What credit score do you need for a travel credit card?

It’s possible to get a travel credit card with bad or fair credit, but most travel rewards cards are geared toward people with good or excellent credit (a FICO score of at least 670, or a VantageScore of at least 661).

Do travel miles or points expire?

Even though many major credit cards earn rewards that don’t expire, you may lose your points and miles if your account closes or isn’t in good standing. However, some co-branded cards’ rewards may expire if you don’t earn or redeem rewards within a certain timeframe (typically 12 to 36 months after the rewards are earned). Check out our guide to credit card rewards expiration for a thorough breakdown of several popular issuers’ policies.

Are points or miles better on a credit card?

Whether points or miles offer better value will depend on the specific rewards program and how you redeem rewards. One airline loyalty program may earn miles that offer less than 1 cent each in average redemption value while another program’s points may offer close to 3 cents each on average. Similarly, a hotel card’s points may be worth less than half of a credit card issuer’s rewards points. Some programs offer points with only average baseline redemption value but more flexibility and higher value when transferred to a partner airline or hotel.

When should I use my rewards?

I recommend people adopt an “earn and burn” strategy towards points and miles. The value of cash rewards doesn't change, but points and miles generally only lose value over time and don’t have the flexibility of cash. Your goal should be to use your points whenever you’re getting good redemption value.

Best Travel Credit Cards of June 2025

Compare Bankrate's best travel credit cards of 2025

	Rewards highlights	Welcome offer		Learn more
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Apply now on Chase's secure site See Rates & Fees	1x - 5x Hover to learn more Bankrate's rewards value: 2.0 cents per point *Hover to learn more	Intro Offer: 60,000 bonus points Hover to learn more Regular APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable	$95	Apply now on Chase's secure site See Rates & Fees
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees	2 Miles - 10 Miles Hover to learn more Bankrate's rewards value: 1.7 cents per mile *Hover to learn more	Intro Offer: Earn 75,000 miles Hover to learn more Regular APR: 19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)	$395	Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees	1.25 Miles - 5 Miles Hover to learn more Bankrate's rewards value: 1.7 cents per mile *Hover to learn more	Intro Offer: Earn 20,000 miles Hover to learn more Regular APR: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)	$0	Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees
American Express® Gold Card Apply with confidence Hover to learn more Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply	1X - 4X Hover to learn more Bankrate's rewards value: 2.0 cents per point *Hover to learn more	Intro Offer: Earn 60,000 points Hover to learn more Regular APR: See Pay Over Time APR	$325	Apply with confidence Hover to learn more Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees	2 Miles - 5 Miles Hover to learn more Bankrate's rewards value: 1.7 cents per mile *Hover to learn more	Intro Offer: Earn 75,000 miles Hover to learn more Regular APR: 19.99% - 29.24% (Variable)	$95	Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees
The Platinum Card® from American Express Apply with confidence Hover to learn more Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply	5X Hover to learn more Bankrate's rewards value: 2.0 cents per point *Hover to learn more	Intro Offer: As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. Hover to learn more Regular APR: See Pay Over Time APR	$695	Apply with confidence Hover to learn more Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card Apply now on Citi's secure site See Rates & Fees	1X - 10X Hover to learn more Bankrate's rewards value: 1.6 cents per point *Hover to learn more	Intro Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points Hover to learn more Regular APR: 20.24% - 28.24% (Variable)	$95	Apply now on Citi's secure site See Rates & Fees

Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit AmericanExpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex assurance company.

How do travel credit cards work?

Americans are cutting back on travel. A recent Bankrate survey found only 46 percent of Americans plan to travel this summer, and among those who don't plan to travel, 65 percent say it's because they can’t afford to.

But what if I said you could still achieve your dream vacations without breaking the bank? The key may be as simple as getting a travel credit card.

There’s no one-size-fits-all card that best serves every travel need, but the top travel cards earn points or miles with high redemption value, making it easy to offset the cost of your next trip. Many cards also offer perks that can enhance your entire travel experience, like lounge access or free checked bags.

Cash back may be easier to understand, but the rewards you earn with a travel card can be much more valuable depending on how you use them (our points and miles valuation guide can give you a sense of how much a rewards program's points are worth on average). Once you understand point value, you can decide whether a card’s features fit your spending and travel needs.

Points and miles can be challenging to understand at first, but the potential for outstanding value to make your travel dreams come true is too great to dismiss.

