Disclosure: The following cards are available to those in the US. This may not be applicable to anyone residing outside of the States – Thank you!
In the last few years, it has become more and more challenging when looking for the best travel credit cards as there are quite a few options available in the US.
Today we’re going to be focusing on which travel credit cards are the best for 2021.
To attract new clients, most providers of travel credit cards offer various types of benefits like air miles, upgrade programs, and no fees for foreign transactions, etc. Some of them offer several upgrades and perks along with cash-back incentives such as redemptions on hotels and car rentals which might also make your upcoming trip more enticing.
But choosing the best travel credit card for you can be a confusing endeavour especially when there are a handful of options to choose from . However, you must know how to use a credit card while traveling as well as figure out ways to optimize the benefits of the reward programs before signing up with the new card provider.
It’s also important to note that the best travel reward cards usually have a yearly fee. So incorporating this cost into the benefits of the card is crucial. Let’s have a look at which options are best for you.
The top travel credit cards in the US in 2021 include:
Best Travel Credit Cards (US) in 2021
1. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
This credit card offers rewards including 5x miles on rental cars and hotels and 2x miles for every dollar spent on everything purchased through Capital One Travel.
The welcome bonus provided by this card includes after spending $3,000 on purchases within 3 months of opening the account 60,000 bonus miles.
The annual fee of this card is $95.
There is no intro APR but regular APR is 17.24% to 24.49% depending on balance transfers and purchases.
No fee will be charged for foreign transactions.
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2. American Express Gold Card
The rewards offered by this credit card include 4X Membership Reward points on at supermarkets in U.S. and restaurants and 1X for purchases up to $25,000 in a calendar year. It also offers 3X points on flights reserved on amextravel.com or straight with airlines as well as 1X points on every other purchase.
The Welcome bonus offered by this card includes 60,000 Membership Reward points for spending $4,000 within the first 6 months of opening an account on eligible purchases.
Its annual fee is $250.
No Introductory APR is applicable but its regular APR is variable over time.
No fee will be charged on foreign transactions.
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3. Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Rewards offered by this travel credit card include up to March 2022 10x points on Lyft rides.
Also, you get 3x points on traveling worldwide immediately after earning annual travel credit for your $300. It also offers 3x points on dining at restaurants along with takeout and dining out and eligible delivery services. 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
The Welcome bonus offered by this card includes after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from opening account are 50,000 bonus points. When you redeem your points through Chase Ultimate Rewards registration it offers a reward for up to $750 towards travel.
Its annual fee is $550.
No intro APR and its variable regular APR is 14.99%.
No fee on foreign transactions.
4. TD First Class Visa Signature Credit Card
The Rewards offered by this credit card include on every $1 spent on travel and dining earn 3x miles and on every $1 spent on everything else earn 1x mile.
Welcome points includes a bonus of 25,000 miles on spending of $3,000 within the first 6 billing cycles.
Its annual fee is $89 but for the first year, it is waived off.
No intro APR on balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles.
No fee for foreign transactions.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred travel credit card offers Rewards up to March 2022 for 5x points on Lyft rides along with 2x points on worldwide traveling and dining and on all other purchases 1x points.Welcome bonus includes a bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from opening an account and while redeeming points through Chase Ultimate Rewards and registration up to $750 towards travel.
Its annual fee is $95.
The Intro APR is 0 whereas its Regular APR varies from 15.99% to 22.99%.
No fee on foreign transactions.
Conclusion
The US has some of the best credit cards for reward points. If you’re a frequent traveler, it is very beneficial to have one or two cards by your side especially if you’re not already using one of these cards.
The welcome points for new signups can get you a round trip flight or even close to a business class one way to certain destinations (depending on how far you want to go).
These welcome points can be optimized through the accumulation of points on spending. Depending on what you spend most money on (dining out, doing groceries, etc.), this will help you collect points at a much quicker rate.
If you’re a fellow Digitravelist or Digital Nomad, having a travel credit card is a must especially if you’re from the US and of course you are eligible to get one.
