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$500 Travel Savings Card

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Best travel credit cards of April 2024

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Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, credit monitoring and identity theft analysis on NextAdvisor.com, he joined the CreditCards.com and Bankrate teams as a staff writer to develop product reviews and comprehensive credit card guides focused on cash back, credit scores and card offers.

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Nouri Zarrugh is a writer and editor for CreditCards.com and Bankrate,  focusing on product news, guides and reviews. His areas of expertise include credit card strategy, rewards programs, point valuation and credit scores, and his stories on building credit have been cited by Mic.com, LifeHacker, People.com and more. Through his thorough card reviews and product comparisons, Nouri strives to demystify personal finance topics and credit card terms and conditions to help readers save money and protect their credit score.

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Stephanie Zito is a professional traveler, self-employed humanitarian consultant and collector of credit card points. She shares savvy travel tips that she’s learned firsthand circling the globe for more than 25 years. She’s a backpacker, expect and premium traveler who’s visited more than 130 countries and all seven continents. Her life motto is “See the world, change the world, have fun doing it!” and her mission is to inspire others along the journey.

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Travel credit cards help you earn valuable points and miles on your purchases. For maximum value, some cards earn rewards not only on travel, but also everyday purchases like dining, groceries and gas. You can redeem these rewards for free or discounted flights, hotel stays or to cover other travel-related expenses.

The best travel cards also come with additional features. Even no-annual-fee travel cards are likely to offer perks like sign-up bonuses, intro APR offers and travel insurance. But for top-of-the-line benefits like airport lounge access, elite status and travel credits, expect to pay an annual fee.

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Bankrate's Best Travel Credit Cards of April 2024

• Best starter travel card:  Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Best for flat-rate rewards:  Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Best for luxury travel:  The Platinum Card® from American Express
• Best for foodies:  American Express® Gold Card
• Best for no annual fee:  Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card  ( See Rates & Fees )
• Best for intro APR: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
• Best for everyday spending: Citi Premier® Card
• Best for practical perks: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Best for companion tickets:  Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Best for pairing: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Best no-annual-fee hotel card:  Hilton Honors American Express Card
• Best luxury hotel card:  Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
• Best for fair credit:  Credit One Bank Wander® Card
• Best for first-year value: Discover it® Miles
• Best for gas: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
• Best starter airline card: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
• Best for transfer partners: Bilt Mastercard®
• Best for expedited security screening: Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
• Best for point values: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• What to know about travel credit cards
• Tips for choosing the best travel card

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How do credit card points and miles work.

• Expert advice on travel cards

How we assess the best travel credit cards

• Frequently asked questions
• Ask the experts

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards.

Intro offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Offer valuation

We calculate this number by multiplying the card's intro offer by Bankrate's valuation of this issuer's rewards program , showing you how much your points or miles are worth in dollars.

Rewards rate

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.

Regular APR

• 5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
• 3x 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
• 2x 2x on all other travel purchases.
• 1x 1x on all other purchases.

What we love: This popular card comes loaded with features that can make it easy even for occasional travelers to offset the modest $95 annual fee without eating into hard-earned rewards. Plus, its rewards program is one of the best, giving you some of the most valuable travel redemptions — through both Chase and transfer partners — and Chase card pairing opportunities if you want to build your card portfolio eventually. Learn more: Why expert Margaret Weck loves using the Chase Sapphire Preferred Alternatives: The Citi Premier® Card not only has a comparable sign-up bonus and the same annual fee as the Sapphire Preferred, but also covers even more everyday categories, including  supermarkets and gas stations, potentially making it a better fit as a standalone rewards card. 

• You earn Ultimate Rewards points with this card — some of the most valuable and flexible rewards around, especially if you pair it with Chase’s cash back cards in the future.
• The card touts significant long-term benefits like anniversary bonus points and travel credits, as well as travel protections like trip cancellation insurance and a car rental collision damage waiver.
• Doesn’t offer airline- or hotel-specific perks like free checked bags, elite status or free night stays.
• The sign-up bonus is decent, but the card has previously offered higher, chart-topping bonus points.
• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
• 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.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
• Member FDIC

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

New Venture cardholders can earn 75,000 miles once they spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

2 Miles - 5 Miles

5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day

• 5 Miles 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2 Miles 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day

What we love: It’s a great option for travelers looking for a straightforward rewards program and flexible redemption options. You'll earn unlimited miles on all eligible spending and can redeem not only for travel bookings, but also as a statement credit to cover travel purchases made in the past 90 days. Learn more: Why expert Jacqueline DeMarco loves the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Alternatives: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers a higher rewards rate in some everyday spending categories and potentially more valuable points. Chase points are worth 1.25 cents each if you redeem for travel through Chase, while Capital One miles are only worth 1 cent each when you redeem for travel. Plus, Chase rewards are more helpful for occasional travelers since you can redeem as cash back at 1-cent-per-point value.

• Carries solid perks given its low annual fee, including expedited airport purchase security and hotel experience credits, lost luggage reimbursement and more.
• Zero foreign transaction fees make this an excellent choice for international travelers.
• You can’t offset the annual fee with annual travel credits or bonuses alone as you can with some rival cards.
• The card’s sign-up bonus carries a high spending requirement, so it may be tough to earn if you don’t have large purchases on the horizon.
• Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
• Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

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. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.

• 5X 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.
• 5X Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.

What we love: Luxury travelers and big spenders will appreciate the bevy of travel benefits, including annual statement credits worth around $1,700, elite hotel loyalty status and access to perhaps the most comprehensive airport lounge access available with a credit card. Learn more: Why expert Holly Johnson loves the Platinum Card® from American Express Alternatives: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers a taste of luxury at a lower cost than many premium travel cards. You can unlock a generous rewards rate on both travel and general purchases, complimentary access to popular airport lounge memberships and valuable annual travel credits and anniversary miles.

• Comes with a generous welcome offer and a longer time period to earn it compared to most rewards cards.
• A robust line-up of airline and hotel partners and related perks make this card truly valuable for travelers.
• The $695 annual fee may not be worth it if you don’t spend much on travel frequently or can’t take full advantage of the card’s luxury — and often niche — perks.
• Redeeming and maximizing the card’s credit and benefits requires some legwork and can be a bit confusing.
• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
• 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.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
• $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
• $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
• $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

American Express® Gold Card

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.

• 4X Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• 4X Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
• 3X Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.

What we love: Few credit cards are more rewarding for traveling foodies than the American Express Gold Card. Both the food-related annual credits and the rewards rates at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and on flights booked directly with airlines or via the Amex travel portal are some of the best on the market. In fact, the up to $240 in credits each year alone nearly make up for the annual fee. Learn more: Why the Amex Gold is worth the annual fee Alternatives: If the Amex Gold Card’s annual fee sounds high, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card . It carries key travel perks, high travel and dining rewards rates, and a much lower annual fee.

• This card features one of the best rewards return rates available on dining, groceries and food deliveries.
• There is no preset spending limit, so you can enjoy extended purchasing power, and you also have the option to pay off purchases with Pay Over Time if necessary.
• Although the card touts a solid collection of travel perks, it doesn’t include popular premium card perks like airport lounge access or trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
• Only eligible airfare earns more than 1X points, while rival cards often earn similar (or higher) reward rates on hotel stays and other travel purchases as well.
• Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
• Get a $100 experience credit with a minimum two-night stay when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel. Experience credit varies by property.
• Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $250.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

• 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 - 5 Miles

5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day

• 1.25 Miles 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day

What we love: This card offers some of the same advantages as the Capital One Venture, without the burden of an annual fee. It gives you the chance to earn flat-rate miles on your everyday spending and the option to transfer miles to over 15 loyalty program partners to even cover travel purchases outside Capital One — a unique level of redemption flexibility for a starter travel card. Learn more: Reasons to get the VentureOne Rewards Card Alternatives: A general-purpose flat-rate credit card that offers 2X points or 2 percent cash back on all purchases may bring more value if you don’t travel often and aren’t ready to upgrade to a travel rewards credit card with an annual fee. However, the Discover it® Miles earns a flat-rate 1.5X miles that can also be redeemed for cash back at 1-cent per mile, which is unusual for travel rewards.

• The welcome offer is generous for a no-annual-fee travel credit card.
• Booking hotel stays and rental cars through Capital One Travel nets you an impressive 5X miles.
• Unlike several no-annual-fee travel cards, redeeming for non-travel purchases waters down your rewards’ value.
• Capital One has no major U.S. carrier in its line-up of travel partners.
• $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
• Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
• Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

• 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.
• Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
• 1.5X Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

What we love: This entry-level travel card keeps things simple for occasional travelers. It offers simple flat-rate rewards and lets you redeem for a broad mix of travel options not typically available on many travel cards, such as cash back toward purchases with travel agencies,  zoos, art galleries and more. It’s even more valuable if you’re a Bank of America customer and can qualify for a rewards boost through the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program. Learn more: Is the Bank of America Travel Rewards card worth it? Alternatives: The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is another great starter travel card, but, unlike many cards in this category, it lets you transfer your miles to airline and hotel partners, potentially for a higher redemption value.

• Its easy-to-earn sign-up bonus and intro APR offers give this card good short-term value.
• No annual fees or foreign transaction fees sweeten this offer.
• It only offers 1.5X points on purchases, and you can’t transfer points can’t to airline partners for more rewards value, so it may not be as lucrative as competing cards.
• The top tiers of the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program may be out of reach for many cardholders.
• Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
• Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
• 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.24% - 28.24% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%.
• If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.
• Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
• This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.

Citi Premier® Card

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening

Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases

• 3X Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
• 3X Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
• 1X Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases

What we love: This mid-level travel card packs a high rewards rate on both travel and everyday spending, making it a great standalone rewards option for everyday spenders who want to pay an easily justifiable annual fee. In fact, the card includes an annual hotel credit that can offset the card’s annual fee on its own. Learn more: Read why travel podcaster Julia Menez loves the Citi Premier Card Alternatives: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card boasts fewer everyday bonus categories, but it may offer more valuable rewards, perks and travel protections. Chase points are worth 25 percent more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠.

• Offers some of the best rates for a variety of daily expenses like dining, groceries and gas, making the card a good option for less frequent travelers.
• Citi has a robust line-up of travel partners, making it a valuable partner alongside Citi’s cash back cards.
• Doesn’t carry some key perks that competing cards offer, like travel insurance or notable travel benefits beyond the annual hotel credit.
• Budget-conscious customers might balk at the annual fee, especially if they won’t get much use from the hotel credit.
• Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
• Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
• Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
• Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
• 60,000 ThankYou® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit 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

2 Miles - 10 Miles

10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 5 Miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day

• 10 Miles 10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 5 Miles 5 Miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel

What we love: This is the perfect middleground for travelers who want the practical benefits from luxury travel cards without dealing with bloated features and an annual fee upwards of $500. It offers complimentary lounge access, high-earning bonus rewards categories, anniversary credits and bonus miles, which can easily make the card worth it for frequent travelers. Learn more: Capital One Venture X Benefits Guide Alternatives: If a higher annual fee is no issue, consider The Platinum Card® from American Express. It’s a top choice for frequent travelers thanks to its impressive welcome offer and luxury perks like annual travel credits, lounge access and hotel elite status. However, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® may be better if your luxury travel experience calls for racking up more rewards.

• Offers anniversary bonus miles and a chance to earn credits worth hundreds of dollars starting at your first account anniversary.
• Comes with complimentary lounge access at over 1,300 lounges for you and two guests per visit.
• To earn the anniversary credit, travel must be booked through the Capital One Travel portal. That’s not as flexible as some other cards, which offer credits that cover any travel purchases, regardless of how you book.
• Lacks some perks found on other premium travel cards like airline or hotel elite status, which can get you benefits like free checked bags or room upgrades.
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Elevate every hotel stay from the Premier or Lifestyle Collections with a suite of cardholder benefits, like an experience credit, room upgrades, and more

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

• Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.

• 3X Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
• 2X Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
• 1X Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.

What we love: The annual companion certificate on Main Cabin domestic flights (taxes and fees apply) comes with this card after the first year is valuable enough to justify the annual fee even if you’re just looking for great Delta perks to make travel smoother with a partner. Plus, the companion certificate is easier to obtain than other airline cards’ since it carries no spending requirement that must be met beyond the card’s annual fee. Alternatives: The American Express® Green Card could be a great alternative since it charges a lower $150 annual fee, lets you earn and redeem rewards on travel with any eligible airline (not just Delta) and offers credits for Loungebuddy lounge access and Clear Plus. You can even transfer points to Delta at a 1:1 ratio.

• Boasts several valuable travel perks, including priority boarding, a free first checked bag and specialized annual credits for select rideshare services and reservations with Delta Stays and Resy.
• Gets you closer to Medallion Status and discounts on in-flight purchases, complimentary upgrades, and more.
• Its rewards rate on non-travel purchases is lacking — a general-purpose travel card could potentially offer better rewards value and flexibility for rewards travel outside Delta.
• No longer offers complimentary Delta Sky Club lounge access as of this year, although airport lounge access is a staple perk for premium travel cards.
• Receive a Companion Certificate on Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
• Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year and get closer to Status with MQD Headstart.
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Earn $1 Medallion® Qualification Dollar for each $20 of purchases made on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card in a calendar year and get a boost toward achieving Medallion Status for next Medallion Year.
• Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
• Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
• $120 Resy Credit: With the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Resy Credit, earn up to $10 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card.
• $120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. Enrollment Required.
• Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
• Receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive $100 back for Global Entry or up to $85 back for TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
• $350 Annual Fee.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

Offer valuation is not available for this credit card.

Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service 1.5% on all other purchases

• 5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more
• 3% 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service
• 1.5% 1.5% on all other purchases

What we love: Not only does it earn 1.5 percent cash back on general spending, but it also has a bonus cash back rate for drugstores and dining at restaurants. And if you pair it with one or two premium Chase travel cards, you could pool your rewards for better travel redemption value.  Learn more: Why I love the Chase Freedom Unlimited Alternatives: If you want to take advantage of even more rewarding cash back categories and remain in the Chase family, consider the Chase Freedom Flex℠ .

• You can pool rewards with other Chase cards to maximize your earnings.
• The additional rewards rate offer can add even more cash back to your pocket for the first year.
• The welcome offer isn’t as competitive as other cards’ offers.
• Maximizing rewards with this and other Chase cards can get complicated for people who like simple rewards programs.
• Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
• Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
• After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
• No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
• Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24%.
• No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
• Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.

Hilton Honors American Express Card

• Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 4/17/24.

Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio. Earn 5X Points per dollar on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.

• 7X Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
• 5X Earn 5X Points per dollar on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
• 3X Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.

What we love: This card earns rewards in a terrific mix of everyday bonus categories, so it should be easy to rack up Hilton points even if you don’t spend a ton on hotel bookings. Since it charges no annual fee and provides a few Hilton Honors benefits like Silver status, it’s also a great fit if you’re new to hotel cards and want a single no-annual-fee option instead of juggling multiple rewards cards. Learn more: Why expert Holly Johnson loves the Hilton Honors American Express Card Alternatives: The American Express® Green Card could be more flexible since it lets you earn and redeem rewards on a much wider variety of travel purchases, including airfare and bookings with several hotel brands, not just Hilton. You can transfer points to the Hilton Honors program as well, but the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card may be better if you prefer upgraded Hilton-specific rewards, loyalty status and other perks.

• Comes with automatic Silver Elite status, which includes a free fifth award night when you book at least four consecutive nights with points.
• Earns rewards in three of the average person’s biggest spending categories, making it a terrific standalone option for earning Hilton points.
• A higher-tier Hilton card would earn more on Hilton bookings and could be more lucrative for frequent guests, even with an annual fee.
• You can only redeem points with Hilton and its partners, which limits the rewards value you earn on the everyday categories compared to a general-purpose cards’ rewards.
• Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
• Earn 5X Points per dollar on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
• Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
• Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors™ Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
• No Annual Fee.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

• Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines 2X points on all other eligible purchases

• 6X Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
• 3X 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines
• 2X 2X points on all other eligible purchases

What we love: Frequent Marriott guests looking for luxury card-level perks and elite status should be able to justify this premium card. Along with a terrific rewards rate on Marriott bookings and an annual free night award, you could enjoy generous annual credits for restaurant purchases and Marriott property stays, airport lounge access, elite night credits and more. Learn more: Best Marriott credit cards Alternatives: If you’re looking for top-tier travel perks but want the flexibility to earn and redeem rewards for stays at any hotel chain, consider an elite travel card from Chase or Amex, which can come with generous travel benefits, airport lounge access and the ability to transfer points to Marriott. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is another lucrative alternative.

• Outperforms other Marriott cards with its boosted rewards on travel-related categories and 21X points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, thanks to the automatic Platinum Elite status.
• It’s one of the only hotel cards that includes complimentary Priority Pass lounge access, top travel protections and credits for expedited airport security screening.
• Unlocking some of the card’s best perks — like Five Suite Night Awards — requires a $60,000 annual spend, which may be tough to reach even for frequent Marriott guests.
• Unless luxury perks are at the top of your wishlist, the annual fee may not be worth it and a lower-tier hotel card may offer more value overall.
• $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
• With Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
• Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
• $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
• Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
• Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
• With Cell Phone Protection, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• $650 Annual Fee.

Credit One Bank Wander® Card

Intro offer is not available for this Credit One Bank credit card.

Earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner site Earn 5x points on eligible travel, dining, and gas Earn 1x points on all other purchases

• 10X Earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner site
• 5X Earn 5x points on eligible travel, dining, and gas
• 1X Earn 1x points on all other purchases

What we love: The Credit One Bank Wander® Card is a solid option if you want to earn points on travel but have trouble qualifying for mainstream travel cards. Not only is this card accessible with only fair credit, but its rewards program boasts generously high rewards rates in key travel categories. Learn more: Best travel cards for people with bad or fair credit Alternatives: If you don’t mind putting down a refundable security deposit, consider a no-annual-fee secured card like the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card *. It’s a unique secured card that lets you build credit while earning rewards in a category of your choice (with travel just one of many popular options) as well as grocery stores and wholesale clubs.

• It’s one of the only travel rewards cards available with a fair credit score, making it a decent option if you want to earn travel rewards as you work on your score.
• Provides 5X points in travel, dining and gas, plus 10X points on eligible hotel and rental car bookings through Credit One Bank — rare and impressive rates with only fair credit.
• Its annual fee is high compared to other cards you can get with a fair credit score , so it may not be the best fit if you prioritize building credit over earning rewards.
• Other travel cards may offer better perks, fewer redemption restrictions and more value, so it may be worth working on your score with a lower-cost card before committing to the costly annual fee.
• Earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner site
• Earn 5x points on eligible travel, dining, and gas
• Earn 1x points on all other purchases
• Redeem your reward points for statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, flights, hotels, and more
• With $0 Fraud Liability, you won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges
• Free Online Credit Score and Credit Report summary, terms apply
• If you are a Covered Borrower under the Military Lending Act, you may get a different offer
• See Rates & Fees

Discover it® Miles

• Unlimited Bonus: 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. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.

Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase.

• 1.5X Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase.

What we love: In addition to the exceptionally valuable DiscoverMatch® , this card combines solid flat-rate rewards with consumer-friendly terms, like minimal fees and an equal value for both travel and cash back redemptions. Travelers who value simplicity will appreciate this card’s straightforward rewards and adaptability — even when you aren’t traveling. Learn more: Why expert Holly Johnson loves the Discover It® Miles Alternatives: The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card carries a more straightforward and still easy-to-reach welcome bonus. The VentureOne card also gives you the option of transferring miles to more than a dozen airline and hotel partners, which could increase the redemption value of your rewards.

• All miles earned in your first year will be matched at the end of the year, which could make it one of the most valuable first-year offers for no annual fee.
• Miles don’t lose value when they’re redeemed for cash back, which gives it a leg up over many travel rewards programs for occasional travelers.
• You’ll miss out on pretty standard travel perks like travel insurance, and car rental damage protection.
• The rewards structure lacks flexibility; you won’t be able to transfer your miles or use them to book travel.
• Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
• No annual fee
• Turn Miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more.
• 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.24% - 28.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
• Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
• Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
• Terms and conditions apply.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ 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. Earn 1X points on other purchases

• 3X Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans.
• 1X Earn 1X points on other purchases

What we love: The Wells Fargo Autograph card is a great option for occasional travelers and households on the go looking to earn rewards while avoiding an annual fee and reduced redemption value for cash rewards. It’s one of a few entry-level travel cards to offer high, year-round bonus rewards for gas, dining, transit and other key travel needs. Learn more: Is the Wells Fargo Autograph worth it? Alternatives: If you’re looking for ways to maximize the value of your rewards, you should consider a travel card that lets you transfer your points to airlines or hotels, like the Bilt Mastercard® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

• While some issuers only reward travel purchases made directly with airlines or through issuer portals, this card lets you shop around for the best deal on third-party travel sites and still earn extra rewards.
• Carries decent perks such as rental car collision damage waiver coverage, roadside assistance and Visa Signature® Concierge benefits, like access to Visa’s Luxury Hotel Collection (terms apply).
• Unlike with traditional travel cards, you cannot transfer your points to airlines or hotels
• The travel perks and intro APR are weak compared to competing travel-oriented cards’ offers.
• Select "Apply Now" to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
• Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
• $0 annual fee.
• 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR thereafter.
• Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
• Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.
• Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

• Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

• 2X Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases.
• 2X Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
• 2X Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
• 2X Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
• 1X Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

What we love: This card’s anniversary bonus offers enough value to nearly offset the annual fee on its own, so it should be a terrific low-stakes option whether you’re new to airline cards or a regular Southwest flyer looking for a low-maintenance card. Plus, its sign-up bonus value is on par with the value you’ll get with much pricier airline and travel cards. Learn more: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus benefits guide Alternatives: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card could offer better value overall, despite its $149 annual fee. It carries an annual $75 Southwest travel credit and 7,500 bonus points each year on your account anniversary — more than enough value to justify the higher fee.

• You’ll automatically earn 3,000 Rapid Rewards points each year after your account anniversary, which could offset much of the card’s already-low annual fee.
• Delivers the same hefty sign-up bonus as higher-tier Southwest cards.
• Unlike several travel cards, it doesn’t carry rewards categories for popular everyday purchases like gas or dining.
• It may not be the best Southwest value for frequent flyers since it poses a 3 percent foreign transaction fee and doesn’t offer perks like upgraded boardings or elite status benefits.
• 3,000 anniversary points each year.
• Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases.
• Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
• Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
• 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

Bilt Mastercard®

Intro offer is not available for this Wells Fargo credit card.

1X Points - 3X Points

3x points on dining 2x points on travel 1x points on other purchases Earn up to 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year. When you make at least 5 posted transactions in a statement period using your Bilt Mastercard, you'll earn points on rent and qualifying net purchases.

• 3X Points 3x points on dining
• 2X Points 2x points on travel
• 1X Points 1x points on other purchases
• 1X Points Earn up to 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year. When you make at least 5 posted transactions in a statement period using your Bilt Mastercard, you'll earn points on rent and qualifying net purchases.

What we love: Not only is this card is a terrific choice for renters since it earns rewards and waives transaction fees when using it to pay rent, it’s also great for rewards strategists considering the extremely robust travel rewards program. You can earn rewards on travel and dining and your points carry a high value whether you redeem through the Bilt travel portal or one of the many airline and hotel transfer partners. Alternatives: If you like the Bilt card’s travel rewards program but don’t see yourself renting long term, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It earns generously on both travel and dining and also boasts high-value points and transfer partners. If the way you pay rent doesn’t incur credit card payment fees, a flat-rate card may also be worth weighing. 

• It’s the only card that helps you avoid the fees typically associated with paying rent with a credit card.
• Offers a solid collection of travel perks for a no-annual-fee card, including trip cancellation and interruption protection, trip delay reimbursement and other high-level travel protections.
• You can only use rewards to cover rent, toward a future home down payment or for travel and shopping. Cash back isn’t an option.
• There is no sign-up bonus. Most competing travel cards — even those with no annual fee — offer at least a $200 bonus.
• $0 Annual Fee.
• Earn up to 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year.
• 2x points on travel.
• 3x points on dining.
• 1x points on other purchases.
• Earn points when you make 5 transactions that post each statement period.
• When renting at a Bilt Alliance property, you can choose to have your rent payments automatically reported by Bilt to the three major credit bureaus each month; Experian™, TransUnion™, and Equifax™.

Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card

• Receive 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.

Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases. Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

• 2X Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases.
• 1.5X Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

What we love: If you do your banking with Bank of America and qualify for Preferred Rewards status, this card could provide an exclusive 25 percent to 75 percent rewards rate boost. The  rewards rates — 2X points on dining and travel, with 1.5X points on all other purchases — could increase to an incredible 3.5X on travel and dining with an unrivaled flat 2.62X points rate. Learn more: Why expert Sara Coleman loves the Bank of America Premium Rewards Card Alternatives: The similarly-priced Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best alternatives thanks to its stellar travel protections, yearly bonus rewards and stronger rewards program. However, flat-rate cards like the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card or the Discover it® Miles card could be lucrative if you don’t think the $95 annual fee is worth it.

• The $95 annual fee is relatively affordable for this card category thanks to the up to $100 in yearly airline incidental statement credits.
• You can smooth out your travel experience with great benefits like credits toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and comprehensive travel insurance.
• Attaining the highest rewards rate is not an easy feat, since you’ll need to hold significant funds in Bank of America accounts.
• This card does not offer a few popular premium travel perks like lounge access.
• Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. No limit to the points you can earn and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
• If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means you could earn 2.5-3.5 points on travel and dining purchases and 1.87-2.62 points on all other purchases, for every $1 you spend.
• Redeem for cash back as a statement credit, deposit into eligible Bank of America® accounts, credit to eligible Merrill® accounts, or gift cards or purchases at the Bank of America Travel Center.
• Get up to $100 in Airline Incidental Statement Credits annually and TSA PreCheck®/Global Entry Statement Credits of up to $100, every four years.
• Travel Insurance protections to assist with trip delays, cancellations and interruptions, baggage delays and lost luggage.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Low $95 annual fee.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Earn 60,000 bonus points 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℠.

Earn 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠. Earn 5x total points on flights through Chase Travel℠. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

• 10x Earn 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠.
• 5x Earn 5x total points on flights through Chase Travel℠.
• 3x Earn 3x points on other travel and dining.
• 1x Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

What we love: Rewards-savvy travelers will be hard-pressed to find a card with better rewards potential than the Sapphire Reserve. Points are worth 50 percent more through Chase Travel, and potentially more with the right transfer partner. It’s a stellar partner for Chase’s cash back cards and stacks on even more value with enough perks to recoup the annual fee without relying on hard-earned rewards. Learn more: Why expert Holly Johnson loves the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Alternatives: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers some of the same key perks as the Sapphire Reserve at a much lower cost. Along with a generous rewards rate on both Capital One Travel and general purchases, the card boasts valuable, practical benefits like competitive airport lounge access , up to $300 in annual Capital One Travel credits and 10,000 bonus miles every year on your account anniversary.

