The 12 Best Travel Credit Cards of January 2023

You’ll earn 2x miles for every dollar spent when you swipe your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — but you’ll earn 5x miles when for all hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel portal. Plus, Capital One’s current welcome bonus (75,000 miles if you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening) is hard to pass up.

We also like this travel card because it’s got a relatively low fee (just $95), and it doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees or fees for balance transfers. Its perks are also noteworthy: two free lounge visits a year, up to $100 toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, automatic Hertz Five Star status, and 5x miles when booking on Turo.

Like any good travel card, Venture Rewards offers 24-hour travel assistance services, travel accident insurance, extended warranties on purchases and even the ability to transfer your miles to your favorite loyalty programs.

Alternative Cards to Consider: Don’t want to spend $95 a year on a travel card? You can earn 1.25x miles per dollar with the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. On the flip side, you can spend $395 a year for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card; with it, you’ll earn up to 10x miles on select purchases, a $300 annual travel credit, and an annual 10,000-mile anniversary bonus.

The $95 fee for this card is negligible if you take advantage of all the great ways to earn points:

• Earn up to $50 in statement credits every year (account anniversary) for booking hotel stays directly through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• Earn 5x points when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards (excludes hotel stays that qualify for the annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit).
• Earn 3x points on dining, including dining out, delivery services and takeout.
• Earn 3 points on online grocery shopping (excludes Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs).
• Earn 3x points on select streaming services.
• Earn 2x points on travel purchases made outside Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• Earn 1x point per dollar on all other purchases.

Each point is worth 1 cent — unless you use it to book travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards, where points are worth 25% more.

While earning points is easy through spending on eligible purchases, the real draw of this card is the bonus program:

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Earn bonus points equal to 10% of your purchases from the previous year on each account anniversary.
• Earn 15,000 bonus points for each referral — up to 75,000 bonus points a year.

Other hallmarks of the Sapphire Preferred Card include trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance and extended warranty protection.

Alternative Cards to Consider: If you bank with Chase but don’t want to pay an annual fee for your card, consider the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Chase Freedom Flex. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is pricier ($550 a year) but comes with more luxury perks and up to 10x points, which go even further in Chase Ultimate Rewards.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card is our favorite airline credit card, but it only makes sense for travelers who are willing to always book Delta. Savvy travelers on a budget who book flights based on the cheapest airline of the day should consider a general travel card instead.

But if you are loyal to Delta, it can pay off to have their card. Each mile is redeemable for a cent toward a flight through the Pay with Miles program: 5,000 miles means $50 off your next flight booked through Delta. And you’ll earn points for more than just Delta flight purchases. In fact, you earn 2x points not only on Delta purchases but also on dining and groceries; all other eligible for Amex Base reward.

he free checked bag for every Delta flight is a highly attractive feature, as well as the $100 Delta flight credit when you spend $10,000 with the card in a calendar year. Members even enjoy 20% cash back on in-flight purchases and get access to the Global Assist Hotline whenever they’re more than 100 miles from home. 

The fee is small ($99) as far as travel credit cards go — and Delta waives it for the first year. Terms apply. Rates and fees.

Alternative Cards to Consider: Delta loyalists can also consider the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card. Not a Delta stan? Consider the JetBlue Plus Card, American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Mastercard, United Club Infinite Card, United Explorer Card or Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card.

If you can handle the high annual fee, there’s so much to love about the Hilton Honors Aspire Card. For starters, you’ll earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. The points will keep flowing in after because you’ll earn:

• 14x points on hotel and resort purchases within the Hilton portfolio.
• 7x points on select travel (through AmexTravel.com or directly through participating airlines and car rental companies).
• 7x points on dining.
• 3x points on everything else.

Members automatically get Hilton Honors Diamond status, earn one free night at a Hilton each year (and an additional night after $60,000 in purchases in a calendar year) and an annual $250 Hilton resort statement credit for eligible purchases. Members also receive a $250 airline fee credit, which can go toward baggage fees, in-flight refreshments and other incidentals. Fly in style with Priority Pass Select for you and two guests — at more than 1,200 lounges around the world. Hilton also gives members a $100 property credit at participating Waldorf and Conrad properties.

Other perks include Premium Global Assist Hotline, a lost luggage insurance plan and access to a lifestyle concierge.

Alternative Cards to Consider: Hilton loyalists aren’t limited to the Aspire Card. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card is more affordable ($95 a year; $0 in the first year) but does rack up the points at a slower rate.

