Qatar Airways Credit Card (USA): Privilege Club Visa Signature vs. Visa Infinite

Qatar Airways launched its first co-branded credit cards in the U.S. in partnership with Cardless in 2024. These Qatar Airways credit card allow U.S. travelers to earn Avios (Qatar’s reward currency) on everyday spending and enjoy exclusive travel perks. There are two card versions – a mid-tier Visa Signature and a premium Visa Infinite – each offering sign-up bonuses, accelerated Privilege Club elite status, and a range of benefits for Qatar Airways loyalists. This comprehensive review will focus on the Qatar Airways credit cards available in the U.S. (only these two co-branded cards) and compare their features, rewards, and benefits. We’ll also explain how the cards integrate with the Avios currency, Privilege Club elite tiers (Silver/Gold), and lounge access privileges.

Overview of Qatar Airways Credit Cards in the U.S.

Qatar Airways offers two co-branded credit cards for U.S. residents.

Here’s a quick overview of each:

• Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card – $99 annual fee. This is the entry-level card with a lower fee and solid rewards, including an automatic Silver status for a year.
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Credit Card – $499 annual fee. A premium Visa Infinite card (matte metal design ) that carries a high fee but offers enhanced perks like Gold status for a year, higher rewards, and additional luxury benefits.

Both cards are issued by First Electronic Bank via the Cardless platform and are available only to residents of the 50 U.S. states and DC. Next, we’ll dive into each card’s details, followed by their common features and how they tie into Qatar’s Avios and Privilege Club program.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Card (US) – Features & Benefits

The Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature is the more affordable co-branded card, ideal for travelers who want to earn Qatar Avios and enjoy elite perks without a hefty fee. Key features include:

Annual Fee: $99 per year (no foreign transaction fees on overseas purchases, which is great for international travel).

Sign-Up Bonus: Earn up to 40,000 Avios as a welcome offer. This is typically split into 20,000 Avios after your first purchase, plus another 20,000 Avios after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days.

Earning Rates:

• 4 Avios per $1 on Qatar Airways purchases (e.g. flights on Qatar)
• 2 Avios per $1 on dining (restaurants)
• 1 Avios per $1 on all other eligible spending.

Privilege Club Elite Status: Automatic Qatar Privilege Club Silver elite status for the first year of card membership. This Silver tier corresponds to oneworld Ruby status and comes with perks like a 25% Avios bonus on Qatar flights, priority check-in and boarding, priority standby, a 20% discount on paid seat selection, 15kg (33 lbs) of extra baggage allowance, and even lounge access in Qatar Airways lounges. Essentially, just being approved for the card fast-tracks you to Silver status and its benefits without any flying required .

Avios & Qpoints Earning: All Avios earned on the card count towards your Privilege Club balance, and the card also helps earn Qpoints (the elite status credits in Qatar’s program).

Specifically, Visa Signature cardholders get 2 Qpoints for every 2,000 Avios earned via the card. This gives a modest boost toward retaining or upgrading your status.

Qpoints are separate from Avios; they determine tier status. You do not earn Qpoints on the bonus Avios portion of the sign-up offer.)

Reward Fee Waiver: The card can save you money on award tickets. If you spend at least $15,000 on the card in your first year, you become eligible for a Reward Flight Fee Waiver. This means Qatar Airways will reimburse the carrier-imposed surcharges/fees on award flights (up to $300 for economy or $600 for business/first class on a round-trip award booking). The fee waiver kicks in after you meet the spending threshold and book an award ticket; the fees are then refunded to your card. (In subsequent years, a $25,000 annual spend is required to keep this benefit active .)

Other Card Perks: As a Visa Signature, it comes with travel and purchase protections. You get no foreign transaction fees for overseas spending , extended warranty, purchase security, return protection, rental car collision damage waiver, travel accident insurance, and other standard Visa Signature benefits. While not as extensive as the Infinite version, these protections add value for travelers. Additionally, any Avios in your Privilege Club account won’t expire as long as you use your Qatar Airways card regularly.

