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Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® Review

Headshot of Tracy BrackmanWritten by
Tracy Brackman
Headshot of Robin RatcliffEdited by
Robin Ratcliff
Updated on:
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
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3.1
Free Spirit<sup>®</sup> Travel More World Elite Mastercard<sup>®</sup>
Sign-Up Bonus
Earn 50,000 bonus points plus a $100 Companion Flight Voucher after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
Rewards Rate
Earn 3 points per dollar spent on eligible Spirit purchases; 2 points per dollar spent on eligible dining and grocery store purchases; and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Extra Perks
Receive a $100 Companion Flight Voucher each anniversary after qualifying purchases.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It was not reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.
Citi is an advertising partner.

Key takeaway

Even with benefits like priority boarding, an annual anniversary voucher and a rebate on in-flight purchases, you should only consider the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® if you fly on Spirit Airlines often.

Is the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® worth it?

If you regularly fly Spirit Airlines, the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® could be worth having — especially during the first year. Along with an easy-to-earn sign-up bonus, the card offers a $0 Introductory Fee for the first year. After that, your Annual Fee will be $79. Plus, you’ll get 3X rewards on Spirit Airline purchases.

But because you can only use those miles on Spirit Airline-related purchases, it’s not a good choice if you rarely fly or if you prefer traveling on other airlines.

Here, we weigh the pros and cons of the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® to help determine if it’s the right fit for you.

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Quick facts

    • Earn 50,000 Bonus Points plus a $100 Companion Flight Voucher after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.
    • Earn 3 points per dollar spent on eligible Spirit purchases; 2 points per dollar spent on eligible dining and grocery store purchases; and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
    • Receive a $100 Companion Flight Voucher each anniversary after qualifying purchases.
    • Automatic Zone 2 Shortcut Boarding on all flights.
    • No limit to the points you can earn, no points expiration, and no redemption fees as the primary cardholder.
    • Get a 25% rebate on inflight food and beverage purchases when you pay with your card.
    • Reach Free Spirit Status by earning 1 Status Qualifying Point for each $10 in Net Purchases during a calendar year towards earning Free Spirit Silver or Gold status.
    • No foreign transaction fees and a low $0 introductory annual fee for the first year. After that it's just $79.
    • This online only offer may not be available elsewhere if you leave this page. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
  • Recommended Credit
    Credit scores ranges may vary. Your individual chance at approval may vary due to factors such as creditors using a particular variation at their discretion
    • 660 720 850
    Good / Excellent
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  • Potential to earn a $100 Companion Flight Voucher each account anniversary
  • Foreign transaction fees: $0
  • 25% rebate on inflight food and beverage purchases
  • Zone 2 shortcut boarding
  • Redemption fee waiver for primary cardholder
  • Opportunity to pool points with other Free Spirit members
  • Ability to earn 1 Status Qualifying Point for every $10 in net purchases

Intro Purchase APR

N/A

Regular Purchase APR

21.24% - 29.24% Variable APR

Intro BT APR

N/A

Regular BT APR

21.24% - 29.24% Variable APR

Annual Fee

$0 Introductory Fee for the first year. After that, your Annual Fee will be $79.

Cash Advance Fee

See Terms

Foreign Transaction Fee

$0

Balance Transfer Fee

4% of the amount of each transaction.

Pros and cons

  • Solid, easy-to-earn sign-up bonus
  • 3X points on eligible Spirit purchases
  • Elevated points on dining and grocery purchases
  • Opportunity to earn $100 flight voucher each account anniversary
  • Introductory annual fee
  • Foreign transaction fees: $0
  • 25% credit on in-flight food and beverage purchases
  • Can only redeem points with Spirit Airlines
  • Points are worth less than other airline miles
  • Annual fee after the first year
  • No 0% intro APR on purchases
  • Minimal travel protections and insurances
  • No free checked bags

How to earn Spirit points with the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard®

  • Sign-up bonus

    This card lets you earn 50,000 bonus points plus a $100 Companion Flight Voucher after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. The current sign-up bonus is worth roughly $550 in points. But once you factor in the $100 companion fare (which is essentially a $100 discount off a companion ticket on the same itinerary as the cardholder), that amount jumps to $650

    This sign-up bonus value is slightly lower than that of similar airline credit cards. But you can still potentially squeeze several roundtrip flights out of it. For example, we found a round-trip flight from Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for only 5,000 points.

    What it’s worth: Around $650, including the flight voucher

    Who’s eligible to earn this offer? This is a one-time offer that’s only available if you’re opening a new card. It doesn’t apply to product changes from another Spirit airlines credit card.

  • Points on every purchase

    Like most airline credit cards, the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® offers its highest rewards rate on purchases made with the airline. It also offers elevated points in a couple everyday spending categories. You’ll earn 3 points per dollar spent on eligible Spirit purchases; 2 points per dollar spent on eligible dining and grocery store purchases; and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

    What purchases qualify for elevated points?

