The Sun Country Airlines card comes with tons of rewards and a generous sign-up bonus. The $69 annual fee could even tempt savvy travelers into picking this card over a more pricey one.
This credit card, however, only works with Sun Country—a small, low-cost airline with less than thirty aircraft in its fleet.
But don’t write it off just yet, because the Sun Country card could be an ideal choice for some.
Read on to find out more—
This article will tell you:
- How the Sun Country credit card works.
- Its fees, rewards, and benefits.
- The pros and cons you should consider.
Read more:
Sun Country Credit Card: Quick Glance
Full name: Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® Credit Card
Best for: Travel credit card for frequent flyers of Sun Country airlines
Issuer: First Bankcard
Required credit score: Good to excellent (690+)
What is the Sun Country Credit Card?
The Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® card is a travel rewards credit card that lets you redeem your points to fly with Sun Country Airlines.
This card may be a good choice for frequent Sun Country flyers who don’t mind paying an annual fee.
Notable cardholder benefits include priority boarding, one free premium drink per flight, a 50% discount on select seat selections and first-bag fees, and a $0 foreign transaction fee.
Remember
Sun Country has less than 30 aircraft in its fleet. It serves just 19 domestic destinations (including New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco) and 15 international destinations (Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean). The airline focuses on holiday travel, so many of its routes are seasonal.
Want to explore your options? Take a look at our list of the top travel credit cards.
How Does the Sun Country Credit Card Work?
This airline card is a great choice for Sun Country fans, offering perks to save on affordable flights and vacation packages.
New accounts can earn 25,000 points (a $250 value) by spending $1,500 in the first three months.
With no foreign transaction fees and a $69 annual fee, it’s a fairly versatile travel credit card.
Here’s a breakdown of Sun Country’s rewards program:
- As a cardholder, you’ll get 3x points on all Sun Country Airlines purchases, including base fares, incidentals, and baggage.
- Gas station and grocery store purchases earn 2x points per $1 spent, excluding big stores like Walmart and Costco.
- Other purchases earn 1x point per dollar spent, with no limit.
- Points expire after 36 months.
How to Redeem Rewards
You’ve got multiple options to cash in your Sun Country Rewards.
You can use your points for flights, baggage fees, and vacation packages—or even spread the love by donating points to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Just remember that you can only make bookings directly through Sun Country.
Here’s how to get the ball rolling on your redemption journey:
- Log in to your Sun Country account on their website.
- Go to the Review and Pay page, and keep your eyes peeled for the “Redeem Sun Country Rewards points” button.
- Click on the button, and you can choose how many points you want to use for your flight.
- The system will crunch the numbers and deduct your points. If there’s still a bit left to pay, you can whip out your credit card to cover the rest.
Take a look at our list of the best cashback credit cards for more rewards.
Sun Country Credit Card: Rating
Here’s our quick Sun Country credit card review and overall rating:
Sun Country Credit Card: Fees
Here are all the key fees you should consider before getting your hands on this Sun Country Credit Card:
|
Fee |
Detail |
|
Annual fee |
$69 |
|
Security deposit |
N/A |
|
Sign-up bonus |
Earn 25,000 bonus points after making $1,500 or more in purchases in the first 3 billing cycles after opening an account Earn 10,000 bonus points when you spend $10,000 or more on your card in a 12-billing-cycle period |
|
Intro APR |
N/A |
|
Purchase APR |
19.49%–27.49% (variable) |
|
Balance transfer APR |
19.49%–27.49% (variable) |
|
Balance transfer fee |
$10 or 5% of the amount of each transfer (whichever is greater) |
|
Cash advance APR |
29.99% (variable) |
|
Cash advance fee |
Either $15 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance (whichever is greater) |
|
Foreign transaction fee |
$0 |
|
Returned payment fee |
Up to $35 |
|
Late fee |
Up to $40 |
Sun Country Credit Card: Pros and Cons
Here’s a glance at all the pros and cons of getting this credit card:
Pros
- Generous sign-up bonus.
- Great rewards rate.
- No foreign transaction fee.
- Airline perks when traveling with Sun Country.
- Additional travel perks.
Cons
- Limited redemption options.
- Limited routes.
Pros—Why we like it
Generous sign-up bonus
The Sun Country Visa has a sign-up bonus that can score you a free flight shortly after getting the card.
You’ll get a whopping 25,000 bonus points (a cool $250 value) once you spend $1,500 within the first three billing cycles.
There’s more—if you decide to stick with the Sun Country Visa card beyond the first year, you’ll bag more rewards. Spend $10,000 a year (around $833 per month), and you’ll earn a bonus of 10,000 points (which adds up to approximately $100 in value).
Want a travel credit card but only have fair credit? Check out the CheapOair Visa® credit card.
Great rewards rate
With every dollar you spend on Sun Country Airlines, you’ll earn three points. You can also get two points for gas and grocery purchases. All other purchases are worth one point.
Want more rewards on gas and groceries? Check out the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card.
No foreign transaction fee
Wondering what makes the Sun Country card an ideal travel partner? The card comes with a $0 foreign transaction fee when making purchases outside of the US.
Airline perks
The Sun Country Airlines Visa card aims to create a VIP experience from the moment you book your flight to the time you touch down.
As a cardholder, you get awesome perks like:
- 50% off seat selections.
- A free bag for you and your companion on the same flight (a potential savings of $55 per person).
- You also get to enjoy free priority boarding (which is usually worth $10).
- To top things off, you’ll receive a complimentary premium drink.
