Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards - Best Perks for Travelers
Joy Wallet is advertiser-supported: we may earn compensation from the products and offers mentioned in this article. However, any expressed opinions are our own and aren't influenced by compensation. To read our full disclosure, click here.
If you have some credit history to your name, you’ve probably received offers in the mail for a travel rewards credit card. They often have attractive welcome bonuses, perks, and bells and whistles. But are they really worth it? In most cases, I think they are. The trick is to find the card that will provide the most value for you, which can be a delicate balance. Take a look at these travel rewards credit cards and see if there’s one that sounds good to you.
Related: Best Rewards Cards
Jump To
Overview of the best travel rewards credit cards
Travel Rewards Credit Card | Best for |
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card | Cardholders who don’t want to pay an annual fee |
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Travelers who want to earn miles |
Capital One VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit | New credit card users |
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® | Frequent travelers with American Airlines Citi Premier® Card |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Travelers who want to redeem points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® |
Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Travelers who want extra, high-value perks through Chase Ultimate Rewards® |
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card | Frequent flyers on Delta flights |
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card | People who stay at the Marriott hotel chain |
The Platinum Card® from American Express | Travelers who want access to exclusive events |
Best travel rewards credit cards
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card
Bank of America® Travel Rewards
Card Name
Bank of America® Travel Rewards
APR
19.24% - 29.24%
Annual Fee
$0
Intro Offer
25,000 Online Bonus Points, a $250 travel or dining statement credit value, after making at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Rewards Rate
Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases everywhere, every time.
Why We Like It
- Unlimited 1.5 points on all purchases
- 25,000 online bonus points
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Card Name
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
APR
19.99% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$95
Special Offer
Limited-time offer: For a limited time, earn 75,000 Miles
Special Offer Terms
once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
Rewards Rate
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Terms
Why We Like It
- 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, which is equivalent to $750 in travel
- You can earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase
- $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges
- 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Capital One VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Card Name
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
APR
19.99% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$0
Special Offer
20,000 Miles
Special Offer Terms
once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Rewards Rate
1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Terms
Why We Like It
- No annual fee.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Miles never expire and there is no limit to miles earned.
- Over 15 travel loyalty programs where you can transfer your miles.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Card Name
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
APR
20.99% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$99, waived for first 12 months
Special Offer
Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles
Special Offer Terms
after spending $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Rewards Rate
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.
Terms
Why We Like It
- Generous bonus miles offer.
- Flight discounts ($125) on American Airlines after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your card membership year and renew your card.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- First checked bag is free and preferred boarding on American Airlines flights.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Card Name
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
APR
21.49%-28.49%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$95
Special Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Rewards Rate
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.
Terms
Why We Like It
- Generous bonus points offered.
- High points for travel and dining purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and points on all purchases.
- Complimentary one-year access to DashPass.
Chase Credit Cards
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Card Name
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
APR
22.49%-29.49%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent
Annual Fee
$550
Special Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Rewards Rate
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.
Terms
Why We Like It
- Generous bonus points offer.
- Annual travel credit on your account anniversary.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs.
- Access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide.
- Up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
Card Name
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
APR
20.99% - 29.99%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$350
Special Offer
Earn 65,000 Bonus Miles
Special Offer Terms
after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Rewards Rate
Earn 1.5X miles* on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases, plus single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more. Terms and miles cap apply. *If your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply. 1 Mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases.
Why We Like It
- Receive a domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year.
- Discounted rate to enter the Delta Sky Club for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Card Name
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
APR
20.24% - 27.24%
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$95
Special Offer
Limited Time Offer! Earn 100,000 Bonus Points
Special Offer Terms
after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card!
Rewards Rate
Earn up to 17X total points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® and 2X points on all other purchases.
Terms
Why We Like It
- Earn 3 Free Night Awards bonus as well as one Free Night Award every year after the account anniversary.
- Automatic Silver Elite Status.
- No foreign transaction fees.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Card Name
The Platinum Card® from American Express
APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended Credit Score
Excellent, Good
Annual Fee
$695
Special Offer
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
Special Offer Terms
after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Rewards Rate
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
Why We Like It
- Generous introductory bonus points.
