Looking for the best travel credit cards? Here’s how the right one can turn everyday spending into real travel opportunities.
Disclosure: We’re not financial advisors, and this isn’t financial advice. Pay your balance in full each month, and only apply for cards you can handle. This post may contain affiliate links, which earn us a commission at no cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
The right travel card changes how you plan, pay for and experience trips: free checked bags, lounge access, travel protections, and points that add up.
After exploring over 70 countries, many on points, here are six cards worth knowing, and how to choose between them.
What to Look For
Annual fees. Fees run from $0 to nearly $1,000. A higher fee isn’t automatically better. It’s worth it only when the perks you’d use outweigh it. A $300 Equinox credit sounds great, but not if you’d never join a gym.
Sign-up bonuses. One of the fastest ways to earn points, with a minimum spend in a set time. Use spending you already planned, like insurance or a renovation. And check what the bonus buys: a hotel card offering 180,000 points sounds big, but if a luxury night costs 150,000, that’s only one night.
Earning categories. Aim for a card that earns 2x or more on something you spend a lot on. (Not to be confused with our “2 cents per point” rule for deciding whether to use points. That’s about value, this is about earning.)
Co-branded hotel cards earn many points at their chain, but each point is worth less, so they only make sense if you stay there often.
Interest and foreign fees. Pay in full every month.
Interest can cost more than rewards earn.
Check foreign transaction fees too: the Chase Sapphire Preferred has none, but some Chase Ink cards do.
The kind of points. Cash back, miles and points are not equal. Flexible points (Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi, Bilt) can transfer to a dozen-plus airline and hotel partners or be booked through the card’s portal. Airline cards lock you into one airline.
How we’d do it: before we book anything with points, we check what each point is worth. We walk through that with real screenshots in Part 6 of our guide, Travel the World with Points.
Four Starter Cards
Bilt ($0 or $95). Earn points on rent without a fee. Program changed in early 2026, so confirm current terms.
Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95). Best all-around starter. Flexible Chase points, strong on dining and travel, $50 annual hotel credit, no foreign transaction fees.
Capital One Venture ($95). Simplest: 2x miles on everything, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, no foreign transaction fees.
Citi Strata Premier ($95). Great for everyday categories like groceries and gas. Points transfer to partners including American Airlines.
Two Cards to Grow Into
- Capital One Venture X ($395). Our own go-to. $300 annual travel credit, lounge access, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, 2x on everything. Best for frequent travelers.
- Amex Green ($150). A step up for travel and dining, with Amex Membership Rewards.
Other cards you’ll hear about: Amex Gold is great if you spend heavily on food, and Chase Ink business cards are strong if you run a business.
How to Decide
Match your spending and travel goals to the benefits.
A perk is only worth it if it fits your life.
Not sure where to begin? Read What Is the Best Travel Credit Card to Start With?
Final thoughts
The right card can open up more trips and save money.
Start simple, pay in full, and let the points do the rest.
Where to go from here Just picking a card? Our free guide, Which Travel Credit Card Should You Get?, will narrow it down in a few minutes. Want the whole path in one place, from choosing your first card to booking the trip? That’s what we put in Travel the World with Points, our beginner’s guide to cards, points and your dream trip.
Great tips. Thank you!
We have been doing the no annual fee, but with 50,000 to 75,000 airline points with multiple credit cards. We do not pay for flights to overseas destinations. However, a person must spend an amount to qualify (e.g., 2,500 dollars in three or four months). FYI. Always like your posts. Travel safely.
Great tips! Definitely great to maximize all your points. A great way to do it is with the sign up bonuses. That’s a big way that we are able to accrue points