Finest journey bank cards – The Factors Man

Whether or not you already journey continuously or are planning your first trip in a very long time, you may probably profit from having a number of journey bank cards.
These playing cards allow you to earn worthwhile rewards that you could redeem to make your journey inexpensive, extra snug or each. Some journey bank cards additionally provide advantages that may get monetary savings or allow you to journey higher. Plus, most do not cost overseas transaction charges.
The Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card was one of many very first journey bank cards I utilized for. Though I nonetheless have my Enterprise card, I’ve additionally added many different journey rewards playing cards — a few of which I talk about under — to my pockets as a consequence of their various advantages and rewards.
Rewards I’ve earned from journey bank cards have let me get pleasure from premium cabin flights and luxurious resorts for a fraction of the price I might have paid with out these factors and miles. Factors and miles additionally let me journey continuously whereas staying inside my price range. In brief, journey bank cards could be the important thing to touring extra and/or higher.
The most effective journey bank cards
Evaluating the most effective journey bank cards
Listed here are TPG’s picks for the most effective journey bank cards.
Card | Finest for | Welcome provide | Incomes charges | Annual price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card | Vacationers | Earn 100,000 bonus factors after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. |
|
$95 |
Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card | Incomes miles on on a regular basis spending | Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening, plus obtain a one-time $250 Capital One Journey credit score to make use of in your first cardholder yr. |
|
$95 |
The Platinum Card from American Specific | Journey perks for shoppers | Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of cardmembership. |
|
$695 (see charges and costs) |
Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card | Simplicity | Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. |
|
$395 |
The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Specific | Journey perks for enterprise homeowners | Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of cardmembership. |
Purchases eligible for a number of further level bonuses will solely obtain the best eligible bonus. Phrases apply. |
$695 (see charges and costs) |
Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card | Enterprise homeowners who journey | Earn 90,000 bonus factors after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first three months after account opening. |
|
$95 |
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Specific Card | Delta Sky Membership entry | Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first six months of cardmembership. |
|
$650 (see charges and costs) |
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Specific Card | Advantages when flying Delta | Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in your first six months of cardmembership. |
|
$0 introductory annual price for the primary yr, then $150 (see charges and costs) |
American Specific Gold Card | Eating places and U.S. supermarkets | Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $6,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of cardmembership. |
|
$325 (see charges and costs) |
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit score Card | No annual price | Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles when you spend $500 on purchases inside three months from account opening. |
|
$0 |
Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card
Welcome provide: Earn 100,000 bonus factors after you spend $5,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening.
Annual price: $95.
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Plus, it gives glorious journey protections, together with journey delay reimbursement and first auto rental protection. After my sister-in-law paid for collision insurance coverage on just a few automotive leases — totaling greater than the Sapphire Most well-liked’s annual price — my husband and I insisted she apply for the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked and use it when renting automobiles as a substitute of paying for the rental firm’s collision insurance coverage.
However my favourite perk is the pliability you will get when redeeming Chase Final Rewards factors. I usually joke that my Final Rewards factors are merely ready to develop into World of Hyatt factors since I like transferring Chase factors to Hyatt. You may get nice worth when reserving award nights via World of Hyatt for the reason that program nonetheless makes use of an award chart and Class 1 Hyatt inns begin at simply 3,500 factors per night time.
However Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card members may also switch factors to different companions or redeem factors towards journey booked via Chase Journey at a fee of 1.25 cents every.
To be taught extra, learn our Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card assessment.
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card
Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card
Welcome provide: Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening, plus obtain a one-time $250 Capital One Journey credit score to make use of in your first cardholder yr.
Annual price: $95.
Standout advantages: The first advantage of the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card is its simplicity for incomes and redeeming. You will earn at the very least 2 Capital One miles per greenback spent on purchases and might simply redeem miles for assertion credit to offset current journey purchases.
Nevertheless, I favor to switch Capital One miles to Capital One switch companions once I’m able to e-book an award flight or resort. For instance, I transferred rewards to Avianca LifeMiles to e-book Lufthansa first-class from Frankfurt to Mexico Metropolis final yr. Moreover, I am utilizing Selection factors — which I may have earned by way of transferring Capital One miles to Selection Privileges if I did not have already got sufficient in my account — to remain in Helsinki this April.
To be taught extra, try our Capital One Enterprise card assessment and our information on maximizing Capital One miles.
Study extra: Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card
The Platinum Card from American Specific
Welcome provide: Earn 80,000 factors after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases throughout the first six months of cardmembership.
Annual price: $695 (see charges and costs).
Standout advantages: The Amex Platinum is the final word client journey card. It gives broad lounge entry via its international lounge assortment, together with Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Golf equipment (as much as 10 visits each Feb. 1 to Jan. 31). This lounge entry — plus the cardboard’s many assertion credit — gives sufficient worth for my husband to maintain this card in his pockets regardless of its hefty annual price.