I have over 50 cards in my portfolio, and you can feel confident that every card I recommend I’ve used myself in pursuit of amazing experiences. You only live once, so why not find every way you can to make memories in style while making the most of your everyday expenses?

Let’s take a look at how to find the best travel card for you.

I have over 50 cards in my portfolio, and you can feel confident that every card I recommend I’ve used myself in pursuit of amazing experiences.
Ryan Flanigan, CCC, Bankrate credit cards writer

How do I choose a travel credit card?

One of the first questions you need to answer before you choose a travel card is: Am I willing to pay an annual fee? That's because most of the top travel cards charge annual fees, which can be quite high on some premium cards.

Premium travel cards usually offer a ton of value if you take advantage of perks like travel credits, elite benefits, lounge access or annual point bonuses. Still, they aren't worth it for everyone.

Whichever route you take, I recommend periodically evaluating whether you're squeezing enough value from your card to justify the price tag. Although a card may advertise hundreds of dollars in potential rewards and perk value, you could be leaving money on the table if you can't actually use those benefits. Conversely, you could be missing out on value by avoiding cards with annual fees.

Learn more: Are travel credit cards worth it?

What kind of traveler are you?

If you only travel once every couple of years, a travel card may not be the best fit. Your best option would likely be one of our best cash back cards. If you need to travel, you can always book and then use cash rewards as a statement credit to offset your expenses.

For everyone else, consider first how frequently you travel or aspire to travel. This will help you identify the card that best fits your needs and whether paying an annual fee makes sense.

If you only travel occasionally, which I think of as less than three times a year, you may get more value out of a card with higher rewards rates on everyday spending. If a card has a high rewards rate in popular categories like groceries and dining, you'll have an easier time earning travel rewards even if you don't actually spend a ton on travel.

If you’re new to traveling, you also don’t want to jump into the deep end too quickly. Look for cards with solid travel rewards and benefits that provide you good value and flexibility as you figure out what interests you most.

I also wouldn’t recommend occasional travelers pay an annual fee over $100, as you may not get enough value from the card's perks.

My recommendation: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. I recommend it anytime someone asks me which card to start with. It’s ranked near the top of almost every best cards list for good reason: It provides outstanding value and flexibility for a reasonable price.

For frequent or business travelers, a card's rewards rate on travel purchases or with the airlines or hotels affiliated with the card will likely be most important. Ideally, you'll also get extra value through everyday bonus categories.

Frequent travelers are also likely to benefit from having multiple cards. When building a card stack, a general travel card is a great starting point. From there, consider combining that card with others from that issuer or with a co-branded card from an airline or hotel you book with regularly.

For you, the goal should be to enhance your experience with perks while earning top rewards on your purchases.

My recommendation: Pair cards that work well together based on your spending and favorite travel providers. For example, I often stay at Hyatt hotels, so I use the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The World of Hyatt Credit Card* to earn points and elite status I can use while traveling or during my stay. The Sapphire Reserve offers outstanding travel perks and protections, including lounge access, while the Hyatt card gets me perks like free breakfast, free night awards and late checkout. These benefits carry a ton of value for me since I stay with Hyatt multiple times a year.

If you enjoy traveling abroad or want to travel in style, you should save up your points and maximize your redemption value, whether you book economy or business class tickets.

I focus on transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to international airline partners, which can provide some of the best value you’ll find with any travel card.

Even though I only take one or two international trips a year, I’ll save up my points all year so I can splurge on business class tickets to make the longer flight much more bearable. Plus, perks from my Amex cards like expedited security screening and lounge access help me enhance my travel experience.

My recommendation: If you can handle the cost, pair the American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express for one of the best combinations of earnings and perks possible. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card also gives you excellent perks and solid international partners and may be a better fit if you're focused on practical travel perks over luxury.

As long as you can get solid redemption value and loyalty benefits, you may benefit from having rewards tied to one airline or hotel. You should consider a co-branded travel card if you often book with a specific airline or hotel and want to maximize your benefits with that brand.

Co-branded cards tend to offer higher rewards rates than general travel cards, but limit your redemption options to a specific program. They also feature brand-specific perks — such as free award nights, complimentary elite status or free checked baggage — which general-purpose travel cards don’t carry.

That said, depending on the value of the rewards you earn, a high rewards rate on a co-branded card may be less lucrative than a lower rate on a general travel card.

