With over 500 benefits, is the FundersCard worth $595 a year?

Surprisingly, I pay an annual fee for a non-credit card: FoundersCard.

FoundersCard provides access to a community of members offering discounts and benefits in many different lifestyle categories. The card has many benefits, discounts and amenities that make travel easier and enhance my lifestyle, including unbeatable discounts on airlines and up to 50% off shipping on FedEx and UPS.

You can get these benefits without applying for a credit card, but is the card worth the membership fee? Let’s investigate.

FoundersCard information has been independently compiled by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

What is the FoundersCard?

FoundersCard is a membership program that offers elite status, travel discounts, free subscriptions, and special pricing with lifestyle brands. It is not a credit card and you cannot make purchases with it.

Despite the name, you don’t have to be a “founder” or entrepreneur to have this card; Anyone can apply. The application process is brief, and a decision is usually provided within two days (although some may be approved instantly).

How much does a FoundersCard membership cost?

There are two levels of membership:

• Standard: $595/year
• All Access Elite: $995 per year

You must also pay an additional $95 initiation fee.

Occasionally, discounted membership offers are available. I’ve seen the standard membership cost as little as $295 a year for life. I was actually able to secure that rate.

TPG Credit Card Writer Augusta Stone received a one-year trial membership through Delete+. This trial membership, which you were directed to via email, offers fewer benefits than the Elite membership.

These are the differences between the two membership levels:

The standard membership is more than adequate for my needs, and all the benefits, credits, and discounts I receive more than cover the annual membership fee.

However, they also offered me an upgrade to elite membership for only $100. I’m considering the upgrade since the Elite membership includes a $250 JSX flight credit, which I can use to book a semi-private flight on one of JSX’s many routes. The upgrade would basically save me $150 on any JSX flight.

Related: Complete Guide to Current Hotel Elite Status Matches and Challenge Offers

FoundersCard Benefits

FoundersCard has over 500 benefits that fall into categories like travel, shopping subscriptions, and merchant services. Membership gives you elite status and benefits similar to those offered premium credit cards with travel rewardswithout adding another credit card to your wallet.

It’s worth noting that many benefits from FoundersCard overlap with the benefits I receive from The Business Platinum Card® from American Expressas Hilton Honors Gold Status (registration required) and Hertz Five Star Status (registration required), but I use different benefits that are only available with FoundersCard.

My favorite benefits

Of the 500+ FoundersCard benefits, some of my favorites include:

• Complimentary TripIt Pro Membership: A useful app for planning a trip and keeping your itinerary in one place, this flight tracking feature comes in handy for frequent travelers like me.
• Discounts on Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines: Depending on the airline I book with, I may receive between 5% and 20% off my purchase.
• Preferential pricing at Dell: I often stack this discount with up to $150 of Amex Business Platinum Card statement credit on US purchases made directly at Dell and an additional statement credit of up to $1,000 after spending $5,000 or more at Dell each calendar year. This also helps offset the Amex Business Platinum’s $895 annual fee (see rates and fees; registration required).
• Preferential pricing at Equinox: I used to be an Equinox member and this preferred pricing saved me about $100 off my monthly membership. If you have the American Express Platinum® CardYou can combine this discount with the one of up to $300 Equinox Statement Credit receive each calendar year (subject to automatic renewal; registration required).
• Shipping Discounts on FedEx and UPS
• Sonesta Travel Pass Gold Status: I’ve stayed at a few Sonesta hotels, but I’m not a frequent visitor, so having some added benefits for these occasional stays is an added benefit for me.
• Entries by FoundersCard: Members receive access to preferential pricing on live and sporting event tickets with no service charges. I used this once to buy football tickets and saved almost $50 by avoiding service fees.

Some other notable benefits of FoundersCard include discounts on merchant services, elite status with hilton and Marriottshopping discounts and discounts for select luxury hotels.

Combining FoundersCard with credit cards is where you can really get exceptional value. Some credit cards offer automatic elite status or corresponding benefits, which you can then combine with FoundersCard airline and hotel discounts.

Airline discounts and benefits

In addition to the airline discounts I mentioned above, FoundersCard offers airfare discounts and special offers with many airlines around the world, including:

• Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: Up to 10% discount on fares from the US, Canada and Mexico
• Air New Zealand: Up to 11% discount on most rates
• Etihad Airlines: Up to 5% discount on selected rates
• JSX: $250 flight credit (Elite membership required)
• Qantas: Up to 15% off fares between the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand (both directions)
• Qatar Airways: Up to 7% off flights originating in the US and Canada
• Virgin Atlantic: Flying Club Silver Elite status upgrade after completing a round-trip flight and fast track access to Gold status (earn 500 tier points in six months)

You can book any cabin for these airlines and receive a discount. It’s important to note that with these discounts, you’ll still earn miles and meet the spending requirements to achieve elite status with the airline.

If you fly frequently on one of these airlines and book expensive fares, you could easily recoup the cost of a FoundersCard membership with just the purchase of a flight. For example, United is my preferred airline and I have United MileagePlus Premier Gold Status with the carrier. Every time I use the FoundersCard discount, I get 20% off flights.

You can further maximize this discount by using a co-branded airline credit card to earn miles.

Related: United Unveils Major MileagePlus Restructure, Rewarding Cardholders With Higher Earning Rates

Disadvantages of the FoundersCard

Although FoundersCard has many great advantages and benefits, there are some disadvantages, including:

• FoundersCard is not a credit card: Since it is not a credit card, you cannot make purchases or earn miles while it is pay a hefty annual fee.
• Many benefits are very specific: Even though FoundersCard has over 500 benefits, most are very specific, so the average person won’t benefit from them. For example, the card offers many discounts at less popular merchants. While the discounts can be quite substantial, I won’t shop at most of these stores, so they’re of no use to me.
• It offers many benefits that credit cards offer.: If you have a premium travel card like the Amex Platinum, you may notice that some of the benefits overlap.
• Some benefits require a FoundersCard Elite membership. The Elite plan includes benefits such as Champion Omni Select Guest® status, Wynn Rewards Platinum status, greater savings with select brands, and elite car rental and higher-level hotel status.
• High annual fees: The card has an annual fee similar to premium credit cards.
• The full list of benefits cannot be viewed before becoming a member: You must register as a member and pay before you can get the full list of benefits and features, so it can be difficult to determine how much value you will get from each benefit.

FoundersCard is best combined with a travel rewards card to maximize your discounts while earning points and miles.

Related: How to choose the best credit card for you

My verdict on FoundersCard

While many FoundersCard benefits can be accessed with premium cards like the Amex Platinum or the Amex Business PlatinumThe program’s travel and lifestyle benefits still offer tremendous value worth the $295 I pay annually.

You may also find the card valuable to have if you run a business and can take advantage of various business discounts and benefits.

That said, I wouldn’t recommend relying on FoundersCard in a strictly non-commercial capacity unless you spend a lot at some of the retailers that offer a substantial discount. Otherwise, you’re better off saving the annual fee for a premium credit card.

If you think FoundersCard is right for you, I recommend looking for a rate lower than the standard membership cost.

Related: Best business credit cards with no annual fee

In a nutshell

FoundersCard is a membership card that offers many benefits and discounts for travel and retail. Key benefits include automatic elite status at hotels and car rental companies and discounts at major airlines, retailers and luxury hotels around the world.

If you are a business owner or someone who can take advantage of many of the benefits of FoundersCard, you may want to consider adding this membership card to your wallet.

Related: Best Premium Credit Cards: A Side-by-Side Comparison

For Amex Business Platinum rates and fees, click here.