Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards

If you are on the hunt for low-cost travel perks, the Venture Rewards credit card from Capital One may be just what you're looking for.

It earns you two miles per dollar on absolutely any purchase and comes with a number of useful benefits.

One of the biggest advantages of this card is that it doesn't limit redemption options to certain airlines or hotel chains.

If you value ease of use when it comes to rewards and don't want to take a burden of annual credit card fees, take a closer look.

Rewards

The simple but generous rewards policy is what makes Capital One Venture Rewards stand out from the competition. With this card, you earn a set rate of two miles for every dollar that you spend.

When redeemed for travel, each mile has a value of $0.01. Unlike most rewards credit cards, Capital One Venture pays a high rewards rate on all purchases, not only travel-related spending. The number of miles that you can earn is unlimited and the rewards won't expire as long as you keep your account open.

Redemption Options

As per redemption, there are a few different ways to make the most of your rewards. For example, Capital One lets you use your miles to book trips through its own travel center or redeem them as a statement credit for any travel-related purchases.

In both cases, miles are worth one cent a piece and there are no minimum redemption requirements. 

Alternatively, as Capital One collaborates with 15 airline partners, you can transfer your miles to their loyalty programs. In this case, the per-mile value may vary depending on the partner company.

With most airlines, you'll get 1.5 miles for every two miles that you transfer. However, with JetBlue and a few other partner airlines, the ratio is one mile per every two miles that you transfer. 

Capital One Venture also lets you redeem accumulated rewards for gift cards at a value of 1-1.25 miles per cent.

Fees and APR

When it comes to cost, the Capital One Venture card is easily among the most competitive options. Previously, the company offered the $0 intro annual fee for the first year, charging $95 afterwards.

The $95 was recently completely dropped, making this card free to use. On the other hand, there are no foreign transaction or balance transfer fees.

As far as interest rates go, the ongoing APR is variable, and it ranges from 15.49% to 25.49%.

Welcome Bonus

Another thing that puts the Capital One Venture card among the very top choices on the market today is its welcome bonus - as a new cardholder, you get a one-time sign-up bonus of 20,000 miles.

You have three months from the time you open your account to make $3,000 in net purchases before you can claim bonus miles.

Additional Benefits

As far as additional benefits go, you get $100 worth of credit reimbursement for the application fee for TSA Precheck or Global Entry, provided that you make the payment with your card.

With this credit card, you also get complimentary travel accident insurance, rental car coverage, and an extended warranty as a part of purchase protection for eligible items.

Bottom Line

In a complicated world of earning points and finding a way to redeem them, the Capital One Venture Rewards' simplicity is a true breath of fresh air.

The flexible redemptions options, generous welcome offers, and useful travel benefits justify its moderate annual fee, making this card one of the better credit cards for travel and a good fit for almost anyone.

Reasons to Apply:

• Flat-rate rewards
• Flexible bonus redemption
• No foreign transaction fees

The Wells Fargo Propel American Express credit card is a solid choice for those looking to earn generous rewards on a wide range of spending categories.

If you are averse to paying annual fees and don't care about a long list of fancy perks, keep reading this review.

Rewards

If you are on the hunt for a credit card for travel points and miles that can be transferred to a particular hotel or airline, you should probably look elsewhere. However, if you need a general rewards card with a simple but generous rewards policy, then the Wells Fargo Propel card may be a perfect fit.

This card offers a long list of purchase categories that earn three times the points of the amount spent. These include dining (bars, eating out, and ordering in), transportation (gas, ridesharing, and transit), travel (airfare, car rentals, hotels, and homestays), streaming services (Apple Music, Sirius XM Radio Inc, Spotify Premium, Hulu, Netflix, and Pandora).

With any other eligible spending category, the ratio is one point per $1 spent. Points are unlimited and won't expire as long as the account is kept open.

Redemption Options

Each point is worth a penny and can be put towards cashback, travel, or gift cards through the Wells Fargo Go Far Rewards portal. 

If you decide to translate your points into cash, you can redeem them in $20 increments at Wells Fargo ATMs, or via phone or online in $25 increments.