My recommendation: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer because everyone’s travel preferences are different. The card that's best for you is the one that enhances and rewards your frequent travel. For example, since I stay in hotels all over the world, I favor co-branded hotel cards like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, which helps me earn more rewards and free night awards at a reasonable cost.

How will I redeem points?

The value of a travel card's rewards and perks is one of the biggest factors to consider when deciding which card is best for you.

Bankrate’s latest points and miles valuations can help you tell if you’re getting a good deal on your redemptions. While the points and miles you earn with general travel cards are typically worth around 1 cent each when redeemed for travel, some programs' rewards are more flexible and often worth more than 1 cent apiece with the right travel redemption or travel transfer partner. Airline and hotel points are a bit more limited but can still offer solid value when used strategically.

For flexible booking options

General travel cards make the most sense when you have no preferred airline or hotel and want flexibility.

Credit card reward programs typically earn points or miles that offer varying redemption values based on how you use them.

Most major rewards programs also partner with airline and hotel loyalty programs, allowing you to transfer your points to those programs. Doing so may allow you to get a higher redemption value.

General travel cards may not have brand-specific perks such as in-flight discounts or extra hotel amenities, but they make up for it with flexible rewards and wider-reaching perks like travel credits, boosted redemption value for booking through the issuer’s travel portal, credits for expedited security screening and comprehensive airport lounge access perks.

My recommendation

Consider each program's redemption options and values. Each issuer has a unique set of airline and hotel transfer partners. While some airlines and hotels partner with multiple issuers, others may only partner with one. I recommend aiming for a minimum 1-cent-per-point redemption value.

Here is our estimated baseline redemption value (assuming you book for travel with the issuer) and our valuation, which averages redemption values for the program’s best-value transfer partners.

Rewards program	Baseline value	Bankrate value*	Estimated value of 50,000 points/miles
Bilt Rewards	1.25 cents	2.1 cents	$1,050
Citi ThankYou Points (Citi Strata Premier℠ Card)	1.0 cents	1.6 cents	$800
Chase Ultimate Rewards (Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card)	1.25 cents	2.0 cents	$1,000
American Express Membership Rewards	1 cent	2.0 cents	$1,000
Capital One Miles	1 cent	1.7 cents	$850

*Based on an average of the issuer’s five highest-value transfer partners (if available).

With specific airlines or hotels

Airline miles and hotel points can fluctuate in value and are generally much less flexible than points earned with general travel cards.

The optimal — and sometimes only — use for airline and hotel rewards is with their specific program. Many airlines and hotels use dynamic pricing models that continually update airfare and room prices based on factors including where you’re going and when you book, so you could get significantly better or worse redemption value than average depending on your specific booking.

Hotel points tend to be worth less than airline and credit card rewards on average, often less than 1 cent per point in redemption value. That said, hotel loyalty programs sometimes offer more favorable exchange rates when you transfer rewards from a credit card rewards program. For example, you may be able to turn 1,000 credit card points into 2,000 hotel points (a 2:1 transfer ratio).

Before you redeem, be sure to check the redemption value of your rewards by dividing the cash cost of a plane or hotel booking by its cost in points or miles. The table below shows Bankrate’s estimated reward redemption value for some of the top loyalty programs. These values are averages based on a variety of fare classes, destinations and booking periods.

The table below shows Bankrate’s estimated reward redemption value for the loyalty programs of the most popular airlines (in terms of passengers carried).

Keep in mind, however, that these values are averages based on a variety of fare classes, destinations, booking periods and more. For example, while Bankrate estimates Delta SkyMiles carry an average redemption value of around 1.2 cents per mile, they could be worth more or less depending on the details of your booking.

Rewards program	Bankrate value*	Estimated value of 50,000 points/miles
American Airlines AAdvantage	1.0 cents	$500
Delta SkyMiles	1.2 cents	$600
United Airlines MileagePlus	0.9 cents	$450
Southwest Rapid Rewards	1.5 cents	$750

*Based on weighted average of median point/mile values across economy and first/business class fares.

Rewards program	Bankrate value*	Estimated value of 50,000 points/miles
World of Hyatt	2.3 cents	$1,150
Hilton Honors	0.6 cents	$300
IHG One Rewards	0.7 cents	$350
Marriott Bonvoy	0.7 cents	$350

My recommendation

If you’re considering a co-branded card, take a look at our picks for the best airline cards or best hotel cards to get a better sense of your options. I only recommend co-branded cards if you know you’ll use the brand-specific perks regularly, like free night awards or elite status. I re-evaluate these cards annually to make sure they continue to provide enough ongoing value to justify their spot in my wallet.

