The best credit cards for general travel purchases
While we’d all love to be able to book every trip using only points and miles, once in a while, we have to tap out and pay cash for a flight, hotel, rental car or other travel expense.
But if we can’t burn miles on a trip, we should at least earn some, and preferably as many as possible. Alternatively, if a travel expense can be reimbursed via a travel or airline fee credit, that can effectively offset the cost of the trip even better than any loyalty currency.
So, which credit card should you use for your travel purchases?
We’ve put together separate lists of the best ones to use for booking flights and hotels, and now we’re looking at the best ones for all other types of travel spending. (Think car rentals, cruises, tours, ride-hailing services and trips booked through third-party travel websites like Expedia and Priceline).
The best credit cards for travel spending
The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $550
Why we like it: The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a ton of value for travel purchases. The card comes with a $300 travel credit that can be used for many different expenses, and it also includes travel as a 3 points per dollar spent bonus points category along with dining (1 point on all other purchases). You’ll earn 5 points per dollar if you book through Chase Travel℠.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
If that isn’t generous enough, Chase has made the travel category rather broad for this card, so not only will you be able to get 3 points per dollar spent on purchases at airlines and hotels, but you’ll also receive it when using the card at online travel agencies such as Expedia and Orbitz, as well as on trains, buses, taxis, and cruises. You’ll even get bonus points at toll booths, parking lots, and parking meters. Plus, all of your travel purchases made with this card are covered by industry-leading travel protections.
But the cherry on top is the 1.5 cents per point you get when redeeming these points through Chase Travel. That’s the best-guaranteed redemption on any personal credit card on the market. The points are also transferable to Chase’s valuable travel partners, so you can also use them for standard loyalty program awards that might otherwise be quite expensive.
Considering its benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a top choice for travel purchases despite its pricey $550 annual fee. See our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve for more details.
Related: Which purchases count as travel with Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve?
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
American Express Green Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
Annual fee: $150
Why we like it: The Amex Green is a great mid-tier card for travel purchases. You’ll earn 3 points per dollar spent on travel, transit and dining at restaurants, and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.
This card’s travel bonus category includes a wide range of purchases, including transit and short-term vacation rental website purchases, in addition to traditional airfare and hotel spending.
The card also offers an up to $199 Clear Plus membership credit and does not charge foreign transaction fees.
Related: What counts as travel on the Amex Green card?
Learn more: Amex Green full card review
Citi Strata Premier Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Why we like it: With a $95 annual fee, Citi’s mid-level Premier Card is inexpensive to keep in your card collection. You can earn 10 points per dollar spent on multiple travel purchases booked through the Citi Travel Portal (such as hotels, car rentals and attractions, excluding air travel).
The card also has solid 3 points per dollar spent categories; these include air travel, other hotels, gas stations, electric vehicle charging stations, restaurants and supermarkets.
Once you’ve earned ThankYou points with this card, you can transfer points to Citi’s travel partners, which aren’t quite as strong as its competitors but have some sweet spots, like with Avianca LifeMiles as an airline partner. See our full Citi Strata Premier card review for more details.
Related: Why the Citi Strata Premier and Rewards+ cards are a great pair
Apply here: Citi Strata Premier
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $95
Why we like it: After all the excitement about the Chase Sapphire Reserve, it’s easy to forget its little sibling. But the Chase Sapphire Preferred is still here, and with a modest $95 annual fee, it’s a very attractive option for regular travelers.
This card earns:
- 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Travel
- 3 points per dollar spent on dining
- 3 points per dollar spent on select streaming services
- 3 points per dollar spent on online groceries (excluding Target®, Walmart® and wholesale clubs)
It earns 2 points per dollar spent on other travel purchases.
With this card, you’ll only get 1.25 cents per point for direct travel redemptions. Still, Ultimate Rewards points are extremely valuable when transferred to partners such as Air Canada Aeroplan and World of Hyatt.
The card also offers a $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through Chase Travel and 10% of your points back each year based on your card spending. The 10% is based on a rate of 1 point per dollar you spend throughout the year (not including bonus points from specific categories).
