Best Travel Reward Credit Cards of 2021
Why are you still paying for travel? Your credit card rewards should be paying for your flights, hotel, rental cars and adventures. That’s how you use your travel credit cards to work for you, not against you.
The Top Travel Cards have released unbelievable sign on bonuses while the world is getting back into the swing of traveling. I’m talking.. insane travel sign-on bonuses that we may never see again.
With a simple credit card application and approval, you can redeem up to 100,000 reward points…. let me be the first to tell you that this is not the norm. And we may never see this again if everyone keeps taking advantage of these insane travel cards.
Redeeming up to 100,000 points on your travel credit card is equivalent to $2,000+ in travel redemption. We are talking once-in-a-lifetime deals over here.
I may sound a little dramatic (or excited) but that’s because I am and you should be too. Important credit card tips have been included at the bottom - be sure to read!
Let’s dive into the Travel Cards you need to consider
Chase Saphire Preferred - Voted Top Travel Card
This has been a fan favorite travel card for years and has become my own personal favorite as well. With points per dollar, sign-on bonuses, the minimal annual fee you truly can’t top this on to become your next go-to travel card.
When you apply for the Chase Saphire Travel Card and qualify for the sign-on bonus you can receive up to 100,000 points, as I said over $2,000 in travel. This is insane when I got this card it was 60,000 points!
Pros:
Airfare, hotels, experiences, and rental car travel points work with multiple carriers and companies for ease when booking your trip.
INSANE sign-on bonus points and benefits
Earn 2X points per every dollar spent on the card (based on categories)
Cons:
Annual fee of $95 after the first year (negotiate to get this waived each year it hits)
Personal Review: This is my GO-TO credit card for all travel expenses, daily expenses and daily use. Because I’ve been able to redeem so much travel and points by using consistently I would recommend this card to anyone.
Capital One Venture Travel Card - Top Travel
This is another popular travel card and very friendly for those getting starting in the credit card reward world. This was my first travel card and I really was able to understand redeeming rewards when it comes to traveling.
When you apply right now you can redeem up to 100,000 points for redemption (this is insane, when I signed up it was 40,000). If you already have a no annual fee capital one card, this could be your next to stay within the same bank and get a travel card for INSANE points!
Pros:
100,000 points when you qualify for the sign-on bonus
Earn 2x miles on every purchase every single day
Cons:
$95 annual fee
Capital One VentureOne Card - Friendly Traveler Card!
This is the very first travel card I had and really introduced me to the world of redeeming your spending for travels, rewards and free things. The nicest thing about it is you can start dipping your toes into the world of rewards without having to pay an annual fee.
I would suggest this card to anyone getting started in traveling but isn’t a frequent traveler needing a travel friendly credit card but still wants to redeem those points.
Pros:
No annual fee
No foreign transaction fees
Travel accident insurance
Transfer your miles
1.25x point each dollar spent
Cons:
Not as many sign-on bonus points (20,000)
When it comes to travel reward credit cards here are some important things to note:
An annual fee is not always a bad thing. If you truly use the rewards, travel and credit card frequent enough in a year then it will pay itself off 10x throughout the year. I 100% am okay with a $95 annual fee because this can always be negotiated and possibly waived and also it tacks onto your statement each year. I have redeem trips to Tahiti, Hawaii, California, Montana and more just with this card in one year.
Be sure to qualify for the sign on bonus. 100,000 points sounds amazing but you have to make sure you will be able to hit the minimums required to receive this. Whether its spending $500 in the first 3 months or $5,000 in the first 6 months - make sure you can hit the minimum to redeem the sign on bonus.
Be sure to use your credit card responsibly and pay it off in FULL every single month.
Be strategic with your travel points.
Read more about Understanding Credit 101
Read more about Best Credit Cards for You
Ready 3 Ways to Stay Out of Debt
Affiliate links have been included in this article.