He will get as much as $200 again in assertion credit annually on pay as you go American Specific Positive Motels + Resorts or The Lodge Assortment bookings via American Specific Journey (The Lodge Assortment requires a minimal two night time keep). We have used this credit score annually for stays at inns a bit nicer than we sometimes frequent, comparable to The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and The Naka Island, a Luxurious Assortment Resort & Spa, Phuket in Thailand. We use our month-to-month as much as $20 digital leisure assertion credit score for Disney+, our as much as $50 biannual Saks assertion credit score for polo shirts and our month-to-month Uber Money for rides or eats within the U.S. (as much as $20 every month and a bonus $20 in December; your Amex Plat have to be added to your Uber account and you may redeem with any Amex card).
However actually, we preserve the cardboard to get him Centurion Lounge entry, as we benefit from the meals, drinks and workspace at these lounges.
Enrollment required for choose advantages.
Try our Amex Platinum Card assessment to be taught extra.
Apply right here: The Platinum Card from American Specific
Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
Welcome provide: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening.
Annual price: $395.
I additionally get 10,000 bonus miles yearly, beginning on my first account anniversary. The Capital One Journey credit and bonus miles present me with extra worth annually than the cardboard’s $395 annual price, so it is easy for me to justify paying the annual price every time it posts to my account.
The Enterprise X gives a number of different perks I get pleasure from. For instance, I like incomes at the very least 2 miles per greenback spent on purchases, which makes the cardboard my default on a regular basis spending card. I additionally respect how the foods and drinks high quality within the Capital One Lounge at Dallas Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW) has remained at a excessive degree even because the lounge has develop into extra crowded.
To be taught extra, learn our Capital One Enterprise X card assessment.
Study extra: Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card
The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Specific
Welcome provide: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of cardmembership.
Annual price: $695 (see charges and costs).
Standout advantages: Though my husband has the Amex Platinum, I utilized for The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Specific in 2019. I’ve stored the cardboard ever since for its assertion credit and lounge entry. The lounge entry advantage of this card grew to become extra essential when Amex modified its Centurion Lounge visitor coverage in 2023, as since then, my husband and I’ve every used our personal Platinum Playing cards to get into the lounge.
As for assertion credit (a lot of which require enrollment), I’ve loved the brand new as much as $50 per quarter assertion credit score for eligible purchases made with Hilton properties utilizing my card. I used my credit score within the first quarter of 2025 for a keep on the Hampton by Hilton Munich Metropolis Heart East and can use it within the second quarter on the Hilton Tallinn Park in Estonia. I joined the Hilton for Enterprise program to get entry to the $50 per quarter assertion credit and have since discovered this system gives some compelling charges.
I do not use all of the Amex Enterprise Platinum Card’s advantages. For instance, I have already got larger tiers of Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors standing than the Gold standing offered as a perk of my Amex Enterprise Platinum Card. Sadly, my cell service supplier (Google Fi) is not eligible for the as much as $10 per thirty days in U.S. wi-fi phone assertion credit provided by the Amex Enterprise Platinum, and my enterprise does not use Adobe or Certainly (two different corporations for which cardmembers can get pleasure from assertion credit; as much as $150 yearly with Adobe and as much as $90 quarterly with Certainly).
I additionally hardly ever put spending on my Amex Enterprise Platinum Card. Besides, the cardboard’s efficient annual price is value paying for the lounge entry I obtain since I take advantage of the as much as $200 airline price assertion credit score every calendar yr for incidental charges with one airline (I select American Airways), the as much as $50 per quarter Hilton Honors assertion credit and the as much as $199 every calendar yr Clear Plus assertion credit score.
To be taught extra, learn our Amex Enterprise Platinum Card assessment.
Apply right here: The Enterprise Platinum Card from American Specific
Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card
Welcome provide: Earn 90,000 bonus factors after you spend $8,000 on purchases within the first three months after account opening.
Annual price: $95.
Whereas many different journey bank cards provide bonus earnings on flights, inns or when reserving via their journey portal, the journey class on the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked is broad. So, I can earn 3 factors per greenback on wide-ranging journey bills, together with inns, automotive leases, journey companies, toll roads, trains and buses.
Plus, I often get nice worth when redeeming Chase Final Rewards factors. World of Hyatt is my most-used Final Rewards switch associate, however my husband and I just lately transferred Final Rewards to United Airways to e-book a last-minute Aegean Airways flight from Athens, Greece, to Tirana, Albania, for simply 6,000 miles and $33 every.
To be taught extra, see our Ink Enterprise Most well-liked card assessment.
Apply right here: Ink Enterprise Most well-liked Credit score Card
Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Specific Card
Welcome provide: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first six months of cardmembership.
Annual price: $650 (see charges and costs).
