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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.
Great for: Sign-up bonus and points transfers
Bottom Line
With a leading sign-up bonus, the sky’s the limit for this top-rated travel rewards card. Plus, the premium points program for travel and dining make it a no brainer for travel enthusiasts everywhere. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
2x points on travel and dining, 1x points on all other purchases. 25% more points for travel booked through Chase's portal.
Annual Fee
$95
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.99% - 22.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
80,000 points after spending $4,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Premium travel
Bottom Line
The sign-up bonus, premium rewards for travel & dining, and wide array of valuable travel credits make this a compelling offer that will offset the cost of the annual fee for many. The array of limited time offers make it even more compelling. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3X points on dining at restaurants & 1 point on all other purchases.
Annual Fee
$550
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
16.99%-23.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
60,000 points after spending $4,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: No annual fee and bonus
Bottom Line
A no-nonsense, no-annual-fee travel rewards card built for occasional travelers. The unlimited 1.5 Miles takes the hassle out of tracking categories and all of your miles get matched in the first year. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
1.5 Miles per dollar on all purchases
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 14 months
Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 14 months
Ongoing APR
11.99% - 22.99% Variable APR
Welcome Bonus
Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Highlights
Great for: Travel and restaurants
Bottom Line
A solid pick with the recent addition of airlines transfer partners. It's a great fit for earning cash back on a variety of purchases. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
3x points at restaurants and supermarkets as well as at gas stations, air travel, and hotels, 1x points on all else
Annual Fee
$95
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.99% - 23.99% (Variable)
Welcome Bonus
60,000 points after spending $4,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Dining and U.S. supermarkets
Bottom Line
The welcome offer, lucrative rewards at restaurants worldwide, U.S. supermarkets, and on travel more than justify the annual fee for most who spend in these categories. Terms apply. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
4x points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets purchases ($25,000 annual spending cap), 3x points for travel booked with airlines or amextravel.com, 1x on all else
Annual Fee
$250
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Welcome Bonus
60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $4,000 within 6 months
Highlights
Great for: Airport lounges
Bottom Line
The high annual fee is justifiable for frequent travelers who can take full advantage of a deep bench of valuable perks, including the big welcome bonus, robust rewards, and lucrative annual travel credits. Terms apply. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
5x points on flights booked with airlines, American Express Travel, and certain hotels booked through amextravel.com, 1x points on all else
Annual Fee
$550
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Welcome Bonus
75,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $5,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: No annual fee
Bottom Line
No-annual-fee travel cards typically skimp on the sign-up bonus, but this card delivers with its market-leading intro bonus offer, unlimited rewards on purchases, and other wallet-friendly perks. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
Unlimited 1.5 points per $1 on purchases, 25%-75% more points for Bank of America Preferred Rewards members
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 12 billing cycles
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
13.99% - 23.99% Variable
Welcome Bonus
25,000 points after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening
Highlights
Great for: Business travel
Chase Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card
What We Like About The Card
With a huge sign up bonus and massive on going rewards rate of 3x points per $1 on business essentials this card is a home run for businesses that spend a lot and want to maximize their rewards. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories, 1 point per $1 on all else. Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase.
Annual Fee
$95
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.99% - 20.99%, variable
Welcome Bonus
100,000 points after spending $15,000 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: Sign-up bonus
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
What We Like About The Card
Unlimited 2X miles, TSA Pre✓® credits, and a big, limited time sign-up bonus make this credit card one of the best travel companions on the market. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
Unlimited 2x miles on all purchases
Annual Fee
$95, annually
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
17.24% - 24.49%, variable
Welcome Bonus
60,000 miles after spending $3,000 within 3 months, another 50,000 miles after spending a total of $20,000 within 12 months
Highlights
Great for: No annual fee
Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card
What We Like About The Card
Travel cards with no annual fee generally pull back on cardholder favorites, but this offer keeps those perks intact, making it a solid offer for cardholders not spending enough on credit to justify paying an annual fee. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
Unlimited 1.25x miles
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, for 12 months
Balance Transfers: N/A
Ongoing APR
15.49% - 25.49%, variable
Welcome Bonus
20,000 miles after spending $500 within 3 months
Highlights
Great for: No annual fee
Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card
Bottom Line
This no-annual-fee rewards card enables you to earn 3X points for dining out, travel, gas stations, and more, plus a big welcome bonus. The addition of a 0% Intro APR offer makes it even more surprising that there's no annual fee. Read Full Review
Credit Rating Requirement:
Rewards
3X points for eating out and ordering in, gas stations, rideshares, transit, flights, hotels, and more, 1x points on other purchases
Annual Fee
$0
Intro APR
Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening
Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months on qualifying balance transfers
Ongoing APR
14.49%-24.99% (Variable)
Welcome Bonus
20,000 points after spending $1,000 within 3 months
Highlights
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.
There are four types of travel rewards credit cards. You'll find a description of each type below.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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:
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.
TIP
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.
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.
Not sure if a travel credit card is what you need? Here are the most popular alternatives.
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.
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.
A zero-interest credit card doesn't charge interest for an introductory period. There are two types of zero-interest credit cards:
There are also credit cards that offer a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers if you need both.
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.
Card | Rating | Great For |
---|---|---|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Sign-up bonus and points transfers |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Premium travel |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: No annual fee and bonus |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Travel and restaurants |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Dining and U.S. supermarkets |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Airport lounges |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: No annual fee |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Business travel |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Sign-up bonus |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: No annual fee |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: No annual fee |
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