Do travel miles or points expire?

Even though many major credit cards earn rewards that don’t expire, you may lose your points and miles if your account closes or isn’t in good standing. However, some co-branded cards’ rewards may expire if you don’t earn or redeem rewards within a certain timeframe (typically 12 to 36 months after the rewards are earned).

When should I use my credit card rewards?

Points and miles generally lose value over time and don’t have the flexibility of cash. You never know when a card issuer will devalue rewards. Your goal should be to use your points whenever you’re getting good redemption value.

How can I avoid foreign transaction fees?

You can avoid foreign transaction fees by using a credit card that doesn’t charge them. The good news is, most travel cards don’t — but it always helps to double check before you apply. If you’re traveling with a different kind of card, check its terms and conditions before you bring it abroad.

Best Travel Credit Cards of August 2026

Add up to 3 cards to compare

Compare

Remove a card to add another to compare

Compare Bankrate's best travel credit cards

	Welcome offer		Learn more
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Apply now on Chase's secure site See Rates & Fees	Intro Offer: 100,000 bonus points Hover to learn more Regular APR: 19.49% - 27.99% Variable	$795	Apply now on Chase's secure site See Rates & Fees
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees	Intro Offer: Earn 75,000 miles Hover to learn more Regular APR: 19.49% - 28.49% (Variable)	$95	Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card Apply now on Bank of America's secure site	Intro Offer: 25,000 points Hover to learn more Regular APR: 17.49% - 27.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers	$0	Apply now on Bank of America's secure site
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Apply now on Chase's secure site See Rates & Fees	Intro Offer: 75,000 bonus points Hover to learn more Regular APR: 19.24% - 27.49% Variable	$95	Apply now on Chase's secure site See Rates & Fees
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees	Intro Offer: Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles Hover to learn more Regular APR: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)	$0	Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees	Intro Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles Hover to learn more Regular APR: 19.49% - 28.49% (Variable)	$395	Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees
Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card Apply now on Bank of America's secure site	Intro Offer: Limited-time online offer – 70,000 bonus points + $99 Companion Fare Hover to learn more Regular APR: 19.49% - 27.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers	$95	Apply now on Bank of America's secure site

Determine your preferred category

Browse different categories, then decide which type of credit card is best for you: cash back, travel, balance transfer or no annual fee.

Find your match

Check out our best credit cards lists or provide some basic info to get personalized partner card matches through the CardMatch™ tool.

Choose to apply

Click through to the issuer’s direct site to apply for a new account and start earning rewards or building up credit.

Table of contents

How to choose a travel card
Pros and cons
How to redeem
How to maximize
Expert advice
Frequently asked questions
Methodology

How do I choose a travel credit card?

The travel card selection is broad, so the process of picking the right card might seem like quite a task — especially if you’re new to the travel card space.

To get started, do the following:

Decide whether you want to pay an annual fee.

Most of the top travel cards charge annual fees, which can be quite high on some premium cards. If you don’t use the perks on these cards enough, you might not be able to offset the fee. Conversely, you could be missing out on value by avoiding cards with annual fees.
Consider which perks are important.

Premium travel cards usually offer a ton of value if you take advantage of perks like travel credits, elite benefits, travel protections and lounge access. Determine which perks are a priority for you to narrow down your card choices.
Compare bonus offers.

A welcome bonus is your best opportunity to earn a big chunk of rewards in a short time. Sometimes, you can score a bonus worth over $1,000 in travel. Make sure to include these offers in your calculations when determining which card will bring you the most value.

What kind of traveler are you?

If you only travel once every couple of years, a travel card may not be the best fit. Your best option would likely be a cash back card. If you need to travel, you can always book and then use cash rewards as a statement credit to offset your expenses.

If you’re set on getting a travel card, consider first how frequently you travel or aspire to travel. This will help you identify the card that best fits your needs and whether paying an annual fee makes sense.

If you only travel occasionally (less than three times a year), you may get more value out of a card with higher rewards rates on everyday spending. If a card has a high rewards rate in popular categories like groceries and dining, you'll have an easier time earning travel rewards even if you don't actually spend a ton on travel.

If you’re new to traveling, you also don’t want to jump into the deep end too quickly. Look for cards with solid travel rewards and benefits that provide you good value and flexibility as you figure out what interests you most.

You also probably don’t want to pay for a premium card with an annual fee over $100, as you may not get enough value from the card's perks.

If you travel for business, a card's rewards rate on travel purchases or with the airlines or hotels affiliated with the card will likely be most important. Ideally, you'll also get extra value through everyday bonus categories such as dining, groceries, gas, transit and streaming services.

