The best travel credit card is the one whose annual fee you will earn back through rewards and perks you actually use. The no-annual-fee Bank of America Travel Rewards card suits occasional travelers, the $95 Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture suit people who travel a few times a year, and the $395 Capital One Venture X suits frequent flyers who will use lounge access. Travel rewards pay off only if you pay your balance in full, since variable APRs on these cards run about 17.74% to 28.74%.
This guide is for you if you take at least one trip a year and want your everyday spending to help pay for it. The five cards here run from no annual fee to $395, and none of them charge a foreign transaction fee, so the real choice is how much card you will actually use.
Start with how often you travel, then weigh the annual fee against perks you would use anyway: checked bags, lounge access, hotel credits or a Global Entry credit. Decide whether you want flexible points that transfer to many airlines and hotels or a co-branded card tied to one airline. If you carry a balance, interest will erase the rewards.
Below you will find each card's fee, welcome offer and earn rates, how points and miles work, what to know about approval, and the most common mistakes.
Company reviews
- Annual fee
- $0
- Earn rate
- Unlimited 1.5 points per $1 on purchases
Welcome offer: 25,000 online bonus points after $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days, as listed October 2026
Why we picked it. It is the only pick with no annual fee and a long 0% intro APR. Its points are simple, with a flat 1.5 points per dollar on everything, and Bank of America customers in BofA Rewards, which replaced Preferred Rewards in May 2026, earn 10% to 75% more points depending on their balances.
More details, pros and cons
Intro APR: 0% for 15 billing cycles on purchases and balance transfers made within 60 days
BofA Rewards bonus: 10% (Member, no minimum) to 75% (Premier, $1,000,000) more points; BofA Rewards replaced Preferred Rewards in May 2026
Pros
- 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles
- No foreign transaction fees
- Same earn rate on every purchase
Cons
- Lower earn rate than the paid cards
- No airline or hotel transfer partners
- No lounge access or travel credits
Skip it if: You travel often enough to use lounge access, transfer partners or annual travel credits.
More about Bank of America® Travel Rewards
A highly accessible travel rewards card for travelers who prioritize simplicity and cost savings over premium perks. It offers a flat rewards rate and flexible redemption options without the burden of an annual fee.
- Annual fee
- $395
- Welcome offer
- Not shown on the card page when we checked
- Earn rate
- 2X miles on purchases
Why we picked it. Venture X earns 2X miles on everything and adds access to Capital One and Priority Pass lounges. Its miles transfer to 15+ travel loyalty programs and do not expire.
More details, pros and cons
Lounges: Capital One Lounges plus 1,300+ Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required)
Guests and authorized users: Free guests only after $75,000 in calendar-year spending; otherwise $45 per adult guest at Capital One Lounges and $35 at Priority Pass lounges; lounge access for each authorized user costs $125 a year
Pros
- Access to 1,300+ Priority Pass lounges plus Capital One Lounges
- 10X on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles transfer to 15+ loyalty programs
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- $395 annual fee
- Lounge guests are no longer free unless you spend $75,000 a year ($45 at Capital One Lounges, $35 at Priority Pass), and authorized user lounge access costs $125 a year each
- The highest earn rates require booking through Capital One Travel
- Welcome offer was not shown on the card page when we checked
Skip it if: You fly only once or twice a year, or you count on bringing guests or authorized users into lounges for free.
More about Capital One Venture X Rewards
A leading premium travel card offering extensive airport lounge access, a significant annual travel credit, and a straightforward rewards structure that can easily justify its upfront cost for frequent flyers.
- Annual fee
- $95
- Earn rate
- 5X on Chase Travel
Welcome offer: 75,000 points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, as listed October 2026
Why we picked it. Sapphire Preferred lets you transfer points to major frequent travel programs and earns extra on dining and travel. Its $100 annual hotel credit offsets part of the $95 fee.
More details, pros and cons
Pros
- Points transfer to airline and hotel partners
- 3X on dining, gas, select streaming and online grocery
- 5X on travel booked through Chase Travel
Cons
- $5,000 spending requirement for the bonus
- Hotel credit applies only to bookings through Chase Travel
- No lounge access
Skip it if: You want simple rewards and do not want to learn how transfer partners work.
More about Chase Sapphire Preferred
A benchmark for travel rewards cards, offering incredibly flexible points, excellent airline and hotel transfer partners, and robust travel insurance protections for a very reasonable annual fee.
