Capital one quicksilver world elite mastercard benefits

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Editor’s note: This post has been updated with the latest card issuer information.

We're all aware of the useful benefits that come with our credit cards, from annual travel credits to free checked bags. But what about the less obvious ones? If you own a credit card through Mastercard, it will be one of the following: a Mastercard, World Mastercard or World Elite Mastercard.

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You can find out which version you have by looking for the label just above the Mastercard logo. World Elite Mastercards tend to carry higher annual fees. So, is it worth it to spend more? What benefits are you getting out of owning a World or World Elite Mastercard?

Related: Comparing Visa Signature and World Elite Mastercard benefits

If you're equally as confused, don't worry. We'll go over the main differences between the three Mastercards and the various perks that come with each type of version.

The standard Mastercard program

The standard benefits of a Mastercard vary based on the card issuer and the product. However, benefits you'll get directly from the Standard Mastercard program include:

• Zero liability protection: You won't be financially responsible for unauthorized charges to your card.
• Mastercard Global Emergency Services: Get emergency assistance anytime, anywhere, helping you with card replacement, cash advances if your wallet or card is lost or stolen or other inquiries.
• Mastercard ID Theft Protection™: Powered by Generali Global Assistance, this perk adds an extra level of security with exclusive technology to monitor fraud or suspicious activity on your account and assigns a resolution specialist in cases of identity theft. To activate this benefit, visit the Mastercard ID Theft Protection website to enroll your card.

The World Mastercard program

The next level (World Mastercard) is where you'll really start to reap the benefits. In addition to all the Standard Mastercard perks, you'll enjoy the following:

• DoorDash: Get a three-month membership to DoorDash DashPass, offering members unlimited free delivery fees and reduced service fees from thousands of restaurants, grocery and convenience stores on orders over $12. Plus, get a $5 discount on their first two orders every month through Sept. 30, 2022.
• HelloFresh: Get a 5% discount on each HelloFresh purchase. New HelloFresh customers will also receive up to a $90 discount on their first four orders.
• Lyft: After taking three Lyft rides in a calendar month, receive an automatic $5 credit once per month.
• ShopRunner: Receive a complimentary ShopRunner membership, getting you unlimited free two-day shipping and return shipping on 100+ retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Staples.
• Cell phone protection: By paying your cell phone bill with your World Mastercard, you'll receive up to $1,000 in yearly coverage (maximum two claims per year, for up to $600 per claim) if you damage your phone or if it gets stolen.
• Priceless Experiences: Access exclusive events in your local city or destinations you're visiting. For golfers, you'll also enjoy Priceless benefits for golf experiences.
• Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services: Offers trip planning assistance for cardholders, amenities, free nights, upgrades and premium travel offers from best-in-class travel companies across Mastercard hotels, air travel, tours, cruises, car rentals and more. When booking through this program, you'll also receive:
• Hotel stay guarantee: If you’re not pleased with a three-star or higher-rated hotel stay, Mastercard will work to make it right.
• Lowest hotel rate guarantee: If you find a lower price on a prepaid hotel stay, Mastercard may reimburse you the difference.
• Mastercard Airport Concierge: Enjoy a 15% discount on personalized meet-and-greet services from over 700 airports worldwide.

Related: Select Mastercard customers now receive DoorDash perks — check here to see if you qualify

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Best World Mastercard credit cards

An array of our favorite travel rewards credit cards bear the World Mastercard logo, including:

CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®

This card is great for frequent travelers who prefer American Airlines and also want to earn generous rewards on common purchases. The card offers 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, purchases at telecommunications, cable and satellite providers, car rentals and gas stations and 1x everywhere else. The $99 annual fee is waived the first year, making the card an excellent value.

The information for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

JetBlue Card

This is a rare World Mastercard with no annual fee, making it an incredible value. It gives you 3x points on JetBlue purchases, plus 2x points on restaurants and grocery stores and 1x on everything else. Issued by Barclays, the card has a 10,000-point bonus offer after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. You’ll also get perks such as 50% off inflight purchases and no foreign transaction fees.

These benefits may sound modest, but pair them with the benefits you’ll get in the World Mastercard program, and you have a solid card that doesn’t cost anything to carry.

The information for the JetBlue card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Other World Mastercards that may be worth the cost

• Amtrak Guest Rewards® World Mastercard® — $79 annual fee; 3x points on eligible Amtrak purchases, 2x on other travel and 1x elsewhere
• Frontier Airlines World Mastercard® — $79 annual fee, waived the first year; 5x miles on eligible Frontier purchases, 3x at restaurants and 1x elsewhere

The information for the Amtrak Guest Rewards and the Frontier Airlines World Mastecard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The World Elite Mastercard program

World Elite cardholders enjoy all the standard and World Mastercard benefits (including DoorDash and Lyft benefits) listed above, plus the following:

• Fandango: For every $20 spent on Fandango movie tickets or Fandango’s streaming services, receive a $5 Fandango reward for future movie tickets or at-home purchases.
• World Elite Concierge: This 24/7 concierge service acts as a personal assistant, helping you plan dinner reservations or book tickets to events.
• Cell phone protection: By paying your cell phone bill with your World Elite Mastercard, you'll get a higher amount of coverage than the World Mastercard cell phone coverage. If you damage your phone or it’s stolen, you may get reimbursed for up to $800 per claim (maximum two claims per year and $1,000 in yearly coverage).

