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Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in o...
With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
Kellie’s professional experience has led her to a deep passion for compliance, data reporting, and process improvement. Kellie’s learned the ins and outs of the points and miles world and leads UP’s c...
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Free Spirit Travel Mastercard
U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
3.5
10,000 points
$0
15.99% to 23.99% variable
Free Spirit Travel Mastercard
The Free Spirit card is a solid choice for Spirit frequent flyers who want a no-annual-fee card.
U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
3.5
Spirit flyers are used to receiving little to no benefits on their flights. After all, the carrier requires you to pay for carry-on baggage, seat selection, beverages, and just about everything else.
While this is the price you pay for low-cost fares, the experience can be frustrating at times. Fortunately, having the Free Spirit® Travel Mastercard® can help elevate your Spirit flight experience thanks to the numerous benefits that the card offers.
Card Snapshot
Welcome Bonus & Info
Online Offer: Earn 10,000 Bonus Points after spending at least $500 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Earn 2X points on eligible Spirit purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
Receive 5,000 Bonus Points each anniversary after making at least $10,000 in purchases within the prior anniversary year
Access to Points Pooling to combine your points with up to 8 friends and family members
Get a 25% rebate on all inflight food and beverage purchases when you pay with your card
You fly with Spirit often and want to receive more benefits on these flights
You want a card with no annual fee
Don’t Get If
You want a card that earns transferable rewards
You hardly ever fly with Spirit
The Ideal Cardholder
The Free Spirit card is tailored towards those who fly with Spirit often enough to take advantage of the benefits the card provides, and those who want to earn more Free Spirit points on their flights and everyday spending, but don’t want to pay a credit card annual fee.
Free Spirit Card Benefits
Priority Boarding
Cardholders automatically receive Zone 2 priority boarding on all Spirit flights. This will allow you to get to your seat sooner and settle in, as opposed to other travelers who are 3 groups behind in general boarding.
Points Pooling
One of the most convenient benefits of the card is the ability to combine your points with up to 8 friends and family members. This allows you to earn free flights faster and is a great option for traveling families that always have multiple passengers on the same booking.
Without the credit card, you would need to qualify for Free Spirit Silver or Gold status in order to access Points Pooling, but Free Spirit cardmembers get it as a benefit of card membership.
Anniversary Bonus Points
When you spend at least $10,000 in purchases within the prior cardmember year, you’ll earn 5,000 bonus points, on top of the points you’ll have earned from the spend. Since we value Free Spirit points at 1.1 cents per point, these 5,000 points are like receiving $55 towards a Spirit flight.
While you probably shouldn’t go out of your way to spend that much on the Free Spirit card just to earn the 5,000 point bonus, it is a nice perk for those who can meet that level of spend.
Inflight Discount
When paying with your card, you’ll get a 25% rebate on all inflight food and beverage purchases. You might be used to skipping beverage and snack service on Spirit flights in order to save some cash, but now you can treat yourself on your flights and get a discount!
Points Never Expire
One common complaint about the Free Spirit program is that points expire every 12 months. But you don’t need to worry about that with the Free Spirit card, because as long as you hold the card, your Free Spirit points will never expire!
How To Use Free Spirit Points for Max Value
Spirit Award Flights
Your best option when it comes to redeeming your Free Spirit points is towards Spirit award tickets. Award tickets with Spirit start at 2,500 points and increase from there based on the cost of the ticket.
With Spirit, you’ll virtually always get somewhere between 1 and 1.1 cents per point in value on award redemption. So if the flight you are trying to purchase costs $100, you’ll need around 10,000 Free Spirit points in order to book the award ticket.
Hot Tip: Keep in mind that on flights booked within 28 days of the departure date, Spirit charges an award redemption fee of $50. So you’ll want to make sure you book well in advance, as booking last minute and paying this fee will significantly drop the overall value of your award redemption.
Spirit Points + Cash Tickets
Don’t have enough points for a Spirit award? Spirit offers a Points + Cash booking option that allows you to reduce the overall cash cost of your fare, starting with as little as 1,000 points.
While you usually won’t get quite as much value as you would by waiting to redeem for a full award ticket, this can still be a decent option at times for those who don’t early Free Spirit points very quickly but still want a discounted flight.
How To Earn More Free Spirit Points
Spirit Flights
The obvious way to earn as many Free Spirit points as possible is to use your Free Spirit card to purchase all of your flights with Spirit to earn 2x points per $1.
Without the card, you’d usually earn 6x points per $1 with Spirit. But paying with your card boosts your point earnings by 33% up to 8x points per $1.
All Other Purchases
The Free Spirit card doesn’t offer any other bonus categories. But you’ll still earn 1x point per $1 on all other purchases outside of Spirit flights.
However, you might want to consider opting for another no annual fee card that offers a better return on these purchases, like the Citi Double Cash® Card.
Free Spirit Shopping Portal
The Free Spirit Online Mall is Spirit’s shopping portal that allows you to earn additional Free Spirit points just for clicking through the portal before doing your online shopping. Spirit’s portal offers hundred of different merchants to shop through, allowing you to really rack up the extra points.
