The 9 BEST Travel Credit Cards (Ranked)
TLDRThe video script discusses the top nine travel credit cards that offer significant rewards, travel perks, and benefits. It highlights the American Express Green Card, the Built MasterCard, Capital One Venture Card, and Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred, among others, detailing their sign-up bonuses, spending multipliers, and travel protections. The script emphasizes the value of these cards in maximizing travel rewards and minimizing costs for frequent travelers.
Takeaways
- ๐ณ The AmEx Green Card offers a sign-up bonus of 40,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 in the first six months, which can be redeemed for travel or transferred to airline and hotel programs for higher value.
- ๐ The AmEx Green Card provides 3x points on travel, transit, and dining worldwide, making it a valuable option for those who frequently use public transportation.
- ๐ซ The Build MasterCard is a unique travel credit card with no annual fee and earns points on rent payments with no extra processing fees.
- ๐จ The Capital One Venture Card offers a sign-up bonus of 75,000 miles and a flat 2x miles per dollar on all purchases, with a low annual fee of $95.
- ๐ The City Premier Card features strong spending multipliers with 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotels, but lacks travel protections.
- ๐ The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a high annual fee of $550 but offers an extensive range of travel protections, a sign-up bonus of 60,000 points, and a 10x points boost for travel booked through Chase's portal.
- ๐ The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a more affordable option with a $95 annual fee, offering the same sign-up bonus and transfer partners as the Sapphire Reserve, making it a great choice for most people.
- ๐ฝ The AmEx Gold Card is a hybrid travel and everyday card, offering 4x points at restaurants and US supermarkets, as well as travel benefits and no foreign transaction fees.
- ๐ The Capital One Venture X stands out with a $395 annual fee, but provides a $300 annual travel credit, 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights, making it a strong contender for frequent travelers.
- ๐ฅ The AmEx Platinum Card, despite its high annual fee, offers a generous sign-up bonus, 5x points on flights and hotels, and a wide array of credits and travel benefits that can potentially offset the cost for the right user.
- ๐ To maximize the value from these travel credit cards, it's important to have a good understanding of how to redeem points, utilize the travel protections, and take advantage of the various benefits offered.
Q & A
What is the sign-up bonus for the AmEx Green Card?
-The AmEx Green Card offers a sign-up bonus of 40,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 in the first six months.
What is the minimum value of the points earned from the AmEx Green Card sign-up bonus?
-The minimum value of the points from the AmEx Green Card sign-up bonus is $400 when redeemed with American Express.
What are the key spending categories that earn bonus points on the AmEx Green Card?
-The key spending categories that earn bonus points on the AmEx Green Card include travel, transit, and dining at restaurants worldwide.
What is the annual fee for the AmEx Green Card?
-The annual fee for the AmEx Green Card is $150.
How many points per dollar does the Built MasterCard earn on rent payments?
-The Built MasterCard earns one point per dollar on rent payments.
What is the annual fee for the Built MasterCard?
-The Built MasterCard has no annual fee.
What is the sign-up bonus for the Capital One Venture Card?
-The sign-up bonus for the Capital One Venture Card is 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months.
What is the annual fee for the City Premier Card?
-The annual fee for the City Premier Card is $95.
What travel protections does the Chase Sapphire Reserve offer?
-The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers travel protections such as primary auto rental coverage, emergency evacuation and transportation, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, and more.
What is the effective annual fee for the Capital One Venture X after considering the travel credit and anniversary bonus?
-The effective annual fee for the Capital One Venture X is minus $5 after considering the $300 annual travel credit and at least $100 value from the anniversary bonus.
What is the sign-up bonus for the AmEx Platinum card?
-The sign-up bonus for the AmEx Platinum card is 80,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first six months, but higher offers of 100,000 points or more may be available.
What are some of the credits that could potentially offset the annual fee of the AmEx Platinum card?
-Some of the credits that could potentially offset the annual fee of the AmEx Platinum card include a $200 Uber credit, a $200 airline fee credit, a $200 hotel credit, a $240 digital entertainment credit, and a credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check.
Outlines
๐ณ Top Travel Credit Cards Overview
The paragraph introduces the concept of the best travel credit cards, emphasizing their ability to provide significant value through points, miles, travel perks, and cash back. It mentions the AmEx Green Card as an underrated option with a decent sign-up bonus and good earning potential on travel, transit, and dining expenses. The card offers additional benefits like a clear credit for airport security and lounge access, despite its annual fee.
๐ก The Built MasterCard for Renters
This section highlights the Built MasterCard as a unique travel credit card with no annual fee,็นๅซ้ๅ็งๆฟ่ ใ It earns points on rent payments with no extra processing fees, and also offers a good point earning rate on travel and dining categories. The card provides benefits like primary auto rental coverage and requires a minimum of five transactions per statement period to maintain the rewards, making it an attractive option for those who can take advantage of its rent payment feature.
