5 Things to Know About the Sun Country Credit Card

Minnesota-based airline Sun Country has its own credit card for frequent fliers of the budget carrier. The Sun Country Visa credit card, issued by Synchrony Bank, has an annual fee but also some perks that may make the card a worthwhile investment. Certainly, this card could make sense for people who fly Sun Country’s relatively limited routes: The airline is in about 100 airports across the U.S., Mexico, Central America, Canada and the Caribbean.

But if Sun Country airline doesn’t satisfy your travel plans, then the Sun Country credit card won’t do much for you, either. In that case, a general travel card or another airline card would be a better fit.

» LEARN: How to choose a travel card

1. It has an annual fee

You’ll pay $89 a year for the Sun Country credit card, placing it within the mid-tier travel card category. Compared with similar cards, the Sun Country falls a little short in terms of value. For example, for a slightly higher annual fee, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 2x miles on everything else, a credit for Global Entry or PreCheck every four years, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to transfer miles to Capital One’s multiple travel partners.

If an annual fee of any amount is too rich for you, there are a handful of $0-annual-fee travel cards, such as the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card and the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card.

2. Perks can help offset the fee

Sun Country cardholders get the following benefits, some of which can help recoup some of the annual fee:

• Preferred boarding when you show your card to the gate agent when boarding.

• One free premium drink per flight.

• 25% discount on in-flight food and beverages purchased with the Sun Country credit card.

• 50% off Best and Standard seat selections and first checked bag for you and your travel companions on the same itinerary. Seat selections and bag fees must be pre-purchased to receive the discount.

• 10,000 bonus points if you spend at least $10,000 in a 12-month period.

• No foreign transaction fee. 

• Automatic upgrade to Sun Country Plus Status after spending $10,000 in a calendar year. Plus benefits include boarding in Zone 1 and access to the priority TSA screening line at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.

3. It has a decent sign-up bonus

New Sun Country cardholders can get 25,000 points if they spend at least $1,000 in the first 90 days after account opening (as of this writing). Because 1 point is worth 1 cent, the sign-up bonus is worth $250. Note that the bonus can only be redeemed toward more Sun Country flights.

The Sun Country card’s welcome offer is fine, but it’s hardly the best. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, widely recognized as the gold standard among mid-tier travel cards, has a $95 annual fee, but the sign-up bonus is far richer than what the Sun Country card offers, though the spending requirement is also higher: New Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card holders get the following welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

4. The card pairs well with Sun Country's loyalty program

The Sun Country card earns the most points on Sun Country bookings, but it has some good everyday spending categories, too. The card earns:

• 5 points per $1 spent on Sun Country purchases — 3 points right away when you make the purchase and the other 2 points after you complete your trip.

• 2 points per $1 spent on gas and groceries.

• 1 point per $1 spent on everything else.

Note that cardholders who achieve Plus status will earn an extra 1x point per dollar for Sun Country purchases after travel is completed, which means they can earn a total of 6x points per dollar spent on Sun Country purchases. Even better, rewards earned with the credit card are stackable with Sun Country’s loyalty program, Sun Country Rewards. Members of the Sun Country Rewards Program get 2 points for every $1 spent directly with Sun Country, either online at suncountry.com or within the Sun Country app.

That means if you have the Sun Country credit card, earn Plus status and are enrolled in the Sun Country Rewards Program, you’ll earn 8 points per $1 on Sun Country purchases.

Rewards don’t expire if you’re a Sun Country credit cardholder. Without the card, rewards expire 36 months after they’re earned.

5. Redemption is limited

Points earned with the Sun Country card are only redeemable for travel booked directly with Sun Country, including flights, seats, car rentals, checked bags and vacation packages.. Again, consider a general travel card or another airline card if you want more redemption options.