8 Best Travel Credit Cards of 2025

The best credit cards for travel should earn bonus points that align with your spending habits and can be transferred to hotel and airline loyalty programs. The other benefits, like an application fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, lounge access, and travel protections, are all fantastic perks. At the end of the day, these perks don’t mean anything if you aren’t traveling in the first place. 

As a full-time digital nomad, I’m constantly on planes, working from hotel lobbies, and booking my next great experience. Even if you only plan on taking one trip a year, having the right credit card in your pocket can make luxury, once-in-a-lifetime experiences accessible. 

If you’re looking for versatile and rewarding travel credit cards, you’ve come to the right place. Here are our picks:

• Capital One Venture X: Best overall
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Best for low annual fee
• Chase Sapphire Preferred®: Best for transfer partners 
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for cash back
• American Express® Gold Card: Best for foodies
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Best for luxury travel 
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for travel protections
• Bilt Mastercard®: Best for renters

Best Travel Credit Cards Overview

Best Travel Credit Cards

Best overall: Capital One Venture X

Capital One Venture X

Card details

The Capital One Venture X is, without a doubt, the most well-rounded travel credit cards on the market right now. It’s also my personal favorite credit card and one that I consistently recommend to friends.

Here’s why: you’ll earn two miles per dollar on every purchase, plus five miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 10 points per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Capital One Miles can be transferred to several leading hotel and airline loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio, including British Airways Executive Club, Qantas Frequent Flyer, and Virgin Red.

I use my Venture X for all of my everyday purchases, and I accumulate a solid chunk of points every month. I also use it for large, one-off purchases like my taxes. Even though you’re charged a fee for paying taxes with a credit card, the points I earn more than cover the additional cost. 

Although it has a $395 annual fee, it’s easily offset by the $300 annual travel credit for bookings through Capital One Travel and the 10,000-mile anniversary bonus. As well as airfare and hotels, you can even use that travel credit on rental cars booked at Capital One Travel.

Plus, you’ll receive up to a $120 statement credit for the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. You won’t be charged foreign transaction fees when making purchases abroad.

Travelers will appreciate lounge access through Priority Pass and Capital One Lounges. When you have a 6 a.m. flight, grabbing a free coffee and breakfast at the lounge before takeoff can elevate your experience substantially. Once you land, you’ll enjoy Hertz President’s Circle status (and auto rental collision coverage). 

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fantastic earning potential
• Variety of annual credits and bonus points
• Ability to transfer points 

Cons:

• High annual fee
• No bonus categories to maximize

Capital One Miles Transfer Partners

Who should apply

Venture X packs many comparable benefits from competitor cards at a smaller annual fee. If you want simplicity and flexibility, the Capital One Venture X is the best choice.

Learn more about the Capital One Venture X including how to apply.

Best for low annual fee: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Venture Rewards

Card details

If you want some of the baseline benefits of the Venture X at a fraction of the cost, consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. It offers two miles per dollar on everyday purchases and five miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

The annual fee is just $95, and you’ll still receive up to a $120 credit for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee. You’ll also enjoy Hertz Five Star status and an auto rental collision damage waiver.

The Venture typically has a solid sign-up bonus, although it is subject to change at any time. Still, you can often earn a nice amount of points after meeting minimum spending requirements in the first few months of account opening.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Solid earning potential
• No foreign transaction fees
• Low annual fee

Cons

• No lounge access
• No bonus earning on flights booked through Capital One Travel

Capital One Miles Transfer Partners

Who should apply

The Venture offers the same transfer partners as the Venture X, so it’s a solid alternative for those new to the world of travel rewards who aren’t ready to commit to a higher annual fee.

Learn more about the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card including how to apply.

Best for transfer partners: Chase Sapphire Preferred®

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Card details

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is one of the most popular travel rewards cards on the market, and for a good reason. You’ll earn three points per dollar on dining purchases and two points per dollar on travel (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 annual statement credit). If you pair the Sapphire Preferred with the Venture X, you’ll definitely want to pull out your Chase card when going out to eat. Every year on your account anniversary, you’ll receive bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year, which is great for heavy spenders.