• You can kickstart your rewards bank with one of the most valuable sign-up bonuses on the market.
• Its top-tier benefits include up to $300 in annual travel statement credits, Priority Pass airport lounge access, exhaustive travel protections and stand-out partner perks.
• The card’s cost could be a deterrent for some new cardholders, especially if they plan on encountering adding multiple authorized users.
• You won’t get as many luxury hotel and airport lounge perks with this card as you would with some of its rivals.
• Earn 60,000 bonus points 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℠.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• 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
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more

Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit  AmericanExpress.com/benefitsguide  for more details. Underwritten by Amex assurance company.

The information about the American Express® Green Card and Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuers.

Compare Bankrate's best travel credit cards of 2024

What are travel credit cards.

Travel credit cards allow cardholders to earn points or miles on a variety of purchases (typically travel-related), which are redeemable for travel bookings, statement credits, gift cards and more.

The best travel credit cards do more than help you foot the bill for your next flight — travel cards also offer perks to upgrade your entire travel experience. Trip insurance , annual travel credits, concierge services and lounge access are all common benefits. Airline and hotel co-branded credit cards sometimes offer specific discounts and perks for loyalty program members.

Pros and cons of travel credit cards

Although a well-chosen travel card can pay huge dividends, it might not be the right move for every traveler. Before you apply, take time to weigh the benefits versus the drawbacks of travel credit cards .

Tips on choosing the best travel credit card for you

The right travel credit card for you will carry features and benefits that give you the best value. To help you narrow down your choices, here are the steps to choosing the best travel card.

How to choose a travel credit card

1. know how you prefer to travel.

Knowing whether your travel expenses lean toward airfare, hotel stays or a mix of other travel will help you decide whether you should get an airline card, hotel card or general-purpose travel card. A co-branded airline or hotel credit card may be a good fit if you mostly travel with a certain brand and want exclusive privileges to enhance your experience. A general-purpose travel card is better if you prefer to keep your travel options open.

2. Prioritize redemption value

You may have to pick between simplicity and maximum value when comparing cards and rewards programs. Many travel cards offer a standard point or mile redemption value of 1 cent when you redeem toward travel through the issuer portal, but some cards can get you a higher redemption value when you transfer rewards to airline or hotel partners. However, it's common for many travel reward programs to reduce the redemption value toward non-travel options or limit these redemption options altogether. If you prefer simplicity over maximizing rewards, you may want to consider cards that allow you to redeem points or miles at an equal 1-cent value toward general travel purchase credits, cash back or other non-travel options.

3. Match your card to your spending habits

Take a look at your typical spending and find which travel categories and non-travel categories you spend the most in to help you choose a card that offers a high rewards rate for your regular spending. Just make sure you factor in rewards spending caps.

4. Note what's worth the extra money

High rewards rates and valuable travel perks are the biggest reasons to get a travel card, but many of the best cards carry a high annual fee. You could stick with a no-annual-fee travel card (or at least one with around a $99 fee) if you're mainly focused on earning rewards, but you may have to pay up to $500 or more for luxurious perks like airport lounge access, comprehensive travel insurance and hundreds of dollars in annual travel credits .

5. Look toward your next trip abroad

If you travel overseas, check to see if the card you're considering charges a foreign transaction fee. And since some credit cards aren't as widely accepted as others, you'll also want to make sure your credit card will work when traveling overseas . For example, merchants may not accept Discover and American Express cards as widely as Visa and Mastercard. If a trip is coming up in the next three to six months, keep an eye out for the big sign-up bonuses travel cards are known for. As a rule of thumb, the higher the annual fee, the higher the sign-up bonus should be.

Co-branded travel cards vs. general travel cards

Experts typically divide travel credit cards into two categories: co-branded travel cards and general travel cards. Co-branded cards are linked to a particular airline or hotel, while general travel cards offer more flexible reward opportunities. Here’s why and when you might want one or the other.

• Co-branded cards
• General travel cards

Co-branded travel cards tend to offer higher rewards rates on eligible travel purchases in exchange for limiting your reward redemption options to just one airline or hotel program . These cards may also feature more specific perks associated with the respective hotel or airline, such as free award nights, complimentary airline elite status or priority boarding — which general-purpose travel cards don’t often carry).

However, you won’t be able to use your rewards with a wide variety of different hotels and airlines like general-purpose cards allow. Plus, despite co-branded travel cards’ typically higher rewards rates, many brand-specific rewards tend to be worth less than the potential value of general-purpose cards’ points and miles.

When to get a co-branded travel card : When you often fly or stay with a specific airline or hotel and want to maximize your benefits with that brand.

General travel cards earn rewards on various travel categories and aren’t limited to a particular airline or hotel. Such cards may lack some of the dedicated perks you’ll find on a co-branded travel card, such as in-flight discounts, but make up for it with rewards flexibility and broader perks like general travel credits, expedited security screening and wider airport lounge access. 

The top travel cards even let you transfer your points or miles to airline and hotel loyalty programs, often at a 1:1 rate. Redeeming with some airlines and hotels can even make your rewards more valuable than they would be if you redeemed with the card issuer.

When to get a general travel card : When you have no preferred airline or hotel and want the additional flexibility a general travel card offers. 

Who should get a travel credit card?

A travel credit card is almost always worth it for frequent travelers or anyone who wants to earn rewards toward their next vacation.

If you can save up airline miles, rack up points for free nights at hotels or get discounted travel through your credit card issuer, you’re on your way to significant travel savings. However, the right travel card for you will depend on your travel habits.

Frequent travelers

Naturally, the ideal candidate for a travel card is someone who travels a lot or plans to book several flights and hotel stays per year. However, in some cases, you don’t have to be a frequent traveler to reap the benefits of a travel rewards card. A number of cards offer good rewards rates on general purchases.

Travel beginners

If you’re new to travel rewards, a good place to start is with a travel card that makes it easy to earn and redeem points, without requiring you to navigate a complex rewards program or worry about tiered rewards rates or varying point redemption values. 

Brand loyalists

If you tend to book travel with the same brands frequently or already belong to an airline or hotel loyalty program, a co-branded travel card can offer terrific value.  Airline- and hotel-specific rewards cards often earn a top rate on bookings with the brand as well as exclusive perks like lounge access and automatic elite status. 

Business travelers

Some of the most valuable travel credit cards are business cards . Whether you're a freelancer on the go or the CEO of a Fortune 500, the right travel credit card can help you earn high rewards rates on everyday business purchases. 

International travelers

If you frequently travel abroad, a card with no foreign transaction fees is a great way to help you avoid extra costs on overseas purchases. Plus, if you hate waiting in line at airport security or customs, a lot of travel cards offer statement credits to reimburse you for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees.

Luxury travelers

Luxury travel cards often charge a pretty penny but also offer a ton of value via perks like lounge access and annual travel credits. These perks not only make travel more comfortable, but also often carry enough value to offset the card’s cost on their own.

Still unsure if a travel credit card is right for you? Check out our Credit Card Spender Type Tool where you can get personalized credit card recommendations based on your credit score, spending habits and daily needs.

Here’s how a Bankrate editor chose his travel card

Here’s how a bankrate editor chose his travel card.

With all of this advice in mind, let’s see how a credit card expert made their pick. Here’s Bankrate editor Nouri Zarrugh on how he chose his travel card:

When it comes to earning rewards, I’ve always stuck with cash back cards, preferring the simplicity of knowing exactly how much my rewards are worth and the ease of redeeming for statement credits. Recently, though, I decided I wanted to travel a bit more frequently, and I figured a new travel rewards card could be a great tool to help me earn free trips. When choosing the right card for me, a few major points of consideration stood out: Cost: I didn’t feel like I traveled enough to justify a huge annual fee. Simplicity : I wanted to stick with a single, streamlined travel card and not worry about juggling multiple rewards programs or rewards rates. Perks : While I didn’t need anything too fancy, I thought it might be nice to have a perk like TSA Precheck included, since I hate waiting in long airport security lines. To my surprise, the card that stood out most was the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Though it carried an intimidating annual fee of $395 ( See Rates & Fees ), I found this cost was more than worth it once I dug into the details. In fact, its benefits were so valuable, I barely needed to worry about offsetting the cost.  Two of its annual perks — a $300 Capital One travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles every year on my account anniversary — are valuable enough to offset the fee on their own. This means as long as I take one flight a year, I can basically break even on the card. Any rewards or perks I get beyond that feel like pure upside. It’s a huge bonus, then, that the card also includes practical benefits like Priority Pass lounge access and a credit of up to $100 toward the cost of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. While I’ve never frequented airport lounges, I see these privileges as essentially free considering the value of the annual travel credit and bonus miles. So, I figure, why not take advantage?  For me, the Venture X strikes the perfect balance: A flat rewards rate that makes it easy to earn miles on everything I buy; flexible redemption through Capital One or via transfer to airlines and hotels, and practical perks I know I’ll use when I travel. I never imagined I’d have a $395 travel card in my wallet, but for me, it’s at worst a coupon for a flight every year, which can nudge me to take that next trip. — Nouri Zarrugh, Editor, Bankrate

Travel benefits may differ from card to card, but some of the most popular travel cards available often feature a few key perks. 

Travel insurance

Travel cards may offer various travel insurances , such as trip delay protection, trip cancellation insurance, lost baggage insurance or car rental insurance. These benefits aren’t worth anything until you need them, but you’ll be glad you have them when your flight is canceled or your luggage gets lost.

Travel credits

Credits toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry are a popular and common benefit on many travel cards. You can typically use this credit once every four years, which roughly corresponds to how long a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership lasts. Some cards may also provide an annual credit toward Clear Plus — another expedited security membership. Higher-end travel cards often offer annual statement credits toward travel purchases, and many of these credits nearly offset these cards’ annual fees. 

In-flight perks

Co-branded airline cards typically offer some airport and in-flight benefits on top of their reward-earning capabilities. These can include discounts on in-flight purchases (usually 25 percent back on refreshments and WiFi), free checked bags, flight seating upgrades or priority boarding. 

Free hotel award nights

Co-branded hotel cards may include free hotel award nights annually as part of their benefits. Some cards also add an extra complimentary awards night to your stay if you’ve booked a certain number of consecutive nights. These nights are typically capped at a certain value (sometimes based on the card or your elite status), and may be valuable enough to make up for some cards’ annual fees.

Airport lounge access

One of the most popular (and valuable) travel benefits featured on high-end and luxury travel cards is complimentary access to airport lounges. The lounges you gain access to depend on the card, though co-branded cards will often grant access to the lounge corresponding to the card’s airline. The Amex Platinum card currently offers the best airport lounge access .

Credit card points and miles are two of the key types of credit card rewards , along with cash back. You’ll earn points and miles by making purchases with your credit card, but you can typically redeem these rewards for travel, gift cards and more — not just statement credits.

Points and miles tend to be more flexible than cash back, but since their value depends on how you redeem them — and, in the case of travel redemptions, where you’re going, when you book, your fare class and more — it may take a bit more effort to make the most of them.

What are your points and miles worth?

Since many airlines and hotels use dynamic pricing models that continually optimize airfare and room prices, it can be hard to know exactly how much your rewards are worth without doing a little math.

Luckily, you don’t need to be a travel hacker to get a sense of this idea. Before you redeem, you can check your reward redemption value by dividing the cost of a plane or hotel booking in cash by its cost in points or miles. This calculation will result in the cash value of your points or miles.

You can also compare this value to Bankrate’s latest points and miles valuations to determine if you’re getting a good deal on your redemptions. Bankrate collected data on hundreds of bookings across dozens of airline, hotel and credit card rewards programs and estimated how much each program’s rewards are worth on average .

• Airline rewards values
• Hotel rewards values
• Credit card program rewards values

The table below shows Bankrate’s estimated reward redemption value for a variety of popular airline loyalty programs. You’ll notice how widely the value varies between airlines, with some offering close to 3 cents per point in average redemption value and others struggling to meet a 1-cent-per-point value.

Keep in mind, however, that these values are averages based on a variety of fare classes, destinations, booking periods and more. For example, while Bankrate estimates Delta SkyMiles carry an average redemption value of around 1.2 cents per mile, they could be worth more or less depending on the details of your booking. 

*Based on weighted average of median point/mile values across economy and first/business class fares.

Like airline miles, hotel points fluctuate in value. The table below shows Bankrate’s estimated point values for some of the most popular hotel brands. 

As you can see, hotel points tend to be worth less than airline and credit card rewards on average, often carrying less than 1 cent per point in redemption value. That said, hotel loyalty programs sometimes offer more favorable exchange rates when you transfer rewards from a credit card rewards program. For example, you may be able to turn 1,000 credit card points into 2,000 hotel points (a 2:1 transfer ratio). 

*Based on median point values across budget, mid-tier and luxury hotel bookings.

Unlike hotel and airline rewards programs, credit card reward programs typically earn points or miles that offer a consistent redemption value when you use them with the issuer. Though the redemption value of your rewards may vary based on how you redeem, each redemption method should offer a consistent baseline value. 

Some credit card rewards programs may also allow you to transfer your points or miles to airline and hotel loyalty programs, which could boost their value considerably. For each major credit card rewards program, we estimate a baseline redemption value (assuming you book for travel with the issuer) and a Bankrate’s Value, which averages the program’s best-value transfer partners.

*Based on an average of the issuer’s five highest-value transfer partners (if available).

