How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 1-10x points per $1 spent
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is the best card for frequent travelers because of its long list of travel benefits — including lounge access, a $300 travel credit, flexible points and strong travel protections. It has a $550 annual fee, but frequent travelers are likely to get the most value out of it and make up for it.
Its exhaustive list of travel protections includes an auto rental collision damage waiver, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance and emergency medical and dental benefits. Plus, you can get 50% more value from your points when you redeem them for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 1-5x points per $1 spent
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best cards for travel rewards, because it helps you earn free travel quickly. It offers flexible, valuable points that you can transfer to more than 10 travel loyalty programs, including United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards and World of Hyatt.
It also has several types of travel insurance and protections while having a reasonable $95 annual fee. The benefits, earning rate and generous sign-up bonus make this card perfect for beginners and experienced travelers.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 1.25-5x miles per $1 spent
The $0-annual-fee Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card can help you earn simple, flexible travel miles that can be transferred to 15+ different travel partners.
This card also offers no foreign transaction fees and travel protections, like auto rental insurance, which many $0-annual-fee cards don’t provide.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 1-3x points per $1 spent
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card lets you rack up an enormous number of points that you can use for travel. It starts you off with one of the largest sign-up bonuses you can find for a business credit card. You can earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
You’ll also get a generous earning rate on common business spending categories, like shipping purchases, advertising, internet and travel. You can redeem points through the Chase Travel portal for a 25% bonus, or transfer them to more than 10 hotel and airline loyalty programs to stretch your points even further.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 1-5x points per $1 spent
The Platinum Card® from American Express is an excellent tool if you’re a frequent traveler looking for airport lounge access. You’ll get access to more than 1,400 airport lounges around the world, including Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Delta Sky Club lounges and American Express Centurion Lounges.
On top of its extensive lounge access, The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with a valuable welcome offer, credits worth over $1,000 and a variety of transfer partners, including Marriott Bonvoy, Delta SkyMiles and Hilton Honors.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 1.5x miles per $1 spent
The Discover it® Miles is a great card for beginners, because it offers simple flat-rate rewards for a $0 annual fee. Cardholders earn 1.5 Miles per dollar on all purchases. Each mile is worth 1 cent, so you earn 1.5% back on each and every purchase.
This card is even more valuable with its unique sign-up bonus for new card members: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. You could turn 35,000 Miles to 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 1.5x points per $1 spent
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is one of the most rewarding travel cards available to students. Along with a flat rewards rate on every purchase, it offers a rather large sign-up bonus for a student credit card — which can be redeemed for a $250 statement credit toward travel and dining purchases.
Plus the card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, making it a great companion for your studies abroad.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 1-10% cash back per $1 spent
The Petal® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa® Credit Card can be a good introductory travel credit card if you have fair credit. It earns cash back, not transferable points. But it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and it lets you earn cash back on every purchase at a fairly high rate. This makes it a good option for traveling and earning rewards.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 1-2x miles per $1 spent
For a $99 annual fee, the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® offers very valuable perks, including a sign-up bonus that you can earn simply by making a purchase on the card. It is a simple airline miles card that can be useful if you frequently fly with American Airlines.
You can earn valuable AAdvantage miles at double the rate on American Airlines purchases. Plus, you get other great perks like an annual companion certificate, Wi-Fi statement credits, a free first checked bag for you and up to four companions, in-flight savings and more.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 1-10x miles per $1 spent
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is chock-full of American Airlines benefits. Its most notable are complimentary Admirals Club lounge access, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit and credits up to $120 annually each for Lyft, eligible Avis and Budget car rentals and eligible Grubhub purchases. Its airline-specific perks include your first checked bag free, one Loyalty Point for every eligible AAdvantage mile earned and opportunities for Loyalty Point bonuses.
