In this video I break down the RCI Elite Rewards World Mastercard from Barclays, and it’s not your typical “everyone should get it” travel card. It’s a highly specialized tool for timeshare owners who actually use the RCI exchange network. The headline perk is simple: I get 5x points on eligible RCI purchases—things like membership renewals, exchange fees, guest certificates, and even extra vacations or last call bookings. Then outside of RCI, the card still plays nicely for travelers with 2x points on a broad travel and commuter category, including airfare, hotels, cruises, gas, EV charging, and rideshares. The big math moment is the $250 annual vacation credit, but you only unlock it after $10,000 in net purchases in a calendar year. I explain why that’s basically a 2.5% return on that first $10K, and why it can be a real offset for people already paying these unavoidable timeshare costs. I also cover the 5% points-back kickback on redemptions, plus the no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Where people get burned is the fine print: the base earning is only 1x on non-RCI/non-travel spend, the sign-up bonus is just 5,000 points (about $50), and the vacation credit is rigid (portal-only, inventory dependent, expires after 13 months). Add in high variable APRs up to 29.49% and a 5% balance transfer fee, and my takeaway is clear: great niche card if you’re a disciplined RCI power user, but risky if you carry a balance.