When to use rewards vs. cash

To demonstrate when it’s best to use your reward miles versus paying in cash, we set up this example:

We estimate American Airlines AAdvantage miles are worth 1.0 cents. If you book a seat in the main cabin on a one-way flight from Boston to Miami, and it costs either $139 or 21,500 miles, your miles are only worth $0.006 ($139 / 21,500 miles = $0.006). Since your miles for this flight are worth less than 1.0 cents, you may want to save your miles and pay cash for this flight.

But if you book a first-class seat on the same flight for $433 or 31,500 miles, your miles are now worth $0.013 ($433 / 31,500 = $0.013). Since 1.3 cents is higher than our latest valuation, you’re coming out ahead if you use your miles to pay for this flight.

Bankrate experts share their advice on using travel credit cards

It’s important to know how to maximize your rewards and perks. Otherwise, a travel card could end up being a money pit. Here are a few pointers from our experts for making the most of your travel card: 

Combine cards to maximize rewards

Knowing how much you spend in different categories and which merchants are eligible for rewards will help you earn more and build an optimized stack of rewards cards. A flat-rate card is often a great starting point to earn the same rate on every purchase you make. As you build out a rewards strategy, you can incorporate a card with bonus categories to earn even more in your highest spending areas.

Expert Insight:

“For a long time, I’ve used a combination of Chase credit cards known as the Chase trifecta for all my family’s spending…. [I] don’t typically use my Sapphire Reserve for everyday spending and bills. Since it only offers 1X points on non-bonus category spending, I use my Freedom Unlimited to make sure I earn a minimum of 1.5 percent cash back on everything I buy.” “I use each card strategically to earn as much in rewards as possible, then I pool them in my Sapphire Reserve account to redeem them for airfare, excursions, hotels and more.” — Holly D. Johnson — Award-winning personal finance writer and Bankrate contributor: Why I love the Chase Sapphire Reserve

Maximize your rewards value with transfer partners and issuer travel

Save your rewards for the most valuable redemption options. Travel points and miles often lose value toward non-travel options like cash back, so you’ll want to redeem your rewards for travel through the issuer portal for at least 1 cent per point or mile. However, transferring your rewards to the right airline or hotel partner program is usually worth the extra effort since it could net you even more value.

Expert Insight

“When I redeem my points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, the most I can get is 1.25 cents apiece, which is pretty good. However, if I transfer them to a partner airline’s loyalty program, I will often get much more. For example, I can transfer my points to United Airlines MileagePlus and use them to pay for flights. When I do, I generally get a value of 2 or more cents per point — in line with Bankrate estimates that Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth around 2 cents apiece on average when used with the right transfer partner.” — Margaret Wack — Personal finance expert and Bankrate contributor: Why I love the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Make the most of your travel perks

Travel benefits are one of the main reasons to get a travel card, and are often key to making up a card’s annual fee. Be sure to read the fine print to make sure you can take full advantage of these offers . For example, one card’s travel credit may apply to any travel purchase, including airfare, while another card’s may only cover costs like baggage fees or in-flight purchases. 

“This is the year to take inventory of your credit cards and make sure they’re serving you well. If you’re paying an annual fee, look for a card with recurring benefits. Whether it’s annual award nights, waived luggage fees or elite status benefits, these perks can offset your annual fee and make your travels more pleasant … Despite putting minimal spending on my Hilton Honors Amex Aspire card, I keep renewing it every year. That’s because the card provides automatic Hilton Diamond elite status, which can easily offset the $550 annual fee. Recurring card benefits like [these] can save you a lot on travel and are worth considering when shopping for a new credit card.” — Ariana Arghandewal — Travel rewards expert and Bankrate contributor: Five benefits you need from a travel credit card

Plan for the sign-up bonus

The best travel cards come with generous welcome offers, but these bonuses may require a high spend in a short timeframe. That’s why it’s important to consider whether the spending requirement fits with your typical spending habits or whether you need to plan purchases to meet the requirement. Just be sure not to overextend yourself or take on debt you can’t pay back just to earn a bonus — interest and fees can easily eat through any value you’d get.

“Keep in mind that credit card sign-up offers change often. So if you’re interested in a particular card but not blown away by its current offer (there are some for 100,000 points or more that aren’t always worth the trouble), it could be worth your while to wait for a better one.” — Ariana Arghandewal — Travel rewards expert and Bankrate contributor: 6 ways to get bigger credit card bonuses

Look out for limited-time offers, partner perks and other benefits

Keeping an eye out for limited-time offers like extraordinarily high sign-up bonuses, perks with partner services (like rideshares or delivery services) and other reward-earning opportunities is a great way to squeeze the most value from your travel card. Issuers sometimes provide shopping and travel portals and card-linked reward programs for select purchases (like for pre-paid dining or participating merchant spending), which can help you bank extra rewards.

“Keep an eye on your email inbox and rewards portal for any limited-time promotions your issuer may be offering. Many American Express cards feature Amex Offers, which lets you access perks like statement credits for spending a certain amount on specific hotels and other retailers.  Other cards, like the Capital One Venture X, also have occasional promotional offers, such as a credit for 5 percent back on VRBO rentals.” — Lori Zaino — Travel expert and Bankrate contributor: How to maximize credit cards for cheaper accommodations this holiday season

Track your spending and rewards each account statement

Track your favorite stores’ and services’ merchant category codes (MCCs) to fine-tune your spending habits for maximum rewards. If you notice your expenses changing, this practice may also help you notice whether you need to change which rewards cards you carry.

“The first step to optimizing your spending is to take the time to collect the MCCs of stores you frequently shop at. During the process, you might find that some stores in the same chain may have different MCCs, depending on their primary inventory. Even different counters or sections in the same department store may carry different MCCs. You can use this to your advantage if you know one location near you will provide a better cash back rate than the other. These “loopholes” can provide great opportunities to reap cash back on purchases that typically wouldn’t earn rewards.” — Garrett Yarbrough — Writer and credit cards expert at Bankrate: Merchant category codes: How to earn more cash back

In the news: Save points and miles for spring and summer travel

Now that the holiday season has passed, and with it, the holiday spending, many people could be sitting on a gold mine of rewards. If you have an arsenal of earnings, you could use them to your advantage for some of the most popular travel times of the year: spring break and summer vacation. You could take the value of your points and miles even further if you transfer with the right travel partner.

Now could also be an ideal time to consider applying for a new travel card with a competitive sign-up bonus. Applying now could give you the time you need to earn the bonus before booking spring break and summer travel.

If you earned a significant amount of travel rewards during the holiday season, consider saving those points and miles for future use. And the extra rewards you could earn from a lucrative welcome offer could be the extra icing on the cake and help you save money for your next vacation .

Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email , find us on Facebook , or Tweet us @Bankrate .

When evaluating the best travel cards, we consider a mix of factors, including how cards score in our proprietary card rating system and whether cards offer features that fit the priorities of a diverse group of cardholders, from earning rewards in popular categories to scoring a large sign-up bonus or high-value perks. Whenever possible, we also feature cards that are available at various credit levels and price points. 

We analyzed over 150 of the most popular cards and scored each based on its rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more to determine whether it belonged in this month’s roundup of the best travel cards.

Here are some of the key factors that we considered:

Great rewards value

The primary criteria for a rewards-earning card’s rating is its rewards value. This includes the card’s average rewards rate, estimated annual rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value and reward redemption value.

To estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings, we first calculate its average rewards rate based on how much it earns in different bonus categories and how closely its categories align with the average person’s spending habits. In other words, we assess whether the card earns rewards at a high rate in the most popular spending categories. 

We use consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to get a reliable third-party measure of people’s spending habits. The most recent BLS data estimates average total spending in 2022 was $72,967 per consumer. We then narrow our focus to which purchases are likely to be put on a credit card and earn rewards, subtracting expenditures like housing, vehicle purchases and education. This gives us a total “chargeable” annual spend of around $25,500.  

This includes the following spending by category:

• Groceries: $5,700
• Dining out: $3,600
• Entertainment: $2,400
• Gas: $3,100
• Apparel and services: $1,900

Using this data, we assign a weighting to each of a card’s bonus categories. For example, a card’s grocery rewards rate receives a 22 percent weighting based on how much of the average person’s budget is spent on groceries.

We also estimate the redemption value of points or miles from various issuer, airline and hotel rewards programs.

This weighting and rewards valuation allows us to estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings — how many points or miles you’d earn with a given card if your spending was about average and you used the card for all of your purchases — as well as what those points are worth. We also use point valuations to determine a card’s sign-up bonus value

With these calculations complete, we assign each card a score based on how its average rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value, rewards rate and redemption value stack up against other rewards cards.

The better these values, the higher its score will be, making it more worthy of inclusion in our list and increasing its potential ranking.

Reasonable rates and fees

We also score cards based on how much it costs to keep them in your wallet or carry a balance. 

To start, each card is scored based on whether it offers an intro APR and how its ongoing APR compares to the rates available on other rewards cards. However, the latter rating only has a slight influence on the card’s score and whether the card is included in our list, since rewards card users generally try to avoid carrying a balance.

More important to both a card’s score and its inclusion in our list is how its annual fee influences its overall value. We consider a card’s annual fee in two ways — how it ranks relative to the fees you’ll find on other cards in the category and how it impacts a card’s overall rewards value. 

Cards with an annual fee will always be at a slight disadvantage in our scoring system since annual fees inherently cut into your rewards value. However, if a card offers terrific value via its ongoing rewards and perks, it can earn a high score and a spot in our list even if it carries a high annual fee. After all, the highest rewards rates and most valuable perks are often found on cards with annual fees. 

With this in mind, we rate a card based primarily on how its ongoing rewards value and ongoing perk value (such as annual credits or bonuses) stack up against those of other cards in the category when you subtract annual fees.

That said, we strive to include as many no-annual-fee options in our list as possible since many people would rather not worry about offsetting fees, even if a card carries impressive rewards and perks.

Redemption flexibility

Rewards cards may make it easy to earn a lot of points, miles or cash back, but how easy is it to use those rewards? After all, if it takes a ton of effort to redeem rewards or you can only redeem rewards in a couple of ways, a card may be more trouble than it’s worth. 

As such, we rate each card’s flexibility based on the restrictions it imposes on earning and redeeming rewards. We factor this rating into a card’s overall score and consider it when deciding on a card’s inclusion in our list. 

Flexibility factors include whether a card only allows you to earn a high rewards rate on only a small amount of spending or requires you to meet a certain earning threshold before you can redeem rewards. We also examine whether your points are worth less when you opt for some redemption options over others and whether a card gives you the flexibility to transfer rewards to travel partners.

Valuable perks

We also score each card’s set of features – its perks and benefits — against five tiers of features to provide a rating. 

We break down these tiers as follows:

• Tier 1 includes fewer features than even standard credit cards (for example, an ultra-streamlined card that offers basic utility and next to nothing in the way of ancillary benefits). 
• Tier 2 includes the benefits you’d expect on standard Visa or Mastercard credit cards, such as free access to your credit score, car rental insurance and $0 liability for fraudulent charges. 
• Tier 3 includes “prime card” or better-than-average card features like cellphone insurance, lost luggage insurance, concierge services and purchase protection. 
• Tier 4 includes luxury features such as airport lounge access, elite status with an airline or hotel and credits for expedited security screening membership programs. 
• Tier 5 includes the sort of exemplary benefits you’ll find on top-tier luxury cards, such as high-value travel credits, cardholder memberships and other unique and valuable perks.

In evaluating the best cards, we tend to favor cards that offer at least Tier 3 benefits, unless they include other unique features that could make up for less-impressive perks.

More information on travel credit cards

Frequently asked questions about travel credit cards, are travel credit cards worth it.

Travel cards can be well worth it since they often have exclusive travel perks like credits for airfare, hotel stays, expedited airport security services and more, as well as complimentary airport lounge access and airline or hotel privileges. However, many of the best travel credit cards come with annual fees. It’s important to at least offset the cost of these cards by taking advantage of the various travel perks and features included on the card. 

What credit score do you need for a travel credit card?

It’s possible to get a travel credit card with bad or fair credit, but most travel rewards cards are geared toward people with good or excellent credit (a FICO score of at least 670, or a VantageScore of at least 661).

Do travel miles or points expire?

Even though many major credit cards earn rewards that don’t expire, you may lose your points and miles if your account closes or isn’t in good standing. However, some co-branded cards’ rewards may expire if you don’t earn or redeem rewards within a certain timeframe (typically 12 to 36 months after the rewards are earned).

Check out our guide to credit card rewards expiration for a thorough breakdown of several popular issuers’ policies.

Are points or miles better on a credit card?

Whether points or miles offer better value will depend on the specific rewards program and how you redeem rewards. One airline loyalty program may earn miles that offer less than 1 cent each in average redemption value while another program’s points may offer close to 3 cents each on average. Similarly, a hotel card’s points may be worth less than half of a credit card issuer’s rewards points. Some programs offer points with only average baseline redemption value but high value when transferred to a partner airline or hotel. 

Ask the experts: Is it a good idea to have multiple travel credit cards?

Thomas Nitzsche

Stephanie Zito

Erica Sandberg

Financial Educator, Debt and Credit

Whether you should have multiple travel credit cards depends on several factors, including your brand affinity, frequency of travel and ability to pay off your cards in full each month. As a credit counselor, I see many people carrying credit card debt at high interest rates while continuing to make charges to the account for the sake of earning rewards. They lose far more than they earn each month. Having more than one travel credit card could make sense for you if you’re able to maximize your earnings by strategizing spending across each card. Just take into account annual fees and actual interest paid.

Contributor, Personal Finance

If you’re up for managing multiple cards and their benefits, then there are definitely big reward payouts to be had. But if the thought of multiple cards is overwhelming, it’s also a good strategy to have one or two more flexible cards and focus on maximizing your earnings and redemptions until it becomes second nature.

