Best Travel Credit Cards With No Annual Fee of April 2024

A travel card with no annual fee allows you to earn points or miles without the risk of a yearly fee canceling out your rewards. These cards typically require good or excellent credit, with a credit score of at least 670. Finding no annual fee travel credit cards for fair credit can be tricky.

These credit cards are best for budget-minded travelers or those who like to travel but don't travel often enough to justify paying an annual fee. If you decide to travel less than once a year, no annual fee travel credit cards ensure you're not paying fees for a card that doesn't currently benefit you.

If you want to compare across different travel card categories, like with the best travel cards with no annual fee, you'll want to pay attention to the following key features:

• Check for a sign-up bonus: A bonus offer of at least 10,000 points or miles is a solid offer for a no annual fee card. If you get a travel points credit card with no annual fee offering 25,000 points or miles or more, that's a generous bonus, especially considering you're not paying a yearly fee to use the card.
• Compare rewards rate: Go for the no fee credit card that rewards the type of spending you're most likely to do since rewards rates can vary from one card to another. Some of the best credit cards for travel rewards will offer bonus points on travel spending, while others might offer bonus points on dining, grocery, or gas station purchases.
• Find your redemption options: The best travel credit cards with no annual fee offer flexible rewards. These can be redeemed for a variety of different things. Some cards offer cash back, while others offer airline miles or hotel points.
• Get low interest rates: If you plan to carry a balance, you'll want to opt for a credit card with the lowest interest rate possible. It's wise to pay off your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges.
• Take advantage of the introductory APR: Some of the best travel credit cards with no annual fee also come with intro APR offers for purchases or balance transfers. 0 APR travel credit cards may be a good option if you have existing debt you're working to pay off quickly or want to charge a new purchase and pay it off before interest accrues.
• Check for foreign transaction fees: If you plan to travel abroad, opt for a best rewards credit card no annual fee with no foreign transaction fees. Some travel credit cards charge a foreign transaction fee on all transactions completed in a foreign country. It's charged as a percentage of each purchase and is usually around 3%.
• Find your free credit score: Some of the best travel cards with no annual fee also offer free credit scores or free credit monitoring as one of the included credit card perks. This can be a handy tool for improving and maintaining your credit score.

READ MORE: How to choose a credit card

There are a variety of travel credit cards with no annual fee, including:

• General flat-rate rewards cards
• Airline cards
• Hotel cards

The type of credit card with travel rewards to get will depend on your travel preferences and spending habits. An airline credit card no annual fee may make sense if you're loyal to one airline. A no-fee hotel card may be a good fit if you tend to make reservations at certain hotel chains.

However, if you book a variety of travel and want more flexibility with your rewards, a general rewards card offering flat-rate rewards may be the best option. Here are some of the best international credit card no fees options that might work for you, depending on your specific needs.

Flat rate rewards cards with no annual fee

These cards earn rewards at a flat rate. That means you won't have to spend only on travel purchases or keep track of spending categories to earn rewards. Many of these travel credit cards allow you to redeem your points or miles. Here are some card examples.

• Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card: This card earns a flat rate of 1.5 points for purchases, making it simple to earn rewards. You can earn unlimited rewards, and this card also offers a hefty sign-up bonus of 25,000 points after you meet the minimum spend of $1,000 within the first 90 days of account opening.
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees): You'll earn 1.25 miles for every $1 spent on most purchases, with unlimited rewards. For this reason, most consider this to be a flat-rate rewards card. It's worth noting that if you book car rentals or hotel stays through the Capital One Travel portal, you'll earn 5 miles per $1 spent. The card also offers a generous welcome bonus: Earn a bonus of 20,000 Miles once you spend $500 on purchases within three months of account opening, equal to $200 in travel.
• Discover it® Miles: You'll earn 1.5 miles for every $1 spent on purchases, regardless of the category. Plus, earning is unlimited. This card doesn't have a traditional sign-up bonus. Instead, Discover will match all miles earned in the first year. If you spend a lot with this card in the first year, this is an extremely valuable bonus.