Once you’ve accumulated enough points through your welcome offer and daily spending, you can redeem your points for travel in a couple of ways — a 1:1 point transfer to hotel and airline loyalty programs or through Chase Travel. If you redeem points through Chase Travel, you’ll receive a 25% bump in value, so 60,000 points is equal to $750. You can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards to airlines like Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, and JetBlue TrueBlue, and to hotels like Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt.

With all these perks, it’s easy to justify a $95 annual fee. If you still need more convincing, you can earn up to $50 in statement credits each year for hotels purchased through Chase Travel, and you’ll receive a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (a $120 value). For most people, the card easily pays for itself.

The Sapphire Preferred also offers an incredibly strong range of trip protections for a low-annual fee credit card, including primary auto rental coverage (secondary in New York State), trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, travel accident insurance, travel and emergency assistance, lost luggage insurance, baggage delay insurance, emergency evacuation and transportation, and more.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Low annual fee
• Valuable transfer partners
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• No credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee
• Bonus categories might not align with your spending

Chase Ultimate Rewards® Transfer Partners

Who should apply

The Sapphire Preferred makes sense for almost any traveler to have in their wallet. Whether you’re about to embark on your first trip or you’re a seasoned traveler, the Sapphire Preferred is a cost-effective option.

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred including how to apply.

Best for no annual fee: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Chase Freedom Unlimited

Card details

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is the only cash back credit card that made our list. If a cash back card isn’t already part of your credit card strategy, you might want to reconsider. You can earn a whopping 5% cash back on bookings through Chase Travel, which is a great way to offset the cost of an upcoming trip. When you go out to eat, you’ll earn 3% cash back (including takeout and eligible delivery services). You’ll also earn 3% at drugstores and 1.5% on everything else!

For a card with a $0 annual fee, the earning potential is phenomenal. If you don’t want cash back, you have the option of combining your rewards as Ultimate Rewards points if you also have a Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve card (or a Chase Ink Business Preferred), which opens up the door to transfer partners.

You’ll only want to use the Chase Freedom Unlimited when you’re in the U.S. — you’ll be charged 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars when you use it abroad. It might not sound like much, but that can quickly add up. Although the sign-up bonus and intro APR offer aren’t usually lucrative enough to seal the deal, the other card benefits make up for it.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• No annual fee
• Solid cash back earnings
• Can combine earnings with Sapphire cards to unlock transfer partners

Cons

• Charges foreign transaction fees
• No bonus cash back on travel unless booking through Chase Travel

Who should apply

If you focus most of your travels within the U.S., having the Freedom Unlimited can make a lot of sense. A cash back card is a great way to round out your credit card rewards strategy, and the Freedom Unlimited makes a compelling case.

Learn more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited including how to apply.

Best for foodies: American Express® Gold Card

American Express Gold Card

Card details

If your largest monthly expense is eating out or groceries, you need the American Express Gold Card. You’ll earn four points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50K in purchases, and on groceries at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per year. You’ll also earn three points per dollar on flights and two points per dollar on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel purchases booked through AmexTravel.com.

While the ability to earn Membership Rewards is amazing, the real benefit of being an Amex Gold cardholder is the annual statement credits. You can earn:

• $10 in Uber Cash each month when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account (up to $120 annually)
• Up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations (Up to $84 annually). Enrollment required.
• Up to to $50 in statement credits semi-annually after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases (up to $100 annually) Enrollment required.
• Up to a total of $10 when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys (up to $120 annually). Enrollment required.
• Up to $100 annual credit for a minimum two-night stay with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com

If you maximize each benefit, you’re receiving more than $500 in value from a card with an annual fee of just $325. You’ll want to keep track of the monthly statement credits to be sure you take advantage of them.

It’s no secret that food prices are astronomical, so having a card with a high earning potential on purchases at grocery stores is key.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Lucrative credits
• Fantastic earning potential
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Some of the credits might be hard to use
• Caps on bonus points for restaurants and supermarkets
• High annual fee

American Express Membership Rewards® Transfer Partners

Who should apply

Those who already eat out at restaurants included in the dining credits could easily cover their annual fees by being a cardholder of the American Express Gold card. Plus, the immense amount of Membership Rewards points you can earn can help pay for trips around the world.

Learn more about the American Express® Gold Card including how to apply.