Contributor, Credit Cards

Definitely! I currently have two travel credit cards. In addition to the Chase card that I use for my United Airlines purchases, I have the Capital One Venture card for all other airlines. I earn a solid amount of miles on everything I buy with it, so it's an easy go-to for non-travel related expenses.

Article sources

We use primary sources to support our work. Bankrate’s authors, reporters and editors are subject-matter experts who thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate, timely and relevant.

Global entry: Trusted traveler enrollment program . U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed on Feb. 21, 2024

Discover International acceptance . Discover. Accessed on Feb. 21, 2024.

* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.

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Amex Gold Card perks

Rewards on everyday spending: Amex Gold earns the highest rewards on everyday restaurant and supermarket spending. Get a 4x rate on food spending at home or away — which, for many Americans , make up their highest monthly budget items.

Annual credits: The Gold Card’s annual credits for Uber and select dining are worth up to $240 in total, which almost entirely covers its $250 annual fee. If you already prefer Uber for rideshares or delivery and you spend at least $10 per month on qualifying dining purchases, you can nearly guarantee you’ll get your money’s worth with this card.

Membership Rewards: American Express’ rewards program offers a lot of redemption flexibility, but one of its biggest benefits is the large number of travel transfer partners. You can transfer points earned with your Gold Card to Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, Delta SkyMiles, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Air France KLM Flying Blue, and many more rewards programs.

Amex Gold Card potential drawbacks

High annual fee: While it’s not as high as some other cards, the $250 Amex Gold annual fee is still costly. If you don’t think you’ll get enough value from your regular spending to justify the fee, you may want to consider a lower-fee travel card, or one with no annual fee at all.

Lower earnings on travel: The Amex Gold can be great for maximizing everyday food purchases. But if you’re a frequent traveler and most of your monthly budget goes toward travel, you may prefer a card that earns its highest rewards on travel spending.

Non-travel redemptions: This card is best suited for travelers who want to redeem points for airfare through Amex or transfer points to partners. Other redemptions — including hotels and rental cars booked through American Express Travel — may not get you a full 1 cent per point redemption value.

How to decide if the American Express Gold Card is right for you

If you’re looking for a card that can help you maximize purchases today toward your future travel, the Amex Gold could be a great fit.

Before you apply, look at your budget and recent purchases. Make sure they align with both the rewards categories (namely purchases at restaurants and supermarkets) and the annual credits offered by the card. If you’d rather earn more on your travel spending (especially travel other than airfare) to put toward more travel, you may want to look elsewhere.

Another thing to consider before applying for this card is whether American Express Membership Rewards is your preferred rewards program. If you already have a credit card you like with Chase Ultimate Rewards or Capital One Travel, for example, you may not reap the full value from your Amex rewards. On the other hand, if you prefer the transfer partners and redemption options from Amex, the Gold Card can offer you a lot of value toward Membership Rewards.

Keep in mind the credit score restrictions that travel credit cards like the Amex Gold can have. Often, you’ll need at least good to excellent credit for the best chances of qualifying. If you’re still building your credit, or your credit history isn’t solid, you may want to wait to apply.

Where can you use Amex Gold?

You shouldn’t have any issue using your Amex Gold card in the U.S. — American Express cards are accepted at 99% of U.S. merchants that accept cards. American Express even offers lists of in-person and online businesses on its site , which you can use to find the places you shop most.

There are plenty of ways to use your card, too. You can insert or tap your Amex Gold in a store, connect it to a digital wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay, input your card information when checking out online, and more.

How to make an Amex Gold Card payment

Online : Log into your American Express account online or through the mobile app, then select “Make a Payment.” You can pay with a connected bank account, and choose the amount you want to pay. You can also enroll in AutoPay to make your payments automatic each month.

Mail : If you’d like to pay by mail, you can send a check or money order to the following address.

American Express

P.O. Box 96001

Los Angeles, CA

90096 – 8000

Phone : If you want to pay by phone, call 1-800-472-9297 (a 24/7 line)

Amex Gold customer service info

American Express customer service is available by phone 24/7, along with its online and mobile chat — which you can access after logging into your account.

Phone : 1-800-528-4800

American Express Gold Card login page

Alternative cards to consider

The Gold Card isn’t the only great travel card available today. These are a few more of the best credit cards for travelers:

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Amex Platinum Card also earns Membership Rewards points, but you’ll earn the most rewards on your travel spending. For a very high $695 per year, you can get 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel (up to $500,000 in spending per year), 5x points on prepaid hotels through Amex Travel, and 1x on all other purchases.

The greatest value the Platinum Card offers frequent travelers is its numerous benefits and annual credits. You’ll get everything from airport lounge access to up to a $200 annual statement credit toward qualifying hotel stays. More benefits include up to a $200 airline fee statement credit with your selected qualifying airline, up to a $240 digital entertainment statement credit (for eligible purchases; with enrollment), up to $200 Uber Cash, $189 CLEAR Plus credit, and many more (terms apply; see rates and fees ).

If you already spend money on these things, you can get more than the cost of the Platinum fee back with its added benefits.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a $95 annual fee travel card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points . You can maximize those points with a 25% redemption boost when you redeem them for travel with Chase. For example, the card’s 60,000-point welcome bonus (after you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months) is worth up to $750 toward travel.

As for ongoing rewards, you’ll earn 5x points on travel you book through Chase (there’s also a $50 annual hotel credit for stays booked through Chase Travel; the 5x rate applies for hotel stays after you max out the credit). Plus, get 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2x points on other travel; and 1x on all other purchases.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

For a similar annual fee, the $95 Venture Rewards Credit Card from Capital One offers a simple 2x miles per dollar on every purchase, plus a boosted 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

As a new cardholder, you can get 75,000 bonus miles when you spend at least $4,000 within the first 3 months. Redeem your miles toward travel purchases made with your card or for travel bookings through Capital One Travel at a rate of 1 cent per mile.

This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers.

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Travel Savings Card Reviews Analysis

Products (2)

$500 Travel Savings Card

$100 Travel Savings Card

Both cards charge the same annual fee

Chase sapphire preferred has a more lucrative welcome bonus, autograph journey offers more flexibility for earning rewards, chase sapphire preferred has more options for redeeming rewards -- for now, chase sapphire preferred wins the travel insurance faceoff, both cards offer valuable general perks, the bottom line.

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Does Wells Fargo’s New Travel Card Beat Chase Sapphire Preferred at Its Own Game?

The Autograph Journey matches Sapphire Preferred in many categories, but comes up short on redemption options. That could change soon.

Holly Johnson

Contributor

Holly Johnson is a credit card expert and writer who covers rewards and loyalty programs, budgeting, and all things personal finance. In addition to writing for publications like Bankrate, CreditCards.com, Forbes Advisor and Investopedia, Johnson owns Club Thrifty and is the co-author of "Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You'll Love."

Tiffany Connors

Tiffany Wendeln Connors is a senior editor for CNET Money with a focus on credit cards. Previously, she covered personal finance topics as a writer and editor at The Penny Hoarder. She is passionate about helping people make the best money decisions for themselves and their families. She graduated from Bowling Green State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and has been a writer and editor for publications including the New York Post, Women's Running magazine and Soap Opera Digest. When she isn't working, you can find her enjoying life in St. Petersburg, Florida, with her husband, daughter and a very needy dog.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card * is the first card from Wells Fargo to offer points that transfer to airlines and hotels . It features a welcome bonus and impressive rewards rates for travel and dining purchases, which makes it a solid option for if you regularly spend in these categories. It was available to applicants starting this week.

The Autograph Journey shares some features with one of the top rewards credit cards on the market, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card . The cards have similar welcome bonuses and annual fees, and they both have built-in travel insurance protections . They also have similar redemption options for their rewards, but they do differ in some respects.

We’ve set up a category-by-category matchup of these credit cards to see which one comes out on top as the better travel card.

Both the Autograph Journey and the Chase Sapphire Preferred have an annual fee of $95. Many other travel credit cards with points that transfer to airlines and hotels have annual fees of $395 or higher. This one ends in a tie.

These travel rewards credit cards have the same welcome bonus and the same minimum spending requirement. You can earn 60,000 points with either card after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months of account opening.

However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s bonus could be worth more than the Wells Fargo card’s. That’s because the Sapphire Preferred has a better redemption program. If you redeem the card’s bonus for travel through Chase Travel℠, you’ll get a 25% redemption bonus, which would push the value of the bonus to $750 – more than the $600 you’d see from the Wells Fargo card.

Here’s where things get interesting. While both credit cards offer the same rewards rate for airfare, you’ll need to book travel through Chase’s portal to get the best rate with the Sapphire Preferred.

On the other hand, Autograph Journey’s high rates still apply when you book travel directly with providers. So you can earn the two highest rewards rates on hotels and airfare, no matter which brand you’re booking with.

If you book other travel with this card, including hotels and airlines booked through online travel agents like Expedia or Priceline, you earn 3x points. You also earn 3x points on restaurants, which is a major plus.

While the rewards rates on both of these cards are exceptional, the Autograph Journey has a slight edge in this category since consumers have more options for booking travel while still earning bonus reward points.

Both of these rewards credit cards have similar redemption options, including gift cards, cash back to an eligible bank account or statement credits. They also let you transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners for added value and flexibility, and you can use points from either card to book travel through each issuer’s respective portal.

Interestingly, both cards also let you pool points with rewards cards that earn other rewards currencies. For example, you can pool rewards earned with Chase cash-back credit cards into your Chase Sapphire Preferred account for premium travel redemptions. You can also pool points earned with the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card account in your Autograph Journey account.

Still, the Chase Sapphire Preferred easily beats the competition in this category. Cardholders get 25% more value from their points when they use them to book travel -- airfare, hotels, rental cars or other travel expenses -- through Chase Travel℠. Outside of that, the Chase Ultimate Rewards program has what is arguably the best selection of transfer partners across all credit card rewards programs. There are also more transfer partners to choose from compared to Wells Fargo.

You can transfer points to the following Chase transfer partners at a 1:1 ratio:

Airline partners

• Aer Lingus, AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France (Flying Blue)
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards®
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®
• United MileagePlus®
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Hotel partners

• IHG® Rewards Club
• Marriott Bonvoy®
• World of Hyatt®

In contrast, Wells Fargo cardholders will only be able to transfer to the following partners starting on April 4, 2024:

You can transfer points to the following airline partners at a 1:1 transfer ratio:

• Avianca LifeMiles
• Aer Lingus AerClub

Choice Privileges: You can transfer points to Wells Fargo’s hotel partner at 1:2 transfer ratio.

Wells Fargo says it is just now building out its selection of airline and hotel transfer partners, and that more partners will join the program soon.

Both of these travel credit cards have a surprising number of travel insurance benefits that are automatically available. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred wins in this category because it offers primary auto rental coverage that you can use in place of your own auto insurance when you rent a car.

Auto rental coverage offered through Autograph Journey works secondary to your own insurance in the US. This means you would have to exhaust limits on your own auto insurance policy before you can use it.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred also offers a few more types of coverage than the Autograph Journey. 

Each of these rewards credit cards also offers a few other perks that make them more valuable overall. Since their other benefits are difficult to compare, this category ends in a tie as well.

With the Autograph Journey, cardholders get cell phone damage or theft protection coverage worth up to $1,000 per claim (subject to a $25 deductible) when they pay their phone bill with their credit card. This benefit can apply up to two times per 12-month period for a maximum value of $2,000 each year. Cardholders also get a $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers purchase protection against damage or theft and extended warranty coverage on eligible items that come with a manufacturer’s warranty. Cardholders also get some additional perks from DoorDash and Instacart, as well as the chance to earn bonus points on Lyft purchases through March 2025 and eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases.

Finally, cardholders with the Sapphire Preferred qualify for up to $50 in statement credits each anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel.

While it appears the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the better option, that may not be the case for long. Wells Fargo said in its press release that it is actively working on adding new transfer partners to its portfolio so that cardholders have more options in the coming year. 

Any new partners it gets could shake up the comparison of these two cards pretty quickly, especially since the Autograph Journey has great earning rates for both dining and travel.

* All information about the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.

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How to Compare Travel Credit Cards

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Regardless of whether you’re just starting to look into travel cards or already have a few under your belt, understanding how to compare travel credit cards can quickly get complicated. From cardholder benefits to annual fees, each card is unique.

So how do you know which ones you should get? Let’s take a look at the different aspects of travel cards, some of the best travel credit card perks and how to figure out which ones are right for you.

What to consider when you compare travel credit cards

Your travel credit card selection will ultimately come down to the following four factors: The size of the welcome bonus, the card's benefits and rewards, how you'll earn points and the card's overall cost (or annual fee).

Welcome offers

Banks want your business. In the highly competitive U.S. credit card market, this means they’ll need to stand out in order to attract your attention. One of the ways they do this is by offering welcome bonuses.

Welcome bonuses can vary, but they usually feature a one-time lump sum of bonus points after making enough purchases on your card in a specific amount of time. You can find offers ranging from 15,000 points all the way up to 180,000 points — but not all bonuses are created equal.

You’ll want to consider how you’re going to redeem those points well before you send in your application. Are you a frequent flyer? A co-branded airline card may be a good option for you. Do you prefer a certain hotel chain? You may want to direct your attention toward hotel cards instead. Make sure you can and will use the bonus points on offer before you sign up.

Some card issuers limit how often you can sign up for new credit cards — and even how many times you’re allowed to receive a welcome offer. Research this before applying.

