8 Underrated Credit Card Perks the AwardWallet Team Loves

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Credit card perks seem to fall into two categories: the ones everyone talks about, and the ones everyone forgets about.

For example, lounge access and welcome offers get all the attention. But some of the most useful benefits are the ones that don’t seem like a big deal … until they are.

We asked the AwardWallet team to share their favorite under-the-radar credit card perks. Here’s what they rely on most.

$100 Resy Credit — Allie Johnson

The American Express^® Gold Card offers up to $100 annually in statement credits for dining at Resy restaurants. After enrolling, you’ll receive up to $50 back every six months at eligible U.S. restaurants.

What makes this perk especially easy to use: You don’t need to book through Resy. All you need to do is pay at an eligible restaurant with your card, and the credit will apply automatically.

Credit: Allie Johnson

For Allie, this is one of those benefits that gets used without much thought or effort. Living in a metro area with plenty of Resy restaurants — and already using the card for 4X points on dining — she uses the credit naturally throughout the year. It’s always a nice bonus to see $50 back on a meal or two when checking your statement.

Related: How to Utilize All of the Dining Credits on the American Express^® Gold Card

Delta Stays Credit — Allie Johnson

Allie Johnson pointed to the Delta Stays credit as a perk that can deliver real value in the right situations. Eligible Delta SkyMiles^® American Express cardholders can get between $100 and $250 back annually, depending on the card, as a statement credit on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings.

While she wouldn’t typically book through Delta Stays, this credit has come in handy for her more than once. Most recently, she used it to offset the cost of a one-night stay at a castle hotel in Ireland — a stay that would have otherwise been pretty pricey.

Credit: Allie Johnson

She's also used the credit for a near-free night at the Hilton Munich Airport ahead of an early morning flight. For one-off stays like these, the credit can be an easy way to save.

Return Protection — Toni Perkins-Southam

The American Express Platinum Card^® offers return protection, which reimburses eligible purchases if a retailer won’t accept a return.

This benefit can be especially valuable for items with strict or no-return policies. Toni used it after purchasing a set of hair extensions that weren't quite the right color. The retailer had a strict policy that any opened extensions could not be returned. She thought she was out of luck, until she remembered her Platinum Card^®‘s return protection coverage.

By filing a return protection claim, she was reimbursed about $300 … turning what could have been a hairy situation into a more “perm”-anent kind of savings.

Earning and Redeeming Chase Points for Theme Park Tickets — Carissa Rawson

Carissa is a huge fan of theme parks, which is why you’ll often find her on one coast or another riding roller coasters. But scoring a deal on admission tickets isn’t always easy. Annual passes can make sense if you visit frequently, but for occasional trips, ticket prices add up fast.

Enter the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card. This card offers solid earnings on travel and dining purchases. However, it also earns elevated Ultimate Rewards on purchases within the Chase Travel℠ portal.

Know what you'll find there? Theme park tickets.

Credit: Chase Travel

Universal Studios tickets are also available on Chase's site:

Credit: Chase Travel

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are among the most valuable rewards you can earn. Recent AwardWallet user redemptions peg the average value of a Chase point at 2.02¢ each. That means cardholders using the Sapphire Preferred can earn strong value on theme park tickets booked through Chase Travel.

You can also redeem points directly for tickets through Chase Travel. Redemption values vary based on the booking and any available promotions, but this can still be a useful way to offset the cost of admission.

Related: Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Boost: When To Redeem Points This Way and When To Avoid It

Up to 25% off Wyndham Award Nights — Anthony Cave

Anthony Cave chose Wyndham’s cardholder award discount as one of his favorite under-the-radar perks. All Wyndham Rewards credit cards offer a discount on award redemptions, helping cardholders stretch their points further.

This discount used to be a flat 10% discount for eligible Wyndham cardholders. But after a recent Wyndham Rewards card update, cardholders can now save up to 25% on award nights, depending on which Wyndham card they hold.

For Anthony, the value ties into a broader strategy. As a Caesars Diamond enthusiast, he shoots for around 40 nights each year at Wyndham properties to maintain his status through the Wyndham–Caesars partnership — and avoid resort fees at Caesars properties.

While the Wyndham–Caesars match still exists, it requires earned status rather than status granted through a credit card. This award discount helps make that 40-night goal a little easier to reach.

With transfer options from programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards and Wells Fargo Rewards, topping off a Wyndham balance has also become easier.

Accessing Museums for Free or Half-Off — Senitra Horbrook

“One activity I frequently add to my travel itinerary is visiting museums, and it’s even better when I get free entry using my credit card's perks,” writes Senitra Horbrook.

Eligible Capital One Venture X cardholders can receive 50% off The Cultivist Enthusiast membership for up to two years, bringing the annual cost to $220 during the discounted period.

Another great way to get free or reduced-price entry to more than 200 museums across the U.S. is through Bank of America's Museums on Us program. Anyone with a Bank of America Travel Card, cash-back card, or debit card can receive free general admission during the first weekend of each month by showing their card at participating museums.

Free entry is only valid for the cardholder, but authorized users can also use their card for free entry to the participating museums.

Enjoying Eurostar Lounge Entry — Sam Helmy

You probably already know that the American Express Platinum Card^® offers some of the best lounge access around, but if you hold an eligible card from the U.K., Belgium, France, or an ICC card, your access extends beyond the airport.

So says Sam Helmy, who loves that his version of the Platinum Card^® offers complimentary access to Eurostar lounges. These high-speed trains connect several European cities, and eligible travelers passing through London St. Pancras International, Paris Gare du Nord, and Brussels Midi/Zuid can access Eurostar Premier lounges, depending on their card and travel eligibility.

Unfortunately, this does not apply to U.S.-issued Amex Platinum cards.

Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.

Saving 10% on IHG Redemptions — JT Genter

Editor-in-Chief JT Genter has been a digital nomad for almost nine years. He and his wife, Katie, have spent countless nights at about every hotel chain you can imagine. Among their favorites? IHG One Rewards. The IHG^® Rewards Select Credit Card (no longer open to new applicants) is one you'd have to pry from his hands, thanks to the 10% rebate you receive on all award redemptions.

Unlike the currently available IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, you don’t need to book four-night stays to receive this benefit. The 10% rebate applies to all award redemptions, regardless of stay length.

To date, JT has saved 479,535 IHG points with this perk. If you assume just a 0.5 cents per point valuation, that's around $2,400 in value from this one card perk!

Although this exact perk isn’t available on new IHG cards, the current lineup still offers strong value, especially for longer stays, thanks to the fourth-night-free benefit.

Final Thoughts

You may have heard of these perks before, whether that's because you've seen an article singing their praises (like this one!) or you've taken advantage of them yourself. Just remember: For all the less-famous credit card benefits we've talked about here, there are a dozen more waiting for the right cardholders to utilize.

If you've got a favorite unheralded credit card perk, let us know what it is in the comments below.