Many people go through life using either their debit cards or cash to pay for the things that they buy. If you are one of these people, you are missing out big time! When you pay with a debit card or with cash, you’re not getting anything in return for the purchase you just made. However, if you use the right credit card, you can get a ton of value in return for just swiping it instead of your debit card! We know what you’re thinking, “How do I get value from swiping a credit card though? Do I have to use one that gets cash back?”. Well, while you can use a cashback card, there are other cards that you can derive even more value from if you like to travel.
Chances are, you’ve probably seen an advertisement for a credit card that allows you to earn travel rewards points and paid no mind to it. Oftentimes, these ads are cheesy, and we turn a blind eye to them. However, did you know that these travel reward points can be incredibly powerful? Well, it turns out, you can use travel rewards points to take some pretty incredible trips! In fact, you can go to some of the most luxurious places in the world, like Bora Bora, and the Maldives, using points earned from your credit card!
If you’re looking to book aspirational trips to destinations that cost thousands of dollars per night, you’re going to need the right cards to get the job done though! Remember, when it comes to travel rewards cards, not all were created equal. Some are incredibly useful, whereas others aren’t very useful at all! Regardless of where you want to go though, there are some cards that work incredibly across the board. In order to help you start earning points to put towards the trip of your dreams, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite travel rewards credit cards, and their program details.
Credit Card Reward Programs
Before we get into our favorite cards, it’s important to know about the programs that each bank offers! While a lot of banks offer points that can be redeemed for travel, not all points were created equal. For the purposes of this article, we’re going to focus on three of the largest point programs: American Express Membership Rewards Points, Chase Ultimate Reward Points, and Capital One Miles!
American Express Membership Rewards Points
American Express Membership Rewards Points (MR Points) are a powerhouse when it comes to aspirational trips and luxury stays! When it comes to MR points, they are one of the more difficult point currencies to use, as there isn’t a set point value when it comes to using them through Amex Travel bookings. Oftentimes you will get less than 1 cent in value per point, which isn’t great! However, if you’re willing to transfer your points out, there is a ton of value to be had, as they’ve got a rather lengthy list of transfer partners. They are as follows:
- Aer Lingus
- Aeromexico
- Air Canada
- Air France-KLM
- Alitalia
- All Nippon Airways
- Avianca
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Delta
- Emirates
- Etihad
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Iberia
- JetBlue
- Qantas
- Singapore Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- Choice Privileges
- Hilton
- Marriott
As you can see, MR Points can fly you pretty much anywhere in the world, and pay for your hotel once you get there! This makes them an awesome choice if you’re a veteran traveller, or someone who’s willing to do a bit of research into how to use their transfer partners.
American Express Platinum
With sign up bonuses of up to 125,000 points, the American Express Platinum Card is a must have tool for any frequent flyer! First off, it earns 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly through airlines, as well as flights and hotels booked through amextravel.com. It has a wide array of credits ($500 worth), that can be used on Uber rides, while you’re shopping at Saks, and for airline incidental fees (like when you forgot to pay for a bag in basic economy). However, this card really shines when you’re at the airport! The Platinum Card gives you access to countless airport lounges around the world, including American Express’ own Centurion Lounges!
American Express Gold
The American Express Gold card is an everyday points earning powerhouse! To start things off, it’s got a sign up bonus of 60,000 points right now. Add that to the fact that you’re getting 4 points for every dollar spent on supermarkets and restaurants, and you’ll be on your way to island paradise in no time! Additionally, the Gold Card also earns 3 points for every dollar spent booking flights through amextravel.com. While the Gold Card may not provide access to airport lounges, it does however, come with a $120 dining credit that can be used at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, and more!
Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Chase Ultimate Rewards Points (UR Points) are quite possibly one of the easiest points currencies to use! Not only do they have an extensive list of transfer partners, but the Chase Travel Portal makes it easy to book travel with your points, without having to deal with transferring them out! In fact, you can get up to 1.5 cents per point in value (depending on the card you have) when booking travel through their travel portal. However, if you would rather get a little more value out of your points, they’ve got the following transfer partners:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Canda
- British Airways
- Emirates
- Air France-KLM
- Iberia
- Jetblue
- Singapore Airlines
- Southwest
- United
- Virgin Atlantic
- Hyatt
- IHG
- Marriott
Judging by the extensive list, Chase has also got quite a few big partners in both the hotel and airline industries. This makes using your UR points easy if you want to transfer them out!
Chase Sapphire Reserve
With a sign up bonus of 50,000 points, there is no wondering why people are flocking to the Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR)! On top of the generous sign up bonus, you will also earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining and travel worldwide (and grocery stores for a limited time too!). If you don’t want to transfer your points to partners, you’ll be able to get 1.5 cents per point worth of value when redeemed through the Chase Travel Portal! Once you’re at the airport, about to embark on your points fueled vacation, you’ll be able to relax at a Priority Pass lounge, complimentary of your CSR! And much like the other cards in this lineup, the CSR comes with a $300 travel credit that can be used on just about any travel related expense!
Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the everyday person’s travel credit card! It comes with an affordable $95 annual fee, and a 60,000 point sign up bonus at the moment. On top of that, it will earn you 2 points per dollar spent on dining, travel, and much like the CSR, grocery stores for a limited time. The Sapphire Preferred also lets you transfer your points out to Chase’s travel partners, but it also has the ability to redeem your points through the Chase Travel Portal for 1.25 cents each!
Capital One Miles
Capital One Miles are relatively new to the travel points scene. For the longest time, you could only use them to cover travel purchases charged to your card at a rate of 1 cent each. However, recently, they added the ability to transfer your points over to some transfer partners (much like AmEx and Chase). Their newly added transfer partners are as follows:
- Aeromexico
- Air Canda
- Air France-KLM
- Alitalia
- Avianca
- Cathay Pacific
- Emirates
- Etihad
- EVA
- Finnair
- JetBlue
- Qantas
- Singapore Airlines
- Wyndham Hotels
You can transfer your points over to all of the partners mentioned above, at a 2:1.5 rate, except for Emirates, Singapore Airlines, which transfer at a 2:1 rate.
Capital One Venture One Rewards
As of lately, there’s been a new kid on the block, the Capital One Venture One! The Venture one is an incredible travel rewards card for the budget conscious traveller. With no annual fee, and the ability to earn 1.25 points per dollar spent on anything, this is a card that’s hard to beat! Not only is the card free, but the miles are very versatile as well. They can be transferred out to any of Capital One’s travel partners listed above, or they can be used to reimburse travel purchases charged to your card! Lastly, much like all the other cards on this list, it also comes with no foreign transaction fees.
