Mastercard® Titanium Card™ Review
This card is designed for the jetsetter with an eye toward lucrative rewards. Those rewards are worth even more when you redeem them for airfare at 2% value, plus benefit from 24/7 luxury card concierge.
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Mastercard® Titanium Card™
- Rewards
- Flat-rate redemption value of 1% for cash back or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. Earn one point for every dollar spent. Straightforward redemption without needing a high-maintenance reward strategy. No foreign transaction fees, no earning caps, no rotating categories, and no need to chase down transfer partners to escape very low point values.
- Welcome Bonus
- N/A
- Annual Fee
- $195
Credit Score: Very Good, ExcellentKey Features
- Ideal for those seeking an introductory premium travel card that provides exceptional airfare redemption, access to hotel privileges and elevated service beyond the ordinary. Find peace of mind with protection benefits that exceeds standard credit cards.
- Flat-rate redemption value of 1% for cash back or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. Earn one point for every dollar spent. Straightforward redemption without needing a high-maintenance reward strategy. No foreign transaction fees, no earning caps, no rotating categories, and no need to chase down transfer partners to escape very low point values.
- 24/7 Luxury Card Concierge®--Make requests the way you want by phone, email, SMS and chat in the app. Connect directly with a real agent and receive 24/7 assistance for tasks big and small. Requests do not require a purchase, incur no charge for making them, and do not involve department transfers.
- Exclusive Luxury Card Travel® benefits--average value of $500 per stay (e.g., resort credits, room upgrades, free wifi, breakfast for two and more) at over 3,000 properties. Receive protection benefits like trip cancellation and interruption, auto rental car collision waiver, travel accident and baggage delay. Cell phone protection for eligible claims of up to $1,000 each year. Plus additional World Elite Mastercard® benefits.
- Members-only LUXURY MAGAZINE®.Brushed Metal Card Design: Weighing in at an industry-leading 22g. Designed for frequent shoppers, big ticket purchases and everything in between.
- Annual fee: $195 ($95 for each Authorized User). Terms and conditions apply.
Editor Analysis:
- Your points are worth more when you redeem them for airfare – at a 2% redemption value, 50,000 points can be redeemed for a $1,000 flight.
- Airport "meet and greet" service means a faster, easier start to your vacation or business trip.
- The annual fee is not for the faint of heart at $195. If you won't use the card enough to offset the fee with rewards points, consider another travel-focused card with a lower fee.
MASTERCARD® TITANIUM CARD™ BENEFITS
This exclusive, luxury credit card has a brushed metal card design; it clangs when it falls from your hand and is heavier than most other cards that you’ll be carrying in your wallet.
And this heavy-hitting card comes with some heavy-hitting perks, but more on that soon. First, the rewards.
When it comes to rewards, you earn one point for every $1 spent on purchases with the CardName. At first glance, that doesn’t look like that great of a rewards program, but – and this is a big "but" for the jetsetters out there – your points are worth more (2%) when you redeem them for airfare.
Hello, $1,000 flight for 50,000 points.
Another advantage? Your reward points can be redeemed instantly, making that last-minute trip a real possibility. And with no limits to the points that you earn nor blackout dates or seat restrictions, the sky is truly the limit for the freebies you can earn with the CardName.
A few more features:
- Easy reward tracking via your monthly statement.
- ID theft resolution and luggage delay insurance.
- 24/7 luxury concierge service (requests do not require a purchase, incur no charge for making them, and do not involve department transfers).
- Airport "meet and greet" service through which a professional will meet and escort you through airport procedures.
WHAT OUR EDITORS LIKE MOST ABOUT THE MASTERCARD® TITANIUM CARD™
Getting more value when redeeming your rewards for airfare is a decidedly alluring advantage for the CardName, and it makes the AnnualFees annual fee quite a bit easier to swallow.
Fifty thousand rewards points can be redeemed for a $1,000 ticket on any airline with no blackout dates or seat restrictions, giving Mastercard® Titanium Card™ a rich travel rewards component.