When it comes to booking travel, you can make payments with a combination of your payment card and bonus points. Customers who book flights with the Go Far Rewards portal face no blackout dates.

Other ways to put your rewards to good use include using points to pay for your credit card bill ($25 increments), redeeming points for digital devices and apparel, and purchasing gift cards for charity organizations.

APR and Fees

Wells Fargo Propel Amex comes with a 0% introductory APR for the first year of card membership on all purchases and balance transfers. Starting from the second year, the ongoing APR on purchases varies from 14.49% to 24.99%. 

There are no annual membership fees or foreign transaction fees. Balance transfers cost $5 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater of the two. After 120 days, the fee jumps to 5% for balance transfers. Cash advances come with a fee of at least $10 or 5% of the amount of the cash advance.

Welcome Bonus

As a new Wells Fargo Propel American Express cardholder, you can earn 20,000 bonus points if you meet the requirements of spending $1,000 in purchases during the first three months of your card membership.

To give you a sense of how much the bonus points are actually worth, that's $200 in cash redemption value.

Additional Benefits

As far as additional benefits go, this travel credit card offers up to $600 (minus a $25 deductible) to protect your cell phone from damage or theft, provided that you use your Wells Fargo Propel Amex to pay for the monthly phone bill.

Other benefits include travel accident insurance and reimbursement for lost luggage, auto protection, car rental coverage, and purchase protections such as extended warranty.

Bottom Line

Generous rewards on an extensive list of everyday spending categories, a 20,000-point welcome bonus, and the absence of annual fees all make the Wells Fargo Propel American Express one of the better travel credit cards on the market.

This card may be lacking in the department of more comprehensive travel perks. However, if you're not a frequent traveler and need a card with a simple but lucrative bonus structure, this may be it.

Reasons to Apply:

• No annual or foreign transaction fee
• Good sign-up bonus
• 3x rewards rate in various categories

Given the bank's size and coverage area, it's no wonder the Bank of America Travel Rewards Visa credit card keeps finding its way to thousands of users. It lets you plan and book rewards-funded trips with any airline or hotel, it offers a solid welcome bonus and a good redemption policy.

Rewards

The Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card comes with a simple, but attractive rewards policy. Every $1 in net purchases earns you 1.5 points. Every $1 in net purchases made through the bank's travel center - with the exception of insurance purchases - earns you 3 points.

As far as per-point value goes, each point is worth one cent when redeemed for travel. If redeemed for cash, a point is worth a little over half a cent.

Travel Rewards from Bank of America also comes with a lucrative additional rewards policy.

With at least $20,000 in your account, you can become a member of the bank's 3-tiered Preferred Rewards program and earn from 25% to 75% more bonus points with every purchase.

Rewards have no expiration date, which means that your bonus points will be there as long as you keep your account active. Also, there are no limits to the number of points that you can earn.

Redemption Options

What makes this Bank of America card great is the fact that it isn't tied to a specific hotel chain or airline. In other words, you can book travel arrangements on your own terms and still redeem points from your Bank of America® Travel Rewards card for a statement credit to spend on hotel stays, flights, rental cars, cruises, and baggage fees.

Besides, Bank of America's definition of 'travel' is very broad, so your points can also be used to purchase tickets for tourist attractions and exhibits such as amusement parks, circuses, art galleries, zoos, and aquariums.

The minimum redemption requirement is 2,500 points in all of these cases. Rewards can also be redeemed for gift cards at varying per-point values.

APR and Fees

Bank of America's Travel Rewards comes with no annual or foreign transaction fees. Another rare benefit to enjoy with this card is the 0% introductory APR for purchases made in the first 12 billing cycles. After that, the ongoing APR ranges between 14.99% and 22.99%.

Welcome Bonus

The Bank of America travel card comes with a sign-up bonus of 25,000 points that can be turned into a $250 statement credit intended for travel-related spending. To be able to use the bonus, you'll have to make $1,000 in purchases within the first three months of opening your account.

Additional Benefits

This travel rewards credit card comes with a number of additional benefits and travel-friendly features. Round-the-clock concierge service, luxury hotel benefits, and travel protection are all available for Visa Signature cardholders at over 800 locations.

