SunTrust Travel Rewards

Who is the SunTrust Travel Rewards credit card for?

The SunTrust Travel Rewards credit card provides the owner with 3% unlimited cash back on travel qualifying purchases, 2% unlimited cash on dining qualifying purchases, and 1% unlimited cash back on all other qualifying purchases. In short, no matter how you use this card, you will be getting some form of cash back. However, it rewards those who travel the most with that 3% cash back. The card has zero foreign transaction fees, making it even more useful for those who travel often.

In addition to the cash back and zero foreign transaction fees this card also provides a list of other benefits directed towards travel, including a $100 statement credit every 5 years as reimbursement for the TSA Precheck or Global Entry application fee, $120 of Lyft credit per year, and travel insurance.

We recommend this card for anyone who travels often, whether it be leisure or business, in order to take advantage of the unlimited cash back and other travel benefits. This card also comes with a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months, so if you’re looking to change your current travel credit card, make a big travel purchase, or transfer debt, the SunTrust Travel Rewards credit card could be a great fit.

Initial Bonus

SunTrust Bank gives you an initial reward for spending big when using this credit card. If you spend $3,000 within the first three months of account opening, you will receive $250 in statement credit. $3,000 is achievable if you’re looking to make big purchases soon, such as an international trip, but it is a large amount compared to other credit cards out there.

Cash Back

The SunTrust Travel Rewards credit card offers 3% unlimited cash back on travel qualifying purchases. This is extremely useful when paired up with the zero foreign transaction fee. To get the most out of this card, using it often when traveling is a must.

Next is 2% unlimited cash on dining qualifying purchases. Although not as useful as the 3% cash back for travel, 2% can add up quickly when you dine out often.

Everything else is subject to 1% unlimited cash back. In short, this cash back structure rewards those who not only use this card when traveling, but those who also use this card for dining, grocery stores, gas stations, etc. 

An important thing to note is that the cash back is applied automatically as you spend. Thus, card owners do not have to worry about applying for cash back after every purchase. No matter where you spend, you will be getting at least 1% cash back. 

Other Benefits

As the name of the card suggests, the SunTrust Travel Rewards credit card rewards those who spend, especially in the name of traveling. If you pay for a trip with this card, you will receive SunTrust’s Worldwide Automatic Insurance. This provides travel accident insurance coverage of accidental death or serious injury up to $250,000. In addition, the insurance provides baggage delay reimbursements up to $100 for up to three days. Lastly, the insurance covers trip cancellations up to $1,500 if your trip is interrupted or canceled.

By using MasterCard as their card provider, SunTrust also offers you plenty of MasterCard’s benefits. Master RoadAssist Roadside Service arranges roadside assistance in case of emergencies, MasterTrip Travel Assistance helps you prepare for trips with free information on travel requirements, and MasterRental provides secondary collision coverage at no additional cost when you rent a vehicle with this card. These are just a few of the benefits MasterCard will provide when you use this credit card when traveling.

SunTrust also provides $10 Lyft credit when you take 5 Lyft rides in a month, for a total of $120 Lyft credits per year. Furthermore, you are entitled to complimentary ShopRunner membership, which gives you access to free 2-day shipping and free returns at thousands of brands. They have also partnered with Postmates to give you $5 off all purchases of $25 or more when you order through the food delivery app. These partnership benefits are useful to get the most out of the card, even when not traveling.

Some important benefits also include extended warranties that double the original manufacturer’s warranty up to 2 years, price protection if you find a lower price for a new item within 120 days of the original purchase, and purchase assurance that covers items that are damaged or stolen within 90 days of the purchase date.

Technology

SunTrust offers EMV chip technology with this credit card. These chips have enhanced security, leading to safer purchases, and greater acceptance on purchases at chip terminals, especially when abroad. 

The card also has immediate credit card lock/unlock. If you misplace the card or want to prevent any unauthorized card transactions you can lock it instantly.

Through Mastercard, you will also have access to ID theft protection that detects and helps quickly resolve ID theft events, 24/7. You will also have zero liability and responsibility on purchases that you have not authorized.

Annual Fee

For this arsenal of benefits, the card comes with an annual fee of $89. However, this fee only applies after 12 months and there is absolutely no intro annual fee. Coupled with the lifetime zero foreign transaction fees, you can get a lot of bang for your buck in the first year of using this card.

Conclusion

Overall, this credit card is a good option for people who travel and spend often. The unlimited cash back, foreign transaction fees, and travel benefits are extremely useful when traveling abroad. However, if you don’t use the card often, it will collect $89 in annual fees. The card also has an APR of 11.24% - 21.24% for purchases if you miss a payment. If you travel a lot, pay on time, and are willing to use the card anywhere, the SunTrust Travel Rewards card is a good card to pick up.