Standout advantages: I’ve by no means significantly thought of making use of for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Specific Card, but when I have been a frequent Delta flyer striving for a selected Delta Medallion standing tier, it might actually be in my pockets.
Delta Reserve cardmembers get 2,500 Medallion Qualification {Dollars} every Medallion qualification yr. Plus, cardmembers earn 1 MQD per $10 of purchases made with their Delta Reserve card in a calendar yr. These two perks make it simpler to earn and keep Delta Medallion standing.
Cardmembers additionally get pleasure from 15 complimentary visits every Medallion yr to the Delta Sky Membership when flying Delta and may also unlock limitless Delta Sky Membership entry via the tip of the following Medallion yr after spending $75,000 on purchases with the Delta Reserve card throughout a calendar yr. Plus, Delta Reserve cardmembers get 4 one-time visitor passes every Medallion yr.
Assertion credit just like the as much as $240 Resy credit score (for purchases at U.S. Resy-affiliated eating places or different Resy purchases), the as much as $120 ride-hailing credit score (on U.S. ride-hailing purchases) and the as much as $200 Delta Stays credit score may also present worth. Enrollment required for choose advantages.
The cardboard gives many extra perks, so try our Delta Reserve Amex Card assessment to see if it is best for you.
Apply right here: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Specific Card
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Specific Card
Welcome provide: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in your first six months of cardmembership.
Annual price: $0 introductory annual price for the primary yr, then $150 (see charges and costs).
Standout advantages: In case you are paying checked bag charges or stressing about discovering overhead bin house when flying Delta, the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Specific Card may help. It gives Zone 5 precedence boarding and a primary bag free on Delta flights for you and as much as eight different vacationers in your reservation.
The cardboard additionally gives numerous different advantages that present worth. For instance, the TakeOff15 profit means you will robotically pay 15% fewer miles when redeeming for journey on Delta-operated flights. Plus, the cardboard gives a $100 Delta Stays credit score that provides you as much as $100 again per yr as a press release credit score after you utilize your Delta Gold Amex to e-book pay as you go inns or trip leases via Delta Stays. In 2024, I used the Delta Stays credit score from one other Delta bank card for a $148 in a single day keep in Male, Maldives, earlier than heading to a personal island resort.
If you happen to totally use the Delta Stays credit score annually, the annual price on the Delta Gold Amex could also be value paying even in case you solely use just a few of its different advantages often. See our Delta Gold Amex Card assessment for extra particulars.
Apply right here: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Specific Card
American Specific Gold Card
Welcome provide: Earn 60,000 factors after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases throughout the first six months of cardmembership.
Annual price: $325 (see charges and costs).
Standout advantages: The American Specific Gold Card is in style with many shoppers as a consequence of its food-focused advantages and incomes charges.
On the incomes facet, Amex Gold Card members earn 4 factors per greenback spent at eating places worldwide (on as much as $50,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback) and on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $25,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback). These incomes charges are tough to beat, particularly contemplating the caps on incomes are comparatively excessive for many shoppers’ spending patterns.
On the advantages facet, Amex Gold Card members can get pleasure from as much as $10 in Uber Money for U.S. purchases every month (Amex Gold have to be added to your Uber account and you may redeem with any Amex card), as much as $7 in Dunkin’ assertion credit score every month (at U.S. Dunkin’ areas), as much as $10 in assertion credit score every month for purchases with Grubhub, The Cheesecake Manufacturing facility, Goldbelly, Wine.com or 5 Guys, and as much as $100 in assertion credit for U.S. Resy-affiliated and different eligible Resy purchases every calendar yr.
I haven’t got the Amex Gold since I spend important time outdoors the U.S. Though the Amex Gold could be helpful for vacationers, it turns into much less helpful in case you spend a lot time overseas that you could’t get good worth from the month-to-month assertion credit (most of which you’ll solely use throughout the U.S.).
Enrollment required for choose advantages.
Nevertheless, the cardboard is in style for a purpose, so learn our Amex Gold Card assessment for extra particulars.
Apply right here: American Specific Gold Card
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit score Card
Welcome provide: Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles when you spend $500 on purchases inside three months from account opening.
Annual price: $0.
The cardboard gives a 0% introductory annual proportion fee for 15 months on purchases and steadiness transfers, with a 19.24% to 29.24% variable APR afterward. If you happen to use this provide, make certain you’ll repay your steadiness in full by the tip of the introductory APR interval. In spite of everything, the rewards you will earn with this card will not be worthwhile in case you pay curiosity and costs.
You’ll be able to redeem miles you earn along with your VentureOne card to cowl current journey purchases at a fee of 1 cent per mile. Nevertheless, you will probably get extra worth once you redeem miles by transferring them to pick airline and resort loyalty applications.
