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Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® Review: A Card Designed With Travelers In Mind

Review Updated
Dana George
Author: Dana George
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Dana George has a BA in Management and Organization Development from Spring Arbor University. For more than 25 years, she has written and reported on business and finance, and she's still passionate about her work. Dana and her husband recently moved to Champaign, Illinois, home of the Fighting Illini. And though she finds the color orange unflattering on most people, she thinks they'll enjoy Champaign tremendously.

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Barclays' Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® offers a menu of sweet perks to frequent travelers. In addition to racking up award miles, cardholders have access to a 0% promotional rate on balance transfers. However, the Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® is not a great fit for everyone. Here, we look at the benefits and shortcomings of the card and help you decide if it's right for you.

Ratings Methodology

Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®

Great for: Frequent travelers

Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good (670-850)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good (670-850)

Intro APR Circle with letter I in it. 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening. After that, a variable APR will apply, 21.24%, 25.24% or 29.99%.

Balance Transfers: 0%

Regular APR

21.24%, 25.24% or 29.99%, variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 1-2 award miles per $1

1-2 award miles

Annual Fee Circle with letter I in it. The annual fee will be waived for Senator and HON Circle Members, as long as they maintain their Senator or HON Circle Member status.

$89 (waivable)

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn 50,000 award miles if you spend $3,000 in purchases and pay the annual fee, both within the first 90 days.

50,000 award miles

  • Consumers looking for a dedicated travel awards card with a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers may benefit from signing up for a Lufthansa credit card.

    • 0% introductory APR on balance transfers
    • No foreign transaction fees
    • Generous welcome offer
    • Companion ticket
    • Lounge access
    • Achieve Miles & More status faster
    • No promotional rate on purchases
    • High standard APR
    • $89 annual fee
    • Earn 50,000 award miles if you spend $3,000 in purchases and pay the annual fee, both within the first 90 days.
    • Earn 2 award miles per $1 spent on ticket purchases directly from Miles & More integrated airline partners.
    • Earn 1 award mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.
    • Receive two complimentary Lufthansa Business Lounge Vouchers after each account anniversary.
    • Receive a Companion Ticket after each account anniversary (taxes and fees apply).
    • Redeem miles for flight awards and upgrades on Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Star Alliance Airlines and other partners.

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Full Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® review

This credit card is a good fit for: Frequent travelers who will benefit by collecting award miles.

Top perks

It may not be perfect for everyone, but for some, the Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® offers just the right perks.

0% introductory rate

The Lufthansa credit card offers a 0% intro rate on balance transfers, with a 15 month term. That makes it a great card for those who want to transfer high-interest debt and save money.

Generous welcome offer

Cardholders who spend $3,000 and pay the annual fee within the first 90 days receive 50,000 award miles. With three months to make purchases, it won't be difficult for most cardholders to take advantage of the offer.

Attractive award miles

Cardholders earn 2 award miles per $1 spent on airline tickets purchased from Miles & More integrated airline partners. Earn 1 award mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

No foreign transaction fees

Given that the Lufthansa card is geared toward frequent travelers, charging no foreign transaction fees is an attractive benefit.

Well-rated mobile app

The Barclays credit card mobile app earns a lofty 4.8 out of 5 stars from iOS users on the Apple App Store, and a 4.7 out of 5 stars from Android users on Google Play.

Companion ticket

Each year, after an account anniversary, cardholders receive one complimentary companion ticket (taxes and fees apply).

Airport lounge access

After each account anniversary, cardholders also receive two complimentary Lufthansa Business Lounge vouchers. Airport lounge access is a benefit more commonly found on credit cards with much higher annual fees, so this perk in particular stands out given that the Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®'s annual fee is just $89.

Achieve Miles & More status faster

The Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® makes it possible to convert award miles earned on purchases into status miles. One time each calendar year, cardholders can convert 5,000 to 25,000 award miles at a 5-to-1 ratio. For example, 5,000 reward miles becomes 1,000 status miles -- great for anyone who wants to achieve status at a faster pace.

What could be improved

No credit card is perfect, and that includes the Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®. Here's what we would change if we could.

No introductory rate on purchases

The 0% intro APR on balance transfers is attractive, but would be even more so if that 0% rate were extended to purchases. Cards that allow users to make purchases at 0% APR can save them hundreds of dollars in interest.

Costly transfer fee

The Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® charges a hefty balance transfer fee. Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. Meanwhile, it's common to find balance transfer cards that charge only 3% per balance transfer.

Let's say a cardholder wants to transfer $5,000 from a high-interest credit card. An extra $250 would be tacked onto their balance using this card ($5,000 x .05 = $250). However, if they transferred the same $5,000 to a card charging a 3% balance transfer fee, they would pay $150 instead ($5,000 x .03 = $150).

RELATED: Best 0% APR Credit Cards

High standard APR

They may not be the highest credit card interest rates we've seen, but any way you slice it, carrying a balance with a rate of 21.24%, 25.24% or 29.99%, variable is expensive. Let's say a cardholder carries a $2,000 balance from month to month at a rate of 25.24%, and makes a minimum monthly payment of $60. At that rate, it will take them four years and seven months to pay it off, and they'll end up paying a whopping $1,352 in interest.

Annual fee

Although Senator and HON Circle Members can have their annual fees waived, non-members are stuck with an extra $89 (waivable) tacked onto their credit card bill once a year.

Note: The Lufthansa Miles & More loyalty program is divided into different status level tiers, with Senator and HON Circle being the two most exclusive. To achieve Senator status, a cardholder must earn 100,000 miles in a single calendar year. And to become a HON Circle Member, a cardholder must earn 600,000 HON Circle miles in two consecutive calendar years.

A limited number of ways to redeem miles

Miles earned on the Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® can be redeemed for flight awards and upgrades on a limited number of airlines, including: Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Star Alliance Airlines, and other partners.

Suggested credit score

We suggest applicants carry a FICO® Score of 670 or higher. However, it's important to note that other factors go into determining card eligibility. For example, Barclays will consider factors such as your monthly income, debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, and history of late payments.

The Lufthansa Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® is right for you if:

You're a frequent traveler, looking for a card that allows you to transfer high interest debt.

As mentioned, no card is right for everyone. However, this card could be the perfect fit for a specific set of people -- namely, frequent travelers. If you're wondering what other cards are out there, our credit card reviews can help.

Our credit card methodology

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • No. Some credit card companies extend the offer to applicants with "fair" credit scores (580 or above).

  • It begins by studying how rewards are earned. Whether you're earning cash back, airline miles, or points, you'll need to calculate the annual value of what you're likely to receive. If the value of the awards and perks exceed the annual fee, you know it's a fair deal.

  • No. Frequent travelers can also rack up rewards with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, and many others. Check out our list of the best travel credit cards for more details.