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The best credit card for travel is the Sapphire Preferred from Chase due to its 5x points on Chase Travel, 3x points on dining and 2x points on there travel charges.
Methodology: We evaluated hundreds of credit cards based on APRs, promotional rates, fees and benefits.
Editor's take: The Sapphire Preferred from Chase also provides car rental coverage, purchase and extended warranties and a sign-up bonus of 75,000 points.
Updated February 2026.
The best travel credit cards reward travel purchases with points you can redeem later for airfare, hotel nights, cash back, statement credits and more. Our picks feature the best travel rewards cards for different budgets and travelers.
Read on for our picks for best travel credit cards.
Our Top Picks for Best Travel Credit Cards
- Best Overall: Sapphire Preferred from Chase
- Best for Travel Accident Insurance: Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card
- Best for Unlimited Miles: Discover it Miles
- Best Sign-Up Bonus: The Platinum Card from American Express
- Best for No Annual Fee: VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit from Capital One
All rates and data are current as of Feb. 24, 2026.
Best Travel Credit Cards Reviews
Why we chose it: The Sapphire Preferred from Chase offers 5x points on Chase Travel, 3x points on dining — including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out — and 2x on other travel charges.
With a balance transfer fee of $5 or 5% and an annual fee of $95, the Sapphire Preferred from Chase is a great choice for those with wanderlust. In addition to its travel rewards, the card also provides car rental coverage, as well as purchase protection and extended warranties. Its variable APRs range from 19.24% to 27.49%.
Additionally, Sapphire Preferred offers a sign-up bonus of 75,000 points after new customers spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from the date they opened the account, up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel. Each account anniversary, cardholders can earn bonus points equal to 10% of their total purchases from the previous year (e.g., if they spend $25,000 on purchases, they'll receive 2,500 bonus points).
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: The Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card promises cardholders no blackout dates or travel restrictions.
Additionally, the card allows users to earn unlimited 1.5x points for every $1 they spend on all purchases. The Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card also features 0% introductory APR for the first 15 billing cycles, with rates ranging from 17.49% to 27.49% thereafter.
While the card only provides 1.5x points for all purchases, it offers a sign-up bonus of 25,000 points ($250 value) after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days. There are no annual or foreign transaction fees.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: The Discover it Miles card offers an automatic unlimited dollar-for-dollar miles match on of all the cash back customers earn by the end of their first year.
After that, the card provides 1.5x miles on every purchase, which is also unlimited. There are no annual or foreign transaction fees, and there is a 0% introductory APR for the first 15 months the account is open (including on all balance transfers). Thereafter, variable APRs range from 17.49% to 26.49%.
The Discover it Miles card also provides free FICO credit scores, and its miles are redeemable as cash or travel statement credits.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: The Platinum Card from American Express provides 175,000 points to new customers who spend $12,000 on the card within six months of opening an account.
In addition to its sign-up bonus, the card offers 5x points on flights and hotels. There is no foreign transaction fee, but the card's annual fee is costly at $895, and variable APRs range from 19.49% to 28.49%.
The Platinum Card from American Express comes with numerous perks to incentivize cardholders, including up to $300 back in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 per year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel. The card also offers users access to 1,550+ lounges worldwide, up to $200 in Uber Cash each year, an annual airline statement credit of up to $200 for incidents fees (e.g., seat selection, baggage fees) on one pre-selected qualifying U.S. airline as well as car rental coverage, trip interruption/cancellation coverage, emergency travel assistance, purchase protection and extended warranty coverage
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
Why we chose it: The VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit from Capital One has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and a 0% introductory APR for the first 15 months on all balance transfers.
The VentureOne Rewards offers 1.25x miles on all purchases, and like its balance transfer fee, the card offers 0% introductory APR for the first 15 months, with a variable APR thereafter which currently sits at 28.99%.
Beyond its 1.25x points rewards, the VentureOne Rewards also allows users to earn five miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, which is an unlimited perk. Additionally, Capital One cardholders can enjoy 50% off all handcrafted beverages everyday at any Capital One Café locations nationwide.
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
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Best Travel Credit Cards FAQs
Are travel credit cards worth it?
Travel credit cards can be valuable if you travel frequently enough to take advantage of their perks and rewards. Most travel card bonus categories are travel-focused and include benefits like airport lounge access, rental car insurance and hotel statement credits. If you don't travel often, you’ll get more value from a cash-back credit card.
How much are airline miles worth?
The value of your miles depends on your card's reward programs and your booking details. An airline's loyalty program might offer better deals for specific destinations than competing airlines. Also, your miles might be worth more when booking flights during off-peak times, such as spring, compared to peak travel seasons like summer.
How many miles do you need for a free flight?
The number of miles for a free flight is dependent on several factors, like the airline loyalty program. Your trip details also play an important role, especially since many airlines no longer use award charts and instead rely on dynamic pricing. This means the number of miles required for a flight can increase during holidays and decrease during low-demand periods. Limited seat availability can also drive up the cost.
What’s the difference between points and miles?
When a card awards miles, it’s usually affiliated with an airline that will redeem your miles for free flights, seat upgrades and other perks with the airline's frequent-flyer program. Points, on the other hand, tend to be more flexible as they're not tied to a specific airline. However, there are some travel card issuers, such as Capital One, that award miles that are not limited to a single airline and have similar value and redemption options as points.
How We Chose the Best Travel Credit Cards
The best travel credit cards are rated according to their award points or miles, other perks, sign-up bonuses and fees. The best travel credit cards may include airline cards, general travel cards, hotel cards, flexible rewards cards and others.
| Travel Rewards | Sign-Up Bonus | Fees | Other Perks |
| 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
- Rewards: Redemption options and value for travel purchases.
- Sign-Up Bonus: New cardholder welcome bonuses and value.
- Fees: Preference for cards with no foreign transaction fees and lower annual fees.
- Other Perks: Travel-specific perks and benefits like priority boarding, lounge access, travel insurance or statement credits for travel expenses.
Read our full methodology here.
Summary of Money’s Best Travel Credit Cards of 2026
- Best Overall: Sapphire Preferred from Chase
- Best for Travel Accident Insurance: Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card
- Best for Unlimited Miles: Discover it Miles
- Best Sign-Up Bonus: The Platinum Card from American Express
- Best for No Annual Fee: VentureOne Rewards for Good Credit from Capital One
Money.com has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Money.com and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
To see rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, visit this link. Terms apply.
To see rates and fees for American Express Platinum Card®, visit this link. Terms apply.
* Insurance disclosures for American Express Cards on this page:
Trip Delay Insurance: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Baggage Insurance Plan: 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.
Global Assist Hotline: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, 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.
Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance: 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. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
** Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. 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. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
*** Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. 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. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