Overall, the Privilege Club Visa Signature Card offers a strong package for a $99 fee: a sizable Avios welcome bonus, bonus Avios on Qatar flights and dining, and a year of Silver elite perks, including lounge access to make your travels more comfortable. It’s a good entry point for Qatar Airways flyers or oneworld alliance travelers who want to accelerate their earnings and status.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Card (US) – Features & Benefits

The Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Infinite Card is the premium offering, geared toward frequent flyers seeking top-tier perks. It carries a much higher fee but delivers correspondingly rich benefits:

Annual Fee: $499 per year. This card is one of the few international airline Visa Infinite products in the U.S. market. The card has a matte metal design for a more upscale feel . Like the Signature version, it has no foreign transaction fees, making it suitable for use abroad.

Sign-Up Bonus: Earn up to 50,000 Avios + 150 Qpoints as a welcome offer. The standard offer grants 25,000 Avios after your first purchase, and an additional 25,000 Avios plus 150 Qpoints after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days. The inclusion of 150 Qpoints in the bonus is significant – it’s roughly 25% of the Qpoints normally required to reach Qatar’s highest elite tier (Platinum), giving you a head-start toward status. Limited-time promotions have pushed the bonus even higher; for example, an offer through early 2025 provided up to 85,000 Avios (25k after first swipe + 60k after $6k spend) plus the 150 Qpoints.

Earning Rates:

• 5 Avios per $1 on Qatar Airways purchases  – an industry-leading return for spending on Qatar flights.
• 3 Avios per $1 at restaurants worldwide
• 1 Avios per $1 on all other purchases.

These elevated earning rates mean the Avios will pile up even faster on your everyday and travel spending.

For example, a $2,000 Qatar Airways flight would net 10,000 Avios from the card alone, on top of any Avios you earn from flying (and even more if you’re using your included Gold status on that flight).

Privilege Club Elite Status: Automatic Qatar Privilege Club Gold elite status for the first year upon approval. Gold is a one-tier upgrade above Silver and corresponds to oneworld Sapphire status.

This Gold tier comes with substantial benefits:

• 75% Avios bonus on Qatar Airways flights, priority standby, priority check-in & boarding, preferential seating selection,
• 20kg (44 lbs) of extra baggage allowance,
• complimentary lounge access.

Lounge privileges for Gold are excellent – you’ll have access to Qatar Airways business class lounges (like the prestigious Al Mourjan lounge when flying Qatar business) and all oneworld partner airline business lounges worldwide when flying any oneworld carrier.

In short, the Infinite card essentially “buys” you top-tier lounge access and premium treatment across the oneworld alliance for a year. Gold members also receive 40 Qcredits to use for upgrades, extra baggage or other services, and a complimentary Al Maha meet-and-assist service in Doha (expedited airport assistance)  – perks not available at the Silver level. (If you already hold Privilege Club Gold or higher status, the card will extend your existing status by an additional year from the date of card approval .)

Avios & Qpoints Earning: For every Avios you earn via card spending, you also earn progress toward keeping status. The Visa Infinite card awards 2 Qpoints for every 1,500 Avios earned with the card. Since this card earns Avios at higher rates, you’ll accumulate Qpoints slightly faster than on the Signature card. These Qpoints from credit card spend can help you renew or elevate your Privilege Club status over time.

Reward Fee Waiver: Like the Signature version, the Infinite card also offers reimbursement of award booking fees (fuel surcharges, etc.) on Qatar Airways award tickets . By spending $15,000 in the first year (and $25,000 in each subsequent year), you qualify to have your “Reward Flight” fees refunded on Qatar award redemptions – up to $600 per round-trip in business/first class or $300 in economy. This is a valuable perk if you redeem Avios for Qatar flights, as those fees can be hefty on long-haul itineraries.

Premium Travel Benefits: Being a Visa Infinite, this card includes a suite of luxury travel and protection benefits. Cardholders get a 24/7 Visa Infinite Concierge service for assistance with travel or lifestyle requests. You also enjoy the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection perks, which can include room upgrades, late checkout, complimentary breakfast, and other benefits at select upscale hotels. The card provides robust travel insurance and purchase protections: trip cancellation/interruption insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, travel accident insurance, roadside dispatch, emergency travel assistance, extended warranty, purchase protection, and more. Of course, no foreign transaction fees apply, so you won’t pay extra for charges made in foreign currencies. All these perks make the Infinite card competitive with other premium travel cards – it’s designed for frequent travelers who want peace of mind and VIP treatment during their journeys.

