What is a travel rewards credit card?

A travel rewards credit card earns rewards you can use to pay for travel purchases. This type of credit card also typically offers travel-related perks, such as elite status with airlines or hotels, free checked luggage, or a membership fee credit for the Global Entry or TSA Precheck program.

How do travel rewards credit cards work?

When you pay for purchases with a travel credit card, it adds to your travel rewards balance. You can redeem those rewards to make travel purchases. The exact redemption options will depend on the specific credit card you have. If your card is connected to a specific airline or hotel loyalty program, then you can use your rewards to book travel through that program. Other cards let you put your rewards toward cash travel purchases.

How do you compare travel credit cards?

The best way to compare travel credit cards is by deciding which features are most important to you. Most consumers compare travel cards based on their annual fees, rewards rates, sign-up bonuses, and any extra travel benefits they offer.

Best Travel Credit Cards of April 2021: Top Rewards and Offers

If you like to travel, then you're sure to love the benefits you can get with travel rewards credit cards. This type of card allows you to pay for your biggest travel expenses -- including first-class airfare and luxury hotel stays -- with travel rewards instead of cash. You could also find travel cards that let you access airport lounges, offer complimentary travel insurance, or get you free upgrades on travel bookings. And with almost all of these cards, you won't need to pay a foreign transaction fee on purchases made while traveling abroad.

It's possible to get lots of value from the best travel credit cards. The key is picking a travel card that fits your budget, lifestyle, and travel habits. Our experts reviewed all the current credit card offers and selected only the best. No matter what type of travel card you're looking for, you'll find it here.

How do travel credit cards work?

Travel credit cards earn travel rewards every time you use them. These rewards can be called either points or miles. You can redeem travel rewards to pay for travel purchases. Exactly how you do this depends on the card. There are travel cards with rewards you can redeem through specific loyalty programs; airline and hotel credit cards are notable examples. Other cards let you redeem points at a set rate, such as $0.01 per point. These can be used toward travel purchases made in cash. Some of the best travel credit cards give you multiple redemption options.

Types of travel rewards credit cards

There are four types of travel rewards credit cards. You'll find a description of each type below.

Airline credit cards

An airline credit card is tied to an airline loyalty program, also known as a frequent flyer program. When you use an airline card, it earns miles in that program. You can redeem your miles for award airfare. Instead of paying $250 for a ticket, you may be able to buy it for 25,000 miles. Airline credit cards often include additional perks with the airline, such as free checked luggage or airport lounge access.

Hotel credit cards

A hotel credit card is tied to a hotel loyalty program. When you use a hotel credit card, it earns rewards points in that program. You can redeem your points for award hotel stays, such as paying 30,000 points per night instead of $150 per night. Hotel credit cards also frequently offer extra perks with the hotel chain. These could include a complimentary late checkout, elite status in the hotel's loyalty program, or a free night award every year.

Travel credit cards with fixed-rate rewards

A travel credit card with fixed-rate rewards lets you redeem your rewards for cash travel purchases. Rewards are always worth the same amount toward travel this way. For example, if your card offers $0.01 per point, then 10,000 points will always be worth $100 in travel. Depending on the card, you can either use your rewards as a statement credit toward previous travel purchases, use them in the card issuer's travel portal to book travel, or both.

Travel credit cards with transferable rewards

A travel credit card with transferable rewards lets you send your rewards to other loyalty programs. For example, if your travel card has rewards you can transfer to Hyatt Hotels, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, then you could send your points to any of those programs. You would then be able to book travel through that loyalty program using your points.

Points vs miles: what’s the difference?

Points and miles are two ways of referring to travel rewards. The term that's used depends on the credit card issuer, and neither has a set definition. In general, credit card points is the more common term. Credit card miles is a term used primarily by airlines. However, neither is set in stone. There are other types of travel cards that refer to their rewards as miles, and there are airlines that refer to their rewards as points.

How to compare travel credit cards

To compare travel credit cards, start by figuring out which types of travel cards you're interested in. This will help you narrow down your options. For example, if you don't stay at hotels that often, then you can cross hotel cards off your list.

Choose some of the best travel credit cards that stand out to you. The simplest way to evaluate them is to use The Ascent's tool to compare credit card offers. You can select multiple cards and view their details side by side. Another method is to pull up the card pages for each of the travel cards you want to compare.

Once you have the best credit cards ready, here are the things to look at:

Annual fee: Most travel credit cards charge annual fees, but amounts can vary quite a bit. Some cost under $100 per year. A premium credit card, on the other hand, may cost over $500. Make sure the card you choose works for your budget and that its benefits outweigh the annual fee. Or, you can stick to travel cards with no annual fee if you'd prefer.
Sign-up bonus: An advantage of travel cards is that they offer some of the biggest sign-up bonuses on the market. Compare both the bonuses that your chosen cards offer and the amount you'd need to spend on eligible purchases to receive each bonus.
Rewards rate: Travel cards often have bonus categories where they earn more rewards, such as 3 points per $1 on dining. Others earn the same rate on every purchase, such as 2 points per $1 on all eligible purchases no matter the category. See which card's rewards rate is the best fit for your spending habits.
Additional benefits: There are all kinds of features available with travel rewards cards, from complimentary elite status with airlines and hotels to travel insurance policies. Review each card's extras to figure out how much value it would offer you.

