Is the One Key+™ Card Worth the $99 Annual Fee?

Worth it

Yes. The One Key+™ Card hands back up to $100 in annual statement credits and benefits, which more than covers the $99 fee before you earn a single point. As long as you will actually use even $99 of those credits, the card pays for itself.

$99
annual fee
$100
in annual statement credits and benefits
$713
rewards a year on a typical budget
$350
welcome bonus value (first year)

Every credit, broken down

The One Key+™ Card offsets its fee with statement credits and benefits. Here is every one, with the most you can get from each per year. Remember that credits only count if you would have spent that money anyway, and some renew on a monthly or semi-annual schedule you have to use or lose.

Credit or benefitUp to
$100 OneKeyCash anniversary credit annually$100
Total stated value$100

If you use all of it, that is $100 back against a $99 fee, which covers the fee on its own.

What you earn on spending

Credits are only half the story; the card also earns rewards every time you swipe. On $29,160 of annual spending, the One Key+™ Card earns about $713 a year at a flat 1 cent per point. The figure below is based on a typical household budget. See the full category breakdown in our One Key+™ Card review, or run your own numbers in the rewards calculator.

The break-even

Add it up. The One Key+™ Card costs $99 a year. Its credits return up to $100, and everyday rewards add about $713. That is a net of $714 in your favor every year you hold it, before any welcome bonus. First-year holders also collect a welcome bonus worth about $350, pushing the first-year total to roughly $1,064.

Frequently asked questions

Is the One Key+™ Card worth the annual fee?
Yes. The One Key+™ Card hands back up to $100 in annual statement credits and benefits, which more than covers the $99 fee before you earn a single point. As long as you will actually use even $99 of those credits, the card pays for itself.
How do you offset the One Key+™ Card annual fee?
Use the statement credits first: the One Key+™ Card offers up to $100 a year, enough to cover the fee by itself. Everyday rewards add roughly $713 more on a typical budget.
Is there a no-annual-fee alternative to the One Key+™ Card?
Yes. If you cannot clear the $99 fee, a no-fee card keeps every dollar of rewards as profit. See our ranked no-fee picks to compare.
Bryce Casson

Bryce Casson, Founder of Cardocrat. About the author.