Iberia Visa Signature^® Card Review [2024]: Is There More to This Card Than Its Valuable Welcome Offer?

From Spanish airline Iberia comes the co-branded Iberia Visa Signature^® Card. The airline credit card comes with some discounts and perks, especially beneficial for frequent flyers of Iberia Airlines. Despite those benefits, it may not be a good addition to everyone’s wallet.

Keep reading this Iberia Visa Signature Card review to learn more about the card, its pros and cons, and whether it's the right card for you.

Generous Iberia Rewards

Iberia Visa Signature^® Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Iberia Visa Signature^® Card

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Current Offer

Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening

Annual Fee

$95

Rewards Rate

3X Avios on purchases with Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL; 2X Avios on hotel accommodations (when booked directly with the hotel); 1X Avios on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening
• No foreign transaction fees

Drawbacks

• Limited travel perks
• Has annual fee

Card Details

• Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening
• 3X Avios on purchases with Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL; 2X Avios on hotel accommodations (when booked directly with the hotel); 1X Avios on all other purchases

Who should get the Iberia Visa Signature Card?

There are two types of individuals who will benefit the most from the Iberia Visa Signature Card — loyal Iberia travelers and fans of Avios, the frequent flyer currency you can earn with this card. Perks like discounts on flights and a $1,000 voucher toward future travel make this card a no-brainer if you regularly fly on routes covered by Iberia Airlines.

The welcome offer for the Iberia Visa is two-tiered, providing huge bonuses to cardholders that hit specific spending requirements in the first year. The first bonus is comparable to offers you’d see from other travel cards, whereas the second one requires much higher spending. The card’s value drops considerably If you don’t plan to use it often enough to earn the full bonus.

If you don’t fly Iberia or aren’t keen on Avios rewards, you’re probably better off with either a general travel credit card or one co-branded with your favorite airline. Even if Avios is your rewards program of choice, other travel cards may have better earning potential long term.

Card basics

Iberia Visa Signature Card benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: You can earn 85,000 avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
• Flight discount: Cardmembers get 10% off Iberia flights purchased on iberia.com/Chase10.
• Discount voucher: You can earn a discount voucher of $1,000 to use toward two tickets on the same flight every calendar year you make $30,000 worth of purchases using your card.
• DoorDash benefits: Receive a complimentary 12-month DashPass subscription if you activate by Dec. 31, 2024. DashPass benefits include $0 delivery fees for orders over $12.
  
• No foreign transaction fees: The Iberia Visa has no extra charges for international purchases using the card. This is a big perk considering Iberia is based in Spain, and it could lead to considerable savings if you travel overseas often.
• Contactless card: In the age of social distancing, having a credit card that features contactless technology is even more attractive. The Iberia Visa Signature card lets you tap to pay wherever contactless payments are accepted.

Drawbacks to the Iberia Visa Signature Card

• Annual fee: The Iberia Visa card has a $95 annual fee, which may not be bad the first year if you earn the welcome offer, but it might not be worth it long term.
• No flight benefits: For an airline credit card, it has surprisingly few benefits related to flying on Iberia. Many airline cards come with perks like checked bag waivers, airport lounge access, and priority boarding.
• No surcharge waivers: The British Airways Visa Signature card allows cardmembers to use Avios points to pay for taxes, fees, and other charges on booked flights. That’s not the case with the Iberia Visa.

Earning and redeeming Avios rewards

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your points can add up with the Iberia Visa Signature card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 1 cent.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $2,580

Year two earnings: $2,535

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which looks at points earned via spending, the welcome offer, and the annual fee.

Best ways to earn

The Iberia Visa Signature Card’s biggest earning potential comes from earning its welcome offer. You’ll earn 85,000 avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. If you have any large purchases coming up, using a credit card like this is the perfect opportunity to get you closer to those spending requirements.

Another way to earn more Avios is through flight purchases. You’ll earn 3X points per dollar spent on purchases with Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL. This is the highest rewards tier offered with this card. You’ll also earn 2X when you book hotel accommodations (when booked directly with the hotel) and 1X on all other purchases.

Maximizing your redemptions

The Iberia Visa Signature Card earns Avios, a versatile rewards currency. You can also use your Avios to book flights on Iberia, British Airways, and Aer Lingus, or transfer them to partner airlines through the oneworld alliance. Redemption value depends on where you’re traveling to and whether it’s peak or off-peak season.

You can also use Iberia Avios to upgrade economy tickets to business class, which gives you access to luxurious travel amenities like more spacious or private seating, in-flight Wi-Fi, more dining options, and more. With an upgraded seat, your long-haul flight becomes a blessing, not a burden. Beyond airfare, other redemption options include hotel accommodations, car rentals, and various travel experiences.

Iberia Visa Signature Card transfer partners

Iberia is part of oneworld alliance, a global network made up of 13 partner airlines with flights to more than 3,200 destinations worldwide. Cardmembers can search for award flights directly on Iberia’s website or through any oneworld alliance partner.

Oneworld alliance is made up of the following airlines:

• American Airlines
• Cathay Pacific Airways
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian Airlines
• S7 Airlines
• SriLankan Airlines
• Fiji Airways
• Alaska Airlines

There is not an official Avios awards chart currently published online, which makes redeeming points for flights a bit confusing. Redemptions are based on flight distance and whether it's a destination’s peak travel season.

Iberia Visa Signature Card FAQs

Other cards to consider

Travelers looking for a more versatile rewards card should consider Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card. This travel credit card gives you access to Chase Travel℠, one of the most popular travel rewards programs. Cardmembers can book travel directly through the Chase portal for maximum value or transfer points to its airline and hotel partners. The generous welcome offer provides more than enough value to justify the $95 annual fee, but the card comes with access to other beneficial travel perks.

Another travel rewards card worth considering is the American Express^® Gold Card. This rewards card offers an excellent welcome offer and access to the Amex Membership Rewards program. It also earns 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, after that 1X), 4X at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X), 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com, 2X on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases. Although it has a $325 annual fee attached, for frequent travelers, the value of its welcome offer and other travel perks can exceed the cost.

Generous Iberia Rewards

Iberia Visa Signature^® Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Iberia Visa Signature^® Card

4.8

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Why We Like It

Earn 85,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening

See how these cards compare:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

• Generous welcome offer valued at $750 when redeemed via Chase Travel
• High rewards on dining and bookings via Chase Travel
• 25% more value when redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel
• Up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel
• Receive valuable travel protections like trip delay reimbursement and primary rental car insurance

American Express® Gold Card

• Robust rewards for dining out and U.S. supermarket purchases
• Offers great travel rewards and benefits
• See rates and fees | Terms Apply