With many people apparently happy to pretend the COVID-19 pandemic is over (at least in the United States), travel is jetting back to pre-pandemic levels. If you plan to travel this year, you might as well pay less for it. There are a lot of tools out there promising to help you do that. One of them is a paid membership to Tripadvisor. At $99, you’d usually need to do some research to figure out if the annual membership would pay off—but no need to do that when Target is offering it for free starting March 5.
What is Tripadvisor Plus?
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Tripadvisor is an online travel agency and, as the name implies, gives advice on travel with the help of user-generated content. Tripadvisor Plus is their paid membership, usually priced at $99 annually, and is basically the same app, but with a few nice perks—including special discounts and savings on hotels “worldwide” (about 100,000 hotels according to their site).
Tripadvisor Plus members also get 10% off of “Tripadvisor experiences,” which are generally package deals including guided tours, local activities, and products or services unique to the destination you’re visiting. (Check out their most popular activities of 2022 here to give you an idea of what’s on offer.)
The membership also gives you access to “expert travel advice” via text message. According to Tripadvisor’s site, a “travel concierge” can help you with travel planning and making reservations. You can also receive discounts on flights, rental cars, and other travel related purchases made through their partners (like Hertz and One Dollar Flight Club).
How to get a free year of Tripadvisor for free
Beginning March 5, you can get a free year of Tripadvisor Plus as part of Target’s Circle Week event, which is happening from March 5–11. It’s one of many free perks Target is promising to give Target Circle members. That sounds like a catch, but Target Circle is also free to join by following these steps. On March 5, check the Circle Week event page for instructions on how to get the free Tripadvisor membership.
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The fine print
You will need a credit card to sign up for the free year membership, since Tripadvisor will automatically charge you the usual $99 annual fee if you don’t cancel by the end of your free year. You can learn more about Tripadvisor’s membership program by reading their FAQ.
The $99 a year Tripadvisor membership is definitely not for everyone, especially if you don’t travel much. But if it’s free, you don’t have to worry about getting your money’s worth—just remember to cancel before it renews if you find it isn’t useful to you.