Top Travel Rewards Credit Cards 2025
31 million Americans haven't changed credit cards in more than a decade
According to CreditCards.com, 31 million Americans haven't changed credit cards in more than a decade - and two thirds are still using their first credit card. If this describes you, you're missing out on a bonanza of free flights, complimentary travel incidentals, VIP benefits and perks big banks dole out to entice you to sign-up to their credit cards. The latest up-and-coming benefit; an annual travel incidental credit you can apply against any incidentals fees charged to your card.
Sign-up bonuses aren't as generous as they once were, but the sign-up incentives alone offered by the credit cards in the chart below add up to 28 free round-trip flights and a dozen free hotel stays. Every year, I earn a few free trips this way, and in the following video, I share how I did this to pull off a trip for taxes only:
FINDING THE BEST CARD FOR YOU
To quickly find which credit cards offer the best overall value to you:
- Choose 3 credit card travel benefits of most valuable to you.
- Narrow down which card in the grid below offers the best combination of those benefits. (Canadians: Click Here for a list of credit cards in Canada).
These lists focus on cards I feel provide best overall value based on their combined sign up bonus, perks offered, and annual fee. Due to space restrictions, insurance benefits are not in the chart. But you can review any card's insurance benefits by clicking 'APPLY' and reading the insurance benefits on their homepage:
All cited promotions are accurate as at the time of publication.
CO Branded
Insurance
Credit Card
Mastercard
SkyMiles Platinum
Skymiles Gold
Miles & More
Airlines Signature
British Airways Signature
Rapid Rewards Premier
Mileage Plus Explorer
Quest
Platinum Select World Elite
Surpass
Boundless
Premier
of Hyatt
Annual Fee
waived?
No - $95
No - $350
Yes
No - $89
No - $95
No - $95
No - $99
Yes
No $350
Yes
No annual fee
No $150
No $120
NO $99
No $95
Sign Up
Bonus?
75K
90K
80K
60K
60K
75K
Avios
50K
60K
70K+500 PQP
50K
80K
130K
3 FREE nights
+ 50K points
140K
60K
FREE
checked bag?
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes-domestic only
No
No
No
No
No
Companion
Pass?
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes- 30K/yr
spend
10K guest
pts/year
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Foreign Exchange
Fee Waived?
Yes + $100 TSA
Pre credit
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Lounge
Access?
Yes - Maple
Leaf Lounge
No
No
2x/yr
$100 off
membership
$100 - $600
credit pending
seat class
No
2x/yr
$100 Global
Entry/TSA Pre
Credit
Preferred boarding
No
No
No
Yes
No
TSA/Nexus
Fee Credit?
Yes
$120 Global
Entry or $85
TSA Pr
Credit
No
No
No
No
No
$120 Global
Entry/TSA
Pre or
Nexus
No
No
No
No
No
$120 credit every 4
years: Global Entry,
TSA Pre, NEXUS
No
Trip
Delay
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
Trip
Cancellation
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Trip
Interruption
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Bag
Delay
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Lost/Damaged
Bags
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Collision -
Car Rental
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Car Rental
Elite Status?
-
Hertz 5 Star
Status
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
National Emerald
Club Executive
No
No
No
Point
Incentives 1
3X on Groceries/
Dining/Air Canada
3x on hotels &
Delta purchases
2X on Dining, grocery,
Delta purchases
2X w/ Miles & More
partner airlines
2X on eligible gas/EV,
rideshare, cable, transit,
streaming services
3X on British Airways,
Aer Lingus,
Iberia purchases
3X on Southwest
purchases
7X total miles on
United Flights
Up to 8X on
United purchases
2X restaurants,
gas stations,
AA purchases
7X on eligible
direct Hilton
bookings
12X on eligible direct
Hilton bookings
17X for member
purchases at
participating hotels
26X for Platinum
Elite member
IHG purchases
9X on spend
at Hyatt
Point
Incentives 2
500 pts for 2K
spend/calendar month
2X on dining &
grocerg
$100 credit for
Delta.com hotel/
trip booking
-
3X on Alaska
Air purchases
2X on hotels
booked direct
2X on numerous
partner purchases
5X total miles on
stays via United Hotels
5X on hotel stays
via Renowned hotels
& Resorts for United
Card members
-
5X on dining,
grocery, gas
6X on dining,
grocery, gas
3X on first $6K spent
each year on dining,
grocery, gas
3X on dining, grocery,
gas, select
purchases
-
Other 1
Auto. 25K status
(current and second year)
$150 annual
hotel credit
$200 Delta Credit
(10K spend in 1yr)
-
30% discount on
a future flight
flights departing from U.S.
