
How to Earn Points and Miles for Free Travel
Read moreA rewards credit card earns you points for every dollar spent. Additionally, many rewards cards offer generous signup bonuses. To help you pick the right card, we estimate the potential profit of each card based on its signup bonus and your monthly spending in different purchase categories. Please compare the best offers, choose your card and start earning rewards!
Our Take
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit card can significantly improve to your travel. It comes with a relatively high $99 annual fee, but this shouldn’t be a deal breaker for those who can put all the card’s benefits to use. First, you’ll get a 40,000-point sign-up bonus, enough for a round-trip flight. Even more enticing, the card can earn you 1,500 tier qualifying points.
Our Take
The First Tennessee Platinum Premier® Visa® credit card is a rare balance transfer offer on the market since it has both a 0% APR and no fee for balance transfers. It also offers a cash rewards program, but, if you are planning to carry balance, avoid using the same card for making purchases and transferring balances - it may be costly.
Our Take
Whatever aspects of The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express you might consider, the only one that really matters is the incredible value of Starpoints®. Earning two of them per dollar is one of the best travel card offers that ever existed.
Our Take
The card has no annual fee, a little tolerance to late payments and an attractive 14-month long balance transfer offer with zero APR. An equal promotional period of zero APR on purchases makes it possible to you to earn rewards while paying down your debt without pitfalls (just mind the gap when APRs differ).
Our Take
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® credit card is, perhaps, the best way to participate in Chase Ultimate Rewards® loyalty program. The introductory bonus is huge, redemption value is above average, and the earn rate is reasonable.
Our Take
The Citi ThankYou® Premier Card is worth getting. It may become a nice companion on your trip, especially if you are a frequent traveler. If you’re fine with surfing the ThankYou® Rewards program, you may find plenty of nice redemption options.
Our Take
Do you strive to get to your next travel destination as soon as possible? Stop right here and apply for the Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard®. No doubts, this card will bring you closer to free travel with each purchase you make.
Our Take
In our opinion, the Marriott Rewards® Premier credit card is one of the best premium hotel credit cards. It provides extremely lucrative benefits on expenses, list of complimentary services, opportunity to move towards Elite status and great redemption options for hotel stays. However, this card is designed especially for customers who often stays at Marriott and SPG properties.
Our Take
Chase Sapphire Reserve℠ is a premium credit card that provides you with extremely lucrative rewards. With $450 annual fee, this card is quite expensive to maintain, but if you obtain it, you get an access to luxury services and a great bonus and rewards program, which are especially worthwhile for travelers.
Our Take
For the purposes of domestic travel, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card is a decent option. It comes with a nice bonus for account opening and carries a set of distinct travel perks. All these benefits can contribute considerably to your travel experience. Save a couple hundred dollars on a round trip and get free tickets to fly across the country.
Our Take
The United Explorer Card is a co-branded rewards card that earns MileagePlus® miles and steers you towards flying United. While there is a long list of various minor benefits, conditions, and drawbacks, the balance of the card’s worth hangs on two things only. One, an annual fee of $95, which comes into force from the second year. Two, a free checked bag on each United flight you take.
Our Take
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card has a number of things going for it. It’s free, there is a sign-up bonus, and it has the potential of earning rewards at a rate above market average.
Our Take
For anyone travelling full time, part time, or at least somewhat frequently, the card’s annual fee should be no issue at all. The travel credit alone covers the most of it, and whatever is left you can easily make up with rewards points and additional travel perks.
Our Take
The card is as close as you can get to a top-tier travel card without having to pay a $400+ annual fee. It has a generous bonus offer, solid earning and redemption rates, and a few somewhat useful travel perks. Its ideal user is someone who is already flying with American Express airline partners and staying at the Hotel Collection properties.
Our Take
Blue Cash Preferred® Card is the best cashback card in its segment. In the long run, you save a considerable amount (up to $360 provided you spend at least $6,000 per year on groceries). Apply for the card and win rewards from shopping.
Our Take
The Barclays Arrival® Premier World Elite Mastercard® is for big spenders who are willing to build a long-term relationship with the issuer. Coming with no signup bonus, the card still offers you a substantial bonus for your loyalty, provided you meet the spending requirements.
Our Take
Chase Freedom® is a must-have card for anyone who is interested in generous cash back rewards. This card is quite cheap to maintain and has wide and flexible options for redemption. Customers interested in wider cash back options or in maximization of travel rewards might want to combine this card with some others. Reward maximization with Chase Freedom® is a bit sophisticated, but it is worth your efforts.
Our Take
Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card has no annual fee and is therefore a simpler card than its Citi siblings.
Our Take
If you are the owner of United MileagePlus® Club Card, you can access any United Club lounge for free, enjoy Premier access to travel services and never have to pay for checking your first two bags.
Our Take
The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is one of the most appealing offering on the secured credit card market. Its rewards program may give you the taste of a traditional unsecured credit card. The possibility to upgrade together with zero annual fee allows you to keep this card as long as you need.
Our Take
Get high-end benefits from the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard. It’s a co-branded rewards credit card designed for American Airlines frequent flyers. If you fly on American Airlines-operated flights several times a month, this card definitely has something valuable to offer.
Our Take
A travel credit card should match your lifestyle and not the other way around. Which means that the Citi Prestige® Card is a good fit for someone who flies frequently, books longer stays, and finds it absolutely necessary to up the comfort of airport visits.