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We know you’d love to book every vacation on points and miles, but sometimes you have to pay cash for a flight, hotel stay, rental car or other travel expense. If you can’t use your credit card rewards on a trip, then you should at least earn some points and miles for your travel spending. The more rewards, the better.
See our list of the best credit card bonuses here.
We have created a series of Best Credit Cards For Earning Points & Miles By Spending Category. In this guide, we’ll cover the best credit cards to use for travel purchases.
Best Credit Cards For Travel Purchases
There are plenty of travel cards out there, but which ones give you the most rewards for your travel spending? Our list of the best credit cards for travel purchases covers a wide range – from a low-cost card to premium ones – so you’ll easily find a card that suits you and your spending habits.
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Let’s take a closer look at each card below:
CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED® CARD
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card currently has an offer for 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Redeeming the 60,000 bonus points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which is praised by users, will get you $750 in value towards travel. The 60K bonus points are worth $750 because you get 25% more value whenever you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Even better, strategize with Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer partners to potentially get even more value. Each point can be worth up to 2 cents apiece (60k points = ~$1,200). Read more on this here.
CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is offering 80,000 bonus points (worth up to $1,600 in travel per our valuations). You’ll need to spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening to qualify for the bonus. These 80k points are redeemable for $1,200 toward travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
This is a premium travel card with a premium annual fee of $550. But, you’ll receive premium benefits such as 5X points on air travel, 10x points spent on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after earning your $300 annual travel credit, 3X points on all other travel and dining, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
The card also features an application fee credit (up to $100) for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®, access to 1,300+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select, and 50% more in travel redemption through Chase Ultimate Rewards. With Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 50% more for existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
THE PLATINUM CARD® FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Platinum Card® from American Express has a special offer for 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in purchases within your first 6 months.
Membership Rewards® points are some of the most valuable in the market. Redeeming these points by booking travel through American Express or by redeeming for gift cards will give you a standard 1 cent per point value. The 100k bonus points are worth $1,000 going this route.
You can potentially get more value by transferring your points to Membership Rewards travel partners. Using this strategy can get you up to an average value of 2 cents per point. Get around $2,000 in value with 100,000 points this way. Read more on this here.
With this card, earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
The biggest drawback to this card is the $695 annual fee (see Rates & Fees, Terms Apply), which puts it in the premium class of credit cards. The card has a market because it offers premium travel benefits, such as 5X points for flights (up to $500,000 on these purchases) and eligible hotels, access to 40+ Centurion Loung and Studio locations worldwide, up to $200 airline fee credit annually, and an annual Walmart+ membership. These benefits are given as statement credits.
For frequent travelers, the added benefits make sense in terms of value and added luxury.
AMERICAN EXPRESS® GREEN CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The American Express Green Card has an offer 30,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. We value these 30k points at around $600.
This card earns 3 points per $1 on travel including flights, hotels, transit, taxis, tours, and ridesharing services. Spending at restaurants worldwide, including takeouts and deliveries, will also earn 3 points per $1. All other purchases will earn the typical 1 point per $1.
The Amex Green Card has several unique benefits:
- Purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app and receive up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year.
- Pay for CLEAR membership with this card and receive up to $100 per calendar year in statement credits.
There are no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $150. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
BANK OF AMERICA® CASH REWARDS CREDIT CARD
The Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card offers $200 online cash reward bonus for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days of account opening.
Consider the Bank of America Cash Rewards credit card if you would like a 2%-3% cash back rewards rate for grocery stores, wholesale clubs and a category of your choice. It’s especially worthwhile if you’re a Preferred Rewards client, where being a loyal customer translates into attractive relationship bonuses.
Here is the breakdown of the card’s earning rates:
- 3% cash back in the category of your choice*
- 2% back at grocery stores & wholesale clubs*
- 1% back on everything else
*On the first $2,500 in combined spending in 3% and 2% categories each calendar month. 1% thereafter.
Redemption options for these reward include statement credits, direct deposits, and credits to a Merrill account (minimum redemption is $25).
The card also offers the following benefits:
- 0% intro APR on purchases & balance transfers for 15 months.
- Travel protection
- Credit card protection
The card comes with all of the benefits mentioned above but charges no annual fee.
CITI PREMIER® CARD
The Citi Premier® Card offers a 80,000 ThankYou Points after you make at least $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. These points are worth $800 in gift cards through Citi.
This card offers 3 points for every $1 spent on travel including gas stations, 2 points for every $1 spent at restaurants and on entertainment, and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
The card has an annual fee of $95 that is waived for the first 12 months.
WELLS FARGO PROPEL AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card has an offer for 20,000 bonus points. Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. These bonus points are valued at $200 in cash redemption value.
This card has no annual fee (See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply) and a nice rewards structure. You’ll earn 3 points per dollar on the following:
- Eating out and ordering in
- Gas stations, rideshares, and transit
- Flights, hotels, homestays, and car rentals
- Popular streaming services
All other purchases will earn 1 point per dollar.
Additional Guides
While we focused on credit cards for travel purchases in this post, you’ll want to choose a card with additional earning potential that matches your spending behavior. Click here for our guide on the best credit cards in other categories, or check out these other posts:
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