Earn 40,000 Sign Up Bonus TD Points
The TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card is currently offering a 40,000 sign up bonus promotion if you apply for their special link. Before we start analyzing the details of the credit card, let’s take a look at the highlights first:
- $120 annual fee (get 50% rebate on the first year if you apply before February 29, 2016)
- Earn 20,000 points sign up bonus upon approval
- Earn 20,000 additional points if you keep your account active and in good standing for 90 days (if you apply before February 29, 2016)
- Earn 9 points for every $1 spent on travel online through Expedia
- Earn 6 points for every $1 spent over the phone through either Expedia or the TD Travel Rewards Centre
- Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases
The 50% off the annual fee is nice to have, but I would have liked to see the full annual fee waived.
For the sign up bonus, we have seen a 65,000 sign up bonus points promotion before, so this 40,000 is an average promotion. The main difference from that promotion is that you do not have a minimum spend requirement, so it is less hassle if you do not have a lot of spending.
Reward Options
The reward redemption can be used against pretty much all travel related expenses. Below is a list in alphabetical order:
- Air Travel
- Airline taxes
- Airport parking
- Airport parking, Limos, Shuttles
- Any local tours/excursions
- Baggage charges
- Bed & Breakfasts
- Boat, jet ski or other watercraft rentals
- Bus line fares (e.g. Greyhound)
- Campsites (e.g. Disney or KOA)
- Car Rental
- Cargo or pet travel fees
- Cottage, Villa, Chalet, RV rentals
- Cruises
- Go Trains, subways or similar local commuter transportations
- Hot air balloons
- Hotel stays
- Houseboat rentals
- Jet ski rentals & equipment
- Motor home rentals & motor home campsites
- Outfitter-tailored trips (e.g. float plane or fly & fish trips)
- Resort and Spa vacations
- RV parking & rental
- Scooter Rental
- Ski rentals/lifts
- Theme parks (e.g. Disney, Santa’s Village or Sea World)
- Train tickets
- Travel Medical Insurance
- Travel taxes (e.g. HST)
- Vacation condominium rentals (including cabins and ski chalets etc.)
- Vacation ferries (e.g. PEI to Newfoundland or between the Greek Islands)
Rewards Calculation
The redemption schedule is as follows:
| Points | Dollars |
| 250 points | $1 |
| First 300,000 points | $1,200 |
| 200 Points (when redeeming 300,000+ points) | $1 |
The rest of the reward redemption is pretty straightforward. So when you are redeeming the first 300,000 points, you will get the following returns when you:
- Earn 9 points for every $1 spent on travel online through Expedia = 3.6% return
- Earn 6 points for every $1 spent over the phone through either Expedia or the TD Travel Rewards Centre = 2.4% return
- Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases = 1.2% return
The return gets better when you redeem more than 300,000, you can get the following returns when you:
- Earn 9 points for every $1 spent on travel online through Expedia = 4.5% return
- Earn 6 points for every $1 spent over the phone through either Expedia or the TD Travel Rewards Centre = 3% return
- Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases = 1.5% return
I say better with a cringe, because it used to be straight up 200 points gets you $1. They devalued the first 300,000. Though there is no going backwards anyway.
You can also redeem your points for pure cash where 10,000 TD Points gets you $25 cash credit value, whereby 400 points gets you only $1. This is such a dismal return that I would not even consider having this credit card if you were going to use this reward option.
Conclusion
I have never really been a fan of this credit card and I personally never had this credit card before, but I do understand its appeal. The 40,000 sign up bonus is worth $160, which is not bad and it does cover the annual fee. So it doesn’t hurt to give this credit card a try in the first year.