The Ultimate Guide to Picking a Travel Rewards Credit Card
We love how credit card purchases from the right travel rewards credit card can really help budget the trip while earning points towards more travel.
But with so many options, how do we know which one is best for us?
Here is our guide to picking a travel rewards credit card.
First of all, what is a travel rewards credit card?
We raise this question because we understand it may not be obvious to everyone. Travel rewards credit cards offer rewards in the form of points.
Once you spend a certain amount of points, you can redeem these points on flights, hotels, and other aspects of travel.
This is different from a cash back credit card, where you would receive hard cash or gift cards after racking up a certain amount of points.
Is this the right kind of card for me?
Is it more important that your points go towards larger travel purchases?
Or would you rather be able to redeem points on a wide variety of items, or better yet just receive the cash back in your pocket?
This really depends on what you are looking for from your credit card.
What are the specifics I should look for?
There are several things you can consider before choosing a travel rewards credit card.
First, consider what kind of rewards you want, then the welcome offer, any additional spending categories to help you earn points, the spending minimum, special perks, annual fees, and any foreign transaction fees.
Now that you’ve decided on a travel rewards credit card, here are the various options you can look into.
Airline Credit Cards
Airline credit cards make it easy to earn points or miles and save money on flights. They usually offer perks like free checked bags or airport lounge access, too. This sounds great to us!
Here are a couple cards to consider:
Discover it Miles
Earn unlimited 1.5x Miles for every dollar spent on all purchases and no annual fee.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn unlimited 2x miles on every purchase.
>> Click here to compare the best airline rewards credit cards now.
Hotel Rewards Credit Cards
Hotel credit cards are great for those travelers or business travelers that stay in the same hotel at multiple locations, i.e. Marriott, Hilton, etc. With a good hotel rewards credit card, you can log free hotel nights and earn free perks and upgrades.
Here are a couple cards to consider:
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
With this card, you can earn 12x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio, earn 6x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, and earn 3x Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
With this card, you can earn 6x Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 participating hotels, and 2x Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
>> Click here to compare the best hotel rewards credit cards now.
Point Rewards Credit Cards
Point rewards credit cards are a great way to rack up travel points or miles through everyday purchases. Think about it, if you could earn points on grocery purchases, gas purchases, and other shopping, why not?
Here are a couple cards to consider:
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card
With this card, 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.
Citi Premier Card
With this card, earn 3 points per $1 spent at restaurants and supermarkets, 3 points per $1 spent at gas stations, air travel, and hotels, and earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
>> Click here to compare the best point rewards credit cards now.
Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses
Credit card sign-up bonus offers can come in many forms such as cash back, miles, or points. This could be a great way to lean towards a certain card, if the sign-up bonus is especially exciting.
Bonuses usually get new cardholders rewards worth $100, $300, or more after spending a required amount, usually within 3 months of signing up. To determine which card is best for you, consider the type of rewards, redemption options, bonus requirements, and if the card will fit into your normal spending.
Here are a few cards to consider:
Citi Rewards Card
With the Citi Rewards Card, earn 2x points at supermarkets and gas stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1x points thereafter, and 1x points on all other purchases. Earn 15,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $150 in gift cards at thankyou.com.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Card
With Chase Freedom Unlimited Card, earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining at restaurants and drugstores, and earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card
With the Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card, earn 3x points on eating out and ordering in, 3x points on popular streaming services, 3x points on gas stations, rideshares, and transit, 3x points on travel including flights, hotels, homestays, and car rentals, and 1x points on other purchases. Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months (a $200 cash redemption value).
>> Click here to compare the best travel credit card bonuses now.
All-Around Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
These are the best all-around travel rewards credit cards for 2021, according to creditcards.com:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Best for earning points
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best for travel insurance
- Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card: Best for travel rewards
- Citi Premier Card: Best for sign-up bonus
- The Platinum Card from American Express: Best for travel credits
- Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard: Best travel credit card for overall benefits
- Discover it Miles: Best for no annual fee
- Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card: Best for introductory offer
- American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card: Best introductory airline credit card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card: Best for airline rewards
- Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: Best for miles redemption
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Best travel credit card during the pandemic
>> Click here to compare all the best travel credit cards now.
Now that you’ve read our guide to picking a travel rewards credit card, what did you think? Leave us a comment below!
