The best travel credit cards offer more than just great cash-back incentives — they also come with a range of perks and upgrades that can take your next trip from basic to bougie without spending extra money.
Advertisement
In recent years, travel cards have become one of the most competitive categories. As a result, some features are nearly standard across the board: no foreign transaction fees, travel credits, and upgrade programs.
Where it gets interesting and confusing, is when you start to look beyond those features.

Before you sign up for a new card, consider how you’ll use it and how you can best optimize the points so you’re getting the most out of the rewards program, especially if you’re paying a steep annual fee.
Advertisement
It is also important to make sure you can pay off your balance on time and in full each month because many of these cards also have high-interest rates.
The good news is that if you choose a card from this list, you could earn over $2,000 in rewards over the next five years based on our calculations
Here are Select’s picks for the top travel rewards cards:
- Winner: American Express® Gold Card
- Runner-up: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Best welcome bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Best for luxury travel: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Best for no annual fee: Discover it® Miles
- Best for low interest: TD First ClassSM Visa Signature® Credit Card
- Best for students: Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students


Leave a Reply