Best Personal Credit Cards for
Travel Rewards
(April 2023)
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Venture Rewards from Capital One
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Special Offer: 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 2 miles per dollar on every purchase. Miles never expire.
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. Don't worry when you rent a car with the car.
- Enjoy two complimentary visits per year to Capital One Lounges or to 100+ Plaza Premium Lounges through the Partner Lounge Network
Fees:
- Annual Fee $95
Credit Needed:
- Excellent / Good (680+)
Summary:
This is one of our top picks for anyone who does even the smallest amount of travel. The bonus miles, Global Entry / TSA Precheck® credit, and lounge access make this an excellent travel card with any airline. Capital One has a very good travel site to book all your travel needs using your miles or with cash.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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Special Offer: 60,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 2 miles per dollar on every purchase. Miles never expire.
- Earn 5x total points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Earn 3x points on dining at restaurants including delivery services, takeout and dining out.
- Earn 2x on other travel purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Each anniversary earn bonus points of 10% of your total purchases made the previous year
Fees:
- Annual Fee $95
Credit Needed:
- Excellent / Good (680+)
Summary:
This is an excellent card for those who are frequent travelers. The level of rewards provided combined with the low annual fee make this an excellent choice for a travel card across airlines.
Delta Skymiles® Gold by American Express
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Special Offer: 75,000 bonus Delta miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Earn 2x miles for purchases at Grocery Store, Restaurants, and Delta purchases. Earn 1x miles for all other purchases.
- Delta miles never expire.
- Enjoy your First Checked Bag Free on Delta flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. Don't worry when you rent a car with the car.
- Save 15% on Award Travel with TakeOff 15 Eligible Card Members can now enjoy exclusive savings on Delta Flights
- Receive a $100 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel
Fees:
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $99.
Credit Needed:
- Excellent / Good (680+) Determine eligiblilty without a hard credit pull.
Summary:
This is an excellent card for those who travel on Delta airlines. The level of rewards provided combined with the no/low annual fee make this a must have Delta travelers. The only ones better are the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve card.
Know If You’re Approved for a Card with No Impact to Your Credit Score
Delta Amex site has an Apply With Confidence process which lets you apply without a hard credit pull. If you choose to accept the Card, then there will be hard credit pull.
Delta Skymiles® Reserve by American Express
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Special Offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Earn 1x miles on all purchases.
- Delta miles never expire.
- Enjoy your First Checked Bag Free on Delta flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver. Don't worry when you rent a car with the car.
- Save 15% on Award Travel with TakeOff 15 Eligible Card Members can now enjoy exclusive savings on Delta Flights
- Unlimited Delta Sky Club® and Centurion® Lounge Access. 2 One Time Guest Passes (annually) and $50 guest access when traveling together on Delta.
- 1 Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card.
- Upgrade Priority for Medallion Members
Fees:
- $550 year annual fee
Credit Needed:
- Excellent / Good (680+) Determine eligibility without a hard credit pull.
Summary:
This card has the highest level of travel rewards for Delta airlines. The rewards are simply outstanding if you do travel on Delta airlines. The Sky Club® and Centurion® lounge access is a game changer for frequent travel.
While the annual fee is high, the annual free companion ticket and lounge access make up for the value, and then some. Consider that the Sky Club® alone would cost $695 a year to join and the Centurion® lounge is invite only. You are essentially getting at minimum double the value of the annual fee and the current bonus miles are worth another $1,000.
Know If You’re Approved for a Card with No Impact to Your Credit Score
Delta Amex site has an Apply With Confidence process which lets you apply without a hard credit pull. If you choose to accept the Card, then there will be hard credit pull.
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