Don’t stay at Hilton family hotels that often? You might prefer the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless or Marriott Bonvoy Bold; you can also just open a general Chase Sapphire Card and transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to your Marriott Bonvoy account. If you’re a Hyatt loyalist, you may like the World of Hyatt Credit Card.

You won’t get lounge access or free checked bags with the Citi Premier Card, but it more than makes up for it with its winning rewards program. Earn 3x points at restaurants, gas stations and grocery stores — as well as for air travel and hotels. You’ll still earn 1x points for all other purchases.

You can redeem those points when shopping online (Amazon and Best Buy), as gift cards for department and home stores and restaurants and as travel rewards (flights, hotels, cruises and more).

Another huge benefit of this card is the $100 annual hotel savings benefit: You’ll get $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding applicable local sales tax and fees) if booked through thankyou.com. If you want to take advantage of specific airline or hotel perks, you can transfer your points to eligible loyalty programs for no fee.

We love that this card has no foreign transaction fees — and the annual fee is only $95 — but the 5% fee for balance transfers means you should look at another card if balance transfers from existing high-interest cards are a primary goal.

Alternative Cards to Consider: The Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card also offers decent rewards on everyday purchases — and it has no annual fee. Another comparable card is the Capital One Venture Rewards Card, which gets the edge on travel-specific purchases at 5x points when booked through Capital One. Similarly, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers a range of rewards rates based on how you spend your money, and those rewards are even more valuable when spent through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

The American Express Gold Card pays for itself if you regularly dine out and use Uber (or Uber Eats). That’s because you’ll get a $10 statement credit every month for dining purchases through Grubhub, Goldbelly, Wine.com, The Cheesecake Factory, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. You’ll also get $10 a month in Uber Cash if you connect your Uber account; you can redeem this for Uber rides in the U.S. and UberEats orders.

But it’s not just the $20 a month toward your food and rideshare budget; members also earn 4x points at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery) as well as 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year), then 1x. All other eligible for Amex Base reward. You can apply points toward airfare and hotel purchases — and when you sign up, you’ll get 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.

What about the travel perks? You’ll earn 3x points when booking flights through AmexTravel.com or directly through the airlines; you’ll also get a $100 experience credit during a hotel stay when you book The Hotel Collection with American Express. Use the card abroad without worrying about foreign transaction fees, and you’ll also get a lost luggage insurance plan, rental vehicle insurance and the Global Assist Hotline. 

Oh yeah, and you can get the Gold Card in Rose Gold, if that’s your thing.

Alternative Cards to Consider: The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card earn 3x points on dining and online grocery shopping, which make them a decent option for foodies. (And remember, those points go further when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards.)

The U.S Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card is great for road trippers, whether you travel in your own car or you pick up a rental before hitting the open road. You’ll earn 5x points on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the Altitude Rewards Center, plus 4x points on travel, gas station and EV charging station expenses. You’ll also get 2x points at grocery stores (and delivery), dining and streaming services — and 1x points on all other eligible purchases.

Speaking of streaming services, the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect card gets you a $30 annual credit toward streaming purchases like Spotify, Netflix and Apple TV+. Other perks of this card include up to a $600 reimbursement if your cell phone is stolen or damaged (when you pay your monthly phone bill with the card) and up to $100 in statement credits to reimburse TSA PreCheck or Global Entry purchases (once every four years).

The welcome bonus isn’t the best on our list, but it’s still noteworthy (and easier to attain): 50,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 120 days from account opening. You can redeem those points — and other points — toward travel, but you can also redeem points for merchandise, gift cards and cash back.

Alternative Cards to Consider: If earning rewards for fueling up your car is your prime motive, you may want to avoid travel cards altogether; instead, consider a gas rewards card, like the Shell | Fuel Rewards Card or the BPme Rewards Visa.

The Platinum Card costs nearly $700 a year, but what do you get for that fee? Here are all the credits you’ll be eligible for:

• $200 annual hotel credit on prepaid Fine Hotels and Resorts
• $20 monthly entertainment credit (Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM and The New York Times) — that’s $240 a year
• $155 annual Walmart+ credit
• $15 monthly Uber Cash (plus an extra $20 in December) — that’s $200 a year, good for rideshare and Uber Eats
• $200 annual airline fee credit for incidentals like checked bags and flight changes
• $25 monthly credit for eligible Equinox club memberships — that’s $300 a year
• $100 annual statement credits for Saks Fifth Avenue purchases
• $189 back each year for CLEAR membership
• Up to $100 reimbursement for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry

Points are easy to track. You’ll earn 5x points for flights and hotels when you book directly through eligible airlines or hotels or on AmexTravel.com. All other purchases yield 1x points, redeemable for travel purchases.