Best for luxury travel: The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card from American Express

Card details

The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the most luxurious cards on the market. It also happens to come with a $695 annual fee. Although this sounds extremely high, it can make sense for many travelers.

The credits you can receive include:

• $200 hotel credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection hotel bookings through American Express Travel using the Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment credit: Up to $20 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ credit: up to a $12.95 (plus applicable taxes) statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal).
• $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit: Get up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required.
• $200 Uber Cash: Get $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December, for orders and rides in the U.S., after you add your Card to your Uber account and select an Amex Card for your transaction
• $200 Airline Fee credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® account.
• $199 CLEAR Plus credit: Use your Card to cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus Membership, excluding any applicable taxes and fees, and get up to $199 back in statement credit per calendar year (subject to auto-renewal).
• Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Platinum Card®.

You will also receive access to American Express Global Lounge Collection®, which includes Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Plaza Premium Lounges, and Priority Pass lounges. If lounge access and a multitude of annual credits aren’t enough to justify the annual fee, you’ll enjoy elite status privileges with several hotel and car rental programs, including Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status, Hilton Honors™ Gold Status, and car rental privileges with Avis, Hertz, and National. Enrollment required.

The earning potential isn’t necessarily anything to write home about — you’ll earn five points per dollar on flights booked with the airline or through American Express Travel (up to $500,000 spent each year) and on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel. All other purchases earn one point per dollar.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Annual credits more than outweigh the annual fee
• You can sometimes snag a high welcome offer
• Comprehensive lounge access

Cons

• Very high annual fee
• Some credits are difficult to use

American Express Membership Rewards® Transfer Partners

Who should apply

Frequent travelers seeking a luxury experience would benefit from the Platinum Card, as long as they can justify the annual fee by utilizing the built-in perks. The Platinum Card is the most recent addition to my wallet, and I’m excited to see where it takes me.

Learn more about the American Express Platinum Card including how to apply.

Best for travel protections: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Card details

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is another popular premium credit card and the sibling of the Sapphire Preferred. Its most direct competitor is the Venture X, but the Sapphire Reserve offers a few perks that make it stand out for certain travelers.

For starters, cardholders receive a $300 annual travel credit that is significantly more flexible than other similar credits. Virtually any travel purchase applies and is automatically reimbursed. If you already spend a decent amount on travel purchases annually, you shouldn’t have any issue maximizing this credit. Then, you’ll be able to take advantage of a tiered earning system:

• 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals through Chase Travel and Chase Dining purchases
• 5 points on airfare through Chase Travel
• 3 points on other dining and travel purchases
• 1 point on all other purchases

You’ll also receive access to Priority Pass lounges and Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club, a small but growing network of impressive cardholder lounges.

If you’re concerned with travel protections when you’re on the road, the Sapphire Reserve is the card to have. You’ll be covered with primary auto rental coverage (secondary in New York), trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, travel accident insurance, travel and emergency assistance, lost luggage insurance, baggage delay insurance, emergency evacuation and transportation, and more.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Comprehensive travel coverage
• Annual travel credit
• Good earning potential

Cons

• High annual fee
• No hotel or airline elite status

Chase Ultimate Rewards® Transfer Partners

Who should apply

The Sapphire Reserve is one of the best rewards cards out there, so if you don’t already have a card with overlapping benefits, you should strongly consider applying.

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve including how to apply.

Best for renters: Bilt Mastercard®

Bilt Mastercard®

Card details

If you are a renter and you don’t have the Bilt Mastercard, you’re leaving money on the table. You will earn one point per dollar on your rent payments (up to 100,000 points per year), and you won’t pay any transaction fees. You’ll also earn five points per dollar on Bilt Neighborhood Dining Partners and Lyft purchases, three points per dollar on other dining purchases, and two points per dollar on travel. Oh, and a $0 annual fee.

When you’re ready to spend your points, you have a lot of flexibility. You can redeem for your rent payments or towards a down payment, or go the classic route by transferring to several travel partners. It’s a pretty revolutionary card and has a ton of cool built-in features. It even has its own elite status program. For every 25,000 points you earn, you’ll unlock milestone rewards, which can allow you to earn bonus points on select purchases. Once you reach higher tiers of elite status, you’ll get access to exclusive travel transfer bonuses, early access to experiences, and other loyalty program status matches.