- Advanced points on travel purchases.
- Up to $189 back per calendar year on CLEAR®.
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
Best travel rewards credit cards summary
Credit Card | Annual Fee | Points/Miles Rewards |
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card | $0 | 1.5x points for every $1 of purchases |
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | $95 | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. |
Capital One VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit | $0 | 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. |
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® | $99, waived for first 12 months | Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | $95 | 1x on all other purchases |
Chase Sapphire Reserve® | $550 | 1 point per dollar |
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card | $350 | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card | $95 | 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. |
The Platinum Card® from American Express | $695 | 1x points on other eligible purchases |
FAQs
What credit score do I need to qualify for a travel rewards credit card?
Most travel rewards credit cards require cardholders to have a credit score in the good or excellent ranges.
Will my card come with travel insurance?
Some travel rewards cards offer travel insurance and trip cancellation coverage, but not all do. If it’s important that your rewards card offers those things, make sure you confirm the coverage before you apply for a card.
How do I choose the right travel rewards credit card?
The fact that there are so many options can be a good and a bad thing! It can be overwhelming to have so many cards to choose from, but it does mean that there’s bound to be one that fits your needs. Think about what’s important to you and what you want to use your rewards on, then choose a few cards that check those boxes. You may even want to compare different metal tiers of some cards — like a Silver Card, Gold Card, and so on. Once you have a few picked out, you can factor in any sign-up bonus and other special offers to find the best value.
Why should you use a travel rewards credit card?
Anybody can benefit from a travel rewards credit card because it allows you to earn cashback on everyday purchases in many forms. The trick is to find the card that is right for you. New cardholders might want to dip their toes into the water by starting with a card that has a $0 annual fee. If you don’t travel often, you’ll probably want to look for a card with a rewards program that can be redeemed for statement credits or dining credit.
Raise Your Credit 80 points*
- 5 star service trusted by over 450,000 members
- Have processed over $11,000,000 in bill payments for members
- No deposit, no credit check, no interest
- New member promotions available
*Potential increase based on StellarFi member data. StellarFi numbers observed an average of 80 points VantageScore® 3.0 increase during a member’s lifetime. Score increase based on members with an incoming score range of 300-499 pts, who made regular on-time payments, with regular on-time payments. Results may vary.
The bottom line
If you’re a frequent flyer, you can benefit from these cards even more. Airline credit cards can be immensely beneficial for those who tend to stick to one airline because they can help you earn miles, free checked bags, airport lounge access, and more. If you anticipate doing some international travel, a card that partners with worldwide loyalty programs can help you out.
The only reason not to use a travel rewards credit card is if you don’t like to use credit cards at all.
Whether you’re looking for a card to use casually to keep your credit history strong or a frequent traveler wanting to earn miles, there’s something out there for you. You just need to sift through them all to find the right one!
Travel rewards cards can offer a variety of benefits. Some allow you to earn points that can be redeemed as statement credits or gift cards. Others allow you to earn miles to put toward airfare on certain airlines. As long as you find a card that can benefit you, there’s no reason not to choose a travel rewards credit card the next time you want to add a line of credit.
Joy Wallet is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor, financial advisor, loan broker, insurance producer, or insurance broker. Its articles, interactive tools and other content are provided to you for free, as self-help tools and for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide investment advice. Joy Wallet does not and cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information in regard to your individual circumstances. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific investment issues. Featured estimates are based on past market performance, and past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.
Our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market. We are compensated by our partners, which may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on our site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice. Our editorials are grounded on independent research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services.
We value your privacy. We work with trusted partners to provide relevant advertising based on information about your use of Joy Wallet’s and third-party websites and applications. This includes, but is not limited to, sharing information about your web browsing activities with Meta (Facebook) and Google. All of the web browsing information that is shared is anonymized. To learn more, click on our Privacy Policy link.
Images appearing across JoyWallet are courtesy of shutterstock.com.
Writer
Ashley Hart is a lead copywriter and digital marketing expert covering finance, law, real estate, music, entertainment, health and wellness.
Share this article
