| Last updated on November 13th, 2023
Sonesta World Mastercard®
Sonesta World Mastercard®
Sonesta World Mastercard®
- 18.24% to 28.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
- 18.24% to 28.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Balance Transfer APR
- 21.24% to 30.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
Bank of America’s Sonesta World Mastercard provides travelers with ample initial benefits and the ability to earn points on a variety of eligible business and personal expenses at Sonesta hotels, like the famous Royal Sonesta brand.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- 3X points on Sonesta purchases
- 2X points on airfare, car rentals, and dining
- 1X points on all other purchases
- Automatic Sonesta Travel Pass Elite Member status
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within 90 days
- Earn additional 5,000 points after adding an authorized user within 90 days
- Anniversary bonus of 30,000 points for spending $7,500 per year
- Regular Purchase APR: 18.24% to 28.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer APR: 18.24% to 28.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: $10 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater
- Cash Advance APR: 21.24% to 30.24% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: $10 or 3% of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Penalty APR: Up to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
- Annual Fee: $0 for the first year, $75 after that
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $40
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $29
- You travel frequently, either for business or pleasure
- You have good to excellent credit to receive the best rates
- You don’t want to pay foreign transaction fees
- You plan to add additional authorized users to your credit card
Sonesta World Mastercard® Review
The Sonesta World Mastercard® is a hotel rewards credit card from Sonesta Travel Pass and Bank of America. The card rewards Sonesta fans with decent points but suffers from its $75 annual fee, which Bank of America waives for the first year.
How to Earn Rewards
The Sonesta Card earns its best rewards with Sonesta. The card earns 3X points per $1 spent on purchases with any of the seven brands that make up the Sonesta Travel Pass program, including names like Sonesta Simply Suites, ES Suites, Royal Sonesta, and more.
The card also earns accelerated points on their other key travel categories: airfare, car rentals, and dining purchases. That accelerated earning rate, however, is only 2X – hardly a lucrative category when you consider that no annual fee credit cards like the Citi® Double Cash Card. That card earns an unlimited 2% back on all purchases, meaning specific categories don’t hamstring you.
All other purchases with the card earn a single point per dollar spent. Sonesta Travel Pass points expire after two years on inactivity on the account. Fortunately, keeping your points active is as easy as making a purchase with the Sonesta Mastercard.
Credit Card Comparison
Here’s how the Sonesta Travel Pass Card compares with other competitive credit cards:
 Sonesta World Mastercard® |
 Citi® Double Cash Card |
 Capital One Venture Rewards |
|
| Annual fee | $75 (waived for the first year) | None | $95 |
| Rewards | Earn 3X points on Sonesta purchases, 2X on airfare, car rentals, and dining, and 1X on everything else. | Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
| Elite status | Travel Pass Elite Member | N/A | N/A |
| Intro APR | N/A | 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers | N/A |
| Network | Mastercard | Mastercard | Mastercard |
How to Redeem Points
Points earned through the Sonesta Travel Pass loyalty program and the Sonesta World Mastercard® can are redeemable for a few options, with free nights being the most practical. Free nights begin at 15,000 points per free hotel stay, and there are 12 tiers in the award booking program. The free night costs over 90,000 points or more for the best rooms. You can redeem points for a free hotel stay by logging into your membership account, completing Sonesta’s online redemption request form, or calling 1-855-622-2160.
Here are the 12 tiers in the Sonesta Travel Pass program and the number of points you’ll need for a free night:
| Tier | Points needed |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Tier 1: 10,000 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
| Tier 2 | 12, 500 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
| Tier 3 | 15,000 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
| Tier 4 | 17,500 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
| Tier 5 | 20,000 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
| Tier 6 | 22,500 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
| Tier 7 | 25,000 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
| Tier 8 | 27,500 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
| Tier 9 | 30,000 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
| Tier 10 | 40,000 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
| Tier 11 | 50,000 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
| Tier 12 | 60,000 Sonesta Travel Pass points/Night |
Sonesta Travel Perks
As a hotel credit card the Sonesta Mastercard provides the basics you expect. Cardholders enjoy elite status in the Travel Pass program – Gold tier status, to be more precise. The Gold tier provides enhanced benefits over basic members, including early check-in and late check-out, free in-room Wi-Fi, member-only offers, complimentary room upgrade (when available), and more. Cardholders also enjoy no foreign transaction fees when using the card abroad.
Related Article: The Ultimate Sonesta Travel Pass Program Guide
Other Card Features
Other noteworthy features of the Sonesta World Mastercard® include:
- EMV chip technology, including tap and pay
- Account alerts
- Mobile banking access via the Bank of America mobile app
Cardholders also enjoy Mastercard benefits and protections. Sonesta’s credit card features World Mastercard protections, including:
| Zero liability protection | Airport concierge | ID theft protection | Mastercard Travel Services |
| Mastercard Global Services | Priceless Experiences | Priceless golf | Lyft credits |
| Shoprunner membership | Fandango savings | Mastercard Hotel Stay Guarantee |
Bank of America Ratings
Here’s how Bank of America stacks up with a selection of expert and consumer reviews of the bank:
| BestCards | Better Business Bureau | TrustPilot |
|
2/5 |
1.5/5 |
1.5/5 |
Should You Apply for the Sonesta World Mastercard?
The Sonesta World Mastercard® offers essential security features a business traveler would expect from a travel credit card, including overdraft protection, chip and pin security to help add an additional layer of defense, and account alerts in the event of suspicious spending behavior. The Sonesta World Mastercard® also offers the availability of digital wallet technology, which allows users to sync their card to their phone or other smart devices, enabling in-store or in-app use of Apple Pay®, Google Pay™ or Samsung Pay.
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