Best Travel Credit Cards for Beginners

Do you want to travel for free?  We’re going to tell you how!  Read on as we discuss the best travel credit cards for beginners, so you can start traveling for free.

Best Travel Credit Cards for Beginners to Points and Miles

Travel can be expensive.  When you factor in flights, a rental car, a place to stay, meals…it adds up quickly.  What if we told you that you could earn points on everyday spending that could then be used to offset your travel costs?  Travel credit cards are the best way to do this.  Here are 3 of the best travel credit cards for beginners as well as the pros and cons of each card.

Read More: Our Travel Planning Process

1. Bank of America Travel Rewards Card

The Bank of America Travel Rewards card is a great introduction to earning travel rewards points.  It is one of the best cards for travelers looking for low interest rates and no annual fees.

Credit Score Requirement: Good

Pros:

• No annual fee.
• 25,000 point sign up bonus equaling a $250 statement credit when you spend $1,000 within the first 90 days of opening your card.
• Points have no expiration date.
• Unlimited point earnings at a rate of 1.5 points per dollar spent.
• Low APR for the first 15 billing cycles.
• No foreign transaction fees.

Cons:

• Points cannot be transferred, and the number of points earned does not change for different spending categories.  For example, many travel cards allow users to earn more points on travel related spending.
• The sign up bonus isn’t the greatest when compared to other travel cards.
• The Bank of America Travel Rewards Card was our first travel credit card.  We used it in college to earn points that were then used to go towards our honeymoon.  While our card is still open, it is not the travel card we use currently.

2. Capital One Venture Card

The Capital One Venture card has so many amazing benefits!  From travel insurance to various ways to redeem points, the Capital One Venture Card is one of our favorites.

Credit Score Requirement: Excellent

Pros:

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months of opening your card.
• When booking through Capital One Travel, you can earn 5x the miles on rental cars and hotels.
• Get rental car insurance coverage when booking a rental car through Capital One Travel.
• $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
• Access to a number of Capital One lounges in airports around the U.S.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Points can be transferred to a number of loyalty programs.

Cons:

• $95 annual fee.
• There are not that many Capital One Lounges around the U.S.  More are being opened, but unless you frequently travel out of an airport with a Capital One Lounge, it’s not the best perk.
• Flights, hotels, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel are often priced higher.  For example, we found a flight through American Airlines for around $500, and the same flight was over $650 on the Capital One Travel portal.  However, you can contact Capital One within 24 hours of booking if you found a better price, and they will match it.  An extra hoop to jump through, but it may be worth it for you.
• This card has a high variable APR starting at 19.99%.  We highly recommend paying your card balance off each month to avoid high interest payments.

3. Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card is by far our favorite and most used travel card.  The sign up bonus and travel benefits are unmatched.

Credit Score Requirement: Excellent

Pros:

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card has one of the highest sign up bonuses.  When you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months, you will receive points with a travel value of $900.
• Every year, you receive a $300 travel credit.
• There are so many ways to earn points with this card. Earn 5x the points on flights, 3x on other travel, 3x on dining, and 50% more value when points are redeemed on travel through Chase.
• Earn bonus points on eligible purchases through the Chase Shopping Portal.
• Complimentary access to over 1,300 lounges around the world including nap rooms and airport sleeping pods.
• $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
• Pay over time is available for purchases to avoid interest fees.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Travel and rental car coverage.

Cons:

• The annual fee is high…..$550 each year.  However we like to think of it as $250 per year minus the annual $300 travel credit.
• The APR is a variable 22.49-29.49% which is wild. Don’t let a balance sit on your card.

Travel credit cards have great benefits when used properly. One extra tip we would like to add-don’t spend extra just to earn the sign up bonuses for these cards.  Apply for these cards strategically and use them for everyday spending-groceries, gas, household expenses, etc.  We opened our Chase Sapphire Reserve card the morning after we closed on our first home, because we had already planned to purchase certain items for our house.  We opened our Capital One Venture card when we had already saved for two upcoming trips.  Credit card debt is not the way to travel.  We hope this post on the best travel credit cards for beginners was helpful in booking your next flight, rental car, or hotel using points and miles!