Some of the best travel credit card offers out there are with credit cards that offer flexible point currencies, such as American Express Membership Rewards , Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Citi ThankYou points . The points these cards earn can transfer to a number of partners, such as airlines and hotel chains. These cards thereby give you more flexibility and ultimately help you avoid pigeonholing yourself into earning points or miles that can only be redeemed with a single loyalty program.

» Learn more: The best travel credit card welcome bonuses right now

Benefits and rewards

Another way card issuers try to differentiate themselves is by the perks they offer. You’ll find a different range of benefits based on the type of card you’re getting. No-annual-fee and mid-tier cards (those costing an annual fee of $100 or less) inherently offer fewer perks than their more expensive cousins, premium travel cards. These credit cards may cost hundreds to renew every year.

When comparing travel credit card rewards, consider how many of these benefits you can realistically maximize — let alone use. For example, several different travel credit cards come with TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credits , but you only need one membership every four years. If you already have one card that offers this credit, then target other benefits when applying for another travel rewards card.

The same can be said of cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express . As a top-tier card, you’ll enjoy complimentary elite status with hotel chains like Marriott and Hilton . Enrollment required. However, the card also comes with a $25 monthly Equinox credit that may not fit into your existing lifestyle. Terms apply.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Earning bonus points

Once you’ve earned your welcome bonus, the best way to increase your points balance is by putting purchases on the card itself. Each individual card will offer varying amounts of bonus points for different spending categories. Sometimes these are called bonus categories.

You’ll need to decide how diligent you want to be about earning points. Are you fine with switching out cards in order to maximize your bonus points? Or are you content with keeping a select few on hand and leaving some other cards' rewards on the table?

Based on what you decide, you’ll want to compare the earning structure for the travel cards you’ll own. Some, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , offer a flat 3x points on a broad category of travel-related expenses. Others, like The Platinum Card® from American Express , will give you an objectively better 5x points on airfare and hotels — but will restrict how you earn based on how you book your travel. You’ll also face an annual cap of $500,000, after which you’ll earn just 1x point per dollar.

Annual fees

Most travel credit cards aren’t free. True, there are some entry-level cards that’ll provide limited benefits and no annual fee, but the best perks are offered on cards that will cost you money.

Active duty military members can have their credit card annual fees waived by major banks such as American Express and Chase.

The question here is: How much are you willing to spend? Some of the most expensive travel credit cards will charge you upwards of $500 per year. In return, you’ll get best-in-class rewards and the ability to maximize bonus points on your spend.

If you’re not looking to lay out a lot of cash, mid-tier cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can offer similar but less extensive rewards with a much cheaper annual fee. Figure out the budget you’re comfortable spending each year and take a look at cards that fit your needs.

» Learn more: Best no annual fee travel credit cards of October 2021

If you’re looking to compare travel credit cards …

Each travel credit card is unique, and the best way to figure out which one is right for you is by comparing them. Decide what’s important to you, whether it’s a large welcome offer, the ability to earn plenty of points or a whole slew of cardholder benefits, and pick out cards that match what you’re willing to pay.

Not all cards are right for every person, but with the range of available travel credit cards on the market today, odds are you’ll find one that suits your lifestyle.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 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.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Compare the Best Bank Accounts for International Travel

Best bank accounts for international travel reviews, introduction to banking for international travel.

• Key Features
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Best Banks for International Travelers for April 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate banking products to write unbiased product reviews.

If you're an avid traveler at heart, then your bank account should reflect that. 

We looked for the best savings accounts that may help you save for travel and checking accounts that allow you to access your money with ease when you're on the road and overseas.

Top Bank Account for International Travel Benefits

Ally Savings Account

Bask Bank Mileage Savings Account

Capital One 360 Checking

Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking® Account

SoFi Checking and Savings

Revolut Account

Below, you'll see our top picks for international travel. All of the financial institutions on our list are protected by FDIC or NCUA insurance. Money is safe at a federally insured financial institution. When an institution is federally insured, up to $250,000 per depositor is secure in a bank account.

Compare Today's Savings Rates

Earn 4.25% Annual Percentage Yield with a $0 minimum account opening requirement

no monthly service fee

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High APY
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No minimum opening deposit
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No monthly service fees
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Savings buckets help you save for different goals
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Surprise savings transfers help you save extra money from your checking account
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No physical branch locations
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No way to deposit cash

The Ally High Yield Savings Account is a great option for anyone who wants savings tools to help save for specific financial goals, or prioritizes an account that doesn't charge standard bank fees.

• Create separate savings buckets in a savings account
• Link to your Ally checking account and enroll in surprise savings transfers to have extra money transferred to savings three times per week
• Interest compounded daily, paid monthly
• FDIC insured

Earn up to 10,000 bonus AAdvantage® miles for new Bask Mileage Savings Account customers who open and fund their account within 15 business days from account opening and maintain a minimum daily balance of $50,000 for 90 consecutive days out of the first 120 days (open account by May 31, 2024)

up to 10,000 bonus AAdvantage® miles

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Earn American Airlines AAdvantages miles
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. May not be easy to deposit cash

The Bask Bank Interest Savings Account and Bask Bank CD are excellent options if you'd like to earn a high interest rate. The Bask Bank Mileage Savings Account may be a great choice if you frequently use American Airlines for travel. Bask Bank doesn't offer a checking account, though.

• Earn up to 10,000 Bonus AAdvantage® miles. To qualify for this offer, you must be a first time Bask Mileage Savings Account customer, open a Bask Mileage Savings Account between March 1, 2024 and May 31, 2024, fund your Bask Mileage Savings Account within 15 business days following the initial account opening and maintain a minimum daily account balance of $50,000 for 90 consecutive days out of the first 120 days following the initial account opening.
• Earn 2.5 American Airlines AAdvantage miles for every $1 saved annually on a Bask Bank Mileage Savings Account
• Must provide your AAdvantage account number to receive AAdvantages miles
• AAdvantage miles earned through the Bask Mileage Savings Account can't be used toward boosting your American Airlines elite status
• Miles awarded monthly
• Deposits FDIC insured through Texas Capital Bank

No minimums, no fees, no worries.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. 0.10% APY on all account balances
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No opening deposit or minimum account balance
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No monthly service fee
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No foreign transaction fee
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Range of overdraft protection options
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Processes direct deposits up to 2 days early
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Doesn't reimburse out-of-network ATM fees
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited access to customer service by phone

Capital One is a strong bank overall. You'll earn competitive interest rates on online savings accounts and CDs.

• Over 70,000 free ATMs nationwide
• Branches in NY, LA, TX, MD, VA, NJ, and Washington, DC

Earn 0.45% Annual Percentage Yield (APY). $0 minimum deposit. FDIC Insured.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No opening deposit
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No minimum account balance
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Unlimited out-of-network ATM reimbursements
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No foreign transaction fees
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Free overdraft protection

Charles Schwab Bank is one of the best banks for international travelers, because it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. It also refunds all fees charged by ATMs worldwide. But if you want to earn high interest rates, you're better off looking elsewhere.

• 24/7 live online chat
• When you open a checking account, you automatically open a Charles Schwab brokerage account, too
• No ATM network, but unlimited ATM fee reimbursements

Earn up to a $300 bonus with qualifying direct deposits for eligible customers through 6/30/24. Earn up to 4.60% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) with direct deposit

up to 4.60%

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. FDIC insured for $2 million
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High interest rate
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Earn a higher interest rate with qualifying activities
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No overdraft fees
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $300 bonus with qualifying direct deposit (terms apply)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Earn up to 15% cash back at local retailers if you use a SoFi debit card
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No-fee overdraft coverage if you overdraw up to $50
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Savings tools
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Early direct deposit
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Joint account available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Declined purchase if you overdraw by more than $50
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Doesn't reimburse out-of-network ATM providers' fees
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. May deposit cash at Green Dot locations but there's a $4.95 fee

SoFi Checking and Savings is a great account option if you don't mind keeping your savings and checking in one account.

• FDIC insured for $2 million
• Free access to 50,000+ Allpoint ATMs worldwide
• Hybrid checking/savings account
• Earn up to 15% cash back on local retailers when you use a SoFi debit card; Retailer information is available through online banking
• Earn 4.60% APY on savings balances (Vaults included) and 0.50% APY on checking balances if you set up direct deposit or deposit minimum $5,000 per month
• Earn 1.20% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings if you don't have qualifying activities
• Earn up to $300 cash bonus available through June 30, 2024; receive a $50 bonus if you make a direct deposit between $1,000 and $4,999 in the first 30 days of opening an account; receive a $300 bonus if you make a direct deposit of $5,000 or more in the first 30 days of opening an account
• Create up to 20 Money Vaults to save for individual savings goals like an emergency fund or vacation
• $4.95 fee each time you deposit cash at a Green Dot location
• To get no-fee overdraft coverage you must have at least $1,000 in direct deposits

no monthly service fees on Standard plan

Standard plan: up to 3.25% APY, Premium plan: up to 4.25% APY, Metal plan: up to 4.25% APY

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No monthly service fees on Standard plan
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Prepaid debit card included (specific card depends on monthly plan)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Spend abroad in over 140 currencies
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Budgeting features
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Withdraw up to $1,200 from out-of-network ATMs on Metal plan with no fair usage fees
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Can't overdraw from account
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. 2% fee of ATM withdrawal on out-of-network ATM fees if you exceed the limit
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. $0.30 to $6 international money transfer fee if you exceed limit
• Access to 55,000 free ATMs through the Allpoint ATM network
• Withdraw up to $1,200 from out-of-network ATMs on Metal plan
• Spend in more than 140 currencies
• Additional international wire transfer fees will depend on the transfer amount and whether there's a currency exchange
• Banking services are provided by Metropolitan Commercial Bank, Member FDIC

Compare Today's Banking Offers

Best Bank Accounts for International Travel FAQs

Charles Schwab is our top pick for international ATM access. It offers unlimited refunds for ATM fees worldwide.

To minimize fees when using a bank card abroad, you want to limit making ATM withdrawals unless you find an ATM that's in your network. Some debit cards also have foreign transaction fees, so it's best to use cash or one of the best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees .

Yes. Many banks and credit unions pay good rates to exchange foreign currency. Most financial institutions will require you to have a bank account with them in order to exchange currency , though.

Yes. Some banks offer travel insurance if you get a credit card with features like travel accident insurance and trip delay reimbursements.

Yes. You should call your bank before traveling so you're well prepared. If you forget to contact your bank, your debit card may be denied when you make purchases to protect you from potential fraudulent activity.

Yes. You may open a bank account in another country. However, make sure that you report your bank account information to the IRS annually .

Best Savings Accounts for International Travel

The Ally High Yield Savings Account provides easy tools to set savings goals for your next trip, and you'll earn interest without having to take on any risk. 

You can also set up a checking account through Ally . When you need access to your savings, just transfer money from the savings account to the checking account through the online portal, and you'll be able to spend the money almost instantly.

Ally also offers an easy-to-use mobile app and 24/7 customer support, making it simple to access your account while you're on the road.

You won't be able to deposit cash directly into your bank account. Instead, you'll have to transfer money from another bank account. 

Ally Savings Account Review

You might find the Bask Bank Mileage Savings Account appealing if you are a frequent American Airlines flyer. This savings account lets you earn earn 2.5 American Airlines AAdvantage miles for every $1 saved annually on a Bask Bank Mileage Savings Account. You can redeem miles for booking flights or hotels, upgrading flights, renting transportation, or planning vacation activities.

Bask Bank is also offering a savings account bonus for new customers: earn up to 10,000 bonus AAdvantage® miles for new Bask Mileage Savings Account customers who open and fund their account within 15 business days from account opening and maintain a minimum daily balance of $50,000 for 90 consecutive days out of the first 120 days (open account by May 31, 2024)

AAdvantage miles earned through the Bask Bank Mileage Savings Account will not go toward boosting your AAdvantage status.

Bask Bank also doesn't have a checking account, ATM cards, or debit cards, so you'll have limited access to your account. You'll need to link an external bank account and initiate a bank transfer to deposit or withdraw money.

Bask Bank Review

Best Checking Accounts for International Travel

Capital One 360 Checking might be a solid choice if you're most comfortable with a well-known retail bank and want no-fee cash withdrawals at home and in select countries abroad. 

You can withdraw up to $1,000 a day at any ATM worldwide using your MasterCard and Capital One won't charge a fee, though the ATM operator may. The bank ranks No. 1 on J.D. Power's US National Banking Satisfaction Study , and it made Business Insider's list of the best checking accounts.

Capital One also offers a solid high-yield savings account, which is a good choice if you want to keep your savings at the same bank as your checking. 

If you travel to Europe, Asia, or any other place where Capital One and AllPoint don't have ATMs, you may have to pay third-party ATM operator fees to take cash out (Capital One will never charge you an additional fee). 

As for branch access, the bank only operates about 280 branches in seven US states, though Capital One Cafés are in some big cities around the US.

Capital One 360 Review

Charles Schwab is an investment platform, but it also has banking products. The Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking® Account is a great choice if you'd like a fee-free international spending bank account. It notably offers unlimited refunds for ATM fees worldwide, and it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. 

You must open a brokerage account with Charles Schwab before opening a checking account, though.

Charles Schwab Bank Review

Best All-in-One Accounts for International Travel

SoFi Checking and Savings offers the best of both worlds. It's a hybrid savings/checking account with a competitive interest rate and a MasterCard debit card for easy access to your cash. 

SoFi is part of the Allpoint ATM network, so you have free access to 50,000 ATMs worldwide, and SoFi doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee when you make a purchase with your debit card abroad.