Apart from that, Visa cards are widely accepted all around the world and therefore an excellent choice for frequent international travelers.

Bottom Line

What makes the card really stand out from the competition is its flexibility - the Bank of America Travel Rewards Visa credit card doesn't require you to travel with a particular airline or stay in a certain hotel to be able to use your bonus points.

Its welcome bonus is decent and the ways you can earn and redeem points are simple and straightforward. Although other travel cards may come with a more comprehensive set of features, overall, this credit card is a sound option for a frequent traveler looking to avoid annual fees.

Reasons to Apply:

• No annual fee
• Generous rewards rate on all purchases
• Flexible rewards redemption

Even though it comes at a price, the combination of a big welcome bonus, ongoing 3x points on travel and dining, hundreds of dollars in annual automatic credits and other high-value benefits makes Chase Sapphire Reserve well worth the money and one of the better credit cards for those who travel regularly.

Rewards

The reward-earning policy is simple and straightforward. For each dollar that you spend on travel and dining, you get three times the amount in bonus points. Bear in mind that this doesn't apply to travel purchases reimbursed with the annual $300 travel credit. For all other purchases, you get a point for each dollar spent.

The credit card provider has recently introduced an additional way to earn points. For each dollar spent on Lyft services until March 2022, you'll get 10 times the amount in points.

Redemption Options

Chase Sapphire Reserve has a long list of ways to redeem your accumulated points. Once you set up an account on the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, you'll be able to choose whether you want to redeem points for statement credit, direct deposits, travel, Amazon credits, gift cards, or a number of other options.

However, if you're looking to maximize the value of your rewards, we suggest you book travel through Chase's portal or transfer points to the company's partner hotels and airlines.

Airlines partners include Aer Lingus, Emirates, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Iberia, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore, and United, while Hyatt, Marriott, and InterContinental Hotels Group, and are among hotel partners.

It's the average per-point value that secures this card a place on our list. Here's an overview of points values for different redemption options.

A point is worth 1.5 cents for travel booked through Chase. Each point is worth one cent if redeemed for statement credit, direct deposit or gift cards. For Amazon purchases, the per-point value is 0.8 cents for each point.

APR and Fees

As far as interest rates go, Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a variable APR of 16.99% - 23.99%, while the APR for cash advances is 26.49%. Although annual card membership comes at a cost of $550, this is still one of the better overall choices out there.

Balance transfers will cost you at least $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, while for cash advances you'll have to pay either at least $10 or 5% of the amount of the transaction.

Welcome Bonus

As a new cardholder, you'll be rewarded 50,000 bonus points if you meet the requirement of making at least $4,000 worth of purchases in the first three months of your card membership.

If redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards for hotels, airfare, cruises, car rentals, or similar travel-related cost, the bonus has a value of $750.

Additional Benefits

Apart from the excellent ongoing rewards and a huge welcome bonus, it's the additional perks that offset the annual membership fee and make this card stand out from the competition. Not only does this Chase travel credit card come with a long list of airline and hotel transfer partners, but it also offers up to $300/year of statement credit intended for travel purchases.

As a Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder, you also get purchase and fraud protection, a complimentary airport lounge membership, a $60/year credit for DoorDash, a one-year Lyft Pink membership, and a DashPass subscription.

Bottom Line

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a good choice for those who aren't put off by the $550 annual membership fee. If you are after an extensive list of travel benefits and your spending style lets you make the most of the card's perks, the Chase Sapphire Reserve may be a great fit for your wallet.

Reasons to Apply:

• High rewards rate and flexible redemption
• Large welcome bonus
• High-value travel benefits

Notable for its exceptional sign-up bonus and generous rewards policy, the Chase Ink Business Preferred is considered one of the better business credit cards for travel on the market right now. If you are a small business owner who takes frequent trips or someone whose spending habits otherwise match the bonus categories, this card merits a closer look.

Rewards

When it comes to earning bonus points, the Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card has a rather complex rewards structure. For each dollar spent on travel-related purchases and certain business categories, you get three chase ultimate rewards points on the first $150,000 spent each year.