You can earn a 10,000 Loyalty Point bonus after earning 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year — plus another 10,000 Loyalty Points if you earn 90,000 in the same qualification year. Earning Loyalty Points can help you get better boarding groups, more checked bags, preferred seats and more perks.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 3-12x points per $1 spent
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is a worthwhile card for people looking to rack up hotel points. You can earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio. Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations. Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases. Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
Although the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has a $150 annual fee, it comes with a Hilton credit up to $200. You’ll also receive a free night reward after spending $15,000 in a calendar year.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Travel rewards: 3-14x points per $1 spent
You can squeeze a ton of value out of the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express if you frequently stay at Hilton properties. It has a generous welcome offer that lets you earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
It also offers complimentary Diamond status (enrollment required), a Hilton resort credit up to $400 ($200 semi-annually), an annual free night and other credits.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chase Sapphire Reserve®*
|
Best overall
|
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. | $550 | |
|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card*
|
Best for travel rewards
|
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. | $95 | |
|
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card*
|
Best for no annual fee
|
Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel | 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel | $0 | |
|
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card*
|
Best for business
|
Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn. | $95 | |
|
The Platinum Card® from American Express*
|
Best for lounge access
|
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply. | $695 | |
|
Discover it® Miles*
|
Best for beginner travel card
|
Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. You could turn 35,000 Miles to 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. | 1.5 Miles per dollar on all purchases. | $0 | |
|
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students*
Review Coming Soon
|
Best for students
|
25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases | 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases. | $0 | Review Coming Soon |
|
Petal® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa® Credit Card*
|
Best for fair credit
|
N/A | Earn 1% cash back on eligible purchases right away, and 2% to 10% cash back at select merchants | $0 | |
|
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®*
Learn More
on Barclays's secure site |
Best for airline miles
|
Earn 60,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. | Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 AAdvantage® mile per $1 spent on all other purchases | $99 |
Learn More
on Barclays's secure site |
|
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®*
|
Best American Airlines credit card
|
Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. | Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases | $595 | |
|
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card*
|
Best for hotels points
|
Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025. | Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio. Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations. Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases. Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. | $150 | |
|
Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express*
|
Best for hotel perks
|
Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. | 14X points on eligible purchases at hotels or resorts in the Hilton Portfolio, 7X points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and U.S. restaurants and 3X points on other purchases | $550 |
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points or miles per every dollar you spend. Many travel cards offer bonuses on certain categories of spending — like dining, travel or groceries — letting you earn points faster.
When you gather enough points, you can redeem them for travel rewards like hotels and flights. The number of points or miles you need for a hotel or free flight will vary between cards and with each redemption.
On top of rewards, travel credit cards may offer other benefits that make travel more affordable and comfortable, like free checked bags and airport lounge access.
There are a few general types of travel rewards, including transferable rewards, fixed-value rewards, airline miles, hotel points and business rewards:
Some credit cards, like Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, offer transferable points. You can transfer these to a variety of airline or hotel loyalty programs typically at a rate of 1:1.
These cards are best for people who fly or stay with a variety of brands and aren’t loyal to a particular airline or hotel. You’ll have plenty of options and brands (of differing values) to choose from for your travel plans. This also helps you squeeze more value out of your points, since you can search for deals with a variety of loyalty programs.
You can redeem fixed-value rewards for cash back, statement credits, travel, gift cards and more at a set value with cards like the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card. Some transferable rewards cards, like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also offer this option.
You can’t get as much value with fixed-value points as transferable points, since you’re stuck redeeming points at a set value. However, fixed value points are a good option if you prefer simple, straightforward rewards and don’t want to spend your time crawling hotel and airline sites for deals.
Airline miles are earned through one particular airline and can be redeemed for flights with that airline and its airline partners. The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is an example of an airline credit card.
If you fly frequently with a certain airline, an airline credit card can be incredibly valuable. On top of redeeming valuable flights, you could earn other perks like airline credits, free bags, companion passes, airport lounge access and more.
However, you’re limited on how you can use the miles you earn — so if you’re a flexible traveler who flies with several airlines, a card that earns flexible rewards may be a better fit for you.
Hotel points are earned with one particular hotel program and can be redeemed for hotel nights with that program like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
Hotel credit cards can offer you hotel credits, loyalty status and complimentary free nights — making them an excellent choice for loyalists of different hotel brands. But like airline credit cards, there aren’t many ways to use them outside of the particular hotel brand.
Business travel cards, like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, let business owners earn rewards to use toward future business travel.
These are best for business owners who tend to travel a lot — or have employees who do. You can find perks similar to general travel credit cards, like travel credits and extensive protections. You may also get credits to cover business purchases as well as free employee cards.
Sign-up bonuses are an important part of comparing travel credit cards and business travel cards tend to have high bonuses. However, they can also have higher spending thresholds to earn them — so make sure your business can realistically meet that requirement before you apply for a card.
There are very few travel credit cards that you can qualify for with fair credit. If you’re a student, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students can be a rewarding option. If you’re not a student, the Petal® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa® Credit Card has a high rewards rate and offers cash back you could use for travel purchases.
Once you know you want a travel credit card, you’ll need to narrow down what type of travel credit card. Travel credit cards can be grouped into three types:
Thinking about what your goal is with a travel credit card can help you make a decision. Some goals include traveling in first-class seats for an overseas flight, earning hotel elite status or booking a full trip for your honeymoon in the Maldives. Such goals will help guide you in the type of card you should pick and hotel and airline programs that will best cover your travel plans.
There are broader goals to keep in mind as well — if you just want to travel internationally or to specific regions, for instance, that can impact the card you get. You may look at travel cards with no foreign transaction fee or airline cards for the regions you’re interested in.