2 EarlyBird Check-ins/yr
Priority Boarding
$700 in annual
partner credits
Preferred boarding
HH silver status
FREE night + $200
Hilton credit/year
1 FREE
night/year
1 Free night/year
1 FREE
night/year after
15K spend
Other 2
-
$120 rideshare
credit ($10/mth)
Delta Zone 5
Priority boarding
-
Priority boarding
-
Travel Accident
Insurance
$400 partner
credits/year
Priority boarding
$125 annual
AA discount after
20K spend/year
-
HH Gold
Status
Bonvoy Silver
Status
IHG Platium
Elite Status
-
Transferable
Insurance
Credit Card
Rewards Credit Card
Master Card
Rewards
Venture
Business Preferred
Preferred
Annual Fee
waived?
No Fee
No $95
No $695
No $95
No $95
No $95
No $95
No annual
fee
Sign Up
Bonus?
25K
60K
150K
60K
75K
90K
60K
No
Points
Incentive 1
1.5X on all spend
10X on hotel, car rental,
attractions booked at
CitiTravel.com
No
$100/yr for
bag fees/lounge
access
No
No
No
No
Points
Incentive 2
-
3X on airfare,
hotel, restaurant,
grocery, gas/EV
No
No
No
No
No
No
Foreign Exchange
Fee Waived?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Lounge
Access?
No
$100/yr Hotel Credit
Yes
$100/yr for
bag fees/lounge
access
No
No
No
No
TSA/Nexus
Fee Credit?
No
No
$199 Clear+, $120
Global Entry,
$85 TSA Pre
$100 statement
credit
(every 4 years)
$120 credit
Global Entry
or TSA Pre
No
No
No
Trip
Delay
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Trip
Cancellation
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Trip
Interruption
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Bag
Delay
No
-
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Lost/Damaged
Bags
No
Yes
Yes
Yes - Lost
Luggage
No
No
No
No
Collision -
Car Rental
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Car Rental
Elite Status?
No
-
Premium Status -
select car
rental programs
No
No
No
No
No
Points Incentive 1
-
-
5X on flights
hotels booked
at AMEXTravel
2X on travel
& dining
5X on hotel, car rental,
vacation rentals via
Capital One Travel
3X on travel, internet,
cable, phone, onlne
ads and shipping
5X on Chase
Travel
Earn points on
rent with no
transaciton fee
Points Incentive 2
-
-
-
1.5 on
all other
2X on all other
-
3X on dining,
select grocery,
streaming services
5X on Lyft
and dining
partners
Other 1
-
-
Gold Status:
Hilton &
Marriott
-
Hertz 5 Stat Status
-
2X on other
travel
purchases
2X on travel
Other 2
-
-
$200 credit
for select
hotels
-
-
-
$50 Chase Travel
credit/yr
for hotels
-
MAXIMIZE YOUR POINTS
You should also factor how many points your card earns for everyday purchases. Most cards offer bonus points for purchases made at certain stores in addition to bonus points (or point multipliers) for purchases at select restaurants, with certain travel operators and for gas.
Accelerate your Points Earnings:
1. Charge all everyday purchases to your card as long as you can pay your balance in full each month. Otherwise, any interest on open balances will erode the value of points earned.
2. Sign-up to 2 or more cards. I recommend traveling with 2 cards in separate places (especially when traveling alone) in case anything happens to your primary card.
3. Charge rent, tuition and income tax payments to your credit card by linking it to a Plastiq account.
To collect your sign-up bonus, you are usually required to first charge a pre-defined dollar value to your card within a set number of billing cycles. This is referred to as minimum spend, and the minimum spend requirement varies by card. Most cards that come with an annual fee require to to spend $3,000 within 3 months of activating your card. Prestige and business cards tend to offer more enticing sign-up bonuses, but they come with higher annual fees and higher minimum spend requirements.
AVOID FEES
Any credit card with generous benefits comes with an annual fee. Some cards waive this fee for your first year upon subscribing, but you might not know how to have this fee waived when it comes due for renewal on your card's anniversary:
1. Call your credit card company and ask to cancel your card.
2. To keep you from canceling, you will likely be offered points or to have your annual fee waived if you keep your account open.
Make this call every year before your card comes due for renewal - you'll be amazed how often it works!
Russell Hannon uses lean principles to travel at a fraction of the going rate. He has been featured on CNBC, FOX, America Tonight, CBS, CTV, CBC, the National Post and Around the World Travel TV. He is also the author of amazon.ca Budget Travel #1 Best Seller ‘Stop Dreaming Start Traveling: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling More & Spending Less’ available at Stop Dreaming Start Traveling.
