Best Travel Credit Cards of January 2025

Discover APRs are accurate as of December 12, 2024. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

The best travel credit cards offer more than just valuable rewards. They can help you save on foreign transaction fees, travel insurance and other travel expenses. Premium cards go further with luxury benefits like lounge access, complimentary elite status and credits for expedited airport security.

To help you find the best fit, CNBC Select analyzed the best travel rewards card for various needs and rounded up alternative cards to consider if your credit needs some work. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best travel credit cards.)

[ Jump to more details ]

Pro tip: You can pair this card with an Amex bank account

An American Express® Rewards Checking account has a 1.00% APY and no monthly maintenance fees. Plus, you’ll earn Membership Rewards points on eligible debit card purchases (one point for every $2 in eligible spending).

[ Jump to more details ]

Pro tip: You can pair this card with a Chase bank account

When you open a Chase Total Checking® account, you can earn a $300 bonus after you make at least $500 in direct deposits within 90 days of opening the account. You can also waive the monthly maintenance fee with qualifying activities.

Who’s this for? The Credit One Bank® Wander® American Express® Card is ideal if you have fair or average credit and want to earn generous rewards on your travel, dining and gas purchases.

Standout benefits: You’ll earn a whopping 10X points when you book eligible hotels and rental cars through the Credit One Bank travel site (5X when you book and 5X when you complete the booking). This card also earns 5X points on flights, dining and gas purchases, so it’s rewarding for a wide variety of travel spending. Plus, there are no foreign transaction fees.

[ Jump to more details ]

[ Jump to more details ]

Who’s this for? If you rent your home and don’t have the Bilt Mastercard®, you’re leaving points on the table. The Bilt Mastercard is the only card that lets you earn travel rewards on rent payments with no transaction fees.

Standout benefits: Bilt makes it easy for even beginners to get maximum value from their points by integrating award search engines point.me and Awayz into its app. The BiltProtect feature also protects you from using up your entire credit limit or risk going into debt by charging your rent every month.

[ Jump to more details ]

[ Jump to more details ]

Who’s this for? The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card has almost everything you could want in a travel card: A great welcome offer, a reasonable annual fee, useful bonus spending categories and meaningful perks.

Standout benefits: The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card will help you rack up rewards quickly for travel spending. You can transfer Wells Fargo points to airline and hotel travel partners including Choice Privileges, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club and Air France/KLM Flying Blue.

[ Jump to more details ]

$325 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

The American Express Gold Card provides over $400 in annual statement credits. To start, you’ll get up to $120 in annual dining credit (up to $10 in statement credits per month at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys; enrollment is required) and up to $120 in Uber Cash (up to $10 statement credits monthly) to put toward rides in the U.S. and dining via Uber Eats (you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States). Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.

On top of that, you can earn up to $100 Resy credit every calendar year (up to $50 back semi-annually; enrollment required), and up to $84 in Dunkin’ credit each year (up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations).

Eligible purchases also qualify for the following insurance coverages*:

• Baggage insurance (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.)
• Extended warranty (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.)
• Purchase protection (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.)
• Trip delay insurance (Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.)
• Car rental loss and damage insurance (secondary) (Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.)

* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

[ Return to card summary ]

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers travelers many important protections, including primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance and baggage and trip delay insurance. Travelers can also rack up rewards faster thanks to a 10% points boost on each card anniversary. That means if you spend $50,000 on purchases, you’ll get a 5,000-point bonus (worth $75 in travel booked through Chase).

Cardholders can take advantage of various statement credits for specific purchases. For starters, the card offers up to $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit. You’ll also receive a complimentary DashPass membership and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.

[ Return to card summary ]

Capital One Venture Rewards cardholders receive a credit of up to $120 to cover Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® membership. Other perks include access to extended warranty protection*, Travel Assistance Services*, Purchase Assurance*, MasterRental Insurance*, Master RoadAssist®*, and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Coverage*.

*Benefit available to accounts approved for the World Elite Mastercard product, subject to terms, conditions, and exclusions in the World Elite Mastercard Guide to Benefits. See Account Terms or Application Terms for more details. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply.

[ Return to card summary ]

The appeal of the Discover it® Miles is its simplicity of not having to worry about paying an annual fee or paying foreign transaction fees. The card also has a valuable promotional intro APR offer.