Again, SoFi is completely online — you'll need to call customer service when you want help with your account rather than walking into a physical location.

While SoFi doesn't charge any foreign transaction fees when you withdraw cash at an international bank or ATM, MasterCard will charge 0.20%, and SoFi won't reimburse you.

SoFi Checking and Savings Review

You might like the Revolut Account if you're looking for an alternative to traditional banking.

Revolut is a British fintech company with an international finance and investing app. You can open accounts from anywhere in the US. 

The Revolut Account is a prepaid debit card linked to a bank account. You can easily spend money internationally in over 150 types of currency. The account also allows you to make one fee-free international or domestic wire transfer per month with the Standard plan, three with the Premium plan, and five with the Metal plan.

The account also has budgeting features that let you round up prepaid debit card purchases or set up individual savings goals through Vaults. The Revolut Account and Savings Vault are  FDIC-insured by Metropolitan Commercial Bank and Sutton Bank. 

Revolut has three plans: Standard (Free), Premium ($9.99 per month), or Metal ($16.99 per month). Access to certain app features will depend on your monthly plan.

Revolut Review

Bank Account Alternatives for Travelers

• Chase Total Checking® : This account appeared on our best checking accounts list, but it charges $3 fee per withdrawal at a non-Chase ATM in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Surcharge Fees from the ATM owner/network still apply. $5 fee per withdrawal at a non-Chase ATM outside of the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Surcharge Fees from the ATM owner/network still apply.
• Discover® Cashback Debit Account : Discover's checking account has no monthly service fees and allows you to earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases every month (see website for details), but its use is limited to the US, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
• Citi Regular Checking : A fine checking account with options to waive the $15 monthly service fee and branch locations abroad, but customer satisfaction is below average, according to J.D. Power's US National Banking Satisfaction Study .
• HSBC Premier Checking : HSBC (Member FDIC) offers a good variety of checking accounts, although only those with high minimum balance or deposit requirements get ATM fees reimbursed.
• Wealthfront Cash Account : Although this account operates similarly to a high-yield savings account, it's technically a cash management account. You might like this option if you already invest with Wealthfront and want to earn a high interest rate on your savings. However, keep in mind Wealthfront doesn't offer other types of accounts like CDs or checking accounts.
• Betterment Checking Account : Betterment reimburses all foreign transaction fees and ATM fees worldwide, and the app is easy to use. However, our top picks for checking accounts may also offer more banking options, such as CDs or brokered CDs.
• Marcus High Yield Online Savings Account : Marcus has a good high-yield savings account; Marcus savings rates current pays 4.50% APY. However, the high-yield savings account doesn't have as many goal-setting features as Ally, if that's important to you. 
• American Express® High Yield Savings Account (Member FDIC): With a solid savings rate, this high-yield savings account is a good option if you don't mind not having mobile access.

When you're traveling abroad, bear in mind many financial institutions have fees for using a debit card internationally.

For example, if you use an ATM provider to withdraw money that isn't in your network, you may have to pay out-of-network ATM fees from the provider and your financial institution. 

Many banks also have foreign transaction fees. A foreign transaction fee is a debit or credit card charge that can happen when you buy something internationally and it needs to be processed through a foreign financial institution. 

There are many financial institutions that can help you avoid common international bank fees, though. 

Key Features of Ideal Banks for International Travel

The right bank can make saving for travel goals easier. It can also help you avoid common bank fees, like out-of-network ATM and foreign transaction fees. Below, we've highlighted key features among the top banks for multi-country travel.

Competitive Savings Rates

One key feature to look for in a bank is a competitive savings rate. High-yield savings accounts, in particular, can be strong banking options because they offer better rates than traditional savings accounts. These bank accounts might also be a good choice if you want to set savings goals for specific travel trips. Money in a high-yield savings account can deposited at any time, so you can contribute to a travel goal in stages. If you open a high-yield savings account at an online bank, you also usually won't have to worry about dealing with monthly service fees.

Exchange Rates

If you want to have cash on hand during a trip, it may be beneficial to bank with a financial institution or platform that offers straightforward foreign exchange services. Banking institutions usually offer better exchange rates than airport exchange services or on-site travel spots.

Low Foreign Transaction Fees

If you plan on using a debit card or credit card frequently, make sure to look for a bank that has low foreign transaction fees. That way, you won't have to worry about fees piling up when you use your card to buy things abroad. 

Some financial institutions on our list, like SoFi, do not charge foreign transaction fees.

Wide Global ATM Network Accessibility

If you want to use an ATM abroad, the best option is to find a national bank with a global ATM network or one that provides reimbursements for out-of-network ATM fees. Charles Schwab, for example, offers unlimited worldwide ATM fee reimbursements.

Additional Services and Tips for International Banking

If you're planning on traveling abroad soon, it's best to be prepared beforehand so you can avoid unnecessary stress. Sometimes, credit or debit cards may not work if you don't give your bank notice that you're traveling. This is done as a measure to protect you against fraudulent activity. To avoid having your card declined internationally, make sure to call your financial institution before traveling so you can make sure it works during the time you're abroad.

It's also helpful to have cash on hand when traveling in case you need it for an emergency situation. Experts recommend getting foreign currency before you begin travel because airports and on-site currency exchange locations tend to involve more costly service fees and unsatisfactory exchange rates.

Bank Trustworthiness and BBB Ratings

The Better Business Bureau assesses companies based on responses to customer complaints, honesty in advertising, and transparency about business practices. Here are the BBB grades for our favorite travel accounts:

Revolut has an F rating from the BBB due to a high volume of customer complaints filed against the business, and Revolut hasn't responded to or resolved some of the complaints.

Bask Bank received a B grade from the BBB because of its volume of customer complaints. However, its parent company, Texas Capital Bank, has an A+ rating  from the BBB. 

A great BBB score doesn't guarantee your relationship with a company will be perfect. You'll also want to speak with current customers or read online customer reviews.

Capital One is the only bank on our list that has been involved in a recent public controversy. Capital One used to have an account called 360 Savings. In 2019, the bank launched the new 360 Performance Savings Account, which paid a much a higher interest rate. Many customers thought their old savings accounts would transition into this new one, but in reality, they had to manually open a new 360 Performance Savings Account to earn the higher rate. So some customers have been earning a significantly lower savings rate for years.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs' lawyers allege that Capital One didn't inform 360 Savings customers that these were two distinct accounts, or that 360 Performance Savings paid a higher rate. However,  Capital One wants this case dismissed  because it claims people had every opportunity to learn these facts on their own. This case is still ongoing.

Why You Should Trust Us: Our Expert Panel for the Best Banks for International Travel

We consulted banking and financial planning experts to inform these picks and provide their advice on finding the best accounts for your needs.

Here's what they had to say about banking for travel. (Some text may be lightly edited for clarity.)

How can someone determine whether a bank is the right fit for them?

Tania Brown, certified financial planner and vice president of coaching strategy at  OfColor :

"Obviously, you want to make sure it's FDIC insured. Also, your banking experience — do you like walking into a bank? Well, then you need someone local. Do you just not care if you ever see your bank? Then you're okay online. Do you write checks? Do you not write checks? So it's thinking through how your experience with it is going to be before you make that decision."

Sophia Acevedo, banking editor,  Business Insider : 

"I would create a list of what I prioritize most in a bank account. For example, some banks have accounts that charge monthly service fees. I would look to see what the requirements are for waiving the monthly service fee and whether I think I could feasibly meet those requirements each month. If I'm searching for an interest-earning bank account I'll pay attention to interest rates. I would make sure the account pays a higher interest rate than the  average bank account ."

What should someone look for in an online bank?

Roger Ma, certified financial planner with  lifelaidout®  and author of  "Work Your Money, Not Your Life" :

"How onerous the transfer process is, transferring money in and transferring money out. Is it same day, next day? Is it pretty easy to sync a brick-and-mortar checking account to this particular high-yield savings account?"

Mykail James, MBA, certified financial education instructor,  BoujieBudgets.com :

"When it comes to online banks, you want to be a little bit more strict about what type of interest rates they're providing. That's the biggest thing, because online banks are supposed to have the higher interest rate because they don't have the overhead of the brick-and-mortar. You want to make sure that it's well above the national average.

"What types of securities do they provide? Do they have two-factor identification? If it's an online bank, they should definitely have — at the bare minimum — two-factor authentication in how easy it is to change your passwords and things like that, because you want to be a little more hypersensitive about the cyber security for a strictly online bank."

What should someone look for in a bank account if they travel frequently?

Sophia Acevedo:

"You'll want to be mindful of bank account limits and fees. You might be charged fees if you use an ATM from another bank. Banks and credit unions also have limits on how much you can withdraw from your ATM each day. When you're looking for a bank account, see if your bank provides refunds for out-of-network ATMs and what the ATM withdrawal limits are."

Methodology: How Did We Choose the Best Bank Accounts for International Travel?

At Business Insider, we strive to help smart people make the best decisions with their money. We spent hours comparing and contrasting the features and fine print of savings accounts and checking accounts so you don't have to. You can read more about how we review and rate product on our editorial standards page .

We understand that "best" is often subjective, however, so in addition to highlighting the clear benefits of an account — a high APY, for example — we outline the limitations, too. 

Generally, bank accounts are designated either savings or checking. When you're saving up for a big trip, a high-yield savings account is appropriate because you'll be able to earn some interest on your money, but still be able to access it when you need to.

A checking account may be more appropriate to use while traveling, as you'll be provided with a debit card to use at shops, restaurants, and ATMs. You may also consider using a credit card , which could provide rewards and other travel-related benefits.

That said, the best bank accounts to use for international travel expenses should be appropriate for your everyday life too, with low fees, good earning potential, and easy access. 

See our full ratings methodology for checking, business checking, savings, and money market accounts »

• Are banks open today? Here's a list of US bank holidays for 2023
• Best CD rates
• Best High-yield savings accounts
• Four reasons why your debit card might be denied even when you have money

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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Everything you need to know about Costco Travel — and why I love it for saving money

Costco isn't just the place where you can buy toilet paper in bulk, inexpensive gas, cheap hot dogs and gift cards. You can also book great trips via the company's online travel agency, Costco Travel.

I know, I know: At TPG, we're often staunchly against booking travel through third-party sites , as there can be tradeoffs versus booking directly. But in recent years, I've become a big fan of the travel deals I can find via Costco Travel.

When planning our annual beach trip back in 2022, my best friend found a few options for Mexican all-inclusive resorts on Costco Travel and shared the links with me. I promptly told her we'd probably be better off booking directly and brushed off the idea of booking through Costco — neither of us even had a membership at the time.

However, comparing the prices and benefits at a few of the resorts proved my initial reaction wrong.

I actually got a Costco membership to book the deal since the cost of the membership was less than what we'd save by booking through Costco. We saved around $300 on a three-night stay at TRS Coral near Cancun (one of TPG's best all-inclusive resorts in Cancun ), not including the free hydrotherapy spa circuit and the $241 Digital Costco Shop Card included in the package.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Madison Blancaflor (@madison_ave18)

Our stay was fantastic, and I officially became a Costco Travel convert.

If you're curious about how to use Costco Travel to find deals, here's everything you need to know about Costco Travel — and why I love it for saving money on travel.

What is Costco Travel?

All Costco members have access to the Costco Travel booking platform, where you can find and book a wide range of travel — from vacation packages to hotels, cruises and rental cars. You can even book theme park vacation packages to Disney and Universal or specialty vacations such as an African safari.

Related: Costco cruise deals: How to save money booking travel at a warehouse club

Once you log in to Costco Travel, you can search for specific dates or destinations or browse through available deals and featured destinations. I personally love perusing the limited-time deals when I know I want to plan a getaway but don't have a specific destination in mind.

Trips booked through Costco Travel are often discounted and/or include perks and benefits you may not get by booking directly or through other booking portals. Usually, a trip booked through Costco Travel will also include a Digital Costco Shop Card (essentially a type of Costco gift card) of varying value.

What travel can you book through Costco Travel?

You can book hotels, cruises, rental cars and vacation packages through Costco Travel. Vacation packages range from hotel-only offers to all-encompassing packages that include airfare, hotel stays and rental cars. You can even build your own package.

However, one thing to note is that you can't book stand-alone flights via Costco Travel. There is an option to book flights through some vacation packages, but if you're only looking for airfare, you'll want to head to Google Flights to check out your options and book.

You can book Costco Travel offers both online and by phone.

Do you have to be a Costco member to use Costco Travel?

Yes. Costco Travel is an exclusive service for Costco members.

There are two personal membership levels: Gold Star and Executive. Gold Star costs $60 per year, while an Executive membership costs $120. The basic membership will give you access to all of Costco's services, including Costco Travel, while the Executive membership also comes with a 2% reward on all Costco (and Costco Travel) purchases.

I've found that the Costco Travel deals alone are worth paying the $60 Gold Star annual membership fee, even though I don't regularly use Costco for my grocery store runs.

Check sites like Groupon for discount Costco memberships, as you can sometimes save on that rate — or get an included gift card that helps offset the cost.

Is Costo Travel worth it?

Costco Travel has its pros and cons, but there are definitely times when it's worth it.

For example, let's look at a five-night stay in Maui in early April. At the time of writing, Costco is currently offering a hotel and rental car package for Hotel Wailea, a Relais & Chateaux affiliated property and one of TPG's favorite Maui hotels .

Here's one cost comparison breakdown of Costco Travel's deal versus booking directly:

Even without including the additional benefits, you're already saving more than $400 via the Costco deal. Add in the value you get from the card, daily breakfast and resort credit (which is more than $1,000 in value if you maximize all benefits), and you're looking at $1,442.45 in savings by booking through Costco Travel versus directly.

