The Top 10 Travel Credit Cards For 2023
There's a huge choice of travel credit cards available for your 2023 adventures, but which one is right for your needs? Here's our selection of the top 10 best travel credit cards, based on their rewards, benefits, and features.
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred
This card offers double points on travel and dining and plenty of other ways to earn points on all other purchases. There is no foreign transaction fee, and the annual fee is $95.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards on the market, and for good reason. It's designed from the ground up for travel, and there are loads of ways to boost your earnings and score freebies for travel in the process.
Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card worth it? We think so! Here's why:
For starters, the sign-up bonus is excellent; new cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after they spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months. That's worth $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Plus, you can earn five times the regular points when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. So, if you're a frequent traveler, this card can help you rack up some serious points that you can use for free travel.
Finally, the card comes with some great perks, like trip delay and cancellation insurance and baggage delay insurance. So, if your travel plans go awry, you can rest assured that you're covered.
Overall, we think the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is definitely worth it, especially if you travel often.
Of course, Chase Sapphire is not the only option when it comes to travel credit cards. Here's the best of the rest, all of which offer super perks that might suit your needs even better.
What else is in this post?
- 1. Chase Sapphire Preferred
- 2. Capital One Venture Rewards
- 3. American Express Platinum
- 4. Citi Prestige
- 5. Barclaycard Arrival Plus
- 6. Wells Fargo Autograph
- 7. Ritz-Carlton Rewards
- 8. Ink Business Preferred
- 9. United MileagePlus Explorer
- 10. Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier
2. Capital One Venture Rewards
This card offers two miles per dollar spent on every purchase, and five miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. As expected from a travel credit card, there is no foreign transaction fee, although there is an annual fee of $95. New cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus points if they spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening the account.
3. American Express Platinum
The Amex Platinum card gives you access to a generous welcome bonus and worldwide travel insurance not only for you as the cardholder, but for your entire family too. You get five reward points per dollar spent on flights and hotels booked through Amex Travel, and one point per dollar on everything else. You can also access lounges in many worldwide airports, credit for CLEAR and cash or cashback for things like flights, hotels, Uber and more.
If you're looking for a travel rewards credit card and travel frequently, the American Express Platinum Card is definitely worth considering. It does have a hefty annual fee, currently $650, but it's worth it if you plan to travel a lot and want access to some of the industry's most generous rewards.
4. Citi Prestige
The Citi card is a great option for earning points, and comes with the unique bonus of giving you discounts on hotel stays. It's one of the best for business travelers and costs $495 a year - slightly less than the Amex option. The Citi ThankYou Rewards program is one of the most generous available, and includes a 4th night free hotel benefit, so you can pay for three and stay an extra night for nothing when you book through Citi.
At present, you can access a welcome bonus of 50,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months. There are loads of redemption options too, from gift cards to statement credits or even for travel. For regular spending, it gives you 3x points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans, as well as 1x points on all other purchases.
5. Barclaycard Arrival Plus
For a more affordable card, this is a great budget option. It offers 2x miles on all purchases, and there is no foreign transaction fee. The welcome bonus is 40,000 miles after a $3,000 spend in three months, which is lower than some competitors. Best of all, there is no annual fee for the first year, and after that, it is an affordable $89.
6. Wells Fargo Autograph
If you're into not paying any annual fee, this is a great option. You can earn triple points on a wide range of regular spends, including dining, travel, fuel and streaming. It doesn't offer quite the level of perks from airline or hotel co-branded cards, but it's a solid option for the budget-conscious traveler. Right now, you can also get 30,000 bonus points for a spend of just $1,500 in the first three months, worth $300 in redemption.
7. Ritz-Carlton Rewards
Officially the Ritz-Carlton card is discontinued, but you can still get it if you're very tenacious. For travelers who love luxury, it's worth a bit of extra effort to secure it. To access it, you'll need to have at least $10,000 with Chase so you can transfer over, but when you do you'll unlock some excellent perks.
Purchases with Marriott Bonvoy give a massive six points per dollar spent, so if you regularly stay in hotels participating in this program, you'll be rolling in miles before you know it. You'll also get three points per dollar on dining, car rental and airline purchases, as well as two points per dollar spend everywhere else. there is no sign up bonus, but as you'll need to get status with Chase to access this card, you'll likely have already enjoyed one there.
8. Ink Business Preferred
This card offers it all - a solid sign up bonus, multi-point earning opportunities, and a low annual fee. The sign up bonus alone makes it worth serious consideration - 100,000 points for a $15,000 spend in the first three months. That's worth $1,000 in cash back or $1,250 towards travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Travel and other select categories offer three points per dollar spent, and one point per dollar on everything else. The annual fee is just $95, so if you're planning a big spend in the next few months, it's worth opening this account if only for the welcome bonus.
9. United MileagePlus Explorer
United frequent flyers, listen up. This is a top travel credit card for you. You'll get good ongoing rewards, as well as free checked bags, free lounge access for you and a friend, and cash back for your Global Entry or TSA Pre fees. The welcome bonus is 60,000 miles for a $3,000 spend in the first three months, and there is no annual fee for the first year. After year one, it's just $95.
10. Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier
You don't have to fly full service to enjoy a top travel credit card, as the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card proves. You can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending just $1,000 in the first three months, and you get 6,000 anniversary points at the start of each year. Spending with Southwest earns triple points, and there are a bunch of other categories that attract double points, including internet, streaming and rideshare. Most importantly, all points earned go towards the coveted Southwest Companion Pass - a frequent flyer staple.
