Best Beginner/Entry Level: Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card for anyone taking their first step into a travel credit card. Both newbies and experienced travelers enjoy the ease of use, travel credits and benefits, credit transfer options, and low annual fee! Choose this card if you want minimal confusion and maximum benefits,
- 60,000 reward points (worth $750) after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x points for purchases on Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on dining, and 2x points on all other travel purchases.
- Points are worth 25% more on airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises when booking through Chase Ultimate Rewards (e.g. 60,000 points worth $750 toward travel)
- Includes trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, lost luggage insurance and more.
- Can transfer your reward points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- No foreign transaction fees
- Annual fee: $95. Terms apply.
Best Overall: Capitol One Venture X
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card lets you earn miles on ANY purchase. There’s no limit on how many miles you can earn in a year or how you earn them, so it’s ideal for anyone looking to use one credit card for everything! Yes, the annual fee is high at $395 but you’ll receive an annual credit of $300 to use in the travel portal, so it’s basically $95.
Card Benefits
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 10,000 Miles Anniversary Bonus (worth $100) every year, starting on your first anniversary.
- 2 Venture miles per $1 on every purchase, every day.
- Flexible redemption options for your miles—from vacation rentals, car rentals, and more
- Easily transfer Venture X miles for a 2:1.5 ratio to most of Capital One’s travel loyalty partners, and a 2:1 ratio for others.
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Access to the exclusive Capitol One lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Annual Fee: $395. Terms apply.
Best Premium/Luxury Travel: American Express Platinum
American Express Platinum Credit Card is what you need as a frequent traveler seeking maximum benefits when it comes to lounge access, luxury hotels, subscriptions, rotating shopping deals, and more! The – very- high $695 annual fee makes up for itself in the travel protections, and monthly and annual statement credits but ONLY if you are using it right.
Card Benefits
80,000100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months- $200 per year in hotel credit on select prepaid bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel
- Up to $200 Airline Fee Credit when incident travel fees on your selected airline are charged
- Up to $200 in Uber rides and eats savings in the US annually, and Uber VIP status
- $155 Walmart+ credit, covering the cost of a monthly membership
- Up to $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Receive up to $20 back each month when you pay for eligible purchases at one or more of Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- 5x points on up to $500,000 per year spent on flights booked directly with airlines, or through American Express Travel
- Unlimited access to 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide through the American Express Global Lounge Collection (including Priority Pass Select lounges)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Annual fee: $695. Terms apply.