Airline credit cards with no annual fee

These cards reward you for making purchases with a specific airline. If you're loyal to one airline brand, this kind of no annual fee card may make sense. Here are some card examples.

• Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: Cardholders can earn 10,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 within 6 months of account opening. You'll earn 2X miles per $1 on Delta purchases, restaurants worldwide, and U.S. takeout and delivery, and 1 mile per $1 on other purchases. You'll also earn 20% back as a statement credit on eligible in-flight purchases made with your card.
• JetBlue Card: This card offers a bonus of 10,000 points after you spend at least $1,000 in the first 90 days. You'll earn 3 points per $1 on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2 points on restaurant and grocery spending, and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. This card also offers 50% savings as a statement credit when you make eligible in-flight purchases on JetBlue-operated flights.
• United Gateway℠ Card: This credit card is an option if you fly with United Airlines. You'll earn 1 to 2 miles per $1 spent depending on what you buy with your card. New cardmembers can earn generous bonus miles after meeting the spending requirements. When you use this card to make eligible United in-flight purchases or to buy Club premium drinks, you'll earn 25% back as a statement credit..

Hotel credit cards with no annual fee

These cards reward you for making purchases with a specific hotel chain. If you're loyal to one hotel chain or hotel loyalty program, this kind of no annual fee card may make sense. Here are some card examples.

• Hilton Honors American Express Card: With this card, you can earn 7 points per $1 spent on eligible Hilton properties. Additionally, you can earn 5 points per $1 on purchases made at U.S. supermarkets, restaurants, and gas stations. New cardmembers can earn 80,000 bonus points Hilton Honors Bonus Points if they meet the spending requirements.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card: You'll earn anywhere from 1 to 14 points per $1, depending on the purchases you make with your card, and you'll automatically achieve Silver Elite status each year that you carry this card. Plus, it offers a sizable welcome bonus after you meet the minimum spend.

The best free travel credit cards typically offer two types of redemptions: statement credit and a travel portal. The most significant difference between a credit card with travel points and other rewards cards is how the points can be redeemed.

Statement credit redemptions

Points or miles are redeemed to "erase" travel purchases from your statement. Many people prefer statement credit redemptions over portal-based travel cards for several reasons.

• They're the most flexible method. You can use your rewards to cover any purchase that codes as travel, from bookings through Expedia to stays at local bed and breakfasts and cars booked through your favorite car rental agency.
• They're better for saving money on everyday expenses. You don't necessarily have to plan a big vacation to take advantage of them.
• You can take advantage of significant travel discounts. Book travel with your best travel credit card no annual fee, then double-dip by using your statement credits to erase the purchase. This option is great for bargain hunters.

READ MORE: How to travel for free with credit card points

Travel portal redemptions

Points or miles are redeemed through the issuer's portal. Travel portal cards often earn more lucrative rewards than those offering statement credit redemptions, if you know how to use them wisely. Travel portal cards have a few unique advantages.

• Pay with points or miles. Using a bank's travel portal lets you skip a step and immediately redeem your points or miles for a travel purchase. A statement credit travel card requires you to book a trip with the card and request a credit later.
• The value of points and miles varies. Statement credits assign a fixed value to each point or mile you earn, but travel portal redemptions can value points at a different rate.

READ MORE: Don't mind paying an annual fee in exchange for more travel perks? Review our list of the best travel rewards credit cards.

Our travel credit cards methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate travel credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria Includes rewards systems and bonus categories, rewards redemption flexibility, and sign-up bonuses.

Our highest-rated travel credit cards have:

• Rewards system and bonus categories (the earn rate of flat-rate rewards, or tiered spending categories)
• Rewards redemption flexibility and points programs (booking travel, transfer partners, statement credit, etc.)
• Sign-up bonuses that can drastically boost card value in the first year
• Perks that can offset annual fees like airport lounge access, travel credits, and TSA PreCheck reimbursement

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best travel card recommendations. Our aim is to maintain a balanced best-of list featuring top-scoring travel credit cards from reputable brands.

Ordering within lists is influenced by advertiser compensation, including featured placements at the top of a given list, but our product recommendations are NEVER influenced by advertisers. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.