Orbitz Credit Card Shutting Down, Existing Users Moving to New Card

Kenley Young
By Kenley Young 
Published
Edited by Erica Corbin

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The Orbitz Rewards® Visa® Card will soon splash down for good.

The Comenity-issued card, which had been closed to new applications since April 2021, is being discontinued entirely. As of Oct. 4, 2021, existing cardholders will no longer be able to use it to make purchases. The issuer says that between now and then, current customers will be transitioned to the Comenity Mastercard.

Unlike the Orbitz Rewards® Visa® Card — which earned Orbitz-centric travel rewards known as "Orbucks" and featured multiple bonus reward categories — the Comenity Mastercard will earn a flat 1.5% cash back on all purchases in the form of a statement credit. As with the Orbitz card, there'll be no annual fee.

Comenity says any balance on an Orbitz Rewards® Visa® Card will be transferred to the new Comenity Mastercard, and any remaining Orbucks that had been earned with the Orbitz card will be moved into a customer's Orbitz Rewards Program account.

Membership in the separate Orbitz Rewards Program was required in order to apply for the Orbitz Rewards® Visa® Card, and Orbucks earned with the card came on top of Orbucks earned as an Orbitz Rewards Program member. The card also earned different rates depending on whether you booked through Orbitz's website or its mobile app — making it potentially lucrative, but also one of the most confusing credit cards on the market.

The Orbitz Rewards® Visa® Card offered:

  • 9% back (in Orbucks) on eligible prepaid hotel stays and activities booked on the Orbitz mobile app.

  • 8% back on eligible prepaid hotel stays and activities booked on Orbitz.com.

  • 7% back on eligible flights and travel packages booked on the Orbitz app.

  • 6% back on eligible flights and travel packages booked on Orbitz.com.

  • 5% back on all other qualifying Orbitz purchases.

  • 2% back on all other purchases.

🤓Nerdy Tip

Orbucks are redeemable only for booking hotel stays on Orbitz. One Orbuck equals $1 when redeeming this way.

That was a lot to keep track of. So while Orbitz cardholders are losing the potential to earn those bonus travel rewards, they're gaining a much simpler card that pays out rewards in the most flexible currency of all: cash back.

Travel Cards from Our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

Points

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60,000

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

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Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1.5%-6.5%

Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Cashback

Intro offer

$300

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
4.7
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

2x-5x

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

Miles

Intro offer

75,000

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Miles
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