If your business trips are frequent, you might even benefit from having multiple cards. When building a card stack, a general travel card is a great starting point. From there, consider combining that card with others from that issuer or with a co-branded card from an airline or hotel you book with regularly. For example, if you often stay at Hyatt hotels, you can use the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for its outstanding travel perks and protections and The World of Hyatt Credit Card to earn points and elite benefits you can use during your stay.

If you enjoy traveling abroad or want to travel in style, you should save up your points and maximize your redemption value, whether you book economy or business class tickets.

For instance, if you can handle the cost, you can pair the American Express® Gold Card and American Express Platinum Card® for one of the best combinations of earnings and perks possible. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card also gives you excellent perks and solid international partners and may be a better fit if you're focused on practical travel perks over luxury.

You should consider a co-branded travel card if you often book with a specific airline or hotel and want to maximize your benefits with that brand.

Co-branded cards tend to offer higher rewards rates than general travel cards, but limit your redemption options to a specific program. They also feature brand-specific perks — such as free award nights, complimentary elite status or free checked baggage — which general-purpose travel cards don’t carry.

However, depending on the value of the rewards program, a high rewards rate on a co-branded card may be less lucrative than a lower rate on a general travel card.

Everyone’s travel preferences are different. Find a card that enhances and rewards your frequent travel. For example, since if you stay in hotels often, you can get value from a co-branded hotel card, earning rewards and free night awards at a reasonable cost.

Pros and cons of a travel credit card

A travel credit card can be an excellent way to save on travel expenses and make your travel experience more enjoyable. However, there are some drawbacks you should be aware of as well.

Pros

Travel rewards can be very lucrative when you know how to maximize the value of your points or miles.
Some travel cards offer premium perks that can elevate your travel experience.
Travel credit cards tend to offer the highest welcome bonuses in the market.

Cons

Annual fees on some travel cards cost hundreds of dollars per year.
Getting the most out of your points or miles often involves knowing the best transfer partners and hunting for a good deal, which can get quite laborious.
The most premium cards come with long lists of branded benefits, but trying to take advantage of them all to offset annual fees can easily lead to overspending.

How can I best redeem points?

The value of a travel card's rewards and perks (and how much work you’re willing to put in to maximize it) is one of the biggest factors to consider when deciding which card is best for you.

While the points and miles you earn with general travel cards are typically worth around 1 cent each when redeemed for travel, some programs' rewards are more flexible and often worth more with the right travel redemption or travel transfer partner. Airline and hotel points are a bit more limited but can still offer solid value when used strategically. But getting the most out of every point and mile comes with a learning curve, and finding the best redemptions isn’t always an easy process. Be honest with yourself whether it’s something you want to put effort into.

General travel cards typically earn points or miles with varying redemption values. If you have no preferred airline or hotel and want the flexibility to redeem for travel with many different brands, this is a good choice for you.

Most major rewards programs also partner with airline and hotel loyalty programs, allowing you to transfer your points, potentially at a higher redemption value. If you get excited about looking for and scoring the best deal, pick a card with transfer partners you’re interested in.

If you know you’re more likely to simply book through the issuer’s portal, other benefits will probably matter more to you. While general travel cards may not have brand-specific perks, they make up for that with flexible rewards and wider-reaching perks like travel credits, boosted redemption value for booking through the issuer’s travel portal or perks like airport lounge access.

Airline miles and hotel points are generally much less flexible and valuable than points earned with general travel cards. But if you have favorites and would rather not spend time figuring out the best partners to transfer to, such cards can be a great option.

That said, these cards can require some mental work too. The optimal — and sometimes only — use for airline and hotel rewards is with their specific program. Many airlines and hotels use dynamic pricing models, so you could get significantly better or worse redemption value than average depending on your specific booking.

Be sure to check the redemption value of your rewards by dividing the cash cost of a plane or hotel booking by its cost in points or miles.

How to maximize your travel rewards

Once you’ve figured out your ideal card, it’s important to know how to maximize your rewards and perks. If you’re willing to put in the effort, you can significantly boost the value of your points and miles.

With so many flat-rate and bonus category options to choose from, you should easily be able to earn substantial rewards for your everyday spending. Since there’s no getting around spending money in your everyday life, the goal should be to get the maximum return possible as often as possible. A good goal is to aim to earn a value of about 2 cents per dollar spent on every purchase.
You want to ensure every point gets you at least 1 cent per point in redemption value, regardless of the card or program.

Travel points and miles typically lose value if you redeem for non-travel options like cash back. Instead, you can either book travel through an issuer portal or transfer points to one of the issuer's airline or hotel partners. Rewards can hold a much better value if you transfer to the right partner program — sometimes 2 cents per point or more.