Free Spirit Dining Program
Through the Free Spirit Dining program, you can earn extra Free Spirit points every time you dine at a participating restaurant.
First, you need to enroll in the program and link your credit card. Then, each time you dining at a restaurant that participates in the program, and pay with your linked card, you’ll earn Free Spirit points!
Basic members will earn 1x point per $2 spent, Select members earn 3x points per $1 spent (this tier only requires opting into email communications to qualify), and top-tier VIP members will earn 5x points per $1 spent (you’ll reach this after 11 qualifying transactions in a calendar year).
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
The Free Spirit World Elite card is a perfect option for frequent Spirit flyers that want benefits like priority boarding and inflight discounts.
The Free Spirit World Elite card is a perfect option for frequent Spirit flyers that want benefits like priority boarding and inflight discounts.
Earn 40,000 bonus points + a $100 Companion Flight Voucher Offer after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening
40,000 points
$0 Introductory Fee for the first year. After that, $79.
15.99% to 23.99% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
The information regarding the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Being that Spirit is a low-cost carrier, it might feel easy to overlook the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard®, especially since it charges an annual fee. But if you’re someone who flies with Spirit Airlines often, then this is a card that can definitely make a lot of sense to add to your wallet.
Online Offer: 40,000 bonus points + a $100 Companion Flight Voucher Offer after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening
Earn 3 points per $1 spent on eligible Spirit purchases, 2 points per $1 spent on eligible dining and grocery store purchases, 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
No redemption fees as a primary cardholder, no limit to the points you can earn, and no points expiration as long as your account is open.
Anniversary Bonus. Receive a $100 Companion Flight Voucher each anniversary after making at least $5,000 in purchases within the prior year.
Additional Cardholder Benefits: Zone 2 shortcut boarding on all flights, plus a 25% rebate on all inflight food and beverage purchases when you pay with your card.
Special Introductory Annual Fee: enjoy an introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year; a $79 fee will apply thereafter.
If you’re a dedicated Spirit Airlines flyer, then the Free Spirit World Elite card will be a much better fit for you. Not only does it earn 3x points per $1 on Spirit purchases, and 2x points per $1 on dining and grocery store purchases, but the card also offers way more benefits to Spirit flyers.
Benefits include no award redemptions fees, 1 SQP for each $10 in net purchases toward Free Spirit status, and a $100 Companion Flight Voucher each anniversary after making at least $5,000 in purchases. Keep in mind that the card does charge a $79 annual fee, though.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.
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 Ultimate Rewards®.
60,000 points
$1,200
$95
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is one of the best travel rewards cardson the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.
Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.
Pros
5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
5x points on select Peloton purchases over $250 (through March 31, 2025)
5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
2x points on all other travel worldwide
$50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
6 months of complimentary Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024), plus up to $15 in statement credits each quarter through July 2024
Excellent travel and car rental insurance
10% annual bonus points
No foreign transaction fees
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt
Complimentary Spot Club Platinum status with The Parking Spot for 2 years, 20% off of your first reservation, and points for 1 free day of parking (enroll by October 26, 2023)
Cons
$95 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
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 Ultimate Rewards®.
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
If you’re serious about earning points and miles and fly with multiple airlines, then you need a card that earns transferable rewards — like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
With it, you’ll earn 5x points per $1 on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points per $1 on dining, online grocery store, and select streaming service purchases, plus 2x on all other travel purchases.
The information regarding the Free Spirit® Travel Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of the Free Spirit card?
The Free Spirit card offers perks like priority boarding, Points Pooling, a 25% discount on inflight purchases, and no foreign transaction fees, and it keeps your Free Spirit points from expiring!
Which Spirit credit card is best?
Quite a handful of the benefits of the 2 cards overlap, but the Free Spirit World Elite card offers better rewards, no fees on award redemptions, and the ability to help spend your way towards Spirit elite status. However, the Free Spirit World Elite card charges a $79 annual fee, while the Free Spirit card charges $0 annual fee.
So, if you’re someone who flys with Spirit quite often, the Free Spirit World Elite card might be more worthwhile to you. But if you’re just looking for a way to earn Free Spirit points without paying an annual fee, then the Free Spirit card is the best bet.
Is the Free Spirit card a good card?
Yes, the Free Spirit card is a great option for those who fly with Spirit often enough to take advantage of the card’s benefits like priority boarding, Points Pooling, and inflight food and beverage discounts.
Does the Free Spirit card charge an annual fee?
No, the Free Spirit card does not charge an annual fee.
How many points do you need for a free Spirit flight?
The minimum number of points needed to book a Spirit flight is 2,500. However, Spirit does not offer a traditional award chart and instead ties the number of points needed to the cash cost of the ticket.
With that, each Spirit point is always worth around 1 cent towards a Spirit flight. So if you want to book a weekend ticket to Miami for $300, it would cost roughly 30,000 Free Spirit points to book a free award ticket.
Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