To be taught extra, see our Capital One VentureOne card assessment.
Study extra: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit score Card
What to contemplate when selecting a journey bank card
There’s so much to contemplate when selecting a brand new journey bank card. Listed here are just a few of the highest facets to contemplate.
Most well-liked rewards
Maybe a very powerful side to contemplate when selecting a journey bank card is the rewards you will earn. Most journey bank cards earn resort factors, airline miles or transferable rewards.
Whereas one of the best ways to redeem resort factors and airline miles is often with a selected program — for instance, one of the best ways to redeem Delta miles is for award flights booked via the Delta SkyMiles program — transferable rewards offer you extra flexibility. You’ll be able to often redeem versatile rewards at a hard and fast fee for assertion credit or journey reserving, however you can too switch your rewards to pick resort and airline loyalty applications.
This means to switch rewards comparable to Amex Membership Rewards factors, Capital One miles and Chase Final Rewards factors to different applications — usually at a 1:1 ratio — lets me keep away from devaluation in a selected program by ready till I wish to e-book a selected award flight or night time earlier than I switch my factors or miles.
Advantages
One other essential side to contemplate when selecting a journey card is its advantages. For instance, I renew my Amex Enterprise Platinum Card annually not for the rewards I earn when making purchases with it however for the advantages it gives. Specifically, I get quite a lot of worth from the lounge entry I get pleasure from as a advantage of my numerous journey playing cards.
Advantages could be significantly compelling with resort bank cards, a lot of which supply elite standing and a free night time certificates annually once you renew. In lots of circumstances, the free night time certificates can provide extra worth than the cardboard’s annual price. Likewise, airline bank cards often provide perks like a complimentary checked bag, earlier boarding and an elite standing increase.
Welcome bonus
If you are going to apply for a brand new journey bank card, it is value contemplating the welcome bonus. You can select a card primarily based on the presently obtainable welcome bonuses. Or, you possibly can wait to use for a card when it is providing an elevated limited-time provide. You can additionally examine CardMatch to see whether or not you are presently focused for particular gives.
Associated: The most effective bank card welcome bonuses
Spending habits
Contemplate how properly a journey bank card’s bonus classes match your spending habits. Particularly, think about what forms of purchases you would be placing on the cardboard in case you have been to use. Additionally think about whether or not you’d have the ability to spend sufficient on the cardboard throughout the first few months after you signal as much as meet the minimal spending necessities for the welcome bonus.
Annual price
Lastly, you will probably additionally wish to think about the annual price when selecting a journey bank card. Particularly, think about whether or not the earnings and advantages you will get will present extra worth than the price of the annual price. If you happen to do not imagine you will get sufficient worth from the advantages and earnings, then the cardboard probably is not a great match for you.
How we selected the most effective journey bank cards
TPG selected the most effective journey bank cards primarily based on a number of components, together with incomes charges, advantages, welcome bonuses and the general worth we anticipate a client can receive by having and utilizing the cardboard.
Redemption choices for journey bank cards
Your redemption choices will rely in your particular journey bank card, however you must often redeem resort factors for resort stays and airline miles for award flights.
Transferable rewards like Chase Final Rewards factors have extra redemption choices. I extremely advocate researching and understanding the alternative ways to redeem — and calculating the cents per level you’d get by way of every redemption methodology — earlier than redeeming any rewards. However know that, usually, you will wish to redeem transferable rewards by transferring them to airline or resort companions. Check out TPG’s month-to-month valuations and goal to get at the very least our valuation in worth when redeeming.
My go-to switch associate for Chase Final Rewards is World of Hyatt. I’ve transferred Chase factors to Hyatt to e-book aspiration stays at Miraval Austin, Alila Kothaifaru Maldives and Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa.
However I’ve gotten excessive redemption charges even when redeeming Hyatt factors for lower-category stays. For instance, I booked 5 off-peak nights on the Class 1 Story Lodge Signalfabriken in Sweden, which value $1,012 or 17,500 factors, giving me a redemption fee of 5.78 cents per level. I additionally booked 5 peak nights on the Class 1 Hyatt Regency Cape City, which value $2,086 or 32,500 factors, giving me a redemption fee of 6.42 cents per level.
In brief, transferable factors can allow you to journey higher and/or with extra consolation with out paying more cash.
Backside line
Journey bank cards have let me unlock elite standing, perks and award redemptions that in any other case would not be doable. Contemplate what perks or rewards foreign money you need when deciding which journey bank card to use for. You should definitely think about all of your redemption choices earlier than you redeem, retaining TPG’s valuations in thoughts to evaluate whether or not you are getting good worth out of your redemption.
Associated: Why transferable factors and miles are value greater than different rewards
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum Card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Enterprise Platinum Card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Delta Reserve Amex Card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Delta Gold Amex Card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Gold Card, click on right here.
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