After that, each dollar earns you a single point. All other purchases also earn points at a 1:1 ratio.

Spending categories that get you three points per dollar are travel, internet, shipping, phone and cable services, and digital advertising. Note that this is the only business credit card that offers a 3x reward on social media and search engine advertising purchases.

Redemption Options

Ink Business Preferred offers a number of options for redemption. Cardholders can redeem points for travel, cash, gift cards, and products and services available through the company's portal or third party providers.

Here's a pro tip - to maximize the worth of your accumulated rewards, make sure that you redeem them to book trips.

There are two ways to make the most of your points for travel. First, if you decide to redeem them through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, the value of your points will increase by 25%, meaning that every bonus point will be translated to 1.25 cents.

The second option this card offers can potentially bring you even more value. It's all about transferring the rewards to one of Chase's hotel or airline partners. The list of partners is long and includes British Airways Executive Club, Aer Lingus AerClub, Flying Blue Air France KLM, Iberia Plus, KrisFlyer, United Airlines MileagePlus, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Rapid Rewards, Southwest Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

Also, the hotel partners are World of Hyatt, IHG Rewards Club, and Marriott Rewards.

APR and Fees

When it comes to interest rates, the Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card comes with an ongoing variable APR of 15.99% - 20.99%, while the APR for cash advances is 26.49%. Annual card membership comes at a price of $95.

Ink Business Preferred has no fees for foreign transactions. Balance transfers cost at least $5 or 5% of the amount of the transfer, while cash advances come at a price of either $15 or 5% of the amount of each advance, whichever of the two is greater.

Welcome Bonus

The Ink Business Preferred card comes with a spectacular welcome bonus of 100,000 points. To obtain the bonus, you are required to spend $15,000 on purchases in the first three months of your card membership. Regardless of how you decide to redeem your points, this is still one of the highest available bonus offers.

Additional Benefits

You can expect quite a few additional benefits with this card. These include fee-free additional employee cards with individual spending limits, cell phone protection for theft or damage of up to $600, coverage for canceled or interrupted trips of up to $5,000 per trip, rental car coverage, and purchase protection against damage or theft, and extended warranty.

Bottom Line

Not only does the Chase Ink Business Preferred card offer a spectacular 100,000-point welcome bonus, but it also comes with a highly flexible rewards-earning and redemption policy, especially for travel-related purchases. However, you should consider looking elsewhere if your business heavily relies on travel and you need to be on the go constantly.

Reasons to Apply:

• High ongoing rewards
• Large welcome bonus
• High-value travel benefits

This card is an excellent option for everyone looking to earn points quickly. It earns you points without forcing you to change your lifestyle or spending habits. It rewards you with 3x bonus points for eating out, shopping at supermarkets or gas stations, but on air travel and hotels as well.

You can use Citi's ThankYou® Points for your next vacation or other rewards. 

Rewards

Citi Card rewards are called Citi's ThankYou points. As mentioned before, you can earn 3x the points when shopping for groceries, at gas stations, or when dining out and traveling.

Every other purchase nets you 1x the reward points.

On top of that, with Citi Card, you can count on $100 in annual hotel savings, which will brush off $100 off one of your stays at a hotel that is worth $500 or more. It also allows you to transfer the earned points to one of the participating airlines, such as TrueBlue®, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, to get flights faster.

Since it doesn't have any foreign transaction fees, this is an excellent card to have in your wallet if you decide to pull off that road trip and see the world finally.

It is also an excellent card to have if you love going out and gaining new experiences, but don't want that lifestyle ruining your personal finance  and savings plans. You can purchase tickets to numerous events with this card, including the most anticipated sporting events, concerts, and dining experiences.

You can also use it to get special access to some of them or obtain pre-sale tickets. 

Redemption Options

Overall, you can redeem these points for new travel experiences, such as flights, hotels, and cruises. This card keeps adding new hotel chains and airlines to its offer. You'll be able to find and book your next ideal vacation by redeeming points through the Citi ThankYou portal.