Luxury perks for the Platinum Card include access to the Global Lounge Collection (more than 1,400 worldwide), special credits for The Hotel Collection experiences, access to travel counselors, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status, Hilton Honors Gold Status, premium car rental status and plenty of travel insurance, including rental car insurance, trip delay and trip cancellation.Right now, you can get your Platinum Card with special Kehinde Wiley or Julie Mehretu artwork.

Alternative Cards to Consider: The Chase Sapphire Reserve also swipes like a luxury card. While the perks aren’t as comprehensive, the annual fee is only $550 — and points go further when redeemed via Chase Ultimate Rewards. The Capital One Venture X Rewards offers premium travel perks at a lower fee as well (just $395 a year).

The headliner for this credit card from Wells Fargo is the lack of annual fees. While Wells Fargo isn’t generally known for offering the best rates on bank accounts and credit cards, the Autograph Card is a noteworthy exception.

You can earn 3x points on qualifying restaurants, travel, gas, transit, phone and streaming purchases — and 1x points on everything else. Each point is worth 1 cent, and you can redeem points for travel (flights, car rentals and hotel stays), gift cards (in $25 increments) and other eligible purchases.

You can also earn 30,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases in the first three months from account opening.

With this card, you will miss out on luxury travel perks, like free checked bags, lounge access and free hotel stays. You may also face a higher APR (don’t let the first-year 0% intro APR fool you). But for no annual fee, the Autograph Card is a great choice.

Alternative Cards to Consider: Looking for other travel cards with no annual fee? Consider the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card (including the option for students!) or the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Chase Freedom Flex. The Chase cards also get you access to Chase Ultimate Rewards, where points carry even more value.

Small business owners, listen up: The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card is the best travel card for businesses, hands down. You’ll earn 3x points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent a year on things like shipping, internet, advertising (social media and search engine), phone bills and travel costs. You’ll earn 1x points on every other purchase.

You’ll also receive 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Each point is worth 1 cent, redeemable for cash back and gift cards. Or you can redeem your points for travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards for a boosted 25% value per point.

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card also offers a host of business monitoring features like fraud protection, purchase protection and personalized account alerts. You can even issue your employees cards (with individual spending limits) for no extra cost.

Alternative Cards to Consider: The Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card is our favorite travel business credit card — but it’s not your only option. Others on our radar include the Capital One Spark Miles for Business and the Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard Credit Card.

Students who plan to study abroad or just travel during summer break should consider this Bank of America travel card. Because it’s targeted toward students, it’s easier to get with a limited credit history or a fair credit score.

You might get stuck with a high APR (though for the first 18 months, it’s 0%), but there are no foreign transaction fees to worry about. Balance transfers are another story; you’ll pay 3% for balance transfers with Bank of America — or a $10 minimum per transfer.

The points program is admirable, especially for a no-fee student card: You’ll earn 1.5x points on every purchase, no matter the category. You can also get 25,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. Each point is worth 1 cent — so that’s a $250 statement credit toward travel (or dining) purchases.

Alternative Cards to Consider: If travel or study abroad aren’t your main goals as a student, you might find a student credit card better suited to your needs. Our favorite student credit card is the Discover it Student Cash Back; it’s not a travel card, but it’s an ideal choice for first-time borrowers in college.

The Credit One Bank Wander Card gives fair credit borrowers a chance to earn rewards for their travels. While balance transfers are expensive and the card carries a high APR, the annual fee is negligible ($95), and you have the opportunity to earn some great rewards.

In fact, you can earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals when you book through the Credit One Bank travel partner. You’ll also earn 5x points on eligible travel (including flights, gas and dining purchases) and 1x points on all other eligible purchases. You can also earn 10% cash back when shopping at select retailers.

The bonus offer pales in comparison to other cards on this list, but it’s still good for a card marketed to fair credit borrowers: Earn 10,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days after account opening. Each point is worth 1 cent and can be redeemed for a statement credit, gift cards or travel.

Alternative Card to Consider: There aren’t a lot of travel cards available to borrowers with fair credit. Instead, you might consider a secured credit card as you work to repair your credit score. One of our favorite secured cards is the Discover it Secured Credit Card, but the Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa Credit Card is also a solid choice.