Travel
Best credit card for travel
Every card in our verified catalog that multiplies travel, ranked by what a dollar of travel spending actually earns. Points and miles are valued at 1.25¢ each; caps and annual fees are part of the math, not footnotes.
| Card | Rate | Per $100 | Cap | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapphire ReserveChase · flights and hotels booked direct | 4× | $5.00 | None | $795 |
| Gold CardAmerican Express · flights direct or via Amex Travel | 3× | $3.75 | None | $325 |
| Sapphire PreferredChase | 2× | $2.50 | None | $95 |
Portal-only rates — documented, excluded from the ranking
- Venture X pays 10× (hotels/cars via Capital One Travel) — only through the issuer’s own booking portal, which is why it doesn’t rank above.
- Sapphire Reserve pays 8× — only through the issuer’s own booking portal, which is why it doesn’t rank above.
- Sapphire Preferred pays 5× — only through the issuer’s own booking portal, which is why it doesn’t rank above.
- Gold Card pays 5× (prepaid hotels via Amex Travel) — only through the issuer’s own booking portal, which is why it doesn’t rank above.
- Double Cash pays 5× (Citi Travel; 2% base + 3% bonus) — only through the issuer’s own booking portal, which is why it doesn’t rank above.
- Freedom Unlimited pays 5× — only through the issuer’s own booking portal, which is why it doesn’t rank above.
- Venture X pays 5× (flights via Capital One Travel) — only through the issuer’s own booking portal, which is why it doesn’t rank above.
- Freedom Flex pays 5× — only through the issuer’s own booking portal, which is why it doesn’t rank above.
- Gold Card pays 2× (prepaid car rentals via Amex Travel) — only through the issuer’s own booking portal, which is why it doesn’t rank above.
The real answer depends on what else you spend
This table ranks cards in isolation. Connect your bank and WhatCard ranks them against your actual spending, net of every fee, including when the answer is “keep the cards you have.”
Get your answer free