From there, you can also use these rewards points to shop on Amazon or at BestBuy.com for your new travel bags, for example. You can also redeem them at a 100:1 rate for gift cards so that you can treat yourself with anything you'd like, not limited to travel.

Lastly, you can also donate these points and help Citi and PayPal provide funding to the goal to end the COVID-19 pandemic.  

APR and Fees

Citi card offers some decent rates to its cardholders. The APR for this card is between 15.99% to 23.99% depending on your creditworthiness. If you are late with your payment, you can expect the APR rate to jump to 29.99%.

There is also a $95 annual fee, which can be a bit steep compared to some other cards that boast no yearly fees whatsoever. 

There are no foreign purchase transaction fees, though. However, you can expect to pay a balance transfer fee, which could be either $5 or 5%, and there are $40 penalty fees for late payments or payments that bounced back. 

Welcome Bonus

This card comes with an astonishing 80,000 bonus points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months from opening the account. That is a significant amount that you can put towards your next vacation or even use to earn gift cards for shopping or just - coffee. 

Additional Benefits

Apart from excellent entertainment and travel benefits, this card also grants several others that focus on convenience. For example, you can add an authorized user to your card for free to earn bonus points faster.

The card's digital wallet technology can make online shopping faster and more secure. Shopping at a brick-and-mortar store is also simpler for holders of this card - its tap and pay technology shortens the time spent at the checkout significantly. 

Bottom Line

If you are looking for a card that can earn you points for your next excursion, Citi Premier Card is an excellent contender for a place in your wallet. It stands out for its convenience, as it rewards you in bonus points worth three times your expenses for your regular spending.

There is no need to bend over backwards for those points, and they can be effortlessly redeemed for your next trip!

If you are looking for a card that will allow you to pile up rewards and help you travel in style while saving money, U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is the one for you. This card offers excellent value with reward points that never expire and an enticing welcome bonus you can exchange for your next trip.

As a cherry on top, it offers a bonus to people who love streaming services - you not only get double the reward points, but also $30 credit after 11 months of streaming service purchases.

Rewards

If you are a frequent traveler, then earning rewards you can use for more traveling is effortless - especially since prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through the Altitude center bring you 5x the points as a reward.

Other travel and gas stations earn you 4x the reward points. You can earn 2x points at grocery stores and by using delivery services, by dining outside, and, of course, by using popular streaming services. If there ever was a card that rewards Netflix binging with snacks, this is it.

Apart from allowing you to earn increased points from traveling, buying food, and streaming, you get 1x points for every other purchase with this card. That's a lot of points to earn!

You can pile them up and redeem them for your next big vacation and travel in style, or even use them as backup for your retirement plans that involve traveling the world.

Considering these points never expire, you don't have to rush out to spend them.

Redemption Options

Speaking of redeeming these points, you should know that each point is worth $.01. Unfortunately, the website's content doesn't specify what you can exchange your points for in great detail. Still, it does mention that you can redeem them towards travel, gift cards, cashback offers, and merchandise.

You can also use these points to get up to $100 in statement credits for reimbursing your application fee every four years. There is also the aforementioned $30 that you can use for purchasing streaming subscriptions.

If you plan to use the reward points for your next adventure, you can check the specific places to book once you are approved for the card. 

APR and Fees

This card is one of the rare ones on our list that offers an introductory period for its annual fee, which is great if you want to refinance old debts, for example. There is no annual fee for the entire first year, and the card has no overdraft or foreign transaction fees, either. That said, you'll have to pay $95 after the first year.

Its APR rates are also in the average bracket. Depending on your creditworthiness, you can expect your APR to be anywhere between 15.99% to 23.99%. There is no penalty APR to worry about, but you will have to pay a $40 penalty fee for late payments.

Welcome Bonus

Apart from the no annual fee bonus we've already mentioned, this card offers a decent amount of bonus points to reward new users. With this card, you can get 50,000 bonus points, which translates into a $500 value that you can put toward your next vacation.

The requirements for earning these bonus points are much better than with other cards on this list - to get them, you have to spend $3,000 over the first four months of owning the card. 

