Best Travel Credit Cards for May 2023

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has the best travel rewards program relative to the annual fee. The rewards and welcome bonus seem roughly equivalent to other cards at its price point, but the 25% redemption value boost for points when booking travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal puts this card’s rewards program far ahead.

It also includes other common travel cards perks like no foreign transaction fees and some travel insurance coverage. This card also offers travel credit -- a $50 Annual Hotel Credit for hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards each account anniversary. A unique feature is 1-to-1 points transfers with airline and hotel partners, allowing you more flexibility in your rewards redemption.

See more details in our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve may look expensive at first glance, but the credits and rewards can easily compensate for the cost for frequent travelers. Not only will you earn great travel rewards, but you’ll receive perks that save you time and energy during your journey. You’ll get a statement credit reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (worth $100 for Global Entry or $85 for TSA PreCheck, both valid for five years), which can save you the hassle of long security lines at the airport.

You’ll automatically be reimbursed for up to $300 of travel expenses per year via the annual travel credit, plus you’ll get airport lounge access through Priority Pass Select and a number of other VIP-style travel perks.

For more details, see our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

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For travel cards with no annual fee, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card offers one of the best flat rewards rate at 1.5 points per $1 spent on purchases. If you use the card to book your flights, hotels or other accommodations when you first get it, you’ll likely be able to earn the welcome bonus -- and then later spend it on your charges as a statement credit. The introductory APR on purchases can offer some security as an emergency card while you’re traveling, as well. If the unexpected happens and you need a last-minute flight back, you’ll have time to pay it off.

For more details, see our full review of the Bank of America Travel Rewards card.

The Citi Premier® Card is Citi’s competitor to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. Though the Sapphire Preferred may offer higher rewards rates on certain travel, the Citi Premier Card is less restrictive in the purchases that earn you points -- and 3x points is a respectable rate to offer for so many categories. The 60,000 point welcome bonus after spending $4,000 in the first three months is fairly competitive, too: If you earn it, it’s redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at Thankyou.com.

There is a travel credit -- $100 Annual Hotel Savings Benefit toward a single hotel stay of $500 or more when booked through Thankyou.com, excluding taxes and fees -- but it’s more restrictive than that of some of its competitors.

For more information, check out our full review of the Citi Premier Card.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card* is a straightforward, easy-to-use option for those who want to book travel with travel reward miles generated from general spending, instead of worrying about eligible purchase spending categories. Besides the rewards and welcome bonus, The Capital One Venture also gives cardholders up to a $100 statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, as well as travel accident insurance and auto rental collision insurance (terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details).

Check out our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

The American Express Gold Card is good for travelers with a proclivity for eating out or cooking from where they’re staying, as it offers high rewards at restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. It does have a high $250 annual fee, so you’ll want to be sure it fits into your budget before you apply.

Along with its strong rewards, it features no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees) and a number of annual credits to take advantage of, including up to a $120 dining credit (up to $10 in statement credits each month) at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations. How much your points are worth will vary, however, and you’ll want to be sure you’re redeeming for airfare through American Express Travel to get the most from them.

You can find out more in our Amex Gold Card review.

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.

The Capital One Spark Miles for Business* offers a simple way to earn miles and turn them into trips.

It’s especially useful thanks to its application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Anyone who has spent time in airports knows what a pain TSA can be, but with this card you could skip right through it.

The Credit One Bank Wander Card could be a rewarding choice, but its rewards are more restrictive than most travel cards.

You’ll earn a high 10x points per dollar on eligible hotel rentals and car rentals but only with a designated travel provider that may change from time to time. It does offer 5x points per dollar for eligible travel including airfare, hotels, and car rentals outside of the designated travel provider. It has an annual fee of $95, but doesn’t offer too much in the way of travel protections.

For travelers who fly Delta frequently enough, the Delta SkyMiles Gold card offers a way to put some money back in your pocket while gaining a few travel protections.

It includes an annual $100 Delta credit each calendar year you spend $10,000 or more on the card. It’s a high spend requirement with a small payout, but a little back is better than none at all. You’ll also get your first checked bag free of charge and 20% back on eligible in-flight Delta purchases, plus it’s one of the few airline cards that offers good rewards for non-airline purchases.

You can learn more in our Delta SkyMiles Gold card review.

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.

The Discover it® Miles* has a simple yet lucrative rewards program that offers miles for everything you buy. It also has one of the best welcome bonuses around: Discover will essentially double the rewards you earn for your first year with the card at the end of your first year.

It doesn’t offer many additional travel perks, but you won’t have to pay any foreign transaction fees if you use this card abroad. You could get used to how a travel card operates before moving on to a more advanced card offering that includes more bells and whistles.

The Ink Business Preferred is best if you travel relatively often on business. It has better redemption options than most cards, a high welcome bonus and a selection of travel protections.

Not only does it feature a 1:1 transfer rate to Chase’s travel partners (1 point equals 1 partner point/mile) but you can also get a 25% redemption bonus for redeeming for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Its welcome bonus is higher than most cards at this fee level, and it provides cardholders with primary auto rental collision damage waiver.

Find out more in our Ink Business Preferred review.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card* offers extra amenities and rewards at World of Hyatt properties. It features a welcome bonus plus an annual free night award after your cardmember anniversary.

It charges a $95 annual fee, but it could be worth it if you stay at World of Hyatt properties often enough. Hyatt properties dot the US but don’t have many international locations. Along with its hotel rewards, it provides World of Hyatt Discoverist status which gives cardholders expedited check-in and late check-out, as well as preferred room upgrades when available.