Booking.com Launches First US Credit Card

Booking.com, one of the world’s largest online travel platforms, officially launched its first-ever US credit card—the Genius Rewards Visa Signature Card, issued by First Electronic Bank. Designed to drive more bookings through the site and app, the card offers travel credits instead of traditional points or cash back.

When you use the card, you earn a percentage of your spending as "travel credits." For example, you can earn 6 percent back on Booking.com hotel stays. These travel credits are automatically applied as discounts to future bookings made through Booking.com.

Key benefits also include 5 percent back on other travel categories booked through the platform, and 3 percent back on dining, gas, and more.

New cardholders are automatically upgraded to Genius Level 3—Booking.com’s highest loyalty tier, which offers up to 20 percent off hotel stays, free breakfasts, room upgrades, and priority customer support. There’s no annual fee or foreign transaction fees, and the card includes travel protections like trip cancellation coverage and car rental insurance.

Unlike general-purpose travel rewards cards, Booking.com’s new product is highly platform-specific: all rewards are locked into the Booking.com ecosystem.

The card is now live for US applicants. The move reflects a broader industry trend toward branded financial products, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, which rewards users with hotel points and elite status perks for staying at Marriott properties.

Earlier, Marriott Bonvoy partnered with the UK’s Nectar Loyalty Program in a points and earnings conversion.

Cover photo by Jas Rolyn on Unsplash