    Spirit purchases include airline tickets purchased directly from Spirit, as well as food, beverages and Wi-Fi purchased onboard Spirit flights. Purchases of eligible Spirit Airlines vacation packages, hotel stays and rental cars booked through Spirit also qualify.

    The dining category includes purchases made at restaurants, including fast food and drinking establishments.

    The grocery store category includes purchases made at supermarkets, freezer and meat lockers, candy nut or confection stores, dairy product stores, bakeries and miscellaneous food stores.

    Earning 3 points per $1 on Spirit purchases isn’t bad, except that you could be earning 3 points per $1 on all airline purchases with a more flexible card, like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card. There are also some excellent card choices for dining and grocery stores that provide a far better return.

How much are Spirit points worth?

We value Spirit points at 1.1 cent each. While that amount is about average compared with points from other rewards programs, it’s less than many airline programs, including American Airlines and United.

How to use Spirit points

Your redemption options are limited with the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard®. You can only use points to book flights with Spirit Airlines or for select partner products or services.

How many Spirit points do you need for a free flight?

Spirit award tickets start at just 2,500 points, and just 1,000 points for the Points + Cash option. As you can see from our examples below, Spirit award flight prices vary considerably. You can find them for as low as 2,500 points one-way, and prices climb over 30,000 points for a one-way itinerary at other times.

The value you can get for your points depends entirely on the origin, destination and date of travel. It’s good practice to compare the award ticket price to the cost of a paid ticket, minus any taxes and fees. Here are a few examples of the lowest fares available for Spirit Airline flights in a variety of cities on Dec. 2, 2023:

FlightCash pricePoints requiredPoints value
Oakland to Las Vegas$202,500 + $5.60$0.006
Sacramento to Nashville$896,000 + $5.60$0.014
New York to Atlanta$352,500 + $5.60$0.012
Baltimore to Fort Lauderdale$352,500 + $5.60$0.012
Average value$0.011

Also note, as a Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® cardholder, you can avoid the massive $50 redemption fee for tickets booked less than 28 days from date of departure.

Other Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® benefits

Beyond earning Spirit points that you can redeem for free flights, the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® offers a decent selection of benefits.

Along with offering a $100 Companion Flight Voucher as part of the sign-up bonus, you can receive a $100 Companion Flight Voucher after each account anniversary if you make at least $5,000 in purchases within the year. You will receive a code via email within the first billing cycle after your account anniversary, or within one billing cycle after you meet the spending requirement of the welcome offer.

The $100 Companion Flight Voucher codes work the same whether you earned it via sign-up bonus or the anniversary benefit:

  • The code may be applied at spirit.com when booking an itinerary where you and a guest are both traveling.
  • You must purchase the tickets with your Spirit Airlines credit card.
  • It must be redeemed within 12 months of the date of issue, although travel itself may occur after expiration.
  • The expiration date cannot be extended.

As the primary cardholder, you and any companions traveling on the same reservation will all receive a Zone 2 “shortcut boarding” benefit. Zone 1 boarding is reserved for passengers who purchased a carry-on bag. Zone 2 boarding occurs next, followed by family boarding and Zone 3 and Zone 4 boarding.

Whenever you use your Spirit Airlines credit card to purchase food and beverages in flight, you’ll receive a 25% rebate in the form of a statement credit. The credit will automatically post to your account within seven days from the transaction posting date, and your account must be open to receive the credit.

The Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® offers a $0 Introductory Fee for the first year. After that, your Annual Fee will be $79. This lets you test out the card for a year before committing to paying an annual fee.

Both Spirit Airlines cardholders and Free Spirit elite members can enjoy the points pooling benefit. Points Pooling is a feature of the Free Spirit program where an elite member or primary cardholder can become a “Pool Pilot” for a group of family or friends. You can link up to eight other Free Spirit members to your points pool. The Pool Pilot must be the one to make award redemptions, although awards can be booked for anyone in the pool.

Spirit Airlines normally charges a $50 award redemption fee for award tickets booked fewer than 28 days from the date of travel (if you book 28 or more days from the date of departure, you don’t have to pay a fee). This fee is waived for Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® holders and Free Spirit Silver and Gold elite members. Airfare and applicable taxes must be paid using your Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® if this is how you receive this benefit.

One of the unique benefits of the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® is that your spending helps you earn Free Spirit elite status. For every $10 in net purchases on your card, you’ll earn 1 Status Qualifying Point (SQP).

  • You’ll receive Free Spirit Silver status once you hit 2,000 SQPs ($20,000 in card spend, assuming you don’t earn anything by flying).
  • You’ll receive Free Spirit Gold once you earn 5,000 SQPs ($50,000 in card spend).

Gold status entitles you to prime perks that can save you a lot of money on Spirit Airline fees, like free checked bags, free seat selection and free in-flight beverages and snacks. Elite status is valid from when it is initially earned in a given year through the end of the following calendar year.

This card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees — which will typically cost you 3% of each transaction made outside the U.S. Therefore, it’s a good choice to take with you when traveling abroad.