Added travel perks
The Sun Country rewards program comes with more unique travel perks:
- The reward program bases award ticket prices on the cash value of the flight, which means there are no blackout dates. If there’s a seat on the flight, you can buy it with points.
- This program lets you pool points with up to nine other members to make a purchase.
- You can use points to pay for fees and extra bags.
- This program also offers points plus cash awards, letting you pay for a portion of the ticket with a combination of points and cash. (This is unlike other airlines that require you to pay for the entire ticket with miles or points.)
Check out the Capital One® Venture X® card for more travel benefits.
Cons—What to consider
Limited redemption options
Rewards points can only be redeemed for Sun Country Airlines flights or travel packages. This can be a huge setback if you’re not keen on flying this airline.
Limited routes
Finding flights that align with your travel itinerary can be difficult, particularly when your destinations are diverse.
Sun Country operates flights to a limited range of locations within the United States. Typically, these flights connect through the airline’s main hub in Minneapolis. So locating a suitable flight might prove challenging if you reside farther south than this Midwestern city.
Sun Country serves several cities, including Minneapolis/St. Paul, Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Savannah in Georgia, Orlando, Miami, Fort Myers, Tampa in Florida, Dallas/Fort Worth, Gulfport/Biloxi in Mississippi, Phoenix, Denver, Palm Springs in California, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland in Oregon, and Seattle.
There are also a few travel destinations available in Mexico, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean.
Sun Country Credit Card Comparison
Here’s how the Sun Country credit card compares to other top travel credit cards:
Sun Country Credit Card: Useful links
Sun Country Credit Card Reviews
Here are some mixed but insightful customer reviews about the Sun Country credit card—
“I’m a Sun Country credit cardholder. I only have that card because it lets me have free bag checks. This airline has gone down since becoming a low-cost-carrier model. They changed my flight three times.”
“We were very pleased with their service. They offered free drinks, and the plane was very clean. Would fly with them again.”
“Our experience with this credit card has been horrible. We called the First National Bank of Omaha to notify them of a large purchase. They wanted to call a landline we canceled a year ago rather than the cell number for verification. Because they couldn’t call the landline, they locked the card.”
Is the Sun Country Credit Card Good for Me?
The Sun Country Airlines® Visa Signature® Card could be your ideal travel credit card if you live near a Sun Country hub.
With a reasonable $69 annual fee, this card offers a 50% discount on seat selection and baggage fees, plus a bonus of 10,000 anniversary points.
Sun Country is the fifth-largest budget airline in the US, offering affordable flights to major cities—but international travel is limited to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (with some seasonal restrictions).
Remember
This card has a niche audience and appeals mainly to specific regions.
Go for it if—
- You’re a frequent traveler with Sun Country Airlines.
- You’re already a Sun Country loyalty program member and don’t want your points to expire.
- Spend enough to offset the $69 annual fees.
- Don’t carry a balance.
Look for a credit card that offers a generous conversion ratio for purchases as to mileage points. Consider the earning rate and redemption options so that they align with your preferred airlines.
Raymond QuisumbingRegistered Financial Planner at BizReport
If you’re someone who will struggle to redeem points to book a Sun Country flight—there are tons of better options available.
Check out our detailed review of the top travel credit cards you should consider.
FAQ
What are the benefits of a Sun Country Visa card?
The Sun Country Visa card offers a variety of benefits. Cardholders earn points for purchases, including three points per dollar on Sun Country Airlines purchases, two points per dollar on gas and groceries, and one point per dollar on other purchases.
These points can be redeemed for award travel with Sun Country Airlines. New cardholders can earn 25,000 points ($250 value) by spending $1,500 or more in the first three billing cycles. The card also has no foreign transaction fees.
Plus, cardholders receive one free premium drink per flight by showing their Sun Country Visa card, and they and their travel companions enjoy 50% off seat selections and the first bag when traveling together.
Not a fan of Sun Country Airlines? This may not be the right card for you. Check out travel rewards cards like Capital One® Venture X® card and the Amex Platinum card instead.
Does the Sun Country credit card have an annual fee?
Yes, the Sun Country credit card comes with a reasonable $69 annual fee.
Other travel rewards cards, like the CheapOair credit card, come with similar price tags.
What credit score do you need for a Sun Country credit card?
A general rule of thumb is if you have a good credit score (670+), then your approval odds are relatively high. Anything below that, and the odds go down.
Not there yet? You can work on increasing your credit score. Remember that you can do this with or without a credit card.
How do I get Sun Country miles?
You can get Sun Country Rewards miles through different avenues:
- Fly with Sun Country Airlines: Whenever you travel with Sun Country Airlines, you’ll accumulate points based on the fare type and distance covered.
- Book hotels and car rentals: By making hotel and car rental reservations through the Sun Country Airlines website, you can earn points towards your Sun Country Rewards.
- Use the Sun Country Rewards credit card: Take advantage of the Sun Country Rewards credit card to earn points on all your purchases, including non-travel-related expenses.
Want more rewards and cashback options?
Read more: Best Cashback Credit Cards and Top Travel Credit Cards of 2023.
How much is a Sun Country point worth?
According to the Sun Country website, every 100 points is worth $1 in real value.
How much should a credit card annual fee be?
The typical cost for an annual fee on a credit card is approximately $21.65—although numerous cards don’t impose any annual fees.
Credit card annual fees are usually billed on the account’s anniversary date or the subsequent month, appearing on the credit card statement as a regular transaction.
Check out this list of the top travel credit cards of 2023 for some excellent no-annual free options.