And since Hotel Wailea isn't a member of any major hotel loyalty program, booking through Costco Travel wouldn't mean missing out on elite night credits or other loyalty program benefits.

Here's another example — this time for a Universal Orlando theme park trip from June 4-6 for one adult and two children from Houston. The total cost when booking each part (hotel, tickets and airfare) individually came to $2,701.35, while booking it as a package via Costco saved just over $300.

That's a fair amount of savings you could use for some frozen butterbeer or even a new wand inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter .

When is Costco Travel not worth it?

Not every offer on Costco is worth booking.

For one, you won't necessarily find the same availability on Costco Travel. For example, flights booked through Costco may have some seats blocked off, and certain dates for hotel stays may be unavailable. Additionally, not all rental car companies are bookable through Costco Travel (such as Hertz*, which is my preferred rental car company due to the perks I get through my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ).

Plus, some hotel stays have a minimum stay requirement. If you're on the hunt for a long weekend getaway, you may not be able to take advantage of some Costco Travel deals.

Even when you do find availability, you should always price-check what you can find by booking directly or through your credit card travel portal and hotel programs.

After booking our fantastic stay at TRS Coral just north of Cancun through Costco, I looked at booking through Costco again in 2023 when planning our annual beach vacation.

While Costco had a deal available for the same resort, we happened to be booking when the resort chain was having a Mother's Day sale for anyone booking directly. We were able to try out a new TRS resort closer to Playa Del Carmen, TRS Yucatan; we saved more than $100 on an even nicer suite than Costco Travel offered by booking directly (even when considering the Digital Shop Card we would have gotten by booking with Costco).

Something else to consider when booking hotels through Costco Travel is loyalty program rewards and elite status. There are a lot of hotels available to book through Costco Travel that are part of major loyalty programs, from Hyatt Honors to Marriott Bonvoy to IHG One Rewards and more. But booking through Costco Travel — just like booking through most other third-party services such as Expedia — means you likely won't earn loyalty rewards, elite night credits or have any elite night benefits honored.

You'll also have to use Costco customer service if you run into any issues rather than going directly to the brand. This is especially important when considering booking a vacation package that includes flights, given the higher potential for delays or cancellations.

Why I love Costco Travel

I am typically a staunch proponent of booking directly, but Costco Travel is an exception. I've found that the benefits I can get by booking some trips via Costco outweigh the cons (some of which include having to go through Costco for any customer service help or occasionally losing out on elite night credits).

Digital Costco Shop Cards

My favorite thing about booking trips through Costco Travel is the Digital Costco Shop Card I get after booking. The card's value varies from trip to trip (generally depending on how expensive the package you book), but you can get hundreds of dollars back to use at Costco.

The Digital Costco Shop Cards can be used for Costco warehouse purchases (a game changer with grocery prices so high due to inflation), but you can also use them toward future Costco Travel bookings. And remember — Costco doesn't just carry bulk grocery items. You could use a Digital Costco Shop Card to buy a new flat-screen TV for movie nights and game days, a new outdoor patio setup ahead of summer or even Costco Pharmacy prescriptions.

I admittedly don't use Costco for groceries often (buying in bulk doesn't make a lot of sense for someone who lives alone), but I have used shop cards to help pay for Christmas presents and future Costco Travel trips. I've actually been looking into using my most recent Digital Costco Shop Card on a new pair of AirPods and a new TV mount for my living room.

Deals on non-points hotel stays and all-inclusive resorts

When I'm looking at booking a hotel stay at a brand like Hyatt or Marriott, I generally choose to book directly in order to earn elite night credits and points. However, when looking at properties not part of a major loyalty program, Costco Travel is often a go-to anytime I can find a deal.

Costco Travel has a nice deals section, and I usually look there first if I'm not sold on a specific destination for a getaway. While deals found on Costco generally have a narrow booking window, I've found that many offer a lot of flexibility for the actual trip dates.

A few examples of limited-time deals for January include Hotel Wailea from the example earlier in this guide, all-inclusive resorts in Mexico's Riviera Maya, and Disney and Universal theme park packages.

Simplifying group vacations

I'm often the travel planner in my friend group (which makes sense, considering what I do for a living), but not everyone is an avid points and miles user like myself. For group trips where we're splitting the cost of hotel rooms among multiple people, it often doesn't make sense to use points and miles to book.

Costco Travel vacation packages offer a way for all of us to save money, and it makes narrowing down potential destinations and hotels easier. Rather than everyone having to spend hours researching ideas and prices from across the internet — which might be my idea of a fun Wednesday night but isn't for some of my friends — I typically just send them to Costco Travel to see if any of the featured deals catch their eye.

Having reservation information for multiple aspects of a trip, such as a hotel and rental car package, makes sharing and saving the itineraries a breeze.

Bottom line

Whether or not you currently have a Costco membership, you shouldn't dismiss Costco Travel as just another online travel agency.

If you know where to look and are willing to price-check the deals you find, you can save a lot of money with Costco Travel deals. I've personally had a lot of success booking friends getaways to popular destinations like Mexico through Costco. Using the service has helped me save on other expenses with the Digital Costco Shop Card I've gotten with my bookings.

For me, the $60 annual membership fee to Costco has been more than worth it to utilize Costco Travel.

*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through Dec. 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

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• How my Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi is a workhorse when it comes to cash back
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
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REVIEW: ING Orange Everyday – The Best Travel Card For Aussies? (Inc $50 Promo Code!)

Looking for the best travel card for Australians? After a year of bouncing around the world with my ING Orange account here’s my full review…

Picking the right travel card can make the difference between an easy, relaxing holiday and a financial nightmare – and finding a bank account that doesn’t totally take the p*ss with fees once you leave the country is a bit of a minefield, especially in Australia.

Having struggled with really bad exchange rates, fees and a clunky app whilst banking with Commonwealth I decided I needed to make a big change and did some solid research into the best Australian bank for travelling abroad.

And that’s how I came across the ING Orange Everyday Account…

REVIEW: ING Orange Everyday – The Best Travel Card For Aussies?

Aussie travel cards – not a lot of choice.

Unlike the UK – which has heaps of new ‘disruptor banks’ like Starling (who I use for my UK accounts) and Monzo which both offer awesome deals on fees and withdrawals abroad – Australia seems a LOT more limited for options.

The big banks like Commonwealth (who I also bank with in Australia) and ANZ both fell flat on their face for travel cards, especially for those heading out on a long term trip and more importantly bouncing through a a lot of currencies along the way.

After a heap of Googling and chatting to my Aussie buddies it seemed the ING Orange Everyday account is leading the way for Aussies travelling the world and is also epic as a day to day card in Australia too!

First off, setting up my account with ING was a breeze.

A simple online form that took less than 15 minutes to fill out and have my account approved (as long as you have your ID and stuff to hand!), and I did it all without having to step foot into a bank, super easy!

You physical debit card will then arrive within 2-5 working days and you’re good to go!

Download The App

As you’d expect from a banking app you can easily keep track of your transactions and easily make payments etc.

From a travel perspective you can also easily see your payments/ATM withdrawals in both local and AUD too.

Another handy travel feature is the “rebates’ tab – which gives you an instant overview of how much you’ve saved on both card and ATM withdrawal rebates – not essential but it’s good to see in hard $ how much the travel card is worth the money!

As an example, my recent tint in Bali I racked up over $140 worth of rebates – so it’s well worth it.

Notifications

The other huge advantage of the app is enabling notifications on your phone/ Apple Watch – for everyday banking its super handy to keep up to date with your spending and income, but once you’re abroad it’s a really convenient way to keep an eye out for fraudulent transactions and card skimming.

So make sure you get push notifications enabled ASAP!

How To Go Fee Free Abroad

The ING travel card offers both free ATM withdrawals abroad as well as great exchange rates and fee free on card transactions abroad too.

However, unlike Starling Bank in the UK , the ING Orange Everyday account has a few conditions to be able to to go fee free abroad;

• Make 5 transactions per month (completed, not pending)
• Transfer in at least $1,000 from an external bank account

Doing the above in the current month unlocks the free transactions/rebates the next month.

…something I’ve overlooked a couple of times which has been a bit annoying!

Also if you’re worried about the $1,000 a month restriction, you can sneak your way around that as there are no conditions on where it comes from or how long it stays in your account – so in theory you can simply transfer it in, then straight back out!

Once you’ve ticked those off the list the next calendar month becomes fee free!

You can also quickly check in the app whether you’ve unlocked these features for the following month too and your first month is already activated so you can hit the road right away as well.

Along with removing fees abroad, the card also covers rebates on ATM withdrawals from within Australia too , which is super handy if you’re also using it as a day to day card in Oz as well.

Oh…and there’s no monthly fee for the account either as an added bonus!

Customer Service

I’d also like to point out how epic my experience with ING customer service has been too.

When I headed to the Mentawais I took a large chunk of cash out from an ATM in Padang, which was well out of line of my patterns of spending and previous geo location. I then got a notification on the app saying my card had been restricted.

Initially my thoughts we “oh great, I’m going to be on hold for hours sorting this” .

But actually the whole thing was quickly resolved – and they also helped me put through an online payment which required an extra code (due to the payment size) as I didn’t have access to my Aussie SIM at the time either.

I also got my card skimmed at an ATM in Bali (yaaaaay!) and the ING team were super helpful with getting this resolved and refunded into my account as well – with an email update once it was all sorted.

So yeah, kudos to that and this has given me even more faith in them!

Want to sign up and earn $50 as well? Well use the promo code GYT174 when you setup your account!

Please note, this offer runs quite often, but not all the time, it’ll tell you during sign up though.

• Go to ing.com.au/everyday , open a new Orange Everyday and enter GYT174 in the promo box at the end of the online form
• Deposit $1,000+ (such as pay) from an external source into your new Orange Everyday account within a calendar month.
• Open a Savings Maximiser and make a deposit into this account.
• Make 5+ settled (not pending) purchases using your new Orange Everyday card within a calendar month.

Are you Aussie?

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I had a really different experience of this product when I moved to Canada for six months for study. I can’t recommend this card for trips longer than a few weeks.

I didn’t keep my Aussie SIM, as I got a local phone plan. BIG MISTAKE. ING requires an SMS authentication code for large credit payments, money transfers, new BPay or PayID billers, etc. Unlike banks like Westpac, ING won’t send that SMS to an overseas number. So I had to call them and they’d get a supervisor to manually authorise — ten minutes on the call, easily.

Second, unlike other banks, ING won’t issue you with a spare card. Only one card per account; if you want another one for peace of mind, open another account. But shiz happens when you travel. I got pickpocketed on the metro in Toronto—rookie mistake, putting my wallet in my overcoat because I couldn’t reach my jeans pocket. I couldn’t even get through to ING on the phone or via their website to put the card on hold. I called VISA instead and they issued me with a temporary card (stripe, but no chip, so no cash withdrawals at any Canadian ATMs).

When I did finally get through to ING, they said they would send a replacement card, and it could take up to six weeks. At the six week mark I called going ‘where is it’ and they finally admitted that their system would not send a replacement card unless I cancelled the temporary card — because, wait for it, only one card per account. So in their mind, it’s reasonable for a customer to go up to six weeks without any card access at all.

So—fee free payments and withdrawals are GREAT, but if you’re going to be travelling for long, keep your Aussie phone plan active to minimise inconvenience, and make sure you have a backup card from another bank or account, in case shiz happens, because ING will not be there for you if it does.

Hey Daniel, Oh geez, sounds like things didn’t go well for you hey? Good to know! I was also unaware about the singular card side of things too, so I’ll add that into the post. SIM wise I registered mine to a PAYG SIM (I swap through SIMS heaps when travelling), which is what I’d advice people travelling long term as well to avoid that side of things. With a lot of banks I find it odd that they can’t do those notifications as a push notification to the app on the phone – would make way more sense right?! Thanks for the feedback an input though – did you find another bank that worked well as a back up/your new travel card?

How do I use my savings code?

Activate your travel savings code to create an account. Search 1,000,000 properties around the world. Savings are displayed with each search result. Results with the greatest savings are displayed first. Place your reservation and the amount that you save will be deducted from your Savings Bank Balance.

Do I have to use my savings code on one reservation?

No. The travel savings program is flexible and permits you to use your entire Savings Bank Balance on a single or multiple reservations until your Savings Bank Balance is empty. The amount that you may apply to each reservation is determined by the parameters of your search and the savings available through the hotels and resorts that you choose.

Can I use the entire amount of my savings towards my reservation?

Yes, if the amount of savings for the selected hotel or resort is equal to the amount of your Savings Bank Balance, the entire amount will be applied to your reservation automatically.

Can I combine multiple codes for additional savings?

Yes. You may add multiple codes to your account for additional savings and a larger savings bank.

Is there a minimum stay required?

No. There is no minimum stay required. You can stay for a minimum of 1 night or the maximum nights allowed for that hotel.

What hotels and resorts are available in the savings program?

With over 1,000,000 properties available through the savings program, you will find familiar brands and hotels around the world.

Can I change or cancel my reservation? Is my reservation refundable?

Reservations booked on the website cannot be changed or modified once booked, but may be cancelled per the terms and conditions. Cancellation policies will vary depending on the hotel or resort you selected. Cancelled reservations may incur a cancellation fee.

Can I give my savings code to a friend or family member?

Yes. A non-activated savings code is fully transferable. Once activated, a savings code cannot be transferred and personal information cannot be changed. The person activating the savings code must be the person traveling or using the service.

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