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Credit cards with travel rewards are an outstanding way to earn points which can be cashed in for trips. We all know that there are seemingly endless options out there for travel credit cards that all sound wonderful and have the greatest deal, but the huge selection can be a little overwhelming. So which travel rewards credit cards are best for you?
Well to answer that, there’s not a one-size-fits-all travel credit card for every single traveler out there.
Factors like how you like to travel, where you want to travel, how much you can spend to meet signup bonuses, and your credit score will determine which travel credit card is best for you.
Here at MY Travel BF, we are only reporting on travel rewards credit cards that we have personally used. We are not going to recommend anything that we haven’t used. This is especially important with credit cards because we don’t want you to end up with the wrong choice for you and with seemingly unsurmountable good ‘ole fashioned American debt.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card is widely regarded as one of the best credit cards for travel rewards year in and year out. It has a great signup bonus—60,000 points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months—no foreign transaction fees, and 2x points on travel and restaurants.
Those 60,000 points translate into about $750 of travel rewards! Think of all the places you can go for $750!
If you are thinking ‘Where do I sign up?!,’ you can apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card right here, and be on your way to earning tons of travel rewards points.
Unfortunately to qualify for this travel credit card, you will need to have a better credit score and be willing to pay a $95 annual fee. Spending $4,000 in 3 months might not be in everyone’s budget either as it’s a lot of money. If you can’t meet the minimum spending requirement for the bonus points, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card probably isn’t the best choice.
However, keep reading for other travel rewards credit card options that might be better suited to what you are looking for!
Chase Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card
The Chase Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Travel Credit Card is a very popular option for Americans who love to travel domestically.
While you might not be a fan of Southwest’s seat-yourself boarding process, they have a ton of domestic flights, excellent cancellation policy, and even a few international options. Hello, Costa Rica, Belize, and Cuba!
When you signup and spend $1,000 if your first 3 months, you currently get 40,000 points. This is not only a decent amount of points, but only having to spend $1,000 in 3 months is a pretty small amount when compared to other travel credit cards.
They offer a Plus and Priority Southwest Credit Card. The Plus is more basic with fewer rewards, such as upgraded boardings and anniversary points. It does have a lower annual fee and foreign transaction fees.
The Priority Southwest travel credit card has a higher annual fee, but you get more anniversary points, no foreign transaction fees, a $75 annual travel credit, and upgraded boardings. Check out the full differences between the Southwest travel credit cards here.
Without a doubt, the best travel incentive that a Southwest credit card offers you is the Southwest Companion Pass. If you collect enough points in a calendar year, aka spend enough, you will get Buy One, Get One Free flights FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!
There may not be a better travel perk out there!
While you do need to spend quite a bit, the Companion Pass on Southwest Airlines is an incredible perk that will help you, and whomever you choose, to travel so much more!
Read about our Southwest Airlines Companion Pass Review.
If you are a big domestic traveler, want a travel credit card with a lower annual fee, a pretty big signup bonus, and a chance to work towards a Companion Pass, the Chase Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card is an excellent option!
Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card
The Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card is a great choice for travelers who are getting their first credit card. You don’t need a large credit history. There’s no annual fee, and the signup bonus of 25,000 points kicks in when you spend $1,000 in 3 months. 25,000 points equals about $250. You will also get 1.5 points back on every $1 spent.
This is a great first travel rewards credit card. You will not be limited to a specific airline, like the Southwest Credit Card, so it will help with international travel.
The Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card is an excellent choice for people studying abroad or traveling abroad for the first time and looking for their first credit card. The $1,000 minimum spending amount will be easy to meet, and you will get the 25,000 points fairly easily. You will also save money on not having an annual fee.
You can sign up for the Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card here.
There are obviously plenty more travel rewards credit cards out there. We just don’t believe in recommending any that we have not personally used.
For more in-depth reviews of travel credit cards with great rewards, check out some credit card-specific sites, like Nerd Wallet or The Points Guy.
If you have any questions, please contact us about the best travel credit cards for travelers.