Best Travel Credit Cards of 2025
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The best travel credit cards award travel purchases with points you can redeem later for airfare, hotel nights, cash back, statement credits and more. Our picks feature the best travel rewards cards for different budgets and travelers.
Read on to discover our picks for best travel credit cards.
Our Top Picks for Best Travel Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Best Overall
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card - Best for Unlimited Miles on All Purchases
- American Express® Gold Card - Best for Frequent Travelers
- The Platinum Card® from American Express - Best for Luxury Travel Benefits
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card - Best for Global Travelers
Best Travel Credit Cards Reviews
- Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel purchases through Chase Travel℠
- $50 Chase Travel Hotel Credit
- 10% anniversary points bonus
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- No Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® application fee credit
- Annual fee
- $95
- Sign-Up Bonus
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
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Why we chose this card: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is the best travel rewards credit card for earning valuable rewards while paying a low annual fee.
The card features six reward categories that offer outstanding rewards on flights, hotels, restaurants and travel. You can redeem your points for statement credits, account deposits and gift cards. However, you’ll get the most value redeeming them for travel purchases through the Chase Travel℠ portal, which increases your point’s usual one-cent value by 25%.
You can also transfer your points to one of Chase's 14 travel partners at a 1:1 ratio (one Chase point equals one hotel point or airline mile). These include popular airlines and hotels like JetBlue, Southwest, United, Marriott and Hyatt.
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x miles per dollar on most purchases
- Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- No bonus categories compared to similar cards
- Annual Fee
- $95
- Sign-Up Bonus
- Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
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Why we chose it: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the best credit card for earning an unlimited flat rate on all purchases. Although the 2X miles per dollar is lower than the rate you might get with other travel cards, you won’t have to worry about rotating spending categories.
The Capital One Venture Rewards is best for getting the most out of your spending without worrying about tracking bonus categories and spending caps.
You can redeem your miles on the Capital One travel portal and as statement credits to cover travel purchases at a value of one cent per mile. Additionally, you may transfer your miles to more than 15 airline and hotel partners.
However, keep in mind that Capital One doesn’t have domestic travel partners, which can be a drawback if you typically travel within the U.S.
- High rewards at restaurants and supermarkets
- 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or Amextravel.com
- Annual statements credits for select restaurants (enrollment required)
- High annual fee ($325)
Terms apply. Please click here for applicable rates and fees.
- Annual Fee
- $325
- Welcome Offer
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
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Why we chose it: The American Express® Gold Card is a top travel rewards credit card because it awards a variety of travel purchases and provides many travel benefits. It also offers a high reward rate at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets, takeout and food delivery. (Terms apply.)
The American Express® Gold Card includes statement credits worth up to $240 combined — almost enough to offset the card's $325 annual fee. These include:
- Up to $120 every year in dining credits ($10 per month) for select restaurants and food delivery services. The list includes Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com and Five Guys (Enrollment required)
- Automatically get $10 monthly in Uber Cash to use on Uber Eats or Uber rides in the U.S. (after you add the American Express® Gold Card to your account)
- $100 credit for eligible charges when you book a two-night minimum stay at a hotel from The Hotel Collection through Americantravel.com. Eligible charges may vary.
- Terms apply
- Access to the widest network of airport lounges of any card
- Complimentary Elite Status in the Marriott and Hilton hotel loyalty programs
- Hundreds of dollars in annual statement credits for travel, dining and more
- High annual fee ($695)
- Limited bonus categories
Terms apply. Click here for rates and fees.
- Annual Fee
- $695
- Welcome Offer
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
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Why we chose this card: The Platinum Card® from American Express is our pick for the best credit card for frequent travelers because it offers a list of premium benefits that no other travel rewards credit card offers. These include the widest network of airport lounges as well as room upgrades at Hilton and Marriott hotels. (Terms apply.)
The Platinum Card® from American Express features an impressive list of high-end travel benefits, including:
- Complimentary access to over 1,400 airport lounges, including Priority Pass, Delta SkyClub and Amex's own Centurion lounges (enrollment required)
- Gold status in the Marriott and Hilton loyalty programs, which makes you eligible for room upgrades, free breakfast and late checkouts (enrollment required)
- $200 each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card® (Hotel Collection bookings require a minimum two-night stay)
- Up to $200 per year when incidental fees, such as checked bags, are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® (with one selected qualifying airline)
- Complimentary premium status in Avis Preferred®, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards®, and/or National Car Rental® Emerald Club (must enroll through your Amex online account using your card)
- Terms apply
The Platinum Card® from American Express does have a hefty $695 annual fee. However, for people who travel often, the card’s annual credits and travel perks almost pay for itself.
- Earn 3X points on air travel, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations; 1X point on all other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee applies.
- Annual Fee
- $95
- Welcome Offer
- Earn 75,000 ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in 3 months, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
Why we chose this card: The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card stands out for its robust rewards on travel and everyday spending, with 3X points in essential categories like groceries, dining and gas. Its relatively low annual fee and lack of foreign transaction fees make it a strong contender for travelers who want flexible rewards without paying a high annual fee.
With its 3X points structure and flexible ThankYou® Points redemption options, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a great choice for earning travel rewards on daily expenses without the high fees associated with premium travel cards.
How We Chose the Best Travel Credit Cards
The best travel credit cards are rated according to their award points or miles. The best travel credit cards may include airline cards, general travel cards, hotel cards, flexible rewards cards and others. We rate them based on sign-up bonus value, rewards, travel perks and fees.
| Travel Rewards | Sign-Up Bonus | Fees | Other Perks |
| 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
- Rewards: Redemption options and value for travel purchases.
- Sign-Up Bonus: New cardholder welcome bonuses and value.
- Fees: Preference for cards with no foreign transaction fees and lower annual fees.
- Other Perks: Travel-specific perks and benefits like priority boarding, lounge access, travel insurance, or statement credits for travel expenses.
Read our full methodology here.
Summary of Money’s Best Travel Credit Cards of 2025
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Best Overall
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card - Best for Unlimited Miles on All Purchases
- American Express® Gold Card - Best for Frequent Travelers
- The Platinum Card® from American Express - Best for Luxury Travel Benefits
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card - Best for Global Travelers
Money.com has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Money.com and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
To see rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card, visit this link. Terms apply.
To see rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, visit this link. Terms apply.
* Insurance disclosures for American Express Cards on this page:
Trip Delay Insurance: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Baggage Insurance Plan: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Global Assist Hotline: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
** Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
*** Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.