Additional Benefits

On top of these excellent bonus points, this card comes with other exciting benefits. Since it is a Visa card, all the Visa benefits apply: you can use it for once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences, enjoy fine wine and food, shopping at a discount at your favorite stores, and much more.

This card also allows contactless payments and offers up to $600 reimbursement insurance for your mobile device if it gets stolen. With Visa cards, you can use your smartphone or tablet for banking with confidence, knowing that Visa will have you covered in case something goes south.

Lastly, you can add this card to your mobile wallet and enjoy online shopping.  

Bottom Line

Overall, U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a travel card from a well established issuing bank. It offers easy-to-earn bonus points, allows you to gather rewards for every purchase you make, and doesn't have any annual fees for the first year.

The card also comes with exceptional Visa benefits. Finally, let's not forget that this is the only card on our list that rewards you for binging Netflix!

Staying in one of Hyatt's residencies is typically a fantastic experience. With a World of Hyatt credit card, it gets even better. Not only does it offer free nights at these hotels and resorts, but other great perks and upgrades as well.

Rewards

This is the perfect card to have in your wallet if you travel often and choose to stay at Hyatt's hotels and resorts, as each stay will bring you a whopping 9x the amount spent. Furthermore, many other activities give you 2x bonus points, including flights, gym memberships, dining out, and local transit and commuting.

It also includes all kinds of shopping, which will also net you 2x the points. There's even an intro offer where every purchase will be worth double the points for a period of time - six months, to be accurate.

This card will reward you with up to two free nights at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort. One night is on the house for your cardmember anniversary, and the other one is rewarded if you spend $15,000 on the card during the calendar year.

Redemption Options

When it comes to redeeming your points, you have plenty of options. For a relaxing holiday, you can exchange them for free nights at specific locations, either hotels, standard Hyatt resorts, or small luxury resorts. You can also combine them with cash to get the rooms at a discount or use them to get unique upgrades.

The points can also be used on travel. You can turn them into miles with one of 25 partner airlines. If you prefer to drive, you can exchange them for car rentals, too. 

There's also the option of gift cards and sharing the benefits with the people you love. Lastly, you can use the points to book experiences at Hyatt hotels and resorts - you can enjoy Hyatt's meals, spa, or meeting rooms without actually having to book a stay. Finally, this card includes FIND experiences and unique trips to the Antarctic, Galapagos, and beyond.

APR and Fees

For a card that opens so many doors, it has very reasonable fees and APR rates. First off, there's a $95 annual fee. It also comes with a standard $40 late payment fee but no foreign transaction fees - making it an excellent credit card for traveling. 

The variable APR is fairly standard and ranges from 15.99% to 22.99%, depending on your creditworthiness. The better your credit history, the better your APR. However, if you are late with your payment, you'll get a 29.99% penalty APR.

Unlike some other cards, this higher APR may remain indefinitely, which is why our obvious advice is this: don't pick this card if you think you may run into problems making regular payments.

Welcome Bonus

Welcome bonus with this card is excellent but a bit convoluted. You're eligible to earn up to 60,000 bonus points in two different ways. You'll earn 30,000 points by spending $3,000 in the first three months after opening the account.

The remaining 30,000 points can be obtained by spending up to $15,000 on eligible purchases that net you 2x bonus points. To make it simple - you earn bonus points for traveling by traveling.  

Additional Benefits

Additional benefits of using this card are mostly tied to your stays at Hyatt hotels and resorts. With the World of Hyatt credit card, you can enjoy late check-outs to avoid those early morning rushes.

You will gain an additional 10% bonus points you can put toward your next stay and use the premium internet in your hotel room for those late-night moments of relaxing with Netflix or sending that time-sensitive email to your colleagues.   

Bottom Line

If Hyatt is a name you trust with your holidays and vacations, then the World of Hyatt is a credit card to apply for. Not only do you get to earn excellent bonus points without making any significant changes to your spending habits, but will also enjoy perks unique to Hyatt.

Even your stays at the company's hotels and resorts will earn you additional points, not to mention the free accommodation up to two times per year.