Tips for choosing the best travel rewards credit card

With so many travel credit cards out there, you may feel like you don't even know where to start. This doesn't need to be a tough decision. Follow these tips to find the best travel rewards credit card for you.

Focus on how you'll use your travel rewards. The first thing you should do is figure out which card's rewards program will work best for your travel habits. Do you always fly with the same airline? An airline credit card that lets you earn miles with that carrier is probably a sound choice. Want to keep your travel booking options open? You should stick to travel cards with fixed-rate rewards or transferable rewards.
When in doubt, get a travel card with transferable rewards. These give you the most ways to book travel, so they're great if you don't have any specific airlines or hotels you like more than the rest. Specifically, look for travel cards in a major credit card rewards program: Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, or Citi ThankYou Rewards. Since these card issuers have large rosters of airline and hotel partners, they offer especially good credit cards for international travel.
Weigh the value of those additional benefits. Many cards have travel perks that can save you money or drastically improve your travel experience. Carefully consider which benefits would add value to your life and which don't matter to you. This will help you cut through those long feature lists and quickly decide whether a card is a good fit.
Pick a card that will earn you lots of travel rewards. If possible, it's great to get a card with a high rewards rate and a large sign-up bonus. Even if you can't get that, any card you're considering should offer at least one of the two. The more rewards points you earn, the more money you'll save on travel.

TIP

How to make the most of your travel credit card

Take advantage of as many benefits as possible. Go through your travel card's features to make sure you don't forget to use any of them. If it has airport lounge access, see which lounges you can get into and if there's a registration process required first. If your card has travel protections, such as trip delay or lost luggage reimbursement, learn how they work in case you ever need to use them.

Get the sign-up bonus. Double-check the bonus's spending requirement and how long you have to reach that amount. As you use your card, keep track of how close you are to getting the bonus, asking the card issuer if necessary.

Use your travel credit card for every purchase. Whenever you pay with your travel card, you'll earn travel rewards. Maximize your rewards by paying for everything with your travel card.

Is a travel credit card right for me?

A travel credit card is right for you if you travel multiple times per year and you have good credit.

As you'd expect, the more that you travel, the better a travel card will work for you. If you go on two or three trips per year, you should be able to make the most of the benefits that a travel card offers. If you're traveling even more frequently than that, then a travel rewards card will likely be extremely valuable to you. Those who don't travel that much should look for other rewards credit cards.

Most of the best travel credit cards require a good credit score. To get approved, you'll generally need a FICO® Score of 670 or higher.

Alternatives to travel credit cards

Not sure if a travel credit card is what you need? Here are the most popular alternatives.

Cash back credit cards

A cash back credit card earns rewards on every purchase. The difference is that instead of rewards you can use for travel, it earns cash rewards. You can typically redeem your cash back as a statement credit on your credit card bill, a deposit to your bank account, or a check. Cash back cards are great for consumers who want to earn credit card rewards but aren't big travelers. The reward can also be much easier to use, and many cash back credit cards don't have annual fees.

Credit cards for bad credit

A credit card for bad credit is one that you can get even if you have a low credit score or no credit history. In that situation, it's unlikely you'll qualify for a travel card. The better route is to get one of these credit cards for bad credit, use it to build your credit, and apply for a travel card once you have a higher credit score.

Zero-interest credit cards

A zero-interest credit card doesn't charge interest for an introductory period. There are two types of zero-interest credit cards:

0% intro APR credit cards: These offer a 0% intro APR on purchases. They're useful if you need to make a big purchase that you can't pay in full right away.
Balance transfer credit cards: These offer a 0% intro APR on balance transfers. They let you refinance credit card debt and avoid interest charges for the length of the intro period.

There are also credit cards that offer a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers if you need both.

FAQs

A travel rewards credit card earns rewards you can use to pay for travel purchases. This type of credit card also typically offers travel-related perks, such as elite status with airlines or hotels, free checked luggage, or a membership fee credit for the Global Entry or TSA Precheck program.
When you pay for purchases with a travel credit card, it adds to your travel rewards balance. You can redeem those rewards to make travel purchases. The exact redemption options will depend on the specific credit card you have. If your card is connected to a specific airline or hotel loyalty program, then you can use your rewards to book travel through that program. Other cards let you put your rewards toward cash travel purchases.
The best way to compare travel credit cards is by deciding which features are most important to you. Most consumers compare travel cards based on their annual fees, rewards rates, sign-up bonuses, and any extra travel benefits they offer.

Travel rewards credit card comparison

The Picks
Card	Rating	Great For
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00 stars	Great For: Sign-up bonus and points transfers
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Premium travel
Discover it® Miles	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: No annual fee and bonus
Citi Premier® Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Travel and restaurants
American Express® Gold Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Dining and U.S. supermarkets
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Airport lounges
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card	Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00 stars	Great For: No annual fee
Chase Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Business travel
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Sign-up bonus
Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: No annual fee
Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card	Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00 stars	Great For: No annual fee