[ Return to card summary ]

[ Return to card summary ]

On top of the annual $300 Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, the Capital One Venture X card is loaded with other benefits. Cardmembers receive up to $100 statement credit for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, complimentary cell phone insurance, and unlimited access to Capital One Lounges as well as the extensive network of Priority Pass and Plaza Premium airport lounges worldwide. You can add up to four authorized users for free and each additional cardholder also gets airport lounge access.

Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details.

[ Return to card summary ]

$0 See rates and fees

Notable perks

Thanks to the BiltProtect feature, Bilt Mastercard cardholders are protected from using up their entire credit limit or risk going into debt by charging their rent to their card every month. Other benefits include access to the Mastercard Luxury Hotels & Resorts portfolio, which offers amenities like upgrades, free breakfast and property credits.

For a no-annual-fee card, the Bilt Mastercard has a surprising amount of built-in shopping and travel insurance perks, including:

• Trip delay reimbursement
• Rental car collision damage waiver
• Cell phone protection
• Purchase protection

* Please review the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card Guide to Benefits for details.

[ Return to card summary ]

[ Return to card summary ]

Chase Sapphire Reserve® card members get up to $300 in annual travel credits, which covers more than half of the card’s annual fee. Additional benefits include an up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit (every four years), elite-like perks when booking hotels through The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, access to Sapphire airport lounges and a Priority Pass Select membership (valued at $469), which unlocks access to more than 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide.

Cardholders also have access to a wide range of limited-time benefits and credits, including:

• Two years of complimentary Lyft Pink All Access membership (worth $199 a year) when activated by Dec. 31, 2024
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year (activate by December 31, 2027)

Some of the easiest benefits to overlook are this card’s top-notch travel and purchase protections, such as purchase protection, extended warranty protection, return protection, primary rental car collision coverage, trip delay protection, trip interruption/cancellation insurance, baggage delay protection, travel accident insurance, emergency medical and dental insurance and more. Cardmembers traveling internationally also don’t need to worry about foreign transaction fees.

[ Return to card summary ]

[ Return to card summary ]

The type of rewards you earn, the cost of keeping the card and the card benefits depend on the type of travel card. There are three main types of travel credit cards: airline cards, hotel cards and flexible travel rewards cards.

Airline credit cards

Co-branded hotel airline credit cards earn frequent flyer miles with that specific airline loyalty program. For example, if you have a Delta card, you’ll earn Delta SkyMiles and if you have a Southwest card, you’ll earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points. These miles and points can be redeemed for flights with that airline and its partners. There may be other redemption options, such as rental cars or hotels, but you’ll normally get the most value when you use your miles for flights.

Airline cards can save you money in other ways. Depending on the card, you may receive perks such as free checked bags, priority boarding and priority check-in. Many airline cards also give you a path to earning elite status, and sometimes you can even earn elite status without flying. Most mid-tier airline cards have annual fees of $150 or less. However, there are premium airline cards that cost much more and offer luxury perks such as airport lounge access.

Hotel credit cards

A hotel credit card is a good option to earn free nights and elite status with your preferred hotel chain. These cards earn hotel points with that hotel chain and you can use those points to book rooms at any hotel under that loyalty program’s umbrella.

Hotel cards often come with automatic elite status and may earn bonus elite night credit for spending or give you other opportunities to spend your way to top-tier status. Luxury hotel cards may even offer statement credits and free nights every year you keep the card.

Flexible travel rewards credit cards

If you like to keep your travel options open and aren’t extremely loyal to one airline or hotel, then a travel credit card that earns flexible rewards makes sense. These cards run the gamete from no-annual-fee travel cards to premium credit cards with top-tier benefits.

What makes this type of travel card so special is the redemption options you have. You’re usually able to redeem the points or miles you earn for one cent per point for things such as statement credits, gift cards or travel. Although, depending on the rewards program these aren’t always the optimal ways to use points, and some redemptions are far less valuable, such as using points to pay for Amazon purchases.

In general, the best way to make the most of your flexible travel rewards is to transfer them to partner travel loyalty programs. Each flexible travel rewards program has different partners, and by utilizing the best deals that your card offers, you can multiply the value of your points by booking premium cabin award flights to international destinations.

Most credit card rewards programs offer a range of rewards cards to suit different needs. You can even have more than one credit card part of the same travel rewards program. These cards generally fall into four broad categories: business credit cards, no-annual-fee credit cards, mid-tier credit cards and premium credit cards.

Business travel credit cards

Travel credit cards for businesses are available to anyone with a qualifying business venture, such as a side hustle, independent contractor gig or full-time business. These cards offer higher returns where business owners are more likely to spend the most, including office supply stores, advertising and shipping. They may also feature benefits such as discounts or statement credits for business services. You’ll also be able to streamline your bookkeeping and often can sync your card with popular tax software such as QuickBooks or FreshBooks.

