| Last updated on September 27th, 2023
Free Spirit® Points Mastercard®
Free Spirit® Points Mastercard®
Free Spirit® Points Mastercard®
- 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
- 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate Balance Transfer APR
- 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
The Free Spirit® Points Mastercard® is an invite-only airline rewards credit card from Mercury Financial and First Bank & Trust. The card features 2X points per dollar on Spirit flights and purchases, a decent signup bonus, and no foreign transaction fees (for some).
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- 2X points on Spirit purchases
- 1X points on all other purchases
- Points never expire
- Regular Purchase APR: 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer APR: 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each Balance Transfer, whichever is greater
- Cash Advance APR: 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each Cash Advance, whichever is greater
- Annual Fee: $0 or $79
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 0% or 3% of each Purchase in U.S. dollars
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- You have average credit but want an airline rewards card
- You have a pre-approval mail offer from Mercury Financial and Spirit Airlines
- You fly with Spirit Airlines or travel occasionally
Free Spirit® Points Mastercard® Review
The Free Spirit® Points Mastercard® is an airline rewards credit card for traditionally not-targeted rewards credit cards. The card, from Mercury Financial LLC, is similar to Spirit’s other card offerings – issued by Bank of America – but without the restrictive credit requirements.
Available to a Wider Credit Profile
Mercury Financial, formerly CreditShop, is the company behind the Mercury Mastercard. That card, issued through First Bank & Trust of South Dakota, provides reasonable credit lines, cash back rewards, and more – for those with near-prime credit. The Free Spirit® Points Mastercard® is similar in that it provides the types of rewards not usually available to people with average FICO Scores
How to Earn Rewards
The Free Spirit® Points Mastercard® closely resembles the Free Spirit® Travel World Mastercard® from Bank of America. That card offers 2X Free Spirit points on Spirit Airlines purchases, a single point on all other purchases, and a variety of Spirit-centric perks, such as:
- Zone 2 priority boarding on Spirit flights
- 25% inflight savings via a statement credit rebate
- Two Free Spirit points bonuses (on signup and at card anniversary)
The Free Spirit® Points Mastercard® offers many of those same perks. The card earns 2X points per dollar on Spirit purchases, including airfare, baggage, and in-flight purchases. All other purchases earn a single point in the Free Spirit frequent flyer program. There are no caps to the total number of earnable points; points never expire as long as the account is open.
The card also comes with an introductory points offer of 5,000 bonus points after spending $500 on purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. As this card is geared towards the subprime credit market, the bonus offer comes with a unique provision: the bonus relies on making at least one minimum payment due.
Free Spirit Card Comparison
Spirit Airlines offers four co-branded credit cards with Mercury Financial and Bank of America.
 Points |
 Points Plus |
 Travel |
 Travel More |
|
| Bank | Mercury Financial | Mercury Financial | Bank of America | Bank of America |
| Credit | Fair | Fair | Good, Excellent | Good, Excellent |
| Annual fee | $0 or $79 | $0 or $79 | None | $0 for the first year; after that $79 |
| Rewards | 2X on Spirit; 1X all else | 3X on Spirit, 2X on groceries, dining, 1X all else | 2X on Spirit; 1X all else | 3X on Spirit, 2X on groceries, dining, 1X all else |
How to Redeem Rewards
Free Spirit features several ways to redeem points for flights. The cost of award flights with Spirit depends on the distance of the desired award route:
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 | Region 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 – 1,249 miles | 1,250 – 1,749 miles | 1,700 – 2,499 miles | 2,500+ miles |
Once the route’s distance is determined, award flights fall into one of several categories:
- Off-Peak Flights:Only available when booking award flights with Spirit Airlines credit cards, including the Bank of America and Mercury cards.
- Standard Flights:These flights are only available on certain days of the week and at select points in the year.
- Peak Flights:Offers more availability than Standard fares but still subject to blackout dates.
- Premium Flights:The most expensive mileage tier offering the best award flight options.
Off-peak flights in Region 1 start as low as 2,500 points, with premium flights to Region 4 beginning at 45,000 points.
Potential Fees
The Free Spirit® Points Mastercard® comes with the potential of an annual fee. Mercury Financial offers two versions of the card, the Free Spirit® Points Mastercard® and the Free Spirit® Points Plus Mastercard, with an annual fee of either $79 or $0.
Fortunately, the card charges no foreign transaction fees, which is a nice perk for any travel card – especially for average credit scores.. However, remember that those with lower credit scores might pay a foreign transaction fee of 3% of the transaction fee in U.S. dollars.
Other Card Features
Other features of the Free Spirit® Points Mastercard® depend on the card’s version. The Free Spirit® Points Mastercard®, for example, features the basic Mastercard protections and benefits:
| Zero Liability Protection | Mastercard Global Services | ID Theft Protection |
The Free Spirit® Points Plus Mastercard, on the other hand, is a World Mastercard. It offers additional benefits beyond what already comes with a basic card:
| Zero liability protection | Airport concierge | ID theft protection | Mastercard Travel Services |
| Mastercard Global Services | Priceless Experiences | Priceless golf | Lyft credits |
| Shoprunner membership | Fandango savings | Mastercard Hotel Stay Guarantee |
Both versions come with complimentary monthly FICO Score access, online account management, and the near-global acceptance of the Mastercard payment network.
Mercury Financial Ratings
How do the Mercury and Spirit Airlines stack up? Here are a selection of expert reviews for the card and Mercury Financial – the card’s issuer:
| BestCards | Better Business Bureau | TrustPilot |
|
4/5 |
4/5 |
N/A |
Should You Apply for the Free Spirit® Points Mastercard®?
So, should you consider applying for the Free Spirit® Points Mastercard® or the Free Spirit® Points Plus Mastercard®? The answer is: it depends.
The cards are currently only available to apply for by invitation. This process is similar to the Mercury Mastercard, the other credit card product from Mercury Financial and First Bank & Trust. However, these offers come either by mail or email and are relatively common.
The cards are enticing for those who receive a targeted offer – especially for those who travel with Spirit or fly occasionally. The ability to earn points towards free flights to over 77 destinations in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America makes the card versatile and practical. Equally useful are no fees charged for making foreign transactions.
Ultimately, the Free Spirit® Points Mastercard® is an excellent option for those who typically wish to get an airline credit card but don’t have the credit score required to get the very best offers. It provides value, ease of use, and decent signup bonuses for the average credit score.
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