How to maximize your travel rewards

Once you’ve figured out your ideal card, it’s important to know how to maximize your rewards and perks.

If you’re willing to put in the effort, you can significantly boost the value of your points and miles. You don’t need to go to the extent I do, but here are some of my biggest tips for making the most of your travel cards.

How our experts use travel cards

Our experts use travel rewards in various ways, showing that there are many different approaches for getting the most out of travel credit cards. Here's a look at how some of our experts build their travel strategy.

Bankrate staff insights

The simple approach

“I need simplicity in my life and my credit cards, so my pick is the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. It makes earning miles a cinch with its unlimited flat rewards rate. Redemption is flexible, too — I can use miles to book travel, get reimbursed for past trips or even transfer miles to more than 15 airline and hotel partners.”

Benet J. Wilson, Bankrate credit cards lead writer

Maximizing card features

“I’ve typically stuck with cash back cards, preferring the simplicity of knowing exactly how much my rewards are worth and the ease of redeeming for statement credits. Recently, though, I decided I wanted to travel a bit more, and to my surprise, the card that stood out most was the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. It offers a flat rewards rate that makes it easy to earn miles on everything I buy, flexible redemption through Capital One or via transfer to partnering airlines and hotels, and practical perks I know I’ll actually use when I travel.”

Nouri Zarrugh, Bankrate credit cards senior editor

Taking advantage of brand loyalty

“As a frequent Southwest flyer, I chose the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card as my first travel card. I get rewarded for Southwest purchases, hotels, ride-sharing and select streaming services, and I usually swipe the card for any purchase that doesn’t earn extra rewards with my cash back card. In other words, points are my priority. The welcome bonus, annual bonus and rewards I’ve earned have covered most of my flights in the last two years. Plus, I get a $75 travel credit and four free upgraded boardings a year.”

Katie Kelton, CCC, Bankrate credit cards senior writer

Putting our advice into action

It’s not enough to just tell you how to save money on travel. We want to show you that we put our advice into action. One of our credit cards experts, Ana Staples, details how she only spent $465 on a memorable 9-day-long trip to Germany.

Ask the Experts

Is it a good idea to have multiple travel credit cards?

Thomas Nitzsche

Financial Educator, Debt and Credit

Whether you should have multiple travel credit cards depends on several factors, including your brand affinity, frequency of travel and ability to pay off your cards in full each month. As a credit counselor, I see many people carrying credit card debt at high interest rates while continuing to make charges to the account for the sake of earning rewards. They lose far more than they earn each month. Having more than one travel credit card could make sense for you if you’re able to maximize your earnings by strategizing spending across each card. Just take into account annual fees and actual interest paid.

Stephanie Zito

Contributor, Personal Finance

If you’re up for managing multiple cards and their benefits, then there are definitely big reward payouts to be had. But if the thought of multiple cards is overwhelming, it’s also a good strategy to have one or two more flexible cards and focus on maximizing your earnings and redemptions until it becomes second nature.

Erica Sandberg

Contributor, Credit Cards

Definitely! I currently have two travel credit cards. In addition to the Chase card that I use for my United Airlines purchases, I have the Capital One Venture card for all other airlines. I earn a solid amount of miles on everything I buy with it, so it's an easy go-to for non-travel related expenses.

*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.

*Information about The World of Hyatt Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuers.

Frequently asked questions about travel credit cards

How we assess the best travel credit cards

We select cards for “Best” credit cards pages based primarily on how cards score in our proprietary card rating system, our editors’ subjective assessment of card quality, card approval odds and credit requirements and unique card features.

Cards typically must score a minimum of 3.0 stars to be included on a “Best” list. However, we may include cards with scores below 3.0 if they have low credit requirements or unique features — despite their scores, these cards may still be among the “best” in certain categories. Card ratings are not influenced by advertisers or issuer relationships in any way.

Card selection and ordering may vary based on business considerations, including Bankrate visitor interest, site interactions and card application volume. Affiliate commissions (see how we make money), limited-time offers and a card’s general popularity in the product landscape may also influence which cards we feature on our pages and the order in which they appear. Bankrate’s editorial and business teams also strive to feature a variety of card types from various issuers.