No-annual-fee travel credit cards

If you’re new to credit card travel rewards, a card with no annual fee is a great way to earn rewards. These cards have fewer benefits than travel cards with annual fees but can still provide value. There are even no-annual-fee travel cards that allow you to transfer points, such as the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card and Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. With a no-annual-fee card, you may have the option of upgrading to a card with more benefits and keeping the points you earned with the old card.

Mid-tier travel credit cards

Mid-tier travel credit cards are the most popular cards and usually have annual fees of $150 or less, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. You’ll typically have a mix of good reward rates, valuable welcome bonuses and solid ongoing benefits. It’s at this level of card that you’re more likely to receive travel and purchase protections.

Premium travel credit cards

Several travel credit card rewards programs offer premium credit cards with annual fees north of $400. A premium card tends to be loaded with statement credits and luxury perks, such as airport lounge access. The travel insurance available with a premium card is usually more valuable and may reimburse up to a higher limit or have large coverage limits. You’ll also usually earn more rewards for spending, although, for certain categories, lower-tier cards can sometimes be more lucrative.

• Gift cards
• Statement credits or other forms of cashback
• Directly for travel, such as hotels, rental cars, cruises and flights
• Transfers to partner travel programs, including airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Merchandise

Redeeming your rewards is straightforward, you’ll need to log in to your account and you can complete most redemptions from there. The big thing to understand when you’re using your rewards is that what you redeem them for changes how much value you receive and the value of each redemption varies by program. You’ll usually receive a maximum of one cent per point for gift cards and cash-back redemptions. Using points for merchandise or Amazon purchases typically yields the lowest value, which is frequently less than one cent per point.

If the program offers transferrable points, this is often the best way to get the most bang for your buck, especially when you take advantage of airline partners. By transferring points to the right airline partner, you can book International business- and first-class flights. These flights can cost thousands of dollars and provide well over two cents per point in value.

The best way to use your travel card is to utilize its benefits while understanding its cost. Take note of any annual fees, foreign transaction fees and the APR associated with your account. Also, consider the rewards you’ll earn and other perks, such as annual statement credits.

Once you’re familiar with what your card offers, you can maximize the perks. That may include setting reminders to use the annual $300 travel credit provided by the Chase Sapphire Reserve or submitting a Global Entry application with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to take advantage of the up to $100 credit. Other cards have credits that you can earn monthly or semi-annually and will require you to stay on top of them to maximize the perks.

When redeeming the rewards you earn with travel cards, you’ll normally have several options. Certain travel cards offer cash-back type redemptions, which may offer okay value. However, you’ll typically get the most of your travel points and miles when you use them for travel.

Even if you’re not using points to book travel, paying for your travel with a travel credit card is also a good idea. You’ll generally earn bonus rewards for travel purchases such as hotels and flights. On top of that, many travel cards also provide protections at no additional cost, such as trip delay reimbursement or rental car insurance.

Travel credit cards aren’t for everyone. If you travel infrequently, you should consider alternative credit card options, such as cards with dining, grocery or gas rewards. Some cards provide up to 6% back in those categories, allowing foodies, meal-preppers and commuters to benefit.

Beyond rewards, you might benefit from a card that offers a 0% APR period. Some cards offer no interest for a year or more on new purchases and balance transfers, such as the Citi Simplicity® Card.When used responsibly, these cards can help you get out of debt without high-interest charges.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best travel credit cards.

To determine which cards offer the best value for travel, CNBC Select analyzed over 250 major credit cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions that are widely available in the U.S.  

We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards (e.g., cash back, points and miles), annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back). 
 
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.  

For the cards that offered a rewards program, we considered consumer spending data forecasts from location intelligence firm Esri to determine where U.S. consumers are spending the most money, like on dining and travel. We used this to help determine what bonus categories are most useful for consumers. Since the value of a point or mile varies based on what they can be redeemed for, we also considered things like transferability and the ability to redeem for cash-back. 

When choosing the best travel credit cards, we focused on cards with travel-centered rewards programs and benefits. This includes flexible travel programs that allow you to redeem for travel and transfer rewards to travel programs. We also paid special attention to cards with travel perks, such as travel insurance, elite status benefits or airport lounge access.

Catch up on CNBC Select’s in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Miles, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, click here.

Information about the Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students, has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.