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The Overall Best Travel Rewards Cards

Credit cards can be valuable tools for travelers because they offer a flexible way to spend, can make it easier to spend while abroad, and can even help you get perks like free flights or hotel stays. With so many benefits, it’s no surprise that credit cards accounted for 28% of all U.S. payments in 2021, the highest level since 2016.
That said, let’s examine some of the overall best travel credit cards on the market today – excluding credit cards that partner with hotels, airlines, or other travel companies.

Advertiser Disclosure: This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers.

American Express

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.

American Express offers three credit cards that offer attractive travel rewards: The Platinum Card® from American Express, The American Express® Gold Card, and The American Express® Green Card.

American Express Platinum Card

There’s perhaps no card that’s better for travelers than the American Express Platinum card. But, before jumping into the benefits, it’s worth noting that this card charges a six hundred and ninety-five dollar annual fee. But, this fee can be partially offset by the benefits of the card. These benefits include a two hundred dollar annual hotel statement credit on select prepaid bookings (minimum two-night stay required), a credit for incidental airline fees, a credit for CLEAR® Plus access at airports, and complimentary access to 1,400 airport lounges around the world.

 ●    5X points on flights: This card offers 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or throughAmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year).
 ●    5X on hotels: This card offers5X points on prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com.

 The American Express Platinum card offers a variable APR on eligible charges (See Pay Over Time). Terms Apply. See Rates and Fees.

American Express Gold Card

The American Express Gold Card does not charge foreign transaction fees, making it a great option for travelers. Additionally, this card offers a one hundred dollar credit when you book a two-night minimum stay at The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com. In terms of other benefits, the Amex Gold card offers:

●    3X points on flights: This card offers 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com.

The American Express Gold Card charges a two hundred and fifty dollar annual fee and offers a variable APR on eligible charges (See Pay Over Time). See Rates and Fees.

American Express Green Card

Non-Affiliate Disclosure: All data about American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Wisepal. American Express® Green Card is no longer available through Wisepal.  

The American Express Green Card has no foreign transaction fees, which can make it attractive for people who spend a lot of time abroad. It also offers a credit for LoungeBuddy access, which can allow you to get access to any airport lounge in the LoungeBuddy network. As far as bonus points, the Amex Green Card offers:

 ●    3X points on travel: This card offers a flat 3X points on travel, which includes flights, hotels, tours, campgrounds, car rentals, cruises, vacation rentals, and more.
 ●    3X on transit: This card also offers 3X points on transit, which includes trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.

 The American Express Green Card charges a two hundred and fifty dollar annual fee and offers a 21.24% to 29.24% variable APR on eligible charges. Terms Apply.

JPMorgan Chase

When it comes to the best travel rewards credit cards, Chase has two cards that we love: the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a great card for people who love to travel. But, you’ll want to make the most of this card’s benefits as it charges a five hundred and fifty dollar annual fee. To start, this card lets you earn a three hundred dollar annual credit reimbursement for all travel purchases that you book with the card. It also offers complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide with up to two guests and a Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check credit. As far as bonus points, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers:

 ●    5X total points on flights: When you purchase through Chase Travel℠ (after the first three hundred dollars is spent on travel purchases)
 ●    10X total points on hotels and car rentals: When you purchase through Chase Travel℠ (after the first three hundred dollars is spent on travel purchases)

Additionally, if you use your points to book through Chase Travel℠ then you can get 50% more for their value. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers a 22.49%–29.49% variable APR on eligible purchases.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

If you’re looking for a card that offers similar perks as the Chase Sapphire Reserve – but with a less hefty annual fee– then you might want to consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. For a ninety-five dollar annual fee, this card offers up to fifty dollars in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel℠.

In terms of bonus points, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers:

●    5X total points on travel: When booked through Chase Travel℠ and excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Travel℠ Hotel Credit.
●    2X points on other travel purchases

Additionally, if you use your points to book through Chase Travel℠ then you can get 25% more for their value. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a 21.49%–28.49% variable APR on eligible purchases.

‍Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.