The TD Platinum Travel Visa* Card is best for TD Bank users who frequently book their travels through Expedia and want to earn rewards on their everyday spending like bills and groceries.
However, like all credit cards, it comes with its own set of pros and cons. In this comprehensive review, we'll delve into the card's features, benefits, and how it stacks up against other TD offerings and plan programs, helping you decide if it's the right fit for your wallet.
TD Platinum Travel Visa* Card: pros and cons
Pros
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Generous welcome bonus: Get up to 50,000 TD Rewards Points when you make your first card purchase and spend $1,000 within 90 days of opening your account.
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High earn rate: Earn up to six TD Rewards Points for every $1 spent on Expedia® for TD, 4.5 points on dining and groceries, and three points on recurring bill payments.
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No travel restrictions: No blackouts, seat restrictions, and your points never expire as long as your account is in good standing.
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First year fee waiver: The annual fee is waived for the first year.
Cons
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Limited travel perks: Unlike some premium cards, it doesn't offer perks like airport lounge access.
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Not ideal for non-Expedia users: The highest rewards rate is tied to Expedia bookings.
Welcome bonus
- Earn up to 50,000 TD Rewards Points
- 15,000 TD Rewards Points after your first purchase with the card
- 25,000 TD rewards points after you spent $1,000 within 90 days of opening your account
- First year annual fee waiver ($89 value)
- Six months of Uber One membership ($60 value)
Earn rate
The TD Platinum Travel Visa Card offers a superior earn rate on various categories:
- Earn 6 TD Rewards points for every $1 spent when you book travel through Expedia for TD
- Earn 4.5 TD Rewards Points for every $1 spent on groceries and dining out
- Earn 3 TD Rewards Points for every $1 spent on recurring bill payments
- Earn 1.5 TD Rewards points for every $1 spent on everything else
Key benefits
- Expedia benefits: If you frequently book through Expedia, this card offers one of the best rewards rates for your bookings.
- Dining and groceries: Earn a high rate of 4.5 points for every dollar spent at restaurants and grocery stores, making your night out on the town or grocery run even more rewarding.
- Travel insurance: The card includes decent travel insurance coverage, ensuring peace of mind during your travels. They do offer the option to upgrade your coverage for an additional fee to unlock emergency medical insurance.
Insurance coverage
- Flight delay insurance of up to $500 if your trip is delayed more than 4 hours.
- Delayed and lost baggage insurance up to $1,000 per insurance person if delayed more than 6 hours.
- Travel accident insurance up to $500,000 (while travelling on a common carrier like a plane, train, or bus).
- Rental car insurance for up to 48 consecutive days up to a maximum MSRP of $65,000.
- Mobile device insurance up to $1,000 in the event of loss, theft, or accidental damage.
- Extended warranty insurance that doubles the manufacturer’s warranty up to an additional 12 months.
- Hotel burglary insurance up to $2,500.
- [Optional] Apply for travel medical insurance in case of medical emergencies abroad.
- [Optional] Apply for Trip cancellation insurance to help recover trip expenses or the cost of a trip home.
- [Optional] Apply for TD Auto Club Membership for roadside emergencies.
Extras
- Save a minimum of 10% off the lowest base rate fares in Canada and 5% in the U.S. at Avis and Budget locations.
- No travel blackouts, seat restrictions and your TD Rewards Points never expire as long as your account is open and in good standing.
TD Platinum Travel Visa* Card Rewards
How to earn TD Platinum Travel Visa* points
Earning TD Rewards Points is straightforward: You earn the highest amount of points with Expedia Bookings—earn six points for every dollar spent on Expedia for TD. The rewards stack up quickly with everyday expenses like dining and groceries where you earn 4.5 points for every dollar spent. And for any recurring bill payments you make on the card, think car insurance, Netflix, Spotify and more, you can earn three points for every dollar spent. On all other purchases, for every dollar you spend, you get 1.5 points.
How to redeem your hard-earned points
The average dollar value of one TD Reward point is $0.005. To make this math easier, let’s crank up the points.
The best way to redeem your points is with travel through Expedia for TD portal where 200 points is equal to 1 dollar.
You can also book travel through any provider where the value goes down a little for the first $1,200 in spending—250 TD Rewards points are worth $1. Redeeming merchandise is not as valuable, where, depending on the retailer, you’ll get at best half and at worth a tenth of the value out of your points.
You can also apply your points as a statement credit if you’re trying to pay down a balance.
How the TD Platinum Travel Visa* Compares
TD Platinum Travel Visa* vs. TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card
The TD Platinum Travel Visa* Card and the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card are both tailored for travel enthusiasts, but they cater to slightly different needs. While any card you choose ultimately depends on your individual travel and spending habits, the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* card shines with better earn rates and insurance (including emergency medical).
Yes, the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* charges $50 more in its annual fee, but just like the TD Platinum Travel Visa Card, that fee is waived in the first year. Also, the First Class card gives you an annual TD Travel Credit of $100 with Expedia For TD.
For frequent travellers, especially those who prefer to book through Expedia, the TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card offers more value and benefits.
TD Platinum Travel Visa* Card vs. TD Aeroplan® Visa Platinum Card
Both cards charge the same annual fee which are both waived in the first year. They both feature the same travel insurance (and sadly both miss emergency medical travel insurance), purchase security, extended warranty and mobile device insurance.
These cards are virtually identical, except for one crucial difference: the points.
You either earn TD Rewards Points or Aeroplan® points. With TD, you can book your travel through Expedia or use the “book-any-way” redemption method which reduces your point value, but you can fly anywhere on any airline. With TD’s Aeroplan® card, you get Aeroplan® points allowing you to book with Air Canada and its partner airlines.
Essentially, if you bank with TD and love their rewards program, be sure to take advantage of bundle discounts on their chequing, saving, insurance and mortgage. If you’re not loyal to a bank, and love the Aeroplan® program, go with the TD Aeroplan® Visa Platinum.
Money.ca’s final verdict
The TD Platinum Travel Visa* Card is best suited for those who frequently use Expedia for their travel bookings. With its generous welcome bonus, high earn rate on dining, groceries, and Expedia bookings, it offers significant value. However, if you're looking for more comprehensive travel perks, there might be other cards in the market that better suit your needs. The biggest benefits of this card are its earn rate and flexibility in point redemption. The main drawback is the lack of premium travel perks like airport lounge access.
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec.
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