Radisson Rewards Platinum Review: Applications Paused; Cardholders Moved to Different Product
The Bottom Line
3.5
Point values are low compared with those of other hotel programs, but loyal Radisson customers may be able to squeeze value out of this card, particularly from its annual bonus.
Rates, fees and offers
Annual fee
$50
Rewards rate
3x-6x
Bonus offer
Up to 60,000 Bonus Points - receive 50,000 points after your first purchase plus 10,000 points once you spend $1,500 on your card within the first 90 days.
Intro APR
N/A
Ongoing APR
APR: 15.99%-24.99%, Variable
Cash Advance APR: 24.99%, Variable
Balance transfer fee
3%
Foreign transaction fee
3%
More details from U.S. Bank
- 6 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases at participating Radisson Family of Hotels.
- 3 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases everywhere else.
- Up to 60,000 Bonus Points - receive 50,000 points after your first purchase plus 10,000 points once you spend $1,500 on your card within the first 90 days.
- 25,000 renewal bonus points each year when you renew your card by paying the Annual Fee.
- Earn up to 3 free nights! Earn one Free Night E-Cert for each $10,000 in spend (up to $30,000), then renew your card by paying the Annual Fee.
Pros and Cons
Pros
High rewards rate
Cons
Has annual fee
Detailed Review
» This card has been discontinued
As of April 2022, Radisson credit cards are being discontinued. Current cardholders will be transitioned to a different U.S. Bank card. See our best hotel credit cards page for other options. Below is our review from when this card was still available
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The Radisson Rewards™ Platinum Visa® Card can provide value for frequent Radisson customers — but it isn't possible to apply for this card directly. You will automatically be considered for it only if you aren't first approved for the higher-tier Radisson Rewards Premier Visa Signature® Card.
(U.S. Bank issues three different Radisson credit cards, with varying rewards and benefits and at three fee levels. Consult the table below to see how they stack up.)
This midtier option includes a 25,000-point anniversary bonus when you renew your card each year. That alone can make up for the card's $50 annual fee. Plus, it grants you automatic Silver Elite status, which comes with a scattering of perks, and it comes with a modest sign-up bonus.
Like the other Radisson cards, the Radisson Rewards™ Platinum Visa® Card racks up plenty of points from spending, but those points have one of the lowest per-point values in the industry. Combined with the Radisson chain's limited footprint, that gives the card little flexibility
Radisson Rewards™ Platinum Visa® Card: Basics
Card type: Hotel.
Annual fee: $50.
Sign-up bonus: Up to 60,000 Bonus Points - receive 50,000 points after your first purchase plus 10,000 points once you spend $1,500 on your card within the first 90 days.
Ongoing rewards:
6 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases at participating Radisson Family of Hotels. (These are in addition to points you earn by being a member of the Radisson loyalty program.)
3 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases everywhere else.
NerdWallet values Radisson points at 0.8 cent each. This is a baseline value, drawn from real-world data, not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 0.8 cent or more in value from your Radisson points.
Points can be redeemed for free award nights or gift cards, or they can be transferred to airline partners, among several other options. However, redeeming points for options other than hotel stays yield the lowest point value.
APR: The ongoing APR is 15.99%-24.99%, Variable
Foreign transaction fee:
2% of each foreign purchase transaction or foreign ATM advance transaction in U.S. dollars.
3% of each foreign purchase transaction or foreign ATM advance transaction in a foreign currency.
Other benefits:
Automatic Silver Elite status, which comes with several perks, including a points bonus, as well as room upgrades and late checkout when available.Anniversary bonus: Earn 25,000 points every year you renew your card and pay the annual fee.Earn up to three free nights: Earn a free night e-certificate every time you spend $10,000, up to $30,000, when you renew your card by paying the annual fee.
How the Radisson Rewards™ Platinum Visa® Card compares with other Radisson cards
The Radisson Rewards™ Platinum Visa® Card is the middle sibling of the Radisson family. Applicants will automatically be considered for this midtier option if they aren't approved for the higher-tier Radisson Rewards Premier Visa Signature® Card, which comes with a larger anniversary bonus, but a more expensive annual fee.
The $0-annual-fee Radisson Rewards™ Visa® Card isn't as valuable as the other two options, but may make sense for frugal travelers whose Radisson stays are few and far between.
