Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards July 2024

Leisure and business travelers can use travel rewards credit cards to turn miles logged into other things — including more travel.

Disclaimer

We may get compensation if you visit partner links on our site. We may not cover every available offer. Our relationship with advertisers may impact how an offer is presented on our website. However, our selection of products is made independently of our relationship to advertisers. All information about the American Express EveryDay® credit card has been collected independently by Kiplinger. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. We calculate a typical annual reward for each card, assuming $34,000 spent annually and less any annual fee. Interest rates, fees, rewards and other terms listed in this article are subject to change. Before you apply for a credit card, check its current terms and conditions with the issuer. Rates and sign-up offers were checked as of July 1, 2024.

A travel rewards credit card can be an excellent companion whether you travel often or just take the occasional vacation. With every purchase, you can use a travel card to collect points or miles that you can redeem for flights, hotels, or other travel bookings. Many travel rewards cards come with extra benefits, too, from free entry into airport lounges to statement credits toward application fees for TSA PreCheck and other programs that expedite security screening at the airport. 

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Chase Freedom Unlimited® 

Sign-up bonus: Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. 

After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

You can trade the Ultimate Rewards points you earn at a rate of a penny each for cash back, gift cards or travel bookings. 

This card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, so consider one of our other travel winners for trips abroad. 

Chase cards also offer excellent rental car insurance.

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Discover it® Miles 

This card acts as a hybrid travel and cash back card. All purchases earn 1.5 miles per dollar, and the redemption options are flexible. You can exchange miles at a rate of a penny each for statement credits on travel purchases, cash back, account credits to pay your card bill, and purchases with Amazon and PayPal. 

The card offers a generous sign-on bonus, doubling your miles earned after the first year. Other nice-to-have perks include free access to your FICO score and online privacy protection. The card does not provide free travel insurance, access to airport lounges or similar travel perks.

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American Express EveryDay® 

Intro offer: Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you use your new Card to make $2,000 in purchases within the first six months of Card Membership.

Amex EveryDay provides a way to earn Amex’s Membership Rewards points without paying an annual fee. You get two points per dollar on up to $6,000 of supermarket purchases per year and one point per dollar on all other spending. If you make at least 20 purchases on the card in a billing period, you get a 20% bonus on the points you earned on those purchases. 

You can trade points at a rate of 1 cent each for flight bookings through Amex Travel or certain gift cards (points are worth less for most other redemption options). You can also transfer points to a partner travel loyalty program, including Delta SkyMiles, Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy. The card charges a 2.7% foreign-transaction fee, so it’s best for domestic travel

See rates and fees.

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Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card 

Annual fee: $95 

Sign-up bonus: 75,000 miles if you spend $4,000 in the first three months. 

Capital One Venture offers five miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars that you book through Capital One Travel and two miles per dollar on all other spending. Miles are worth a penny apiece if you redeem them for statement credits on travel purchases or travel bookings through Capital One, or you can transfer miles to partner airline and hotel loyalty programs. Extra perks include two free yearly visits to Capital One’s own airport lounges or Plaza Premium lounges (though the lounge-pass benefit expires in January 2025), as well as reimbursement of the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, which provide expedited airport security screening.

For details on this bonus offer and how to use bonus miles, read Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Launches $750 Bonus Offer.

This card was deemed outstanding for customer service in the Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards 2024: Travel Rewards Credit Cards.

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Citi Strata Premier Card 

Annual fee: $95.

Citi recently updated the Premier card to the Citi Strata Premier℠, making it easier to earn points. Earn 10 Citi ThankYou® Points per dollar on hotel and rental car bookings. You also collect three points per dollar on dining, supermarket, gas station and air travel purchases and one point per dollar on other spending. 

Points are worth a penny each when you trade them for travel bookings or gift cards, or you can transfer points to participating airline loyalty programs. Once per year, cardholders also get $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more booked through Citi’s ThankYou program.

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U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card

Annual fee: $95, waived the first year.

Sign-up bonus: 20,000 points if you spend $2,000 in the first 90 days.

This card delivers five points per dollar on hotel and rental car bookings through U.S. Bank’s travel portal; four points per dollar on other travel purchases and at gas and EV charging stations (see below for details); two points per dollar on grocery store, restaurant and streaming-service spending; and one point per dollar on other spending. 

You can redeem points at a rate of a penny each for travel, gift cards, cash back, merchandise and other options. Cardholders are also reimbursed for the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and receive four free yearly visits to Priority Pass Select airport lounges. 

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BILT Mastercard®

The BILT Mastercard from Wells Fargo rewards you with one point per dollar on rent payments (up to 100,000 points each year), and you bypass the transaction fees that usually apply when you pay rent with a credit card. Read our dedicated article on the BILT credit card for the full skinny.