๐ Capital One Venture Card's Attractive Bonus
The Capital One Venture Card is presented as a compelling option with a substantial sign-up bonus and a flat earning rate on all purchases. It stands out for its versatility, offering 5x miles on hotels or rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and additional travel benefits like statement credits for Global Entry or TSA Preโ. The card's low annual fee and lack of foreign transaction fees make it an appealing choice for everyday spending and travel.
๐ด City Premier Card's Diverse Spending Multipliers
The City Premier Card is noted for its impressive spending multipliers on a variety of categories, including restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotels. Despite lacking travel protections found in other cards, its strong earning potential and sign-up bonus make it an attractive option for those who travel internationally and want to maximize their rewards on everyday spending. However, it's important to be aware of the lack of travel insurance protections with this card.
๐ซ Chase Sapphire Reserve's Premium Benefits
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is highlighted as a premium travel credit card with a high annual fee, but it offers a wealth of benefits to offset the cost. These include a sign-up bonus, enhanced point value for travel booked through Chase, extensive transfer partner options, and a generous travel credit. The card also provides top-tier travel protections, airport lounge access, and credits for services like DoorDash and Lyft. The Sapphire Reserve is recommended for those seeking comprehensive travel benefits and protections.
๐ Capital One Venture X Card's Exceptional Value
The Capital One Venture X Card is presented as a high-value option with a significant sign-up bonus and a unique set of benefits. It offers a diverse earning structure with bonus points on various travel-related expenses and a flat rate on all other purchases. The card provides an annual travel credit, a significant anniversary bonus, and additional travel benefits like Global Entry or TSA Preโ credits, lounge access, and mobile protection. The Venture X stands out for its ability to offer a negative effective annual fee, making it an excellent choice for frequent travelers.
๐ฅ AmEx Gold Card's Everyday and Travel Rewards
The AmEx Gold Card is described as a hybrid card suitable for both everyday spending and travel, offering high rewards rates at restaurants, US supermarkets, and on flights booked directly with airlines. It provides a valuable sign-up bonus and a range of travel protections and benefits. The card also includes credits for dining partners and no foreign transaction fees, making it a strong contender for those who seek a balance between daily use and travel rewards.
๐ฅ AmEx Platinum Card's Luxurious Perks
The AmEx Platinum Card is positioned as a luxury travel credit card with a high annual fee and a rich set of benefits. It offers a substantial sign-up bonus and the potential to offset the annual cost with a variety of credits. The card provides premium travel benefits, including lounge access and travel protections, as well as hotel and car rental status upgrades. The Platinum Card is recommended for those who can take full advantage of its extensive perks and credits, justifying its high price tag.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กTravel Credit Cards
๐กSign-up Bonus
๐กSpending Multipliers
๐กAnnual Fee
๐กPoint Transfers
๐กTravel Perks
๐กNo Foreign Transaction Fees
๐กAnnual Travel Credit
๐กHotel and Rental Car Bookings
๐กTravel Insurance
Highlights
The AmEx Green Card offers a decent signup bonus of 40,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 in the first six months.
The signup bonus for the AmEx Green Card is valued at around $800 to $1,200, depending on how you redeem the points.
The AmEx Green Card has no foreign transaction fees and provides access to exclusive American Express offers.
The Built MasterCard is a rare premium travel credit card with no annual fee and earns points on rent with no extra processing fees.
Built MasterCard earns 1 point per dollar on rent, with the potential to earn over 27,000 points per year.
The Capital One Venture Card offers a standard signup bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months and has an annual fee of $95.
The City Premier card provides a standard 60,000 points signup bonus after spending $4,000 in the first three months and has a $95 annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a signup bonus of typically 60,000 Chase points after spending $4,000 in the first three months and has a $550 annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is recommended for most people due to its value relative to the annual fee of $95, with the same standard signup bonus as the Sapphire Reserve.
The AmEx Gold card is a hybrid travel and everyday card, offering 4X points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines.
The Capital One Venture X card provides a standard signup bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months and has a $395 annual fee.
The Venture X card offers a 300 annual travel credit and a 10,000 miles anniversary bonus, potentially making the card more valuable than other options.
The AmEx Platinum card has a signup bonus of 80,000 to 100,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first six months and an annual fee of $695.
The AmEx Platinum card includes a variety of credits, such as a $200 Uber credit and a $200 airline fee credit, which can offset the annual fee for some users.
All the mentioned travel credit cards require a good credit score in the 700s for approval.
The AmEx Platinum card offers access to airport lounges, travel protections, and hotel and car rental statuses for an enhanced travel experience.