Every travel credit card lets you earn points in a loyalty program. For hotel and airline cards, it will be the loyalty program of that brand. For general rewards cards, you’ll earn points with the issuer’s loyalty program, which you may be able to transfer to other airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Digging into how different rewards programs work is an essential step to finding the right card for you. Rewards programs have varying degrees of flexibility, value and simplicity. The right rewards program can make or break your travel plans — so it’s important to understand how the program works before you apply for a card because of its flashy perks or sign-up bonus.
A travel card with bonus categories that match your spending will help you collect rewards for free travel faster. Most travel cards offer a tiered rewards rate — which means the card offers varying earning rates across spending categories.
You can determine which travel credit card is best for you by gathering your top three spending categories and finding cards that reward those the most. Common spending categories include travel, dining, groceries and business.
Another important aspect of a travel credit card is its sign-up bonus — it can often earn you free travel right off the bat. One of the reasons it’s crucial to look at rewards programs before you choose a card is to make sure you’re able to use a card’s sign-up bonus effectively for your travel habits.
For example, if you’re planning a long road trip, that’s probably not the best time to apply for an airline credit card and earn a sign-up bonus that could only be used for a flight. It’s helpful to align your sign-up bonuses to your upcoming travel plans for maximum savings.
When looking at sign-up bonuses, take a look at the required spending threshold to earn them. Premium cards tend to have higher thresholds, so make sure that it’s achievable for you instead of overspending just to reach them.
Don’t count out travel credit cards with higher annual fees. Most of the time, these premium cards offer benefits that can help you offset the cost of the annual fee with valuable travel benefits. They may include TSA PreCheck, airport lounge access and shopping credits.
Premium airline and hotel credit cards may also include travel credits for their respective brands. Benefits may include enrollment and other criteria to qualify for them.
When reviewing cards and their benefits and credits, it’s best to choose a card that will compensate you for things you’re already spending money on. For example, if you’re a frequent Uber rider and you spend a lot on incidentals with a single airline, you’ll be able to get the value out of the Uber and airline incidental benefits on The Platinum Card® from American Express.
A card with travel insurance can provide you peace of mind, even if you don’t get immediate value from it. High-end travel credit cards often provide the most travel protections, but mid-tier cards can still provide solid insurance benefits.
A solid collection of travel protections include trip/cancellation insurance, car rental protection, trip delay reimbursement and travel and emergency assistance services.
Cards that go above and beyond may also include baggage delay insurance, emergency evacuation and transportation, roadside assistance and emergency medical and dental benefits.
When you’re ready to start applying, you should avoid going on a spree and applying for every card you can find just to earn sign-up bonuses. Not only can this negatively impact your credit score, but most issuers have limitations on their card offers to prevent people from applying for cards repeatedly to earn sign-up bonuses. You should make yourself aware of major issuers’ sign-up bonus policies and try to apply for cards with elevated offers to maximize your reward earnings.
You may prefer a specific issuer over others due to the benefits offered. You may also want to pool points from multiple credit cards to maximize their value. If this is the case, you should choose a travel credit card based on the bank that issues the card. Here are our top overall travel card picks from these major issuers:
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Platinum Card® from American Express*
|
Best American Express Travel Card
|
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply. | $695 | |
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card*
|
Best Bank of America Travel Card
|
60,000 online bonus points - a $600 value - after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. | 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases. 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. | $95 | |
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card*
|
Best Capital One Travel Card
|
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel | 2X Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 10X Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 5X Miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel | $395 | |
|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card*
|
Best Chase Travel Card
|
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. | $95 | |
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card*
|
Best Citi travel card
|
For a limited time, earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com. | 10x on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking. Travel insurance protection: Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption (Common Carrier), Trip Delay, Lost or Damaged Luggage, MasterRental Coverage (Car Rental). | $95 | |
|
Discover it® Miles*
|
Best Discover travel card
|
Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. You could turn 35,000 Miles to 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. | 1.5 Miles per dollar on all purchases. | $0 | |
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card*
|
Best Wells Fargo travel card
|
Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value. | Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases | $0 |
Your redemption options will vary depending on the card and its rewards program. But in general, redeeming your points for travel is the most valuable option. Here are the most common options for redeeming your points or miles:
Flights or hotel stays
Flights or hotel stays are likely the best way for you to get the biggest bang for your buck with a travel card. with hotel and airline cards, this is one of the only ways you can redeem your rewards. But with general rewards cards that have more flexible redemption options, travel is still the most valuable use.
Points or miles typically transfer at around 1-2 cents per point when used for travel. Redemption value per points can vary depending on the loyalty program, season, seat type and destination. If you’re not committed to a certain brand, compare the point values for different hotels or airlines for your dates before finalizing your trip.