For those less apt to redeem every point for travel, utilizing a 1% statement credit is a nice way to get back some dough in exchange for the charges you make with the Mastercard® Titanium Card™. And there are plenty of other rewards options as well. Rewards earned with a Mastercard® Titanium Card™ can be redeemed for gift cards; merchandise such as electronics, sporting goods and items for the home; and experiences like guided fishing trips, vacation packages or tickets to major events.
And the fact that there are no limits on its rewards, as mentioned above, gives the Mastercard® Titanium Card™ an edge.
But this card really earns its place in the wallets of people "suffering" from wanderlust.
As you would expect, the Mastercard® Titanium Card™ doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, but it does offer you special access to chauffeured transportation services and even chartered jets or yachts.
MASTERCARD® TITANIUM CARD™ POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES
With a AnnualFees annual fee and a $95 fee charged for each additional authorized user, the CardName is a luxury credit card with a price that isn’t for everyone. Sharing the card with three or four family members would cost $480 and $575 per year, respectively. This is a bit on the high side for a credit card, but may be worth it for those who travel frequently and are comfortable charging thousands of dollars annually in order to reap the full rewards potential. If you really want to travel in luxury, however (and can foot an even higher annual fee) you might want to consider the Mastercard® Black Card™ (more on that below).
HOW THE MASTERCARD® TITANIUM CARD™ COMPARES TO OTHER CARDS
Mastercard® Titanium Card™ vs. Mastercard® Black Card™
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The CardName is the next step up from the Mastercard® Titanium Card™ and as such offer the same features as the Mastercard® Titanium Card™ and then some. You earn one point for every $1 spent on purchases with the Mastercard® Black Card™ and those rewards points are worth extra when you redeem them for airfare (that 2% figure discussed above).
But, there’s more. The Mastercard® Black Card™ also offers up to $100 annually to cover your incidental airline fees (think luggage fees or in-flight refreshments), access to 1,300+ airport lounges around the world, a fee credit every five years to cover your Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee and luxury gifts simply for being a loyal card member.
As you would expect, the Mastercard® Black Card™ also has a much higher annual fee, AnnualFees, and you pay $195 for each additional authorized user on the card. In other words, if you aren’t willing to put all the perks to use, you’ll probably do just as well with the Titanium card and its much lower annual fee. Terms and conditions apply
Mastercard® Titanium Card™ vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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The CardName isn’t what you would necessarily call a luxury card, but it does offer some significant benefits for the regular traveler – and at a cost of just AnnualFees annually.
With this card you earn 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. The introductory bonus offer of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months is worth $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel.
The Mastercard® Titanium Card™ does offer some luxury perks you won’t get with Chase Sapphire Preferred®, but if you don’t see yourself putting those perks to good use, the lower-annual-fee CardName is likely a better option.
Mastercard® Titanium Card™ vs. CardName
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American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.
With CardName you’ll receive a $200 airline fee credit for incidental charges with a pre-selected airline, concierge service and access to the Global Lounge Collection® of airport lounges. Travel purchases through the Amex travel portal earn five Membership Rewards points (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) and you can also earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points when you use a new card to make $8,000 in eligible purchases in your first six months. Keep in mind, however, that your point value isn’t increased when you redeem for airfare, as it is with the Mastercard® Titanium Card™. Enrollment required for select benefits.
CardName also comes with a much higher annual fee of AnnualFees.
Also keep in mind that unlike typical credit cards, the CardName allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all, so you’ll need to pay your balance off in full each month to avoid costly fees. If you occasionally carry a balance, the Mastercard® Titanium Card™ is likely a better option.
IS MASTERCARD® TITANIUM CARD™ A GOOD CARD?
This card was built for frequent travelers who are heavy credit card users. If you’ll put the points to good use – particularly in enjoying that extra value by redeeming for airfare – the CardName is a worthwhile option to consider. Plus, if you’re someone who wants to be treated like a VIP when you travel, this card will help you get there.
Our Methodology
Survey methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents’ scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. Current Scores reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); “Past Scores” reflect scores from the 2022 survey.
Disclaimer:The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.
This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.
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