Meet the Contenders
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2X points on airfare and hotels booked through LuxuryCardTravel.com, 1X on everything else; up to $700 in annual credits ($300 airline + $200 dining + $200 Ship&Play), plus a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every 5 years.
Earns 1X points on everything else.
Annual fee: $1199
Foreign fees: 0%
Perfect if: You spend enough in bonus categories to easily offset the annual fee.
Beyond the points: Up to $700 in annual statement credits ($300 airline + $200 dining + $200 Ship&Play), plus a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every 5 years that also covers authorized users, offsets well over half the $1,199 fee before any points are counted. Redeems at a flat 2¢/point for both cash back and airfare.
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2x on all, 2.5x on mobile up to $5k/quarter, 6x on prepaid travel.
Earns a solid 2.0% on everything else.
Annual fee: $195
Sign-up bonus: 75,000 points after $10,000 spend in 120 days
Foreign fees: 0%
Perfect if: You're comfortable booking through the issuer's own site for the best rate.
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The Verdict
These cards are closely matched across categories, so the winner comes down to your specific spending mix.
The $1,004/year fee difference means
Luxury Card Mastercard Gold Card needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.
Luxury Card Mastercard Gold Card carries $820/year in credits (mostly unlocked by everyday bonus-category spending).
Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.
Rewards rates aren’t the whole story here. Lounge access, concierge service, travel protections, and statement credits can be worth more than a fraction of a percent in earn rate. See the key benefits above and weigh them against how you travel and spend.
Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math. The calculator ranks purely on rewards minus the full annual fee, so credits and perks are yours to judge.