Best travel credit cards for people with bad or fair credit

It can be tough to find a travel credit card if your credit score has seen better days, as many of the best travel credit cards require a FICO score of 670 or higher. While options may be limited, the good news is you can still earn rewards toward travel and everyday categories like gas, dining or entertainment through cash back cards. Even with bad-to-fair credit or a limited credit history, the right rewards card can help offset vacation costs while you work on improving your score.

Take a look at our picks for the best travel credit cards for bad-to-fair credit, along with tips on how to make the most of your travel rewards.

The best travel cards for bad-to-fair credit

Best for hotels and rental cars

Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

4

Learn more in Bankrate's review

• Bankrate’s view

  The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card gives people with fair credit the chance to earn 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.5% cash back on general purchases. That’s an above-average flat rate that ensures you’re getting a decent amount of cash back on every purchase.

  Cardholders also get to take advantage of Capital One’s travel portal, which is filled with travel features that can make booking travel easier.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • Capital One may automatically consider cardholders for a higher line of credit in as little as six months with on-time payments.
  • This card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.

  

  Cons

  • There’s an annual fee to take into account.
  • This card doesn’t come with a welcome bonus.

Best for travel rewards

Credit One Bank® Wander® American Express® with Dining, Gas & Travel Rewards

Rating: 3.2 stars out of 5

3.2

Learn more in Bankrate's review

• Bankrate’s view

  The Credit One Bank® Wander® American Express® with Dining, Gas & Travel Rewards is one of the few unsecured travel rewards cards accessible to people with fair credit. It comes with an annual fee of $95, but that may not be a problem for frequent travelers who can earn enough in rewards to offset that fee.

  Cardholders earn 10X points on hotel and car rental bookings made through the Credit One Bank Travel portal, plus 5X points on all other eligible travel (including airfare from any airline), dining and gas purchases (followed by 1X points on all other purchases). That flexibility, combined with a welcome bonus and no cap on how much you can earn, makes the Wander card easily one of the best travel credit cards available at this credit level.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • This card earns generous rewards on travel, comparable to premium travel cards.
  • You can get prequalified without a hard inquiry on your credit.

  

  Cons

  • The rewards program and redemption options have more restrictions than many competing cards.
  • The card has a high annual fee for a card for fair credit.

Best for day trips

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

4.5

Learn more in Bankrate's review

• Bankrate’s view

  The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card* is another rare secured card that offers better-than-average rewards. You can pick one category from a list of six to earn 3% cash back while also earning 2% back on grocery and wholesale club purchases (on up to $2,500 in combined purchases in the 3% and 2% categories each quarter, then 1%).

  The customizable categories include travel, which covers airfare, hotels, transit, campgrounds, resorts, tourist attractions, booking agencies and more. You can even get cash back on purchases at places like amusement parks and aquariums. That level of flexibility is a rare feature that will appeal to daytrippers and other travelers who don’t spend as much on airfare and hotels.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • You can earn rewards on everyday and travel purchases, a rarity on cards available to people with bad credit.
  • There’s no annual fee to cut into your rewards.

  

  Cons

  • You’ll need to put down a $200 minimum security deposit to open the account.
  • The card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, which makes it pricey to use while abroad.

Best for students

Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card

Rating: 4.6 stars out of 5

4.6

Learn more in Bankrate's review

• Bankrate’s view

  Even college students have a chance to earn rewards while building credit with responsible card use thanks to the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card.

  Music and sports fans looking for exclusive events will appreciate this card’s impressive 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. On top of this entertainment perk, this card also offers a great rate on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

  This is also one of the few student credit cards to offer a welcome bonus and no foreign transaction fees, which can help cut down on the cost of travel over the holidays, for school breaks or during study abroad opportunities.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • This card earns generous rewards on entertainment, hotels and rental cars.
  • The welcome offer is very accessible for students with limited incomes.

  

  Cons

  • The card is only available to students.
  • The APR you may qualify for with fair to bad credit is higher than most student cards.

Best for welcome bonus

Discover it® Secured Credit Card

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

5

Learn more in Bankrate's review

• Bankrate’s view

  The Discover it® Secured Credit Card earns 2% cash back on gas and restaurant purchases up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter (then 1%) and an unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. But the standout feature is the card’s welcome bonus, which matches all the rewards you earn in your first year. You’ll have to wait until the end of year one to see this bonus.

  Discover also has some nice credit-building features, like the ability to graduate to an unsecured card in as little as seven months based on your creditworthiness.

• Pros and cons

  

  Pros

  • Discover will match all the rewards you earn in your first year, making it one of the few welcome bonuses without a minimum spend.
  • You’ll pay no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, no penalty APR and no fee on your first late payment (up to $41 thereafter).

  

  Cons

  • Outside of some standard card features, the perks on this card are slim.
  • Discover is not as widely accepted abroad as some other networks’ cards.

Comparing the best travel cards for bad-to-fair credit

How to choose the best travel card for fair or bad credit

The best travel cards for people with bad-to-fair credit have features that can make your travel or everyday purchases more rewarding and help cover the cost of your next trip. But choosing the right one for you will depend on a few factors:

• Prioritize approval odds

  Knowing your credit score and researching which cards typically accept applicants below 670 can help you focus on the right options and avoid unnecessary hard inquiries that may further impact your score. If you have bad credit (FICO score below 580), a secured credit card could be your best option, but with fair credit (FICO score of 580 to 669), you’ll have more options, including unsecured cards.

  Consider also checking out these options:

  • Best credit cards for bad credit
  • Best secured credit cards

• Leverage everyday spending

  To get maximum value, you’ll need a travel card that rewards you on as much of your travel or everyday spending as possible. For example, if you spend the most on groceries and household items each month, the rewards you earn with the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card could make that card a great fit, especially since you can earn on travel purchases alongside your everyday spending.

• Focus on credit-building potential

  Many travel cards for bad or fair credit, secured or unsecured, report to the major credit bureaus, and there are secured cards that have possible upgrade paths to unsecured options if you demonstrate responsible use. Applying for cards with these features help pave the way for better cards in the future.

• Watch out for foreign transaction fees

  Pay attention to the fees that come with each card you’re considering, especially foreign transaction fees for a travel rewards card, as this can become expensive if you travel abroad or make online purchases with overseas merchants.

What’s next?

The bottom line

Having less-than-stellar credit doesn’t mean you have to miss out on travel perks. You can score a rewards card even if you don’t have good credit, and with responsible use and a sound strategy to maximize your rewards, your next flight, hotel stay or day trip could be a lot less expensive. Just make sure to stay on budget so you don’t undo all your hard work.

Frequently asked questions about bad or fair credit travel cards

• Is getting a travel card worth it?

  If you tend to travel multiple times throughout the year, a travel credit card can be a good investment. On top of earning rewards on bookings, you can also get benefits that can help you while traveling, such as purchase protection and emergency card replacement. Just make sure to find a card that matches your budget and spending habits to make it worth your while.

• What’s the easiest travel card to get?

  The easiest travel card to get is one that matches your own credit history and score. If you’re working on building your credit from the bad or fair range, you’ll still want to look for cards that are designed for where you are in your credit process. Several of the cards listed above are designed for those with bad or non-existent credit scores and are considered “easier” to qualify for.

• Can I get an airline card with a bad credit score?

  It can be difficult to get a specific airline card with bad credit as most require good to excellent credit. They also are more likely to have high annual fees due to the perks and rewards rates they offer, which can make rebuilding your credit score more difficult.

The Bank of America content on this post was last updated on Jan. 12, 2026. 

*The information about the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card and Bank of America® Travel Rewards Secured Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.