If you enable BiltProtect, your rent payments are drawn directly from your linked bank account, and you earn points on the payments without using your available credit. Keeping your credit line clear of rent payments can help lower your credit-utilization ratio (the amount of available credit that you use), and that’s good for your credit score. 

You also earn three points per dollar on dining, two points on travel and one point on other purchases. The BILT card takes honors in this travel category because you can transfer points that you earn with it on a one-to-one basis to 16 different transfer partner programs, including those of American Airlines, Marriott, United Airlines and Hyatt. 

This card is great for renters, but be sure you can pay your balance in full every month. 

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 

Annual fee: $95.

Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's about $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. For more, read Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card: $750 Bonus Offer.

This card boasts a strong network of travel transfer partners, including Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt. 

Cardholders earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, redeemable for travel bookings through Chase at a heightened value of 1.25 cents per point on Chase Travel℠ or for cash back or gift cards at 1 cent per point. 

You earn five points per dollar on travel that you purchase through Chase Travel℠ (two points per dollar on other travel spending); three points per dollar on restaurants, online grocery purchases and select streaming services; and one point per dollar on other spending. Plus, you get $50 in statement credits annually for hotel stays booked through Chase. On each yearly anniversary of opening your account, you get a 10% points bonus on total purchases made the previous year.

Kiplinger readers recently voted the card as outstanding for customer service and overall satisfaction and deemed it a card they would recommend to others. 

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Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

Annual fee: $95. 

Sign-up bonus: Three Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first three months. Certain hotels have resort fees. For details on this $1,050 offer, read Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Offer: Three Nights Free.

Though Bonvoy points are less valuable than those of some competitors, the card provides ample ways to rack up a large bank of points. Cardholders get up to 17 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent at Marriott hotels; three points per dollar on up to $6,000 in combined spending annually at grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants; and two points per dollar on other spending. Points don’t expire if you make a purchase on the card every 24 months. 

Marriott Bonvoy points are redeemable for stays at Marriott properties, but you can also transfer them to the frequent-flier programs of 39 airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest and United. Plus, you get 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points you transfer. (Note, however, that most airlines require three Bonvoy points per mile.) Among the card’s benefits are Silver Elite status with Marriott and a one-night hotel stay each year.

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Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card 

Annual fee: $395. 

Sign-up bonus: 75,000 miles if you spend $4,000 in the first three months. 

Kiplinger readers recently gave the Venture X card a lot of love, voting it the overall winner for best travel card in the most recent Readers' Choice awards.

You can rack up points quickly with this card, and it has a lower annual fee than most premium cards. Cardholders receive 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, five miles per dollar for flights reserved through Capital One Travel, and two miles per dollar on all other spending.

You can redeem miles at the rate of a penny each for statement credits on travel purchases or travel reservations through Capital One. Cardholders get a $300 annual credit toward travel bookings through Capital One, 10,000 miles on each yearly account anniversary, reimbursement of the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and free access to Capital One’s airport lounges, as well as lounges in the Priority Pass and Plaza Premium networks.

Hot tip: You can also earn 75,000 miles on the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit card (after spending $4,000 in the first three months). But that card only has a $95 annual fee, while this card's annual fee is $395. It all comes down to the perks that you value.

And if you are in the market for a business card, the Capital One Venture X Business card has a welcome offer worth between $1,500 to $2,775.

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Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Annual fee: $550. 

Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

This card provides the kind of travel perks you would expect from a high-end card, such as access to VIP airport lounges and hotel room upgrades, but with some thoughtful additions. Sapphire Reserve offers industry-leading rental car insurance benefits, for example, which are especially valuable for international travel. 

The card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which can be transferred to the loyalty programs of popular airlines such as United, Southwest and JetBlue. 

Cardholders get 10 points per dollar spent on hotels and car rentals purchased through the rewards travel portal and five points per dollar for flights booked through Chase Travel℠. You also earn 10 points per dollar spent on purchases with Chase Dining — which provides reservations at participating restaurants and access to special dining events — three points per dollar on other travel and dining purchases, and one point per dollar on the rest of your spending. 

You will also get a $300 annual credit for travel purchases and up to $1,200 per year in partner benefits, such as subscriptions to delivery services, luxury hotel upgrades and discounts on Peloton purchases. Exchange points at a high rate of 1.5 cents each for travel booked through Chase Travel℠ or for 1 cent per point for gift cards or cash back.

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The Platinum Card® from American Express 

Annual fee: $695. 

Sign-up bonus: Up to 80,000 points if you spend $8,000 in the first six months.

Frequent travelers can offset the card’s hefty annual fee by taking advantage of its bountiful perks and valuable points structure. For example, you can get yearly credits of up to $200 for incidental fees with one airline you choose, $200 for select hotel bookings through Amex, $189 for membership with the CLEAR airport security screening program, $200 in Uber Cash (for Uber Eats orders and Uber rides) and $155 for a Walmart+ membership (which provides free shipping from Walmart, among other benefits). 