Show all 5 picks2 more, ranked 4 to 5
- Annual fee
- $95
- Earn rate
- 2X miles on every purchase
Welcome offer: 75,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, plus a $300 stays credit in year one, as listed October 2026
Why we picked it. Venture earns 2X miles on every purchase with no categories to track, and its miles do not expire for the life of the account. It also includes a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit.
More details, pros and cons
Pros
- No categories to track
- Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
- No foreign transaction fees
- Miles do not expire for the life of the account
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- No lounge access
- $300 stays credit applies only to Capital One Travel bookings
Skip it if: You want a card with no annual fee.
More about Capital One Venture
This card earns an unlimited two miles per dollar on every purchase, paired with practical travel credits and a generous welcome bonus. It is perfect for those who want straightforward rewards without tracking categories.
- Annual fee
- $0
- Welcome offer
- Up to 60,000
- Earn rate
- 9X total on eligible United flights
Why we picked it. If you fly United, the free first checked bag for you and companions on the same reservation can cover the annual fee in one or two trips. Chase also lists over $500 in annual partner credits.
More details, pros and cons
Perks: Free first checked bag, 2 United Club one-time passes per year, Group 2 boarding, up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, over $500 in annual partner credits (per Chase)
Pros
- Free first checked bag
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year
- Group 2 boarding
- $0 annual fee the first year
Cons
- $150 annual fee from year two
- Best value only if you fly United
- Partner credits require using specific merchants
Skip it if: You do not fly United regularly.
More about United Explorer
A strong mid-tier option for frequent United Airlines flyers, offering valuable perks like free checked bags, annual lounge passes, and priority boarding to enhance the airline experience.
What travel credit cards cost
As listed October 2026, annual fees on our picks range from $0 (Bank of America Travel Rewards) to $95 (Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture), $150 after year one (United Explorer) and $395 (Capital One Venture X).
The bigger cost is interest. Variable APRs on these cards run about 17.74% to 28.74%, and carrying a balance for even a few months can wipe out a year of rewards. The CFPB notes that you can usually avoid interest on purchases by paying your balance in full by the due date, during the grace period.
How to choose a travel credit card
- Count your trips. One or two trips a year usually favors a $0 or $95 card.
- Choose flexible or co-branded. Flexible points (Chase, Capital One) transfer to many programs. Airline cards (United Explorer) give perks like free bags on one airline.
- Add up the perks you will use. Lounge access, checked bags, hotel credits and Global Entry credits matter only if you use them.
- Check the welcome offer spending requirement. Apply only if you can meet it with normal spending.
- Confirm there is no foreign transaction fee. All five picks charge none.
How points and miles work
Cards earn either fixed-value points (Bank of America) or transferable points and miles (Chase, Capital One). Fixed-value points are easy to redeem for travel statement credits. Transferable points can be worth more when moved to an airline or hotel partner, but award prices vary and programs can change.
Bonus categories often depend on booking through the card’s own travel portal, such as 10X on hotels through Capital One Travel or 5X through Chase Travel. Compare portal prices with booking directly before you commit.
Approval and your credit
Most travel rewards cards are aimed at people with good to excellent credit; Capital One lists Venture X for excellent credit. Each application can add a hard inquiry to your report.
Before you apply, check your credit reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com, which the CFPB names as the official source. No card issuer can guarantee approval, and you do not earn a welcome offer until you meet its terms.
Mistakes to avoid
- Carrying a balance on a rewards card. Interest costs more than the rewards earn.
- Overspending to hit a welcome bonus. Meet it with purchases you would make anyway.
- Paying a high annual fee for perks you will not use.
- Websites that promise free credit reports and then bill you. The CFPB warns about these.
- Assuming portal prices are always the best. Compare before you book.
Terms to know
- APR
- Annual percentage rate: the yearly cost of borrowing on the card.
- Grace period
- The time between the end of a billing cycle and the due date during which paying in full avoids interest on purchases.
- Welcome offer
- Bonus points or miles earned after meeting a spending requirement soon after opening the account.
- Transfer partner
- An airline or hotel program that accepts points moved from a card's rewards program.
- Foreign transaction fee
- A fee, often around 3%, that some cards charge on purchases made outside the U.S.
- Travel portal
- A card issuer's booking site, such as Chase Travel or Capital One Travel, where bonus earn rates often apply.
