Our Verdict
The AOPA World Mastercard®* burns too rich of peak to produce decent cash-back earning power. With up to 4% cash back in limited aviation-related categories, the card’s highest earning categories won’t be likely to provide a high yield often, if at all, for many pilots. With foreign transaction fees, high balance transfer and cash advance fees and a restrictive quarterly bonus cap, the card seems more likely to generate additional drag than lift.
Pros
- No annual fee
- Earns cash-back rewards at flight schools, FBOs and on both aviation and automobile gas
- World Mastercard perks
Cons
- Foreign transaction fee
- High balance transfer and cash advance fees
- Quarterly bonus cap of 2,500 points
- Few additional perks
Highlights
- Earn 4% cash back on select AOPA purchases, 3% back on select AOPA partner purchases, 2% back on FBO’s flight schools and fuel and 1% back on all other purchases
- Mastercard® Identity Theft Protection
- No annual fee
Introduction
The AOPA World Mastercard®* isn’t a flat spin, but it’s definitely more “power-on stall” than “chandelle” where credit cards for pilots are concerned. The card offers 4% on select AOPA purchases, 3% with select AOPA partners, 2% on FBO's, flight schools, and fuel and 1% back on all other eligible purchases. The card doesn’t offer much beyond the cash-back earning—its additional benefits are mostly limited to the Mastercard World benefits and zero liability and ID theft protections.
Additionally, this card limits the total number of bonus points that you can earn per quarter to 2,500 points. After you’ve reached that cap, every purchase for the remainder of the quarter will earn the base 1%.
For this reason, a card that rewards an all-around 2% cash back is likely to return more. Though the World Mastercard benefits are solid, similar perks and then some can be found with other, better cards. We won’t call the AOPA World Mastercard®* unairworthy, but we will recommend pilots find plastic that’ll generate a little more cash-back lift and donate whatever portion of that to AOPA instead.
Featured Partner Offers
Quick Facts
- Up to 4% cash back in limited aviation-related categories
- No annual fees
- World Mastercard benefits including cellphone insurance and ID Theft protection
- Low 1.99% intro APR for 6 billing cycles after account opening on purchases and balance transfers, followed by a regular variable APR of 15.49% - 25.49%. A balance transfer fee of either $10 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, applies
- Maximum of 2,500 bonus points can be earned per quarter
AOPA World Mastercard Rewards
Earning Rewards
The AOPA World Mastercard®* automatically earns 4% on select AOPA purchases, 3% with select AOPA partners, 2% on FBO's, flight schools, and fuel and 1% back on all other eligible purchases. Points expire three years from the calendar month in which they’re earned.
Redeeming Rewards
Cash back earned with the AOPA World Mastercard®* can be redeemed as a statement credit. A minimum redemption amount for this option is 2,500 points. Though the rewards program also lists airline tickets, merchandise and e-gift cards as possible rewards, cash back is likely the best and most valuable use of points. Cash-back rewards do not count toward credit card payment obligations.
Rewards Potential
To determine the rewards potential of the AOPA World Mastercard®* we have to consider what an American household might spend on a credit card each year. Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories.
The 70th percentile of wage-earning households bring in $118,438 annually and have $39,337 in spending that can reasonably be charged to a credit card. However, airplane owners will have additional costs that go beyond what average consumers face. We will assume that AOPA cardholders spend an average of $10,000 per year in qualifying bonus categories, raising their total annual spending to $49,337 which would earn 49,337 points at the base rate of 1 point per dollar.
We’ll also assume that the average cardholder would max out their 2,500-point limit on bonus points each quarter. At a standard redemption rate of 1 cent per point, this is worth at least $493.77 each year in rewards earnings.
Intro APR Rates
The AOPA card offers a 1.99% intro APR for 6 billing cycles after account opening on purchases and balance transfers, followed by a regular variable APR of 15.49% - 25.49%. A balance transfer fee of either $10 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, applies.
Other AOPA World Mastercard Benefits
- Mastercard luxury travel benefits. Travel services including concierge services and exclusive golf privileges.
- Mastercard identity theft protection. Identity monitoring to help protect ID theft.
- Zero liability coverage. Cardholders aren’t responsible for unauthorized purchases.
- Unique cardholder gift. Cardholders may receive an undisclosed AOPA-related gift.
Fine Print
Interest Rates
- Regular APR: 15.49% - 25.49% variable
- Purchase intro APR: 1.99% Introductory APR on purchases for 6 billing cycles after account opening
- Balance transfer intro APR: 1.99% intro APR on balance transfers for 6 billing cycles after account opening
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Balance transfer fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater
- Foreign purchase transaction fee: 1% of each transaction in U.S. Dollars, 2% of each transaction in currencies other than U.S. Dollars
How the AOPA World Mastercard Stacks Up
AOPA World Mastercard®* vs. Citi Double Cash® Card
The Citi Double Cash® Card is the turboprop of cash-back cards: It earns an effective 2% cash back on all purchases—1% when purchases are made and another 1% when they’re paid off. Though it doesn’t offer the World Mastercard benefits, it does dual-purpose as a balance transfer card by offering 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. After that, the standard variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%, based on creditworthiness. An intro balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3%, whichever is greater, applies to transfers completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, the fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
The Citi Double Cash® Card won’t earn 3% to 4% on purchases with AOPA or AOPA partners. Still, we think that the typical pilot will earn more with this card by getting a higher rate on most other purchases with no earnings cap.
AOPA World Mastercard®* vs. Chase Freedom Flex℠
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ won’t reward aviation-specific purchases, but it earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in categories that rotate quarterly (requires activation), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores and 1% cash back on all other purchases which will almost certainly return more cash-back rewards than the AOPA World Mastercard®*.
The Freedom Flex also comes with a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24% applies. Balance transfer fee of up to 5% (min. $5) of the amount of each transfer applies. Plus, it offers trip cancellation insurance, cellphone insurance and a number of other great perks and benefits, so we’re going with the Chase card in this match up. But it’s worth noting that the Freedom Flex will not earn bonus points from purchases at FBOs like the AOPA Card will.
AOPA World Mastercard®* vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a $95 annual fee card that’s mostly about the value of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points and the additional benefits, like trip delay and cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, rental car collision damage waivers, extended warranty protection and more. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card does earn points at a rate of 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. The best redemptions of these points are often on travel through Chase as Ultimate Rewards are worth 25% more this way and cardholders are able to transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to partners like United and Hyatt.
The AOPA World Mastercard®* doesn’t have an annual fee, but it does have foreign transaction fees of 1% of each transaction in U.S. Dollars, 2% of each transaction in currencies other than U.S. Dollars. The obvious answer here is that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a better card for those willing to pay the annual fee, make use of the extra perks and mostly redeem for travel. We believe that among the jet-setting pilots of the world, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card—and even its much more powerful (and more expensive) sibling—the Chase Sapphire Reserve®—are among some of the best credit cards for pilots.
Is the AOPA World Mastercard for You?
Ironically, the AOPA World Mastercard®* isn’t likely to be the best-earning rewards card for pilots. Aviators who want to maximize reward earning on aviation-related purchases and spending with AOPA may be better off with a card that earns 2% cash back on all purchases.
Find The Best Cash Back Credit Cards Of 2024
Methodology
Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:
- Annual fees
- Welcome bonus offers
- Ongoing earning rates
- Value of individual points or miles
- Included travel or merchant credits
- Additional cardholder benefits
Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.
Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: AOPA World Mastercard®. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
