Compare Travel Credit Cards

Yes, travel credit cards are worth it for people who travel multiple times per year and who spend enough for the cards’ rewards and supplemental benefits to outweigh any annual fees. People who travel less frequently may also find travel credit cards with no annual fee to be worth it.

In addition, it’s worth noting that a travel credit card could be one of multiple cards in your wallet. It’s not necessary to choose between travel rewards and cash back, for example.

Travel Credit Cards That Are Worth Getting

(see Rates & Fees)

Initial Bonus: 75,000 miles for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months

Ongoing Rewards: 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per $1 spent on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25, and 2 miles per $1 on all other purchases

Travel Perks: Up to $100 for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.

Annual Fee: $95

Minimum Credit Required: Good credit

Initial Bonus: 60,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months

Ongoing Rewards: 5 points per $1 spent on travel purchased through Chase, 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases, 3 points per $1 on dining and online grocery purchases, 3 points per $1 on select streaming services, and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases

Travel Perks: $50 annual hotel credit; 25% more value on points redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel portal.

Annual Fee: $95

Minimum Credit Required: Good credit

Initial Bonus: 60,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days and paying the annual fee

Ongoing Rewards: 6 points per $1 spent on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per $1 spent at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Travel Perks: Free checked bags for you and up to 3 companions; 50% savings on eligible inflight purchases on all JetBlue flights; and a statement credit after purchasing a vacation package with JetBlue.

Annual Fee: $99

Minimum Credit Required: Excellent credit

Initial Bonus: 60,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months

Ongoing Rewards: 10 points per $1 spent at Choice Hotels, 5 points per $1 spent at gas stations, grocery stores and home improvement stores, 5 points per $1 spent on phone plan services, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Travel Perks: Get automatic Platinum Elite status in the Choice Privileges loyalty program, and earn 25% bonus points every time you book a qualifying stay at a Choice property.

Annual Fee: $95

Minimum Credit Required: Good credit

Initial Bonus: 60,000 points for spending $6,000 in the first 180 days

Ongoing Rewards: 5 points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Rewards Center, 4 points per $1 spent on travel, gas and EV charging stations (on the first $150,000 spent annually in these categories combined), 2 points per $1 spent on dining, takeout, restaurant delivery and cell service providers, as well as 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Travel Perks: Airport lounge access with Priority Pass Select membership; $25 taxi/rideshare credits after three consecutive monthly taxi or rideshare transactions paid for with your card. You can earn this bonus repeatedly, too.

Annual Fee: $0 intro 1st yr, $95 after

Minimum Credit Required: Good credit

How to Decide If a Travel Credit Card Is Worth It

1. Compare expected rewards earnings to the cost of the card.

For a travel credit card to be worth it, the card’s rewards and benefits should outweigh its fees. So, you should estimate how much you expect to spend on the card each year, then calculate how much you’d earn in rewards. After that, subtract the card’s annual fee to find out its net rewards value.

2. Compare the value to other credit card offers.

The travel credit card’s net value – rewards and benefits, minus fees – should be higher than what other comparable cards offer. A credit card is not truly worth it if getting that card means bypassing a better deal.

3. Take annual fees into account, but don’t rule them out.

Nearly all of the best travel credit cards charge an annual fee. But there are plenty of benefits that reduce the impact of such a fee. For example, an initial bonus is one factor that can easily make a travel credit card worth getting.

The best travel rewards cards offer sizeable bonuses when you meet minimum spending requirements in the first year. Top initial bonus offers cover the cost of their card’s annual fee for several years.

4. Make sure the redemption options suit you.

Typically, you can redeem a travel card’s rewards for travel-focused purchases such as airfare or hotel stays, as well as other options like gift cards, merchandise, or cash. The value of those rewards varies by card. But in most cases, you’ll get the highest value when you redeem for travel.

5. Consider co-branded travel cards if you have a favorite airline or hotel chain.

People who frequent a specific hotel or airline may get the most value from co-branded travel cards that offer enhanced rewards for loyal customers. Common perks on such cards include free checked bags, seat or room upgrades and lounge access.

However, you’ll lose flexibility when earning and redeeming rewards, relative to a general travel card. Co-branded travel cards tend to give the best rewards at their affiliated airline or hotel, and your rewards are usually tied to that company’s loyalty program.

6. Make sure there’s no foreign fee if you’re spending internationally.

The travel credit cards that are most worth it for international travelers and shoppers are ones that come with no foreign transaction fee. Foreign transaction fees are usually around 3% of each purchase made with a foreign merchant. But luckily, most travel cards don’t have this fee.

It’s also important to check your credit score before submitting an application for any travel credit card. The best travel credit cards tend to require at least good credit (a score of 700+), and some even require excellent credit (a score of 750+) for approval.

One of the best 0% APR travel credit cards is the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card. It offers an intro APR of 0% for 15 months on both new purchases and balance transfers, and it rewards you with 1.5 - 5% cash back on purchases – including 5% back on travel booked through Chase.

Some of the Best 0% APR Travel Credit Cards in 2024

Most of the cards listed above do not have a foreign fee. For more options, check out our complete picks for the best travel credit cards and the best 0% APR credit cards.

You don’t need to let your credit card company know you’re traveling, but it’s always a good idea. To protect you from fraud, credit card issuers look for charges that seem to be out of the ordinary, or “suspicious activity”. So, if they suddenly start seeing charges pop up on your card in a different state or country, they may decline the charge, assuming it’s fraudulent. In order to keep your credit card from being...

The best travel credit card for fair credit is the Citi Custom Cash® Card because it gives 5% cash back on up to $500 spent in your top purchase category each billing cycle, and travel is an eligible category. There’s also an initial bonus of $200 for spending $1,500 in the first 6 months and a $0 annual fee.

Best Credit Cards for Travel with Fair Credit

Note that the best travel rewards credit cards require at least good credit for approval. But with responsible...

One of the best travel credit cards for beginners who are new to credit is the Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card. This card offers 1% cash back on all eligible purchases, up to 1.25% back after 6 months of on-time payments, and 1.5% cash back after 12 consecutive months of paying on time.

The Petal 2 Card also has a $0 annual fee and a 0% foreign transaction fee, which makes it a good option for international travel.

Best Travel Credit Cards for Beginners

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The best travel credit card signup bonus is 60,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, offered by the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. The bonus is worth $750 in travel through Chase, and the card also gives 1 - 5 points per $1 spent on purchases. You can easily redeem your points using the Chase Travel portal.

Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee....

A credit score of 700 or higher is needed to get most credit cards with travel rewards. There are travel credit cards available to people of all credit levels, though, including people with limited credit or bad credit.

• Bad credit: Bank of America Custom Cash Secured Card
• Fair credit: Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (see Rates & Fees)
• Good credit: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Excellent credit: U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
• Students with excellent credit: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card for Students

To explore more options, check out our editor’s latest picks for the...