For sometime old cardholders of the Priceline VIP card have been able to effectively earn 3.3% cash back on all purchases. Unfortunately this is coming to an end with all cardholders being forced product changed to a new card on 7/2/2025. The following e-mail was sent out:
We have exciting news. Your Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card is changing to a Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card. That means your points-earning potential just got bigger.
Beginning on 7/2/2025, you will now:
- Earn 5X points on all Priceline bookings instead of 5X points on Name Your Own Price bookings and 2X points on all other Priceline bookings.
- Earn 2X points on gas and restaurant purchases including delivery services instead of 2X points on Choose Your Own Rewards.
- Earn 1X point on all other purchases.
- Be eligible for up to a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit each anniversary year if you spend $10,000 or more on purchases*.
- Automatically receive VIP Gold status at Priceline.com that gives you more access to great deals and priority customer service.
We’re also making a few changes when you redeem points beginning on 7/2/2025:
- You will now redeem points for statement credits at a 1% value. For example, 2,500 points can be redeemed for a $25 statement credit toward a Priceline purchase or reservation.
- (To ensure you’ll have time to redeem points on eligible Priceline purchases of $25 or more posted within the last 120 days at the 1.5% value, we will honor the 1.5% redemption value through September 2, 2025.)
- And the 10% Redemption Bonus on eligible priceline.com or travel purchases will no longer apply.
All other existing terms as defined in your Cardmember Agreement and subsequent amendments will remain unchanged.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call us at 866-951-1440, or contact us by logging in to your account online or in the Barclays US App**.Thanks for being a valued Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Cardmember.
Obviously this sucks for existing cardholders, although I’m somewhat surprised it last this long anyway. You can view the current best credit cards for everyday purchases by clicking here.
Hat tip to Brent N
I had this card for 13 years, and used it as a catchall a lot before I got AT&T AM and USB AR. After that I was just using it for some insurance charges. It was great while it lasted.
In order to redeem at 1.67cpp you need to either book Priceline or airfare reservation, redeem, then cancel. It was pretty easy, and no FTF starting like 10 years ago.
In the beginning it was just 2% on everything card (which was pretty rare those days) with higher value if redeemed for Priceline NYOP, which I used a lot.
I will probably replace it with AOD card, now limited to $1500 per month, but it’s enough for me. I also have original version of Smartly (converted from AG, but never used it, and haven’t transferred $100k to USB). USB AR and AT&T AM are good enough for me in most cases.
I figured it had to end eventually. The 1½¢ point value and 10% rebate on redemptions were both unusually generous for a no-annual-fee card.
For quite some time, Barclays tried to get me to switch to the Priceline VIP by claiming it was an “upgrade” (even though it clearly wasn’t). I suspect that their contract with Priceline obligated them to continue offering the legacy card to existing customers for a certain amount of time, and now that deal has finally expired.
Changing trends may be a factor here too. These days, the type of customer that Barclays makes money on–someone who can’t afford the entire cost of a trip at once and would therefore carry a balance–is increasingly either opting for one of the pay-in-4 providers or just staying home.
Sad but I already moved on to the Upgrade OneCard. 2% cashback on all, no annual fee and I take cash out of the ATM.
Interesting maybe doc can do a write up on that…
William Charles ?
Smart way to get rid of all your grandfathered clients. Instead of devalueing a card, just tell them they’re all being “upgraded” in a forced product change to a card with less rewards.
Anytime you see the words “We have exciting news” you know your cooked.
That sucks. No reason to use it anymore.
It was my default card. Using it for 3.3 was somewhat challenging though. It only worked on NYOP or express deals. I didn’t get an email though
No, no any prepaid Priceline or airline purchases. Was very easy to use.
After years of suggesting the “upgrade” they are now forcing it on everyone. It was a simple 3.3% card for the few without having to jump thru hoops. RIP !!
AAaaah, I got the email too and ignored it. This is my default everyday use card for things like bill pay and such (unless the utility took $200 V/MCGCs from Staples bought with Ink). I was routinely redeeming it for it on non-priceline airline purchases including bag fees at the higher 3.3. Oh well, all good things…. now to look for another 2% card, probably Citi?
The Priceline card does do occasional 0% APR offers with 3 or 4% fee (which is still better than HELOCs rates). I’ll keep it for that.
The movie was over in 1982, Rambo. Before the train even pulled out of the station.
Doesn’t change my usage pattern for this card, which is a $1 charge every month for low balance waiver.