Charles H. Miller
Holland America Line Rewards Visa® is a niche product, made for (savvy) fans of Holland America Cruises. It comes with a sign-up bonus of 5,000 points, worth $50, and the option to earn points on every day card use: double points on Holland America purchases and a single point per dollar spent on everything else. The card also comes with an introductory period of 0% APR on balance transfers, and has no annual and foreign transaction fees. Details are below…
Highlights
- Sign-up bonus of 5,000 points, worth $50
- Earn 2x points on all Holland America purchases, and 1x point on everything else.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening, then 14.24%, 17.24% or 21.24%.
- No annual fee
How It Works?
Sign-up bonus: 5,000 points after first purchase. That’s enough to redeem for a $50 onboard credit.
Points: Earn 2 points per dollar spent on all Holland America purchases, including onboard purchases; and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else. Points can be redeemed for discounts toward Holland America Cruises when you use your Holland America Visa to book the cruise. You can use points to buy onboard amenities and credits, as well as gift cards and merchandise.
Concierge service: As part of the deal, cardmembers get personal assistance via telephone, including recommendations and reservations for dining, travel, hotels, entertainment and more.
APR: It is either 14.24%, 17.24% or 21.24% variable on purchases. For balance transfers, there is the 0% introductory rate for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening, after which a variable APR of 14.24%, 17.24% or 21.24% will apply.
Costs
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months, then 14.24%, 17.24% or 21.24% Variable
- 14.24%, 17.24% or 21.24% Variable APR on Purchases
- 3% Balance Transfer Fee (minimum $5)
- 0% Foreign Transaction Fee
- $0 Annual Fee
At Barclaycard’s secure website
Pros
- Sign-up bonus of 5,000 points, worth $50, is not bad for a card that has no annual fee.
- No foreign transaction fee – makes this card suitable to be used even while travelling to other countries.
- Redemption beyond Holland America – cardmembers can also redeem their points for different gift cards and merchandise.
Cons
- 0% APR is limited to balance transfers – it would be nice to see it being available on purchases as well. Or we are asking too much from a card that has no annual fee?
- This is a niche product that, accordingly, has a niche audience.
Is This The Card For You?
As we think that’s the way with all niche cards – the answer is YES if you take Holland America Cruises once a year, or at least once every two years. If that’s not the case, you should get some other card. Or if you do like taking those cruises, the Holland America Line Rewards Visa® will get you 5,000 points to start with, while allowing you to earn points for every dollar spent with the card. It also offers a period of 0% APR on balance transfers, has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. So is this something you want to use?