Travelers enjoy access to a range of airport lounges, including Amex’s Centurion lounges as well as those in the Airspace, Delta Sky Club, Escape, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass Select networks. Plus, you get up to $100 in fee reimbursement for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. 

Cardholders earn five Membership Rewards points per dollar for flights booked with airlines or through American Express (on up to $500,000 per year spent) and on prepaid hotel bookings through Amex; two points per dollar spent on other qualifying Amex Travel reservations (such as cruises); and one point per dollar on other spending. Exchange points at a rate of a penny each for flights booked through Amex or for certain gift cards (points are worth less for most other redemption options).

Kiplinger readers recently voted this card outstanding for customer service.

Terms Apply. See rates and fees.

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Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

Annual fee: $350

Sign-up bonus: Earn 85,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first six months of Card Membership (worth about $1020).

This mid-tier card from American Express has a strong earning rate. You'll rack up three miles per dollar on Delta and related flights, two miles per dollar on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, and one mile per dollar on all other qualified purchases. You also get an annual companion ticket, 15% off when booking Delta flights with award miles and a 20% credit for Delta in-flight purchases. Cardholders get their first checked bag for free.

Read more at Earn Delta SkyMiles Worth up to $1,140.

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JetBlue Plus Card

 Annual fee: $99

Sign-up offer: 60,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days. This offer is worth about $780 when redeemed for travel.

JetBlue recently overhauled its TrueBlue loyalty program so that even infrequent flyers could earn perks. Our readers took notice, voting JetBlue's cards outstanding for customer service, overall satisfaction and as a card they'd recommend. A recent study found JetBlue has the best legroom of major U.S. airlines. And JetBlue just launched new, affordable Transatlantic Flights to Europe.

Cardholders get six points for each dollar spent on JetBlue flights, two points per dollar for restaurant and grocery stores (excluding wholesalers such as Costco) and one point on all other spending. You also get a 5,000-point bonus each year, 10% of points back after you redeem for travel on JetBlue award flight and an annual $100 statement credit after you purchase a JetBlue Vacations package.

Read more in JetBlue Credit Card Offer Worth $650.

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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Annual fee: $149 

Sign-up bonus: The Southwest card has a solid intro offer. New cardholders earn 50,000 bonus points (worth up to $750) after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. 

The Priority card from Southwest Airlines comes with attractive annual benefits, including 10,000 companion pass points, a $75 annual credit for eligible Southwest purchases, reimbursement of up to four upgraded boardings per year, 25% back on in-flight purchases, and 1,500 tier-qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent on the card. 

Cardholders also get three Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases. Spending with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit, and internet, cable, phone and streaming services earns two points per dollar, and all other purchases earn one point per dollar. 

Southwest flights aren't limited to U.S. destinations; you can save your travel rewards for flights to Costa Rica, Aruba, Mexico and other getaways south of the U.S. border. Plus, points don't expire, and there are no blackout dates. 

Read more at Southwest Credit Cards Launch $750 Bonus Offer and learn how Kiplinger readers raved about the card.

Want a cheaper card? The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card has an annual fee of only $69, but new cardholders earn 50,000 bonus points (worth up to $750) after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. 


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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Annual fee: $95.

Intro bonus: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points  (worth about $780 in hotel stays) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first six months of Card Membership. For details, read our article on the Hilton Honors Bonus Offer Worth up to $780.

If you are or will soon become a Hilton Honors member, two promotions are worth the moment it takes to register for them. First, through May 1, 2024, get 2,000 extra points for each stay at a Hilton Honors property, plus 500 points if you use a digital key (a contactless "key" on your phone to open your room door and access other areas). To be eligible, you must register at the promotion website.

Second, for stays booked for May 2, 2024, through September 1, 2024, get double the points for each stay at a Hilton Property by registering at the promotion website.

When you make eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts, you earn 12 points per dollar with this card. Plus, get six points per dollar at restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations, four points per dollar for online retail purchases and three points per dollar on other spending. 

Additional benefits include Gold loyalty status with Hilton (or Diamond status if you spend at least $40,000 on the card in a calendar year), a free night reward if you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year, and up to $200 back on purchases at Hilton properties.

Terms apply. See rates and fees.

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The World of Hyatt Credit Card 

Annual fee: $95

Sign-up bonus: Up to 60,000 points total. Earn 30,000 World of Hyatt Bonus points if you spend $3,000 in the first three months; plus up to 30,000 more bonus points (two bonus points per dollar in the first six months on purchases that normally earn one point, on up to $15,000 spent). The total offer is worth up to $1,380.

This card was the overall winner for hotel credit cards in the 2024 Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards.