The most important thing to consider with the Bilt Mastercard is that you need to use it at least five times each statement period to earn points. In other words, don’t only use it for your rent payment each month.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• No annual fee
• Tons of benefits
• Ability to earn points on rent payments

Cons

• Small list of transfer partners
• Must use at least five times each month to earn points

Bilt Rewards Transfer Partners

Who should apply

Anyone renting should consider applying for the Bilt Mastercard. For most people, rent is one of the largest line items in a monthly budget, so the opportunity to earn transferrable points on your rent payments each month is phenomenal.

Learn more about the Bilt Mastercard including how to apply.

Cards That Didn’t Make Our List

There were a few cards that we reviewed that didn’t make our list of the best travel credit cards but could still be worth considering:

• VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: The no-annual-fee sibling of the Venture and Venture X, the VentureOne Reward Credit Card allows you to earn 1.25 miles per dollar spent and typically allows you to take advantage of a low intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers. Still, there are better options out there.
• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card: The great part about this card is that you can redeem your points for cash back as a deposit into Bank of America checking or savings account. If you don’t have any trips coming up, it might be helpful to contribute to your savings.

There’s tough competition between travel credit cards. Even though these cards didn’t make our list, they are still solid options for a smaller segment of travelers.

How To Choose A Travel Rewards Credit Card

There are a few factors you should consider before applying for a travel rewards credit card.

Travel goals

Whether you want to fly first-class on a 15-hour flight or stretch your points and miles as far as you can, there are options out there for everyone. Consider your favorite airlines and hotels, and ensure any prospective card allows you to transfer your points to those loyalty programs.

Spending habits

You should analyze your recent spending habits to see which categories you tend to spend the most money on each month. Then, consider the bonus earning categories of a prospective card to see if it aligns with your spending. If you take road trips every weekend, having a card with a higher return on card purchases at gas stations could make sense.

Looking at your spending habits will also help you determine whether you can earn a bonus point welcome offer by meeting a spending requirement in the first few months of card membership. Sign-up bonuses for new cardholders are standard for most rewards cards, but these can vary substantially.

Fees

One of the most important things to consider when applying for a new card is the fees. These can include an annual fee, foreign transaction fees, APR (including if there is an introductory APR within a certain timeframe from account opening), and balance transfer fees.

Annual fees can vary widely based on the card’s benefits. Most travel credit cards don’t charge foreign transaction fees, but there are some options (that are worth considering) that do. Interest rates will also vary depending on the type of card and your credit score.

Benefits

Make sure you will actually use a cardholder benefit. While lounge access is nice, if you rarely fly, it might not be something you need. Similarly, review the eligibility requirements to activate your benefits. There are plenty of cards with shiny perks, but if you don’t use them, you lose them. Don’t pay for something you won’t appreciate having, no matter how nice it sounds.

Odds of credit approval

Several travel credit cards require good to excellent credit. If you’re struggling with your credit score, you might not be approved for a premium travel card. Instead, you might be better off with a credit building card to improve your credit profile before graduating to a rewards card.

The Types of Travel Rewards Cards

The best travel credit card will depend on your financial situation and travel goals. However, you can generally categorize travel credit cards into two categories — general rewards cards and co-branded credit cards.

General rewards cards

General travel rewards cards are flexible options that allow you to transfer credit card points to airline and hotel loyalty programs. You can also typically redeem points through the card’s associated travel portal. These are fantastic options for many travelers, as they provide more generalized benefits and allow you to maximize the value of your points.

Co-branded credit cards

There are two main types of co-branded credit cards: airline cards and hotel cards. These cards are issued by one of the main issuers, often Chase or American Express, in partnership with the hotel or airline. These cards provide specialized benefits. For instance, if you hold an airline credit card, you might receive priority boarding, bonus miles on purchases, or a free checked bag. Hotel credit cards might give you perks like room upgrades or a welcome gift.

Bottom Line

The best travel credit cards can allow you to have unique experiences and travel farther than you ever thought possible. These 8 options are wonderful places to start. As a full-time digital nomad who travels around the world for a living, I can confidently say that you can’t go wrong with any of these cards.