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Reviewed / Tara Jacoby
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Reviewed / Tara Jacoby
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Got a getaway on the brain? As vaccination rates climb and international borders open, some of us are looking to safely get out there. And you might want to do it with one of the best travel credit cards in hand, too.
Whether you’re looking for airline miles, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, or a flexible rewards program that doesn’t box you in, there’s something for every type of traveler. Even the ones who only cash in on their vacation days every once in a blue moon.
Reviewed’s experts poured through dozens of credit card terms to find the best travel rewards credit cards. Start packing your bags.
Best for Infrequent Travelers: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Big-time rewards can mean big-time annual fees. If you’re paying to keep a card in your wallet, its benefits should outweigh the cost. With travel rewards credit cards, the annual fees are often wiped out by annual travel credits—as an example, see the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card—but take a look to make sure you find them relevant.
Credit cards often carry foreign transaction fees. They’re usually around 3% and can add a significant cost to international trips. All but one of the cards on this list—our pick for infrequent travelers—skip this charge to save you money.
Travel cards are marketed to those with good-to-excellent credit scores because of the high rewards potential. We put together these recommendations with that in mind. Banks have final say on who they accept for a credit card, and APR rates and credit limits vary based on your creditworthiness.
As with any credit card, we recommend paying your balance on time and in full each month. This avoids interest charges and late payment fees and maintains a healthy credit history. As always, read a card card’s full terms and conditions before applying.
We looked at dozens of cards’ earning potential and redemption options, prioritizing flexibility and the ability to transfer rewards to partner airlines and hotels at valuable rates.
We also considered other perks that make sense while you’re traveling, from travel accident insurance to coverage for delayed, damaged, or lost baggage. Dining benefits also scored big in our book, for those who enjoy exploring the restaurant scene when away from home.
Lastly, we looked into foreign transaction fees, as they can add 3% to purchases made abroad.
Please note: The offers mentioned above were valid at time of publication but are subject to change at any time. Some may no longer be available.
Reviewed has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Reviewed and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
See rates and fees for the American Express Gold Card. See rates and fees for The Platinum Card from American Express.
We hate to break it to you, but there’s no one-size-fits-all answer here. The right number of credit cards for you depends on what you can responsibly manage.
Does having a piece of shiny plastic an arm’s length away often encourage you to spend money you don’t have? You may want to think twice before applying for more credit. Carrying a balance you can’t afford contributes to interest charges, and in the long run costs you more money.
If you’re financially responsible and stick to making purchases that you can pay off, there may be some upsides to adding another card to your arsenal. For instance, if you’re a jetsetter without a card that rewards you for hitting the road, a travel card may make sense for you.
There are a few other things to consider before opening a new account, like adding a different payment processing network, or taking note of any annual fees.
Credit card annual percentage rates range from 13% to 25%, with the national average in January 2022 around 16%. Credit cards marketed for applicants with bad credit tend to be on the higher side, as do credit cards with rewards programs.
Before you submit an application, you can see this range in the cardmember agreement. You won’t know the rate until you’re approved, as it’s determined by the issuer based on your creditworthiness. The higher your credit score, the lower the rate you can expect. Remember that with a variable rate, an issuer can change the interest it charges at any time—and, per your cardmember agreement, it may not have to notify you.
An issuer may charge a different APR for purchases, balance transfers, and cash advances. It may even offer an introductory rate that includes zero interest for a period of 12 to 18 months. Lastly, a penalty APR may kick in if you’re late for a payment, exceed your credit limit, or break other terms and conditions laid out by the issuer.
We’ll say it till we’re blue in the face: Pay off your balance each month, and you won’t have to think about interest.
Despite the term “annual percentage rate,” credit card issuers calculate interest daily. The daily periodic rate is determined by dividing your APR by 365 days, which is then applied to your average daily balance. Crunch this number by adding up the total you carry each and every day of the billing cycle, and then dividing that by the number of days in the billing cycle.
Let’s say your APR is 16%, and this month you carried an average daily balance of $2,000. The issuer first calculates the daily periodic rate (0.16 divided by 365). That rate (0.00043) is applied to your average balance (0.00043 x $2,000), which brings us to 0.87. Over the course of the 30-day billing cycle (0.87 x 30), you’ll pay $26.30 in interest.
If crunching numbers isn’t really your thing, some issuers include tools that calculate how much interest you’ll owe based on your monthly payment. Petal, for example, shares this information in a mobile app for its two credit cards, and it’s one of the best first credit cards that we recommend.
Remember: You won’t be charged interest if you pay off your balance in full and on time each billing cycle. We get that life happens. So if on occasion that’s not possible, consider paying more than the minimum amount to lessen the interest you’ll pay over time, or make more than one payment during the billing cycle to lower your average balance.
Caroline Lupini is a personal finance and travel writer and a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.
Sarah Hagman covers personal finance for Reviewed. She was previously the managing editor of The Improper Bostonian, where she chatted with Mikhail Baryshnikov, ate gelato in a Turkish bath, and hung out with Master Sommeliers.
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