High-end credit cards are increasingly embracing “lifestyle” perks, such as entry into exclusive events, credits toward pricey hotels and fancy gyms, even memberships to a chain of medical practices that offer same-day appointments. When you live in a major city with access to merchants that partner with credit card companies (and access to large airports), it’s easy to imagine how you’d use many of these benefits.
I once fit this archetype — an urban-dwelling young adult with disposable income. I DoorDashed, Ubered and Lyfted. I joined friends for classes at luxurious gyms. I traveled frequently from the three airports near my home that offered nonstop flight options to much of the world.
Then I moved to a midsized city, and my life changed. I rarely use ridesharing services, I exercise at home, and my local airport only offers nonstop flights to domestic locations. I carry a premium travel card, but only because I’m able to get just enough value to offset its fee.
“You’re joining the country club without actually joining the country club,” says Vann Graves, executive director of the Brandcenter, a graduate advertising program at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. “Even if you’re not traveling all the time, you could, because you have this card.”
Look beyond the hype and do the math
Expensive credit cards are beautiful. They’re metal and sometimes come in limited-edition colors and finishes. They also weigh a lot, impressing cashiers and waitstaff. A high-end credit card sends a message every time it leaves your wallet. “It says, for $795 or $895, ‘You’re worthy,’” Graves says.
Focus on certain perks and forget the rest
For Jay Thompson, it’s exclusively flying on one airline. The closest airport to where he lives is in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he’s limited to just a few airlines and has guaranteed layovers within the state whenever he travels. Because he prefers layovers in Dallas, he’s loyal to American Airlines and carries its most expensive consumer credit card, spending more than $700 a year on annual fees for his card and the one his wife carries as an authorized user.
Unlike Thompson, I’m not loyal to any one airline, but my card’s annual travel and dining credits alone give me value with minimal effort on my part. (And like Thompson, I enjoy a good airport lounge.)
Use the perks when you travel
Perks that are hard to use at home can be easy to use in a bigger city, so think about how you can use them when you travel. Relying on ridesharing services, and getting a small discount with your card’s credit, might be more economical and convenient than renting a car, for example.
My dining credit only works at one restaurant where I live, but I have trips to New York and Chicago planned for later this year, so I can use the credit for some special experiences.
