Our Verdict
The World of Westgate Mastercard®* offers a world we don’t want to be a part of. With lackluster rewards and no major extra benefits, the timeshare company’s co-branded card will only be helpful to those Westgate devotees who spend enough at the company’s resorts to make the rewards worthwhile.
Pros
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- Mobile wallet and mobile banking features
Cons
- No low introductory APR period
- High standard APR
- Limited cash-back reward categories
- Rewards may only be redeemed for specific Westgate-related awards
Highlights
- Earn 50,000 points, which can be redeemed for $50 back on future purchases at Westgate Resorts, after making three purchases within the first 180 days
- Earn 3% rewards on Westgate Rewards purchases and 1% rewards everywhere else
- $0 annual fee
World of Westgate Mastercard Introduction
The World of Westgate Mastercard®*, issued by First Electronic Bank, offers timeshare owners and resort guests the opportunity to earn reward points eligible for redemption at Westgate Resorts. The card earns 3% rewards on Westgate Rewards purchases and 1% rewards everywhere else, which doesn’t compete with the value offered by the best travel rewards cards on the market.
Though the card has no annual fee and offers a welcome bonus—earn 50,000 points, which can be redeemed for $50 back on future purchases at Westgate Resorts, after making three purchases within the first 180 days—the card’s lack of additional benefits means it won’t offer much value beyond its reward structure.
Westgate Resorts, the self-proclaimed largest privately held timeshare company in the world, indicates potential cardholders can apply for the card in the Imprint app with no impact to their credit score. The Imprint app also allows cardholders to use the card number instantly without waiting for a physical card to arrive.
Timeshare owners may redeem rewards toward Westgate mortgage payments (the card issuer also advertises the ability to earn rewards on mortgage payments using the card), on Westgate Resort vacations, at Westgate Resort restaurants and with other Westgate retail vendors. These limited redemption options won’t be likely to compete with most other cards’ cash-back or flexible reward programs.
Compare World Of Westgate Mastercard With Other Cards
Quick Facts
- $0 annual fee
- Earn 50,000 points, which can be redeemed for $50 back on future purchases at Westgate Resorts, after making three purchases within the first 180 days
- Earn 3% rewards on Westgate Rewards purchases and 1% rewards everywhere else
- Redeem points on Westgate mortgages, vacations and more
What Is the World of Westgate Mastercard Best For?
The World of Westgate Mastercard®* is best for timeshare owners interested in keeping their rewards within the Westgate universe.
World of Westgate Mastercard Rewards
Earning Rewards
The World of Westgate Mastercard®* earns 3% rewards on Westgate Rewards purchases and 1% rewards everywhere else. Rewards do not expire as long as an account remains open.
The World of Westgate Mastercard®* includes a welcome bonus of 50,000 points, which can be redeemed for $50 back on future purchases at Westgate Resorts, after making three purchases within the first 180 days.
Redeeming Rewards
Rewards earned with the World of Westgate Mastercard®* can only be redeemed toward transactions within Westgate properties. While all eligible redemption partners are listed in the Imprint app for cardholders, this mainly means eligible Westgate Resorts retail locations, online properties or the locations and properties of any redemption partner.
Rewards Potential
To determine the rewards potential of the World of Westgate Mastercard, we look at the bonus categories and calculate what an average household might spend in those areas. Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $118,438 annually, and we base spending on that number.
We estimate the average household in this percentile spends $39,337 annually with a credit card. Of this, we estimate about $2,858 is spent on hotels. If all this hotel spending was made with a World of Westgate Mastercard on resort purchases at Westgate Resorts, a cardholder could earn $85.74 in rewards toward eligible Westgate Resort redemptions. If the remaining $36,479 was also spent using the World of Westgate Mastercard, a cardholder might earn an additional $364.79 in rewards, for a total of $450.53 in rewards toward eligible redemptions with Westgate Resorts.
Other World of Westgate Mastercard Benefits
- Mobile and online banking. Convenience of a click with alerts and account monitoring via phone or computer.
- Tap to pay. Cardholders can use chip-enabled cards to avoid inserting or swiping at the register.
Fine Print
Interest Rates
- Regular APR: 19.74%- 33.24% variable
- Purchase intro APR offer: N/A
- Balance transfer intro APR offer: N/A
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Balance transfer fee: See Terms
- Foreign purchase transaction fees: N/A
How the World of Westgate Mastercard Stacks Up
World of Westgate Mastercard vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card charges a $95 annual fee, but its rewards may justify the price tag for many: The card earns 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 card’s welcome bonus offers cardholders an opportunity to earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
If the rewards don’t make clear the major advantage the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers over the World of Westgate Mastercard, its benefits will: The Sapphire Preferred provides trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, purchase protection, extended warranty protection, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursement.
World of Westgate Mastercard vs. Bilt World Elite Mastercard®
Another card with a similar real-estate-focused rewards program is the Bilt World Elite Mastercard®. The card earns 1 point per dollar on rent payments without the transaction fee (on up to 100,000 points each calendar year), 3 points per dollar on dining, 2 points per dollar on travel (when booked through the Bilt Travel Portal or directly with an airline, hotel, car rental or cruise company), and 1 point per dollar on other purchases and charges no annual fee.
Redemption opportunities with the Bilt Rewards Card offer more flexibility than those of the World of Westgate Mastercard and include 1-to-1 points transfer to travel partners as well as the ability to use rewards for rental and mortgage payments. The card also offers many benefits you won’t see attached to the World of Westgate Mastercard, including cellphone protection, purchase security, trip cancellation and interruption protection, trip delay reimbursement, auto rental collision damage waiver, and a $5 Lyft credit after taking three rides in one calendar month and paying using your Bilt Mastercard.
World of Westgate Mastercard vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns 2% cash rewards on purchases and has no annual fee. The card also provides the opportunity to earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months and offers a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a fee of up to 5%, with a minimum of $5 applies.
For most cardholders, we’d expect the rewards potential of a card such as the Wells Fargo Active Cash to out-earn that of the World of Westgate Mastercard. Compared to many travel cards, the Wells Fargo Active Cash may not offer as many benefits, but it still does better than the World of Westgate Mastercard: The Wells Fargo Active Cash offers up to $600 in cellphone protection for those who pay their monthly bill with the card, subject to a $25 deductible.
Is the World of Westgate Mastercard for You?
Not in this world. We expect there are better credit cards for even for the most dedicated Westgate timeshare owners. For those who want the absolute highest reward value on Westgate mortgage payments, this card may be the best option for earning rewards on those purchases, but we’d expect nearly every other purchase—including vacations booked at Westgate Resorts—to have better rewards potential on a benefits-laden, higher-yield rewards card.
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.
To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.
*The information for the following card(s) has been collected independently by Forbes Advisor: World of Westgate Mastercard®. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