Best World Elite Mastercard credit cards

Many of the best travel rewards credit cards are part of the World Elite Mastercard program. Here are some of our favorites:

Citi Premier® Card

The Citi Premier's modest $95 annual fee is more than offset for the first year by a sign-up bonus of 80,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. The card offers 3x points on restaurants, groceries, gas stations, air travel, hotels and 1x on all other purchases. Points never expire and can be transferred to any of Citi’s 16 airline partners. The card also has no foreign transaction fees.

Related: Reasons to get the Citi Premier card

JetBlue Plus Card

For frequent JetBlue flyers, this card offers a lot of bang for the buck. The $99 annual fee gets you a free checked bag when you fly JetBlue (for you and three companions) and 5,000 bonus points each year on your account anniversary. Earn 6x points on JetBlue purchases, plus 2x at restaurants and grocery stores. You can also earn a $100 statement credit on JetBlue Vacations purchases of $100 or more. Plus, using your JetBlue Plus Card is a great way to earn Mosaic status, JetBlue’s elite status, since you automatically gain status after spending $50,000 with your card in a calendar year.

The information for the JetBlue Plus has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Other World Elite Mastercard credit cards to consider

• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® — $99 annual fee (waived for the first 12 months); earns 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, at gas stations and restaurants and first checked bag free
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® — $450 annual fee; includes Admirals Club membership. For a limited time, earns 4x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases through 12/31/22. After that, earns 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases and first checked bag free
• Citi Prestige® Card — $495 annual fee; earns 5x points on air travel and at restaurants and 3x points on hotels and cruise lines, $250 annual travel credit and two fourth-night-free awards on hotel stays each year

The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Are World Elite benefits worth the annual fee?

The easiest World Elite benefits to use (among those not included with World Mastercards) is probably the Lyft and DoorDash credits. All it requires is setting a World Elite Mastercard as your method of payment. Meanwhile, the savings with Fandango tickets can add up if you’re a frequent moviegoer. The ShopRunner membership can also make the World Elite and World Mastercards worthwhile, with lots of savings available for shopping online.

Related: Best credit cards for online shopping

Many of the benefits related to the World and World Elite Mastercard program offer peace of mind. For instance, it’s nice to know that if you have a less-than-stellar hotel stay at a three-star or better property, Mastercard has your back. And it’s nice to have more personalized service through Mastercard Travel & Lifestyle Services. But these aren’t necessarily perks that will automatically translate into cost savings that offset the annual fee.

Bottom line

If we’re only considering World Elite Mastercard benefits and not the other card perks, the best option for getting World Elite benefits is probably the Citi Premier® Card, which has a great earning structure that includes a lot of bonus points opportunities. Citi’s ThankYou points can be transferred to 16 airline programs for potentially even more value.

Otherwise, travelers who can realize just one of the other tour, cruise or limo discounts available with World Elite Mastercard will find the Citi/AAdvantage Platinum or the JetBlue Plus Card to be well worth the annual fee. Businesses looking for World benefits and American Airlines perks likely can’t go wrong with a CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card for all their needs.

Additional reporting by Dawn Allcot and Stella Shon.

Featured image by Getty Images

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Highest Offer in 5 Years

Best premium travel card for value

Intro offer

80,000 bonus points

Recommended Credit

740-850

Excellent

Why We Chose It

If you are looking to take your premium rewards to the highest level, this card is really a no brainer in our eyes. Chase's Ultimate Rewards make points easy to redeem, with a wide range of 10 airline and three hotel transfer partners and a friendly user interface. Despite the high annual fee, Chase is consistently adding new benefits to keep the card competitive in a fierce premium rewards field.

Pros

• $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year
• Access to Chase Ultimate Rewards hotel and airline travel partners
• Unlimited 3x points on the broad category of travel and dining
• 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• Broad definitions for travel and dining bonus categories

Cons

• Steep $550 annual fee
• May not make sense for people that don't travel frequently
• You must spend the $300 travel credit before earning 3x points for travel and dining
• No automatic hotel elite status

• Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,200 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,200 toward travel
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more

Highest Offer in 5 Years

Best premium travel card for value

Rewards Rate

• Intro Offer

  80,000 bonus points

• Annual Fee

  $550

• Recommended Credit

  740-850

  Excellent

Why We Chose It

If you are looking to take your premium rewards to the highest level, this card is really a no brainer in our eyes. Chase's Ultimate Rewards make points easy to redeem, with a wide range of 10 airline and three hotel transfer partners and a friendly user interface. Despite the high annual fee, Chase is consistently adding new benefits to keep the card competitive in a fierce premium rewards field.

Pros

• $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year
• Access to Chase Ultimate Rewards hotel and airline travel partners
• Unlimited 3x points on the broad category of travel and dining
• 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• Broad definitions for travel and dining bonus categories

Cons

• Steep $550 annual fee
• May not make sense for people that don't travel frequently
• You must spend the $300 travel credit before earning 3x points for travel and dining
• No automatic hotel elite status

• Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,200 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,200 toward travel
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more