Cardholders earn nine World of Hyatt Bonus points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels; two points per dollar on restaurant spending, airline tickets, local transit and gym memberships; and one point per dollar on other spending. You also get a free night at an eligible property each year after your cardmember anniversary, an additional free night if you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year, automatic Discoverist loyalty status and credits toward the next tier of status each year.

Want more ways to earn points? The World of Hyatt Business credit card has a similar welcome offer. Read more in World of Hyatt Launches Offer Worth up to $1,380.

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Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Visa 

Annual fee: $75.

Sign-up bonus: Earn up to 100,000 Wyndham Rewards points (enough for up to 13 nights) if you spend $2,000 in the first six months. 

Tip: Be sure you click on the tab for the "Earner Plus Visa" version of the card.

This card offers flexible benefits to several categories of travelers. First, the Earner Plus card is designed for travelers who frequent budget or mid-tier hotels such as La Quinta, Ramada and Days Inn and vacation rentals for families or large groups. Second, luxury travelers can enjoy premium resorts and hotels like Wyndham Grand, including the Grand Bonnet Creek Hotel near Disney World. Finally, gamblers take note; since Wyndham partners with Caesar's, you could use your points at the Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

The Wyndham Rewards program is flexible. You can redeem Capital One miles for Wyndham points. Wyndham partners with ten airlines. And if you have earned a high tier with another hotel's loyalty program, Wyndham's Status Match will bump your Wyndham loyalty tier up to the competitor's tier.

Purchases with Hotels by Wyndham and gas stations earn six points per dollar spent. Restaurant and grocery store purchases get four points per dollar, and other spending earns one point per dollar. Cardholders enjoy automatic Platinum status with Wyndham, a bonus of 7,500 points on each account anniversary, and discounts on the hotel’s best available rates. 

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American Express® Gold Card

Annual fee: $250 

Sign-up bonus: Up to 60,000 points if you spend $6,000 in the first six months 

This is a great travel rewards card for foodies who like to cook or dine out. Earn four points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets and on dining or food delivery, three points on air travel, and one point on other spending. When you use your Gold Card as a payment option on your Uber account, you get $10 in Uber Cash each month toward Uber Eats or Uber rides, up to $120 per year.To receive this benefit, you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States. You can also get $10 credits to your monthly statements for purchases at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack restaurants. 

The most lucrative way to redeem points is for airfare booked through Amex Travel, or transfer them to hotel or airline partner programs. Though you can use points to pay for purchases at many retailers, such as Amazon and PayPal, the conversion rate is only 0.7 cents per point.

See rates and fees.

Terms apply.

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Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Sign-up bonus: Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. After your first year or $20,000 spent, the rewards rate reverts to 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Get 5% back on travel that you book through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards portal, plus 3% on restaurant and drugstore purchases and a strong 1.5% back on other spending. Points that you earn are redeemable at a rate of 1 cent each for cash, gift cards and travel bookings. Prefer to get takeout? The card provides discounts on DoorDash and Instacart+ memberships and delivery fees.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 

Annual fee: $95.

Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points if you spend $4,000 in the first three months. For our review of this bonus offer, read Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card Launches $750 Bonus Offer.

Cardholders earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which are redeemable for travel bookings through Chase at a heightened value of 1.25 cents each, or 1 cent per point for cash back or gift cards. You earn five points per dollar on travel that you purchase through Chase Travel (two points per dollar on other travel spending), three points per dollar on restaurant spending, online grocery purchases and select streaming services, and one point per dollar on other spending. Plus, get $50 in statement credits annually for hotel stays booked through Chase. On each yearly anniversary of opening your account, you get a 10% points bonus on total purchases made the previous year. 

Prefer to get takeout? The card provides discounts on DoorDash and Instacart+ memberships and delivery fees. 

Kiplinger readers recently voted this card outstanding in the travel category.

Disclaimer

All information about the American Express EveryDay® credit card, the Platinum Card from American Express, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card from American Express, the Hilton Honors American Express card, and the American Express Gold Card has been collected independently by Kiplinger. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.  As an independent publication dedicated to helping you make the most of your money, the article above is our view of the best deals and is not the opinion of any entity mentioned such as a card issuer, hotel, airline etc. Similarly, the content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of those entities.

Ellen Kennedy
Personal Finance Editor, Kiplinger.com

Ellen writes and edits personal finance stories, especially on credit cards and related products. She also covers the nexus between sustainability and personal finance. She was a manager and sustainability analyst at Calvert Investments for 15 years, focusing on climate change and consumer staples. She served on the sustainability councils of several Fortune 500 companies and led corporate engagements. Before joining Calvert, Ellen was a program officer for Winrock International, managing loans to alternative energy projects in Latin America. She earned a master’s from the U.C. Berkeley in international relations and Latin America. 

With contributions from