Ranked: The 5 Most Popular Credit Card Companies for Travel Credit Cards

If you've been looking for a travel card, you've probably seen that there are a ton of options. A great way to narrow down your search is by deciding on a credit card company first. While many of them have travel cards, some have a much better selection than others.

Travel deal site Going recently surveyed members on the travel cards they use for The State of Travel in 2024. Below, you'll find the card issuers with the most popular travel credit cards, along with the percentage of respondents that had cards from each one.

1. Chase (65%)

Chase dominates the travel card market. About two-thirds of respondents have a Chase travel card.

There are a few reasons Chase is so popular for travel credit cards. It has a fantastic travel rewards program, Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can transfer Chase points to over a dozen airline and hotel partners, or use them as cash for bookings through Chase's travel portal.

But most importantly, Chase has excellent credit cards. They generally have big sign-up bonuses and lots of bonus categories. If you're looking for a quality travel card, Chase is a good choice.

Top Chase travel cards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®

2. American Express (45%)

American Express cards are also popular with travelers. They tend to have higher annual fees and more perks, so they're worth checking out if you want a feature-packed travel card.

Like Chase, American Express gives you plenty of ways to use your travel rewards. The American Express Membership Rewards program has the longest list of travel partners I've seen, including many popular airlines and hotels.

Top American Express travel cards:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• American Express® Gold Card
• American Express® Green Card

3. Capital One (40%)

Capital One always had solid travel cards, but it has made some big improvements in recent years. For one thing, it added transfer partners. You could previously only use your miles at a fixed rate for travel purchases, but now you can transfer them. It also added a premium travel card to its lineup.

The nice thing about Capital One travel cards is that they're easy to use. They earn competitive rates on purchases, no matter the spending category, so you don't need to worry about keeping track of bonus categories.

Top Capital One travel cards:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

4. Citi (29%)

Citi is on the opposite track as Capital One recently. Its premium travel card (the Citi Prestige® Card) hasn't been open for applications in years. It also hasn't done much with its travel rewards program.

While Citi has become something of an afterthought, it still has quality travel cards. And the Citi ThankYou Rewards program may not be the best, but it does let you transfer points to airline and hotel partners.

Top Citi travel cards:

• Citi Premier® Card
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

5. Bank of America (23%)

Bank of America has one key difference from other card issuers on this list: It doesn't have transferable travel points. You can't transfer points to airlines and hotels like you can with the top four card issuers. Instead, you redeem them at a fixed rate for travel purchases.

That makes Bank of America worth considering if you want straightforward travel rewards. It's also a great option if you have a large amount of savings or investments with Bank of America. If so, you can earn bonus rewards through its Preferred Rewards program.

Top Bank of America travel cards:

• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
• Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Picking a travel credit card

All those card issuers have quality travel cards. If one or more of them sound like they could be a match, start by checking out the cards they offer. By comparing card options, you can figure out the best credit card for your lifestyle, spending habits, and how you like to travel.