Issuers like Amex may also run transfer bonuses that allow you to transfer points to certain loyalty programs for a higher value.
Cash back
Many flexible travel credit cards allow you to redeem points for cash back. However, it’s for far less value than travel. You can typically redeem cash back at a rate of 1 cent per point. Some issuers will require you to withdraw a minimum amount.
If you’re more likely to use cash back rewards than travel rewards, then you may be better off with a cash back credit card. The redemption options are often much simpler and cash back cards tend to have lower annual fees.
Gift cards
Some rewards programs, like Chase and American Express, will let you redeem points for gift cards. Like cash back redemptions, this is also not typically the most valuable way to redeem points.
Chase and American Express in particular have a wide variety of gift card options to choose from, including restaurants, home improvement stores, department stores, grocery stores and more. Gift cards are usually redeemable at 1 cent per point, but you can sometimes find promotions that offer a higher value.
You could likely redeem your points and miles for more value when you use them for travel — so if you would like to use rewards on gift cards, a cash back credit card could be a better fit for you.
Other options
Both branded and flexible travel cards usually have plenty of other ways to redeem points, including dining, cruises, car rentals, travel accessories, statement credits and more.
In general, you’ll lose a lot of value by redeeming points and miles for these options, so it’s best to stick to using them for travel rewards. However, you may need to make a purchase with points in a pinch, or you may need to burn some points or miles before they expire. For these cases, you should check out the other redemption options on the issuer’s site.
The value of your points or miles will depend on how you redeem them, as the rate varies with each redemption option. The value is also dependent on the underlying rewards program — some points or miles are much more valuable than others. For example, Hilton points are only worth around 0.5 cents each while Hyatt points are worth around 1.7 cents each. If you’re redeeming miles for flights, your miles may be worth 1.8 cents if used for American Airlines flights or 1.1 cents if redeemed for Delta flights. Transferable points have the highest potential value. We estimate that Chase and Amex points are worth around 2 cents on average.
You’ll need to consider points and mile value to earn the most rewards on your spending. In general, you’ll find that some rewards will take you farther than others. Keep these rules in mind:
It’s possible to cover the cost of your next trip or vacation by maximizing your credit card travel rewards. Here are a few ways to do so:
You should get a travel credit card if you’re a frequent traveler looking for a way to save on travel expenses. You typically need to have good credit or better to qualify for premium travel credit cards.
On the other hand, you probably shouldn’t get a travel credit card if you have poor credit or you don’t travel enough to take advantage of the card benefits.
Cash back and travel rewards credit cards are both types of rewards credit cards. They differ in how you are being rewarded. A cash back credit card earns rewards in the form of dollars. You can redeem them for statement credits, gift cards, a direct deposit into your bank account and more. Travel rewards credit cards offer rewards in the form of points and miles that you can redeem for travel-related expenses.
Most credit card points and miles don’t expire as long as your credit card account is open and in good standing. Leaving your card open is your best bet. If your points are in a hotel loyalty or frequent flyer account rather than your credit card account, you typically have to have activity every 12 to 24 months. Activity can include earning or redeeming points or miles. You can either buy or redeem some points/miles to keep your account active.
The credit score needed will depend on the travel rewards credit card you apply for. You should generally try to aim for a good credit score or higher for the best chance of approval. This means you should have a FICO Score of 670 or greater. If you’re looking for a travel credit card for limited / fair credit, start with the Capital One Platinum Credit Card. Build credit, work your way up to a good credit score, then apply for a more rewarding travel card.
Co-branded travel credit cards are issued by banks with a specific airline or hotel brand partner like American Airlines or Marriott Bonvoy. These cards offer perks associated with the particular airline or hotel, and may earn a higher rewards rate on brand-related purchases. General travel credit cards, on the other hand, aren’t tied to a single brand partner and may earn elevated rewards on a wider variety of purchases.
The credit cards with the most worldwide acceptance include cards that use either the Visa or Mastercard networks. American Express and Discover cards are less widely accepted.
To bring you the list of best travel credit cards, we use an objective rating and ranking system that compares features across a large set of credit cards (over 200 of them from over 50 issuers). We use calculations to estimate the value of each card for the average cardholder, based on LendingTree and U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.
We rank cards based on the following criteria:
Note, that our ratings are a starting point for comparing and choosing the best travel credit card. However, your needs may be different from the average cardholder. You should consider the amount you’re likely to spend in a card’s bonus categories and which benefits you value to choose the best card for you.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The information related to the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, Discover it® Miles, Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students, Petal® 2 Cash Back, No Fees Visa® Credit Card, AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®, Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express, Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card, Capital One Platinum Credit Card, Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
