AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
If you are someone who previously took advantage of Hotels.com's stay 10 nights, get one free award, you may already be familiar with One Key — the combination award program for Hotels.com, Expedia, and VRBO. This relatively new program offers two credit cards — the most premium option being the One Key+™ Card (Rates & Fees).
With this card, you can earn up to 3% in OneKeyCash on your spending, which can go towards your next booking with Hotels.com, Expedia, and VRBO.
But is the One Key+ Card right for you? Let's look at all its benefits and perks to help you make the call.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn $600 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
- Earn 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, 3% in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores, and on dining and 2% in OneKeyCash on other purchases.
- $99 annual fee.
- Get Automatic Gold tier in the One Key rewards program with savings of 20% or more with Gold Member Prices on over 10,000 hotels worldwide. Unlock Platinum when you spend $30,000 per calendar year.
- Get $100 in OneKeyCash each year upon your cardholder anniversary.
- Receive one statement credit up to $120 for a Trusted Traveler Program, such as Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck®
- No foreign transaction fees.
- 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo
- 3% in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores, and on dining
- 2% in OneKeyCash on other purchases
Page Contents
One Key+™ Card Pros
- Automatic Gold tier in the One Key rewards program
- Receive $100 in OneKeyCash each year upon your cardholder anniversary
- Receive one statement credit up to $120 for a Trusted Traveler Program such as Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck®
One Key+™ Card Cons
- Limited redemption options
- Not ideal for travelers who prefer booking directly with airlines or hotels
- $99 annual fee — although that's more than offset by the annual $100 OneKeyCash credit
One Key+™ Card Welcome Offer
To incentivize applications, the One Key+ Card does come with a welcome bonus. As a new applicant, you can earn $600 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
One Key+™ Card Benefits
The One Key+ Card comes with a solid collection of benefits in exchange for a $99 annual fee. Here's what's available to you as a cardholder:
Automatic Gold tier status
Cardholders get automatic Gold tier status in the One Key rewards program. Gold members receive a 20% discount at over 10,000 hotels worldwide, an extra perk and room upgrades (when available) at VIP Access properties, and more.
If you want to level up, you can reach Platinum status by spending $30,000 on the card in a calendar year. It's another path to top-tier status if you can't complete at least 30 trip elements organically.
Anniversary OneKeyCash
One of the best perks of the One Key+ Card is that it can essentially pay for itself. Each year, starting on your cardholder anniversary, $100 in OneKeyCash is deposited into your One Key account.
That benefit alone more than covers the card’s $99 annual fee.
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry statement credit
Cardholders who use their One Key+ Card to pay the application fee for either Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® will receive a statement credit of up to $120 to cover the cost every four years.
These programs are a great way to speed through airport security. And with cards like this, you can get expedited security and immigration at no extra cost.
No foreign transaction fees
The One Key+ Card has no foreign transaction fees, meaning you won't add on any extra expenses when traveling outside the United States.
Cell phone protection
Charge your cell phone bill to your One Key+ Card and receive up to $1,000 to cover stolen or damaged phones — but not those that “mysteriously disappear.” There is a $25 deductible for each claim filed, with a maximum of two paid claims per 12-month period. Note that this policy is secondary, meaning that you'll need to exhaust other insurance that covers your phone before this coverage applies.
Related: Free Cell Phone Insurance: Which Cards Cover Damage, Theft, and Loss
Travel protections
The One Key+ Card also comes with a handful of travel protections that are great to keep in your back pocket while on the road:
- Trip cancellation and interruption protection: Use your One Key+ Card to pay for your trip and get reimbursed up to $5,000 for nonrefundable common carrier tickets if your trip is canceled or interrupted for a covered reason. This is secondary coverage, and the entire fare (less any certificates, vouchers, or coupons) must be paid with your card.
