:
  • Travel accident insurance: Insurance for loss of life or limb at no extra charge when you use your credit card to purchase your fare.
  • Lost luggage reimbursement: If you or your immediate family members' checked or carry-on bags are damaged or lost by the carrier, you're covered for up to $3,000 per passenger.

Visa Infinite

All of the Visa Signature benefits, plus:

• Concierge and assistance services:
  • Roadside dispatch credit: Up to $50 in roadside assistance charges is covered on four service calls per year.
• Exclusive access:
  • Broadway League: In addition to the Visa Signature entertainment events, Visa Infinite may offer access to the Broadway League. This program entitles you to purchase house seats or premium seats to Broadway shows in New York City and shows on tour across America. The perks include backstage tours and meet-and-greets with actors in the shows.
• Security and protections:
  • Identity theft insurance: Visa Infinite may also offer assistance if your identity is stolen, reimbursing up to $15,000 to pay for expenses you incur due to the theft.
• Shopping protections:
  • Price protection: With the Crystal Visa Infinite, if you buy an item with your card and find it available for less within 60 days of purchase, you can get reimbursed for the difference up to $1,000 per item and $4,000 per year. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve℠, you can apply for reimbursement up to $500 per item and $2,500 per year within 90 days of the purchase.
  • Purchase security: With the Crystal Visa Infinite, if merchandise is damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase, you may be reimbursed up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year. The Chase Sapphire Reserve℠ provides protection up to the same dollar amount but the offer is good within 120 days from the date of purchase.
  • Return protection: With the Crystal Visa Infinite, if you’re not satisfied with the merchandise and the retailer won’t let you return it, you get up to $300 per item within 90 days of purchase, for a maximum of $1,000 a year. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve℠, you’re covered up to $500 per item with an annual limit of $1,000, and you must file a claim within 90 days.
• Travel benefits:
  • GoGo Inflight Wi-Fi: Passes for 12 flight segments per year.
  • Priority Pass Select membership: Access to more than 900 airport lounges around the world.
  • Airline discounts: $100 discount on purchase of two to five round-trip domestic coach tickets on the same itinerary. No limit on the number of times you can use this benefit. Applies to the itinerary, not an individual ticket. Chase Sapphire Reserve℠ does not offer this benefit.
  • Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection benefits: These are similar to Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection benefits, but each of the benefits are a bit better.
  • Car rental privileges: Discounts, upgrades and other amenities when cardholders enroll in reward programs with Avis, National or Silvercar.
• Travel insurance:
  • Hotel theft protection: Coverage of up to $1,000 for personal property stolen from a hotel room that was paid for with a Visa Infinite card, minus any amount the hotel or your personal insurance may cover.
  • Lost luggage reimbursement: Similar to the perk offered for Visa Signature, but for up to $5,000 per passenger (instead of $3,000). (Note: Excluded items include cell phones and business items.)
  • Baggage delay insurance: If your baggage is delayed for six hours or more, you'll get reimbursed for purchases of essential items until your bags arrive. The limit is $100 per day for up to five days and includes one cell phone charger.
  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: When you purchase your travel ticket (for an airline, train, cruise, ferry, etc.) with a covered Visa card and you must cancel or interrupt your trip, this benefit can help reimburse for the non-refundable cost of your passenger fare (up to $5,000 in coverage).
  • Trip delay insurance: If your trip is delayed by more than six hours or requires an overnight stay, you will be reimbursed up to $500.
  • Emergency evacuation and transportation: If you or an immediate family member falls ill on a trip, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 for ground, ship or air transportation.
  • Travel fee reimbursement: Hundreds of dollars’ worth of statement credit for travel costs, as well as application fees for trusted-traveler programs TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.

Comparison table: Perks per Visa network status

Which issuer offers the credit cards with the best network perks, on average?

If you're interested to see details about which credit card issuer offers the best cards in terms of their network perks, head on over to our article titled Best credit card issuers for each type of credit card perk.

But if you'd prefer to just see the conclusion and summary… The overall winner for best network perks, among all of the types of perks and all of the credit card issuers and specific credit cards reviewed, was Chase.