Are Signature and World Elite designations totally meaningless now?

[NYC_Fella]

There are some Signature cards that have fewer ancillary benefits than non-Signature cards from the same issuer. So my answer to the question is yes, unless someone can show me why I'm wrong.

[GZG]

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@NYC_Fella wrote:

There are some Signature cards that have fewer ancillary benefits than non-Signature cards from the same issuer. So my answer to the question is yes, unless someone can show me why I'm wrong.

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not meaningless for visa/mc/ card issuers who rake in on those desginations and certainly not meaningless for people paying more and merchants being charged more

but yes, you have to check card by card, if there's a minimum standard for these designations, I have no idea what it is

[BFDZ1218]

Benefits depend of the bank issuing the card. For the most part Yes as I have never really used any benefits from Mc world elite or visa infinite/signature. Merchants are charged more depending on designation although I don’t know exactly how much.

[coldfusion]

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@GZG wrote:

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if there's a minimum standard for these designations, I have no idea what it is

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They do have outlined standards but they're better descdribed as reference standards that an issuer is to some extent authorized to either augment or nerf. 

The page below for the Infinite tier is specifically for the US version of the card. Visa Infinite cards issued outside the US (that includes cards issuers in Puerto Rico) have a different reference standard and from what I've seen in the past a much lower typical AF.

https://usa.visa.com/pay-with-visa/cards/visa-credit-cards/visa-signature-credit-cards.html

https://usa.visa.com/pay-with-visa/cards/visa-credit-cards/visa-infinite-credit-cards.html

https://www.mastercard.us/content/dam/public/mastercardcom/na/global-site/documents/gtb/world.pdf

https://www.mastercard.us/content/dam/public/mastercardcom/na/global-site/documents/gtb/world-elite....

[brokevagrant]

One of my cards is world elite and I can't tell the difference. If it has any extra features I haven't used them so maybe I'm missing out. 

I think it depends on the bank on what they offer. I had a visa signature from Capital one that had only a 1000 limit. The card was bucketed and offered no signature benefits so the banks can slap it on their at will from what it seems like.   I think it used to be that visa signature and world MasterCard would start at $5000 limits but that seems to not be the case now at least from my experience 

[crystal626]

Banks get more swipe fees from higher tier cards so the more expensive (for the issuer) rewards cards often get upgraded to Signature/Infinite/WMC/WEMC even with smaller limits.

[TrapLine]

@NYC_Fella 

Appreciate your comment about some standard cards having better benefits than the Visa Signature/Infinite and MasterCard World/World Elite Cards.

Chuckle, as I have noted the same since you called it out. As one poster mentioned, the value now is to the issuer to extract more cost from the merchant/consumer with nothing of value gained.

Do recall the date of August 1, 2015 when the Visa and MasterCard Networks removed the shackles and freed the issuers to do as they pleased with only guidelines and suggestions to follow. Away went the minimum credit limits of $5,000 or $10,000 and the Flexible/NPSL/Revolving credit limit options that were a sign of a higher more prestigious status. The market place of today?

Then came the $500 credit limit with a revolving line of credit and a higher level designation ... got'ta love it 

[redpat]

Well I use the golf benefit for both MC and Infinite cards.  TPC courses and Troon private courses.

Back in the day of the Citi Prestige card you had the benefit of  three fee rounds.