Finally, the Sapphire Preferred also provides primary car insurance when you’re renting vehicles, which is a fantastic benefit if you don’t want to rely on your auto insurance to cover you and drive up your premiums if an accident happens, as well as other travel protections such as trip delay insurance and trip cancellation insurance. See our full Chase Sapphire Preferred review for more details.
Related: How to use the $50 hotel credit on the Chase Sapphire Preferred
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Annual fee: $95
Why we like it: At first glance, Bank of America’s entry into the travel rewards market might not seem that exciting. The Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card earns a respectable 2 points per dollar spent on both travel and dining and 1.5 points per dollar spent on all other purchases, but there are no transfer partners with this card. Instead, you can redeem your points for a statement credit, a bank deposit, gift cards or travel booked directly at a rate of 1 cent per point.
However, the real value of this card comes when you combine it with Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards® program. Depending on how many assets you maintain at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch — including checking accounts, savings, retirement, investment portfolios and the like — you’ll earn one of three status tiers in the Preferred Rewards program, which translates to higher earning rates with the Premium Rewards card.
At either the Platinum Honors, Diamond or Diamond Honors tier, the normal 2 points per dollar spent on travel turns into 3.5 points, and the everyday earning rate on this card becomes 2.625 points instead of 1.5 points. With those returns, the Premium Rewards credit card is definitely one to consider for travel purchases.
Plus, you’ll get up to $100 TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee credit every four years and up to $100 annual airline incidental statement credit for qualifying purchases. See our full Bank of America Premium Rewards card review for more details.
Related: The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison
Apply here: Bank of America Premium Rewards
The Platinum Card from American Express
Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership.
Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees)
Why we like it: While The Platinum Card from American Express hasn’t necessarily been a great card for general travel purchases since it doesn’t have travel as a bonus category, it does offer a terrific return for two of the most popular types of travel spending — airfare and hotels.
Earning 5 points per dollar spent when booking tickets directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com represents great value.
Add to that an up to $200 annual airline fee statement credit, up to $200 per calendar year in Uber Cash*, an up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue statement credit and a plethora of travel perks such as unparalleled airport lounge access, automatic elite status with Hilton and Marriott, complimentary memberships with Hertz Gold President’s Circle, Avis Preferred and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit ($120 for Global Entry every 4 years or $85 for TSA PreCheck every 4.5 years), and it’s clear why this card belongs on this list. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
*Valid on U.S. purchases; the Amex Plat must be added to the Uber account and you can redeem with any Amex card.
See our full Amex Platinum review for more details.
Related: Here’s how much value you can get from the Amex Platinum card in your first year
Apply here: Platinum Card from American Express
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening, plus a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in the first cardholder year.
Annual fee: $95
Why we like it: Ease of use is the name of the game for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase, including all your general travel expenses. Plus, you can earn 5 points per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel portal.
The Capital One Venture also allows you to redeem miles for a fixed value or transfer the miles you earn to their 15-plus airline and hotel transfer partners, including Avianca, Etihad and Turkish Airlines. Most Capital One partners transfer points at a 1:1 ratio.
See our full Capital One Venture Rewards review for more details.
Related: Reasons to get the Capital One Venture Rewards card
Learn more: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Annual Fee: $395
Why we like it: Capital One’s premium travel rewards card is an exciting one. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card gives you a $300 annual travel credit for travel booked through Capital One Travel, up to a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, and 10,000 bonus miles on each anniversary.
Additionally, Venture X cardholders receive complimentary access to Capital One lounges and a Priority Pass membership. The card also offers travel protections such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement and rental car insurance.
With a significantly lower annual fee than some competitors, Venture X provides some excellent travel perks that make it a worthy addition to a traveler’s wallet. See our full Capital One Venture X card review for more details.
Related: Who should (and shouldn’t) get the Capital One Venture X card?
Learn More: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Bottom line
Since so many credit cards focus on travel, there are many great options for purchases, and you can’t go wrong with any of these cards.
Whether your interest is points and miles or using up travel credits, this list has the pick of the litter. So the next time you face a significant travel expense — or even a minor one — make sure you know which card to use.
Related: Best credit cards for airport lounge access
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