- Travel accident insurance: Receive up to $1,000,000 in travel accident insurance when you use your card to purchase a ticket from an airline or other common carrier. This coverage applies in the event of accidental loss of life, limb, sight, speech, or hearing during a covered trip. The full fare must be charged to your One Key+ Card.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver (CDW): Pay for your rental with the card and get up to $50,000 in reimbursement for covered damage or theft of the vehicle. This coverage is primary (except for New York residents). To use this benefit, you must decline coverage from the rental company and pay the full cost of the rental using your One Key+ Card and/or rewards linked to your card account.
One Key+™ Card Earning Rates
The One Key+ Card has solid earning categories on a variety of spending. Cardholders earn OneKeyCash in the following ways:
- 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo
- 3% in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores, and on dining
- 2% in OneKeyCash on other purchases
Redeeming OneKeyCash with the One Key+™ Card
The One Key+ Card earns rewards that can only be used within the One Key rewards program, which includes three partners — Expedia, Hotels.com, and VRBO. The cash earned is not flexible — like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Capital One Miles — but you still have options.
You can redeem OneKeyCash for any travel purchases available through Expedia, Hotels.com, or VRBO. This includes hotels, airfare, rental cars, and vacation rentals. For instance, I recently used my small bit of OneKeyCash to discount my hotel stay in an area that doesn't have many points options.
However, OneKeyCash comes with a few limitations. It can only be used for “Pay Now” bookings priced in U.S. Dollars at participating hotels and vacation rentals. If you want to redeem it for a flight, you must have enough to cover the full cost upfront, including taxes and fees. Split payments aren't allowed on flight reward redemptions.
OneKeyCash also expires after 18 months of inactivity, so make sure to keep your account active — which you can do by making just one purchase each year.
Cards that Compete With the One Key+ Card
The One Key+ Card isn't tied to a specific brand but also doesn't earn flexible points, which makes it hard to choose comparable cards. However, here are a few ideas if you're looking for a new card.
- If you want a card that earns OneKeyCash but doesn't have an annual fee, check out the One Key™ Card (Rates & Fees). This card is the little brother to the One Key+™ Card and comes with no annual fee, a smaller spending requirement for the welcome offer, and automatic Silver-tier status. Learn more in our full review of the One Key Card.
- If you're looking for an excellent travel rewards card for beginners, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees) is a great option. The card earns flexible points that can be used with a variety of airline and hotel partners. It has a low $95 annual fee, comes with an annual $50 hotel credit, and has no foreign transaction fees. You can read our full review here. Learn more in our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
- If you're looking for a card that earns points you can use with many international partners, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card may be a good fit. This card has 16 airline and three hotel partners, making it one of the most versatile cards on the market. It also earns 2X Capital One Miles on all purchases, so it's easy to use without focusing on specific spending categories. Learn more in our full review of the Capital One Venture.
Rates & Fees
- 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo
- 3% in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores, and on dining
- 1.5% in OneKeyCash on other purchases
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
Related: Best Credit Cards for Everyday Purchases
Bottom Line
The One Key+ Card may not be our top choice for a travel rewards card. We prefer cards that earn flexible points and give us the ability to get much more value from our points and miles. However, the One Key+ Card is a solid option as a supporting card, as it offers OneKeyCash and Gold-tier elite status—plus the $100 annual OneKeyCash credit more than offsets the annual fee.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn $600 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
- Earn 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, 3% in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores, and on dining and 2% in OneKeyCash on other purchases.
- $99 annual fee.
- Get Automatic Gold tier in the One Key rewards program with savings of 20% or more with Gold Member Prices on over 10,000 hotels worldwide. Unlock Platinum when you spend $30,000 per calendar year.
- Get $100 in OneKeyCash each year upon your cardholder anniversary.
- Receive one statement credit up to $120 for a Trusted Traveler Program, such as Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck®
- No foreign transaction fees.
- 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo
- 3% in OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores, and on dining
- 2% in OneKeyCash on other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.