It seems that having a credit card is a must in this day and age but choosing which one will be best for you may not be so easy. Having a credit card is much more than just having excellent credit; you must also choose a card that gives you great rewards, charges a lower interest rate, and has an excellent payment plan. If you love to travel, you’ll want to find a card that can give you some good travel perks along with everything else. A card that works well for you can make a major difference in how well you can manage your finances. Here are the top 5 credit cards for travel rewards.
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred
This card offers a bonus of 40,000 points if you spend a minimum of $3,000 in 3 months. You’ll also receive a bonus of 2 points for every $1 you spend on travel. This could include your airfare, hotels, car rentals, transportation and more; and there are no limits to how much you can spend.
Each point is worth 1.25 cents for airfare, hotel, car rentals and cruises. You also avoid paying any foreign transaction fees and can earn additional points with the Ultimate Rewards Exclusives. They are partnered with United, British Airways, Southwest, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic, Hyatt, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Priority Club, and even Amtrak.
2. Barclaycard Arrival Plus
Another card that belongs to the top 5 credit cards for travel rewards is the Barclaycard. This card offers 40,000 miles when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days. You’ll earn 2 miles for every dollar you spend on any purchases you make and get a 10% refund of miles back after you have redeemed them. Customers do not have to pay for foreign transactions and have EMV chip technology in their cards. After having the card for one year, you will have to pay an annual fee of $89.
3. Citi Hilton Honors Reserve
The bonus for opening an account is a two weekend night certificate, good for a weekend night at most Hilton hotels and resorts worldwide after you have spent, in the first four months of having the card, $2,500 in qualified purchases. You receive 10 points for every $1 spent on any airline and car rentals, and 3 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases with a $95 annual fee.
4. Starwood Preferred Guest American Express
The Starwood card offers a bonus of 25,000 Starpoints – On your initial purchase, you get 10,000 and then you get a further 15,000 if you spend in excess of $5,000 within half a year of getting your card. One of the greatest things about this card is that you get 5,000 bonus Starpoints if you agree to swap 20,000 Starpoints for frequent flyer miles. There is no annual fee for the first year and only $65 for each year after that.
5. US Airways MasterCard
The last of the top 5 credit cards for travel rewards is the US Airways MasterCard. With this card you earn 40,000 bonus US Airways miles after you make your first purchase and earn 2 miles every time you spend a dollar on US Airways – $1 for every $1 spent on anything else. Cardholders with this card get a free checked bag for up to 5 people traveling with you and a yearly companion ticket for up to two guests who can fly for only $99 each. You also get a 5,000 mile discount on US Airways rewards and 10,000 Preferred-qualifying miles for every year you spend in excess of $25,000 on purchases. The annual fee is $89.
