Booking.com Debuts First U.S. Credit Card With Perks for Direct Bookings

This credit card should help Booking.com build its U.S. business and attract more direct bookings, both longtime goals.

Booking.com soft-launched its first credit card in the U.S., the Booking.com Genius Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card, which should help in its push for direct bookings.

Rather than offering points and miles that are typical in airline and hotel co-branded cards, the Genius rewards card, which is powered by Imprint, issues travel credits. They are worth $1 per credit.

The card's perks should be able to boost Booking.com's direct traffic numbers, which over the past four quarters were in the mid-60% range. That's up from the low-60% range a year earlier.

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