Here’s how the cards compare:
Radisson Rewards Premier Visa Signature® Card, annual fee of $75. | |
Sign-up bonus: None | Rewards: 10 points per dollar spent at participating Radisson properties; 5 points per dollar spent on all other purchases. Anniversary bonus: 40,000 points each year after paying the annual fee. |
Radisson Rewards™ Platinum Visa® Card, annual fee of $50. | |
Sign-up bonus: Up to 60,000 Bonus Points - receive 50,000 points after your first purchase plus 10,000 points once you spend $1,500 on your card within the first 90 days. | Rewards: 6 points per dollar spent at participating Radisson properties; 3 points per dollar spent on all other purchases. Anniversary bonus: 25,000 points each year after paying the annual fee. |
Radisson Rewards™ Visa® Card, annual fee of $0. | |
Sign-up bonus: None | Rewards: 3 points per dollar spent at participating Radisson properties; 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. Anniversary bonus: None. |
Compare to Other Cards
Benefits and Perks
Anniversary bonus
With the Radisson Rewards™ Platinum Visa® Card, you’ll earn a 25,000-point anniversary bonus every year, when you renew your card by paying the annual fee. You could potentially get two free nights a year out of this offer, depending on the type of room you opt for. (Redemptions toward standard Radisson rooms start at 9,000 points, but can range up to more than 100,000 points per night for a premium room.)
Radisson points have a low value compared with other hotel chain reward programs, but based on NerdWallet’s valuation, the 25,000 anniversary points are still worth at least $75 a year — more than enough to offset the card’s $50 annual fee. In effect, you’re getting paid to hold the card.
Automatic elite status
This status, which is a step up from the base-level membership but lower than Gold and Platinum, comes with a handful of benefits, including:
22 points per dollar spent on eligible stays and food and beverages charged to your room during eligible stays. (Base membership in Radisson's rewards program gets you 20 points per dollar, so this status is worth an extra 2 points per dollar.)
A 10% discount on food and beverages at participating hotel restaurants.
Complimentary room upgrades at check-in, subject to availability.
Early check-in and late checkout, subject to availability.
Further, if you already have Silver status when you apply and are approved for the card, you can earn a credit of 10 nights toward attaining Gold status, which confers even more benefits.
Drawbacks and Considerations
You can’t apply for the card directly
The main caveat of the Radisson Rewards™ Platinum Visa® Card is that it isn't possible to apply for it directly. If you apply for the higher-end Radisson Rewards Premier Visa Signature® Card but don't qualify, you'll automatically be considered for this option. That said, the Premier card is a better value even at its higher price — given the choice between Premier and Platinum, you wouldn't go for the Platinum.
You’ll need good to excellent credit to qualify for either card, which is typically defined as a credit score of 690 or higher.
No automatic free night
In many cases, a 25,000-point anniversary bonus won’t be sufficient to cover a full stay. And while the Radisson Rewards™ Platinum Visa® Card card does allow you to spend your way to more free nights — up to three nights per year — those spending thresholds are steep.
If you want a straight shot to an automatic free night, consider instead the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. The $95-annual-fee card offers an automatic free night yearly, which can get you a stay worth up to 35,000 points.
You’re locked into the Radisson system
While you’ll find more than 1,100 Radisson properties worldwide, the brand is not as far-reaching as other hotel chains. You might find more use out of a flexible travel card with points that can be redeemed more easily.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, for example, earns bonus rewards in several categories including travel and dining. Points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel through Chase, and points can also be transferred to a multitude of airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio. The card also comes with the following lucrative welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. It charges an annual fee of $95.
How To Decide If It's Right For You
While you can’t apply directly for this card, its anniversary bonus and high ongoing rewards rate can make it a rewarding choice for those who are already frequently Radisson guests.
This $0-annual-fee card earns 1.5 miles per dollar spent on all purchases. Miles are worth one cent each when redeemed for travel purchases, including hotel stays. It also comes with a lucrative sign-up bonus.
Looking For Something Else?
Methodology
NerdWallet reviews credit cards with an eye toward both the quantitative and qualitative features of a card. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards (including earning rates and redemption values) and the cash value of benefits and perks. Qualitative factors are those that affect how easy or difficult it is for a typical cardholder to get good value from the card. They include such things as the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, the likelihood of using certain features, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or is best reserved for specific purchases. Our star ratings serve as a general gauge of how each card compares with others in its class, but star ratings are intended to be just one consideration when a consumer is choosing a credit card. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