Limited-Time Fare Discount for Cardholders (US-Only)

Qatar Airways is running a simple, stackable way to save cash on paid tickets if you hold a Qatar Airways Privilege Club Credit Card. Book from the United States, enter promo code QRPCFLIGHT at checkout, and pay with your Qatar Privilege Club Visa to get up to 12% off eligible fares. The offer is live now and ends September 30, 2025. 

How it Works

Start your booking on qatarairways.com/us, sign in to your Privilege Club account, and add QRPCFLIGHT in the promo/voucher field. Use your Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature or Visa Infinite to pay. You’ll see the discount reflected before you confirm payment. The “up to 12%” language means the reduction can vary by route, cabin, and fare brand, and standard terms apply—always verify that the promo shows as applied on the fare summary. 

Compare the discounted price against any parallel sales on the site, and remember you’ll still earn Avios on the paid fare. If you’ve unlocked the card’s Reward Flight Fee Waiver with qualifying spend, keep that for award redemptions; use this promo for cash tickets when the discount beats an Avios redemption. 

Additional Benefits and Considerations

Before we conclude, let’s highlight a few additional aspects of the Qatar Airways credit cards that prospective cardmembers should know:

Visa Card Protections: Both cards are backed by Visa’s security and benefits network. You get Visa Zero Liability protection against fraudulent charges, and tools like instant transaction alerts and the ability to lock your card via the Cardless app for security. Travel-related protections like rental car insurance, trip interruption/cancellation coverage, and baggage insurance are included (the Infinite card’s coverages may have higher limits given its premium status). These benefits can save you money and hassle if things go awry during travel.

Digital Management with Cardless: Since the cards are issued through Cardless, cardmembers will use the Cardless mobile app for managing their account (viewing transactions, making payments, etc.). Cardless is known for a mobile-first experience, so expect a modern app with features like mobile wallet integration. While this is different from having a card issued by a major bank, Cardless has partnered with several brands and provides a smooth user interface for customers.

Strategy for Choosing a Card

If you’re wondering which Qatar Airways card is right for you, consider your travel habits and willingness to pay an annual fee.

The Signature ($99) is a great choice if you want to earn Avios and get Silver perks at a low cost – it’s easier to justify for occasional Qatar or oneworld flyers, and it still grants lounge passes and priority services. The Infinite ($499) is best suited if you value Gold status and plan to utilize lounge access frequently, or if you will make enough Qatar Airways award bookings to leverage the fee rebates. Essentially, heavy Qatar Airways users or those seeking a premium travel experience will find the Infinite worthwhile, whereas more casual travelers might stick to the Signature. Keep in mind that the Infinite’s $499 fee rivals other top-tier travel cards (like Chase Sapphire Reserve, etc.), so you’ll want to ensure the specific Qatar perks (Gold status, Qcredits, etc.) are more beneficial to you than a general travel card’s perks.

Comparing to Other Cards

For the sake of completeness, note that other flexible travel cards allow point transfers to Qatar/Avios without being tied to one airline. For example, the Citi Strata Premier (with a $95 fee) lets you transfer ThankYou points to Qatar Privilege Club at a 1:1 rate. If you prefer flexibility (earning points you can use across many airlines or hotels), a card like that might be attractive. However, what those general cards don’t offer is instant elite status and fee waivers. The Qatar Airways co-branded cards are unique in bundling status benefits and flight fee rebates directly with your Avios earnings. So, if your primary focus is maximizing your Qatar Airways experience (faster Avios, lounge access, upgrades, etc.), the Privilege Club cards are likely the better fit despite the narrower usage of rewards (Avios only). On the other hand, if you seldom fly Qatar or oneworld, you might get more value from a flexible rewards card and transferring points to Qatar when needed.

Conclusion

In all, Qatar Airways’ co-branded credit cards have brought unique value to the U.S. market. They seamlessly integrate with the Avios ecosystem, allow you to leverage elite status benefits in Privilege Club and oneworld, and enhance your ability to save money on award travel through fee waivers. For travelers planning trips with Qatar Airways or its partners, these cards can be a rewarding tool – turning your everyday spending into VIP treatment in the skies and at the airport. Whether you choose the Signature or Infinite version, you’ll be joining a program hailed for its luxury offerings (Qsuite, top-notch lounges, etc.) and now have a credit card that complements those offerings with earn-and-burn efficiency.

In summary, the Qatar Airways Privilege Club cards (USA) provide a compelling mix of Avios rewards and elite perks, making them well worth considering for anyone looking to fly Qatar Airways and its partners in style.