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Travel Hacking 101: Travel Credit Card Comparison

By Jerry Mlinar | Jun 05, 2024

Credit cards and travel magazine on top of a laptop computer

Travel enthusiasts appreciate the sheer delight of receiving discounts, rewards, and other perks from credit card use. Travel is already whimsical and delightful, and credit card rewards make it all the more captivating. You could get free flights, discounted hotel stays, scrapped fees, privileged access, and other perks. However, these benefits only come from holding a travel credit card that supports earning and using credit card points for travel.

LendMeMoney.com conducted a comparison of the best travel credit cards in the US market. We hope to make choosing a suitable travel card easier, going by your budget and travel needs.

Travel Credit Card Comparison
Here’s a summary of the most desirable travel credit cards:

Credit Card Best For Credit Score Annual Fee Welcome Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Welcome Bonus 690 or higher $95 75,000 bonus points
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Welcome Bonus 670 or higher $95 75,000 bonus points
Chase Sapphire Reserve Luxury Travel 740 or higher $550 75,000 bonus points
Credit One Bank Wander Card Accommodates Average Credit Scores 630 - 689 $95 None
Choice Rewards World Mastercard Low APR 700 or higher $0 N/A

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card lying on laptop with a passport next to it

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is first on our travel credit card comparison list because it has the most generous welcome bonus. You get 75,000 bonus points for spending $4000 on purchases during the first three months of holding the card. The bonus points are redeemable for more than $900 through Chase Travel.

It’s also easy to rack more reward points with this card. You get 5x points for travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x on dining, online groceries, and some streaming services, 2x for travel purchases, and 1x for other purchases. This card has a $95 annual fee and a 21.49% - 28.49% variable APR; you need excellent/good credit scores to qualify. This card is an excellent choice if you’re looking to cut costs by using credit card points for travel.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card also ranks first in the travel credit card comparison list. It has a generous welcome bonus, but instead of getting points you can redeem on any travel expense, you get miles. You earn 75,000 miles for $4,000 purchases in the first three months. You also get 5 miles for each dollar if you book your hotel and rental car on Capital One Travel and 2x miles per dollar on other purchases. The card has a $95 annual fee and a 19.99% - 29.99% variable APR; you must have an excellent/good credit score to qualify.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is the best for luxury travel. It has a generous 75,000 points welcome bonus for $4,000 spent on purchases during the first three months, which you can redeem for $1,125 on Chase Travel. It’s also easy to rack up redeemable points. After the first $300 travel purchases on Chase Travel each year, you qualify to earn 10x total points on car rentals and hotels and 5x total points on flights. You also earn 3x points on other travel and 1 point for each dollar spent on purchases. The card has a $550 annual fee and a 22.49% - 29.49% variable APR; you need an excellent credit score to qualify.

Credit One Bank Wander Card

So far, the cards featured on our travel credit card comparison require you to have an excellent/ good credit card score. But if you’re building or rebuilding credit and love to travel, the Credit One Bank Wander Card is the best for you. Although the card has no welcome bonus, you can quickly earn reward points that you can use for travel. You get 10x points on your spending in eligible hotels and rental cars booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner. You also earn 5x points on eligible flights, gas purchases, and dining, and 1x points for every other purchase. The card has a $95 annual fee and a 29.74% variable APR; you need an average to excellent credit score to qualify.

Choice Rewards World Mastercard

We liked this credit card because it has a generous rewards system and costs the least out of the cards that made it to our travel credit card comparison. You earn $20,000 points for spending $3,000 in the first 60 days since account opening. You also earn 2x points on gas, groceries, medical, electronics, telecommunications, and other household goods and 1x on other purchases. The card has a $0 annual fee and a low 13.50% - 18.00% variable APR.

Get A Suitable Travel Credit Card

For business or pleasure, whatever your reason for traveling, travel credit cards are a great resource because they save you money when using credit card points for your travel. Choose one from the five featured on our travel credit card comparison and earn noble rewards. Contact LendMeMoney.com for more information about travel credit cards and help choosing a suitable one. Get the best offer today!

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