We analyzed over 150 of the most popular cards and scored each based on its rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more to determine whether it belonged in this month’s roundup of the best travel cards.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the key factors in our rewards card scoring methodology — our primary scoring category for travel cards — and details we considered when putting together our list of the best travel cards.

Overall Score

Value 65%
Flexibility 15%
Perks 15%
Customer experience 5%

The primary criteria for a rewards-earning card’s rating is its rewards value. This includes the card’s average rewards rate, estimated annual rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value and reward redemption value.

To estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings, we first calculate its average rewards rate based on how much it earns in different bonus categories and how closely its categories align with the average person’s spending habits. In other words, we assess whether the card earns rewards at a high rate in the most popular spending categories.

We use consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to get a reliable third-party measure of people’s spending habits. The most recent BLS data estimates average total spending in 2023 was $77,280 per consumer. We then narrow our focus to which purchases are likely to be put on a credit card and earn rewards, subtracting expenditures like housing, vehicle purchases and education. This gives us a total “chargeable” annual spend of around $25,500.

This includes the following spending by category:
- Groceries: $6,000
- Dining out: $3,900
- Entertainment: $2,500
- Gas: $2,400
- Apparel and services: $2,000
Using this data, we assign a weighting to each of a card’s bonus categories. For example, a card’s grocery rewards rate receives a 26 percent weighting based on how much of the average person’s budget is spent on groceries.

We also estimate the redemption value of points or miles from various issuer, airline and hotel rewards programs.

This weighting and rewards valuation allows us to estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings — how many points or miles you’d earn with a given card if your spending was about average and you used the card for all of your purchases — as well as what those points are worth. We also use point valuations to determine a card’s sign-up bonus value

With these calculations complete, we assign each card a score based on how its average rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value, rewards rate and redemption value stack up against other rewards cards.

The better these values, the higher its score will be, making it more worthy of inclusion in our list and increasing its potential ranking.
We also score each card’s set of features – its perks and benefits — against five tiers of features to provide a rating.

We break down these tiers as follows:

Tier 1 includes fewer features than even standard credit cards (for example, an ultra-streamlined card that offers basic utility and next to nothing in the way of ancillary benefits).

Tier 2 includes the benefits you’d expect on standard Visa or Mastercard credit cards, such as free access to your credit score, car rental insurance and $0 liability for fraudulent charges.

Tier 3 includes “prime card” or better-than-average card features like cellphone insurance, lost luggage insurance, concierge services and purchase protection.

Tier 4 includes luxury features such as airport lounge access, elite status with an airline or hotel and credits for expedited security screening membership programs.

Tier 5 includes the sort of exemplary benefits you’ll find on top-tier luxury cards, such as high-value travel credits, cardholder memberships and other unique and valuable perks.

In evaluating the best cards, we tend to favor cards that offer at least Tier 3 benefits, unless they include other unique features that could make up for less-impressive perks.

And since this list focuses on travel cards, we tend to favor cards that carry travel-centric features like travel insurance, airport lounge access and credits for expedited security screening, instead of more general perks like food delivery credits or shopping discounts.

We use primary sources to support our work. Bankrate’s authors, reporters and editors are subject-matter experts who thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate, timely and relevant.
1. “2023 Allianz Partners Big Book of Travel Data.” IdeaWorksCompany. Accessed on Apr. 9, 2025.
2. “Consumer Expenditures 2023,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed on Apr. 9, 2025.

Best travel credit cards of June 2025

+ Show Summary

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

American Express® Gold Card

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

Bilt Mastercard®

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

Credit One Bank® Wander® American Express® with Dining, Gas & Travel Rewards

Compare Bankrate's best travel credit cards of 2025

How do travel credit cards work?

How do I choose a travel credit card?

What kind of traveler are you?

How will I redeem points?

For flexible booking options

With specific airlines or hotels

How to maximize your travel rewards

Get the most out of your spending

Maximize redemption value with transfer partners

Make the most of your travel perks

Pick the right time to earn a sign-up bonus

Combine cards and categories

How our experts use travel cards

Bankrate staff insights

Putting our advice into action

Is it a good idea to have multiple travel credit cards?

Frequently asked questions about travel credit cards

What credit score do you need for a travel credit card?

Do travel miles or points expire?

Are points or miles better on a credit card?

When should I use my rewards?

How we assess the best travel credit cards

Great rewards value

Reasonable rates and fees

Redemption flexibility

Valuable perks

Article sources