All credit cards that use the Mastercard payment network receive one of four designations: Standard, World, World Elite or World Legend.
Each tier has different benefits and costs, with higher tiers (World Elite and World Legend) generally accompanying annual fee-charging cards and featuring a robust suite of perks.
Keep in mind that the benefits listed below vary by card and card issuer and may not be available with all Mastercards of that type. It's also likely that your Mastercard will have additional benefits not listed here, so pay attention to your card's benefit details and the exact terms and conditions.
What are the 4 types of Mastercard credit cards?
Mastercard credit card benefits comparison
| Standard Mastercard | World Mastercard | World Elite Mastercard | World Legend Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero liability protection | X | X | X | X |
| Global emergency services | X | X | X | X |
| ID theft protection | X | X | X | X |
| Transit benefit | X | X | X | X |
| Priceless experiences | X | X | X | X |
| Music and entertainment benefits | X | X | X | X |
| Instacart benefits | X | X | X | X |
| Healthlock benefits | X | X | X | X |
| Lyft credit | X | X | X | |
| Mastercard travel | X | X | X | |
| Mastercard golf experiences | X | X | X | |
| World Elite concierge | X | X | ||
| $3 off eligible Peacock subscriptions | X | X | ||
| 10% Lyft discount on eligible rides | X | X | ||
| Mastercard Travel Rewards | X | X | ||
| Priority Pass lounge benefits | X | X | ||
| Soho House benefits | X | |||
| Mastercard dining experiences | X |
Standard Mastercard benefits
Standard Mastercards are the entry-level tier, providing basic protections and access to various experiences. Here are the benefits you may get:
- Mastercard Zero Liability protection
- Mastercard Global Emergency Services
- Mastercard ID Theft Protection
- Mastercard Public Transit Benefit (earn a $2.50 credit when you spend $10 or more each month with participating transit systems)
- Mastercard Priceless Experiences
- Mastercard music and entertainment benefits, including presales to venues and festivals (offer expires March 31, 2027)
- 3 months of complimentary Instacart+ and $10 off your second order each month (offer expires Jan. 31, 2027)
- Complimentary HealthLock for Mastercard Medical Claim Monitor, which monitors medical bills for over-billing and other errors. You also receive a complimentary 90-day trial of HealthLock Claim Saver, which provides access to bill negotiation services and additional support
The simple Mastercard designation is usually reserved for entry-level cards or secured credit cards, such as the First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard®.
First Progress Prestige Secured Mastercard®
Rewards
Up To 10% Cash Back at select merchants; 1% cash back rewards on payments
Welcome bonus
None
Annual fee
$49
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
13.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Credit needed
Poor/Limited/No Credit
Terms apply.
Pros
- Earns cash back rewards
- Low credit score requirement
Cons
- No welcome bonus
- Has an annual fee
*We may pull a soft inquiry of your credit. Soft inquiries do not impact your credit score.
World Mastercard benefits
Mastercard's mid-tier level of benefits, World, includes everything you get with a Standard card, plus additional money-saving perks. Here are the features you may receive:
- Receive a $5 credit after taking three Lyft rides in a calendar month (offer expires Jan. 31, 2027)
- Mastercard Travel, which allows you to book travel through Mastercard and receive exclusive discounts, offers and benefits
- Mastercard Golf experiences
World Mastercards include the JetBlue Card and certain Capital One credit cards (although Capital One cards can also be issued under the Visa network).
World Elite Mastercard benefits
World Elite is the second-highest tier of Mastercard and includes all the benefits of Standard and World, plus more. Here are the perks you may receive:
- Priority Pass airport lounge benefits
- World Elite Concierge
- $3 monthly statement credit toward Peacock Premium or Peacock Premium Plus monthly plans (offer ends Dec. 31, 2027)
- Receive the World Mastercard Lyft credit, plus 10% off scheduled rides to or from U.S. airports (offer valid through Jan. 31. 2027)
- Mastercard Travel Rewards, which allows you to link an eligible card to take advantage of targeted offers
Note that Priority Pass airport lounge access is rare to find with this type of Mastercard. Also, the few World Elite Mastercards that grant cardholders a Priority Pass membership typically don't offer complimentary access; an example of this is the Signify Business Cash℠ Card by Wells Fargo. It offers a complimentary Priority Pass membership (enrollment required), but you'll have to pay per person per visit (typically $35).
Other World Elite Mastercards include the Citi Strata Premier® Card and Citi Double Cash® Card.
The Citi Double Cash® Card is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back cards thanks to its straightforward rewards structure.
- Balance transfers get a long intro APR
- Generous flat-rate cash-back rewards structure
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Intro APR only applies to balance tranfer
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Balance transfer fee
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
The Citi Strata Premier® Card has competitive rewards rates and unlocks access to all of the Citi ThankYou® transfer partners, which boosts the value of your points.
- Unlocks point transfers to all of the Citi ThankYou® partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges, Flying Blue and more
- Generous bonus spending categories include dining, supermarkets, hotels and flights
- Valuable welcome bonus
- Has an annual fee
- Car rental coverage is secondary, not primary
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
World Legend Mastercard benefits
World Legend Mastercard is the newest class of Mastercard credit cards and offers the highest tier of benefits. If you want complimentary airport lounge access, you'll typically need a card with World Legend benefits.
World Legend perks can include all of the perks from the previous levels, plus:
- Complimentary year-long membership to the private social club Soho Friends. You'll get late checkout, room upgrades, credit toward bedroom bookings and two complimentary day passes to Soho Works each year
- Access to The Mastercard Collection dining experiences
Currently, the only World Legend Mastercards are the Bilt Palladium Card and the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card.
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card aims to brings premium restaurant rewards and travel benefits to users, including an annual hotel benefit of $300.
- High rewards rate on travel
- 6X on restaurants
- Can transfer points to American Airlines at a 1:1 rate
- Up to $200 annual splurge credit
- High annual fee
- Limited rewards categories
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
How to find out what type of Mastercard you have
It's easy to figure out what type of Mastercard credit card you have. The designation is normally printed on the card, so check the front or back for details beyond the Mastercard logo. If your Mastercard doesn't have "World," "World Elite" or "World Legend" printed on it, then it's most likely a Standard Mastercard.
If you're still unsure of what kind of Mastercard you have, review the terms or benefits guide that came with your card. Alternatively, you can call the issuer at the number printed on the back of your card. You can also check some of your Mastercard's benefits by entering your card number on this site.
FAQs
Which Mastercard credit card has free lounge access?
World Legend Mastercards usually have complimentary airport lounge access. You may also receive a Priority Pass airport lounge membership with a lower-tier World Elite Mastercard. However, World Elite Mastercards with airport lounge access may require a per-visit fee.
What is the highest level of Mastercard?
The highest level Mastercard is the World Legend Mastercard. These Mastercards usually have larger annual fees and premium benefits, such as valuable statement credit offers and complimentary airport lounge access.
Are Mastercard World Elite cards hard to get?
The application guidelines for World Elite Mastercards vary by card and card issuer. However, you'll typically need a good credit score or higher (FICO Score of 670+) to qualify for a Mastercard with the World Elite designation, so it can be more difficult to get.
Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.
Read more
Information about the Signify Business Cash℠ Card by Wells Fargo has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