Drawbacks to the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard®

  • Points are worth less than average

    The primary drawback to getting the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® is that the points simply aren’t worth as much as other airline miles. Where you can get 1.4 cents or more per mile with some other carriers, Spirit Airlines offers less value. Some of this value is recouped if you use your card to earn the $100 voucher and work towards Spirit Airlines elite status, but you can do better with other products if you don’t often fly Spirit Airlines and are considering other airline cards.

  • You’re locked into flying one airline

    With the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard®, you can essentially only use your points to book travel on Spirit Airlines. By contrast, many other airline and travel cards let you redeem your rewards for airfare on a variety of airlines or even transfer them to multiple travel partners.

  • Charges an annual fee after the first year

    Finally, the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® charges a $0 Introductory Fee for the first year. After that, your Annual Fee will be $79. So you’ll want to ensure the value you get after the first year outweighs the card’s annual fee.

How does the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® compare to similar cards?

Credit Cards Our Ratings Annual FeeWelcome OfferRewards Rate
Free Spirit<sup>®</sup> Travel More World Elite Mastercard<sup>®</sup>
Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard®*
Learn More
3.1
$0 Introductory Fee for the first year. After that, your Annual Fee will be $79.Earn 50,000 bonus points plus a $100 Companion Flight Voucher after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening.Earn 3 points per dollar spent on eligible Spirit purchases; 2 points per dollar spent on eligible dining and grocery store purchases; and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Learn More
United℠ Explorer Card
United℠ Explorer Card
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Chase's secure site
3.5
$95Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United® purchases. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Chase's secure site
Chase Sapphire Preferred<sup>®</sup> Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Chase's secure site
4.7
$95Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That's worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year.Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Chase's secure site
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site
Rates & Fees
4.7
$9575,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site
Rates & Fees
*The information for the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms Apply.

Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® vs. United℠ Explorer Card

| Disclosures
United℠ Explorer Card
United℠ Explorer Card
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Chase's secure site
N/A
21.49% - 28.49% Variable
$95
Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United®
  • Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
  • $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
  • Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays, and United® purchases
  • Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
  • 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card
  • Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
  • Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
  • Member FDIC
660 720 850
Good / Excellent
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If you’re not committed to Spirit airlines or discount flying, you might consider the United℠ Explorer Card for its valuable rewards and benefits.

The card lets you earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United® purchases. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. Plus, it comes with a generous sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. United points are worth approximately 1.3 cents each, making the sign-up bonus worth $650.

You’ll also get a number of perks, including priority boarding, the first checked bag free for you and a companion, a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS application fee credit, a 25% credit on inflight food, beverage and WiFi purchases and 25% credit on Club premium drinks. Unlike the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard®, the United℠ Explorer Card also comes with several protections, such as baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase protection and more.

That said, the annual fee is slightly higher than the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® at $0 Intro for the First Year, then $95.

Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

| Disclosures
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Chase's secure site
N/A
20.99% - 27.99% Variable
$95
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on
  • Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That's worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year.
  • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
  • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. 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, 2027.
  • Member FDIC
720 850
Excellent
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LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.


 
If you’re looking for a card that earns flexible points that can be redeemed in a variety of ways, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a better choice.

You’ll enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. Your points are worth 25% more when redeemed through Chase TravelSM. You can also transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to a variety of travel partners.

However, you lose out on the Spirit-specific benefits, like 25% back on in-flight purchases and the ability to spend toward elite status.

Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

| Disclosures
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site
Rates & Fees
N/A
19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)
$95
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per
  • Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
  • Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
  • Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
  • Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
  • Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
660 720 850
Good / Excellent
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LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.


 
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is another good alternative to the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard®. Similar to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the card lets you earn valuable rewards that can be redeemed in a variety of ways, instead of locking you into a specific airline.

The card lets you earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. You’ll also get 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Capital One miles can be used to book new travel or to cover previous travel. They can also be redeemed for cash, statement credits and more. Or you can transfer miles to more than 15 travel partners, mostly at a rate of 1:1.

You’ll also get access to benefits like a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit, trip cancellation/interruption insurance and auto rental insurance.

Is the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® right for you?

If you frequently fly Spirit Airlines, the perks offered by the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® may be well worth the limited redemption options, minimal benefits and annual fee after the first year. But if you want to earn more valuable rewards and have more flexibility in how you can use those rewards, you’ll likely be better off with a different airline rewards card or general travel card.

Frequently asked questions

As a Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® holder, your points won’t expire as long as your account remains open.

Free Spirit is the frequent flyer loyalty program of Spirit Airlines.

Yes, the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® has a $0 Introductory Fee for the first year. After that, your Annual Fee will be $79.

Spirit award redemption starts at 2,500 Spirit points. For the Points + Cash option, awards start at 1,000 points plus additional cash to cover the rest of the fare.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by third parties such as Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as certain terms, conditions, and exclusions apply.

The information related to the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.

The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.