Best Rewards Credit Cards for Travelers

Frequent travelers can make use of reward credit cards to earn free miles, accommodation, and much more. Smart use of these reward cards can result in savings of hundreds of dollars over time; for those who find themselves on the road quite often, it’s a smart investment. However, determining exactly what card may be the best fit for you can be difficult. There are a lot to choose from. This list will help you make the right choice.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The Chase Sapphire is an excellent card for those looking to earn airline miles. Because it can be used on a number of different airlines — including international — it has an advantage over other cards which may only offer miles on domestic flights. It also offers an extra 50,000 bonus points if you spend more than $4,000 in the first three months of opening the account. The card does carry an annual fee of $95, however. Chase has a proprietary booking tool that can make your points worth 25% more.

The Sapphire Preferred Card offers 2 reward points for every $1 spent on travel, and 1 point for every $1 spent on other expenses. There are also no foreign transaction fees, and the chip-and-signature system makes it one of the more secure cards available.

Capital One Venture Card

The Capital One Venture Card offers similar benefits to the Chase Sapphire card. The Venture’s rewards can be redeemed for airline miles or hotel stays, and the best part is that the miles never expire; as long as the account is active, you can access them. If you’re attempting to save miles for a longer trip, the Venture is a great choice. There are no transaction fees associated with the Venture, and the annual fee is only $59 for this Capital One card.

The Venture card offers 40,000 bonus miles if you spend more than $3,000 in the first three months after opening the account. This equates to roughly $400 in travel expenses.

Bank Americard Travel Rewards Credit Card

The bank Americard Travel Rewards card has no annual fee, no transaction fees, and is EMV-chip enabled. It’s the triple-threat of credit cards. Because of the low cost of owning one of these cards, it’s an excellent bet for someone who may not have stable income and is unwilling to pay the annual fee. The BankAmericard earns 1.5 points for every $1 spent, and these points can be redeemed towards hotels, rental cars, flights, and more.

The Bank Americard also offers 20,000 online bonus points if you spend more than $1,000 within three months of opening the account. Each point equates to roughly $0.01, so this comes out to around $200 of travel expenses.

Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card

For those who are looking for a hotel credit card, the Starwood may be the best option on the market. This card is designed for those who like to live luxuriously in mind; it grants 1 point per $1 spent, but this equates to around 2.3 cents per $1. It offers a 25,000 point bonus if you spend more than $3,000 within three months of opening the account.

Qualifying hotels grant 5 points per $1 spent, making this card an excellent choice if you often stay in Sheraton and other high-star hotels. Gold status is granted to card holders if they spend more than $30,000 per year. However, the Starwood card is provided by American Express, which means it may not be widely accepted outside of the United States.

Depending on your needs, any one of these cards could be the right choice for you. Take the time to evaluate your travel habits and determine whether you’re in need of free points towards rental cards, hotels, or airlines, and then make your decision based on what you discover.