Is FoundersCard a Good Deal for Elite Status & Travel Discounts?
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Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. FoundersCard is a members-only discount card aimed at entrepreneurs. But many of the perks and discounts will appeal to frequent travelers, too!With membership, you get elite status with certain airlines, hotel chains, and car rental companies, discounts on airfare and hotel stays, and several other money-saving benefits. There’s a hefty annual fee of $395 to join, plus a one-time initiation fee of $95.
I don’t have FoundersCard. But Million Mile Secrets team member Harlan does. And he’ll show you how the discounts can save you money. And share a FoundersCard review to help you decide if it’s worth it for you!
What You Get With FoundersCard
Link: FoundersCard
Link: Sign-Up for FoundersCard
1. Travel Benefits
If you travel often, it’s worth looking into FoundersCard. You’ll have access to over 100 benefits. Some are for elite status or travel discounts, like:
- American Airlines – Quarterly benefit. Past perks have been 5% off fares and free elite status challenges
- British Airways – 10% off most fares from the US, Canada, and the UK
- Hertz – Free elite status and 15% off rentals in the US (20% off in Europe)
- Hilton – Free Gold elite status (free breakfast and upgrades when available)
- JetBlue – 5% off flights and 6 JetBlue points per $1 spent
- TripIt – Free TripIt Pro for a year, then $39 a year after
- Virgin America – 5% to 10% off most fares
- Virgin Atlantic – Free Silver elite status and 20% off flights from the US and Vancouver to the UK
- And many more!
You’ll notice some of these benefits are similar (or better!) than what’s offered with some airline or hotel credit cards. For example, the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express and Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Card both offer Hilton Gold elite status as part of their benefits.
And the British Airways Visa Signature® Card comes with a 10% discount on British Airways flights from the US. So in this case, FoundersCard has a better deal – you get 10% off flights from Canada and the UK, too.
2. Hotel Discounts
You can save when you book certain hotels through FoundersCard.
Many Marriott and Starwood hotels in the US, Europe, Asia, and Australia have a discount. And so do some independent and boutique hotels. The discounts range from 5% to 25+% off, depending on the hotel you choose, availability, and season.
You also get other perks, like upgrades when available, late checkout, free Wi-Fi, and special discounts for things like dining or spa services, which also vary by hotel.
Some hotels also have FoundersCard member rates significantly lower than the standard rates. For example, you’ll save $100+ to $200+ per night when you stay at Mr. C Beverly Hills Los Angeles and book through FoundersCard.
3. Other Shopping and Business Discounts
There are also discounts for shopping and business. And a few of them can add up to save you a lot of money!
For example, the AT&T discount is for 15% off your monthly phone bill. If your average phone bill is $100, that’s a savings of $180 per year (100 x 15% x 12 months)!
There are also other discounts like:
- Special pricing on Apple computers for your business
- Discounts up to 46% off Dell products
- Discounts on business cards at Moo.com
There are also lots of shopping and lifestyle offers, like:
- Discounts on gym memberships
- 20% off most orders at 1-800-Flowers.com
- Free subscriptions to Entrepreneur and Inc. magazines
- Discounts on gear at Adidas and Reebok
- Spa and yoga discounts
Is It Worth It?
The $395 annual fee for membership and the $95 startup cost is no small amount. The value you’ll get in return is completely dependent on whether or not, and how often, you think you’ll use the discounts and other perks.
If you value elite status with one of the featured airlines or hotel chains, or fly one of the airlines with a fare discount, it’s worth running the numbers to check how much you’ll save each year.
Or, if you stay often at Hilton, Marriott, or Starwood hotels, the discounts can add up that way, too.
And some of the discounts, like the automatic 15% off your AT&T phone bill, are easy. So check to see which ones fit your travel patterns and lifestyle.
FoundersCard has a lot of perks, but none of them are one-size-fits-all. That said, if you use 2 or more of the discounts heavily, it’s easy to cover the cost of the annual $395 fee.
Note: When you sign-up for FoundersCard, the rate you pay is locked-in for life.I’ve been a FoundersCard member for 3 years. And combine several discounts (at AT&T, Equinox gym, American Airlines, and TripIt Pro) to cover the annual fee.
Considering some of the benefits include perks of certain credit cards, you can look at that two ways. The first is you’ll save on the annual fees of several credit cards if you care about those benefits.
The other is if you already have the credit cards, and use them often, you might not want to pay twice for those perks. In that case, FoundersCard is only worth it if you’ll use other benefits and discounts to cover the annual fee.
As always, run the numbers to see if it’s worth it for you. If you travel a lot, purchase a lot of airfare and hotel stays, or know you’ll put the elite status and discounts to good use, FoundersCard can end up saving you much more than the cost of the annual fee.
Bottom Line
You can get a FoundersCard membership for $395 a year and a $95 initiation fee with promotion code “FCHARLAN818“. Here’s a peek at the travel benefits, elite status, and discounts you’ll get with FoundersCard.
If you make the most of 2 or more discounts, it’s easy to cover – and exceed – the cost of the annual fee. But it isn’t for everyone.
Run the numbers to make sure you’ll get a good deal. If you travel often, or can get a lot of value from the discounts, FoundersCard is worth a look.
Do you have FoundersCard? What do you think of the perks and overall value? I’d love to hear your experience!
Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
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