Barclays
Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard
Key Features
| Annual Fee | $99.00 |
| Intro APR | 0% introductory APR for the first twelve billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. |
| Regular APR | 19.49% to 29.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. After that, (and for balance transfers that do not post to your account within 45 days of account opening) your APR will be 19.49% to 29.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. 29.74%. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. |
| Other Fees | Balance transfer – Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. Balance transfer fee: 5% (min. $5). Cash advance fee: 5% (min. $10). Foreign transaction fee: 0%. The minimum monthly interest charge will be $0.50. |
| Network | Mastercard |
About this card
The Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard earns an overall rating of 2.1 out of 5.0. While the card offers a potentially valuable rewards program for Emirates loyalists, several factors significantly detract from its overall appeal. The APR is high, especially for a card targeting users with good to excellent credit. The rewards program, while decent for Emirates flyers, lacks versatility compared to more general travel cards, and the value of Skywards miles can be questionable. The $99 annual fee further reduces the value proposition unless you are a frequent Emirates flyer. The most significant drawback is the consistently poor reputation of Barclays as an issuer, with numerous complaints about customer service and account management. This negative reputation heavily influences the overall rating, overshadowing some of the card's potential benefits. In summary, the card may be worthwhile for dedicated Emirates customers willing to tolerate potential customer service issues, but it is not a strong choice for the average consumer. The card's strengths include its sign-up bonus, high rewards rate on Emirates purchases, and no foreign transaction fees. Its weaknesses are the annual fee, high APR, limited rewards categories, and, most significantly, the poor reputation of Barclays as an issuer.
Pros & Cons
What's great
- Generous sign-up bonus
- High rewards rate
- No foreign transaction fees
- Intro APR period
- Luxury perks
Things to consider
- Annual fee
- High regular APR
- High balance transfer fee
- Limited rewards categories
- Requires good or excellent credit
What this card offers
Sign-up bonuses
- Enjoy Emirates Skywards Silver tier membership during your first year, and retain your tier status by spending $20,000 each cardmembership year.
- Earn 40,000 bonus Skywards Miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days.
Rewards
- Earn 3 Skywards Miles on eligible Emirates purchases
- Earn 2 Skywards Miles on eligible travel purchases
- Earn 1 Skywards Mile on all other purchases
Other features
- The Skywards Miles you earn will not expire as long as your account remains open.
- No foreign transaction fees on international purchases.
- There is no limit to the number of Skywards Miles you can earn as long as your account remains open, active and in good standing.
- Complimentary online access to your FICO Credit Score lets you keep an eye on your credit score and get alerts when we learn that your score has changed.
- Receive 25% savings when you Buy or Gift Miles
- $0 Fraud Liability protection means you're not responsible for charges you did not authorize.
Additional Notes
The Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard is issued by Barclays Bank Delaware pursuant to a license from Mastercard International Incorporated.