Update: This promotion is now over. The TD First Class Visa Infinite now gives you the chance to earn up to $250 in Travel Credit. Please check the TD Website via the above link for current information.

TD recently has been releasing non-public offers for credit cards, such as the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite, where the welcome bonus is significantly better than an offer available publicly in-branch or online. I would only apply for a credit card if the benefits of the card are greater than $200 – such as the Alaska Airlines Mastercard or the American Express Gold Card, both with a 25,000 point signup bonus, which is why I find the TD First Class Visa Infinite card worth mentioning.

TD First Class Visa Infinite Offer

The TD First Class Visa Infinite has a huge 40,000 points signup offer. The first year annual fee is also waived. To trigger the annual fee waiver and welcome offer, $1000 in spending is required within the first 90 days of opening the card. The public offer is only 20,000 points, with no waived annual fee, so this targeted offer is significantly better.

Analysis of Increased TD First Class Visa Infinite Offer

Points have to be redeemed in increments of 10,000, which is worth $50. Thus, the signup bonus is worth $200 in “travel cash”. The TD First Class Visa uses TD’s own flexible rewards program, and you can redeem your points to offset nearly any travel redemptions you make on your credit card. The card earns 3 points/$ which seems high, but only translates into a fixed return of 1.5%. The only spending category where it makes sense is that Expedia purchases earn 9 points per dollar. This translates into a 4.5% return.

Flexible Travel Rewards cards such as this offer really great returns in some categories. People who do spend heavily in these categories should consider these cards. If you combined this card with the 4% return that the Scotiabank Momentum Visa Infinite or Scotiabank Gold American Express gives, you’ll be earning a 4%+ return on gas, groceries, and certain travel spending.

Is It Worth Using a Flexible Travel Rewards Program?

There are many arguments over a card offering flexible travel rewards. It comes down to your own travel patterns. I only redeem my points for international business and first class, so flexible travel rewards do not work for me. That’s because nearly all my redemptions return over 2 cents per mile (2%) in value. Furthermore, I don’t spend heavily on certain categories, so the category bonus for travel booked through Expedia doesn’t really help me.

With traditional frequent flyer programs like Aeroplan, your options to redeem on the exact flight you want is heavily limited – and you don’t want to be stuck redeeming those for merchandise, since it’s an awful return. You also aren’t earning elite qualifying miles if you are going for an airline’s top-tier status.

However, for those such as a family who need flights to Disneyland or Florida on a specific date for four people, it might make sense to use a flexible travel rewards program to offset your costs. A flexible travel rewards program works best for those who can’t extract the value from a traditional loyalty program.

This increased offer for the TD First Class Visa Infinite runs until Aug 31, 2015. Note that the increased offer is only available through this link, and not through the public TD Canada Trust website.

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