Research the partners offered and compare the value to find the best fit. It’s not enough to look at a single airline. You want carriers that belong to one of the major alliances — Oneworld, SkyTeam or Star — or airlines with multiple individual partners or codeshare agreements, such as Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, Emirates, Etihad and LATAM.
Travel benefits are one of the main reasons to get a travel card and are often key to making up a card’s annual fee. Now that travel cards are starting to turn into coupon books, it's more important than ever to review everything a card offers and see how it fits with your needs.
When you choose a travel card, closely examine the perks to determine how much they can benefit you, and make sure to take full advantage of them whenever possible. For example, the right combination of cards for your trip could give you free checked baggage, airport lounge access, priority boarding, in-flight credits, reimburse you for delayed baggage and cover an Uber ride to your hotel.
While not all perks have monetary value, consider how they might make your travel experience easier.
The best travel cards come with generous welcome offers, but earning these bonuses may require a lot of spending in a short timeframe. Make sure you have a plan and don't overextend yourself just to earn a bonus. If you can't pay off your balance quickly, interest and fees can easily eat through any value you get from the bonus.
Also keep an eye out for limited-time bonus offers when available— some of which can be extraordinarily high — and other reward-earning opportunities or perks with partners. This can help you squeeze even more value from your new travel card.
Stacking rewards cards will allow you to maximize your earnings across a variety of bonus categories while earning multiple bonuses and additional perks. Start with a flat-rate rewards card so you can earn points at a boosted rate on every purchase you make. Next, add cards that earn rewards in your biggest spending categories. Combining cards from the same issuer may allow you to pool points together and earn rewards faster.

How Bankrate experts use travel cards

Our experts use travel rewards in various ways, showing that there are many different approaches for getting the most out of travel credit cards. Here's a look at how some of our experts build their travel strategy.

Bankrate staff insights

Taking advantage of brand loyalty

“As someone who lives in and travels often among Southwest Airlines destinations, I’m loyal to the airline for their low prices and great customer service. I use the Southwest Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Card to accrue points on everyday and travel spending that can cover future flights. And with the new airline changes, I’ll still get my free checked bag.”

Katie Kelton, CCC, Bankrate Lead Community Reporter

The simple approach

“I need simplicity in my life and my credit cards, so my pick is the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. It makes earning miles a cinch with its unlimited flat rewards rate. Redemption is flexible, too — I can use miles to book travel, get reimbursed for past trips or even transfer miles to more than 15 airline and hotel partners.”

Benet J. Wilson, Former Bankrate credit cards lead writer

Maximizing card features

“I’ve typically stuck with cash back cards, preferring the simplicity of knowing exactly how much my rewards are worth and the ease of redeeming for statement credits. Recently, though, I decided I wanted to travel a bit more, and to my surprise, the card that stood out most was the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. It offers a flat rewards rate that makes it easy to earn miles on everything I buy, flexible redemption through Capital One or via transfer to partnering airlines and hotels, and practical perks I know I’ll actually use when I travel.”

Nouri Zarrugh, Former Bankrate credit cards senior editor

Ask the Experts

Is it a good idea to have multiple travel credit cards?

Shawn Coomer

Founder, Miles to Memories and the MTM Travel podcast

“Many people struggle with the idea of paying multiple annual fees. However, a multi-card strategy that involves bonus earning in categories you use the most while providing perks that align with the way you travel is probably more powerful than it has ever been before. While this strategy isn’t for everyone, most people will find it can be far more rewarding than it seems on the surface if they are willing to take the time to make sure those cards are working for them.”

Victoria M. Walker

Travel reporter and curator, Carry On travel newsletter

“Having multiple travel cards is a good idea, but only if you diversify the cards. Generally, you’ll want to have one airline card (preferably, the one you fly the most), a hotel rewards credit card (for the points, as well as the benefits) and a card that earns transferrable rewards. The first two card categories generally only earn miles or points specific to that program, while a transferrable rewards card earns points or miles that can then be transferred to dozens of other partners.”

Mark Ostermann

Managing editor, Travel on Point(s)

“It will all depend on your travel needs, but rarely does one card cover every useful perk that works for you. Having different point currencies also allows you to take advantage of the best possible redemptions. Combining cards can give you up to double the value and allow you to turn cash back earning cards into points earning cards. That allows you to earn higher rates in multiple categories.”

Frequently asked questions about travel credit cards

Even though many major credit cards earn rewards that don’t expire, you may lose your points and miles if your account closes or isn’t in good standing. However, some co-branded cards’ rewards may expire if you don’t earn or redeem rewards within a certain timeframe (typically 12 to 36 months after the rewards are earned).
Points and miles generally lose value over time and don’t have the flexibility of cash. You never know when a card issuer will devalue rewards. Your goal should be to use your points whenever you’re getting good redemption value.
You can avoid foreign transaction fees by using a credit card that doesn’t charge them. The good news is, most travel cards don’t — but it always helps to double check before you apply. If you’re traveling with a different kind of card, check its terms and conditions before you bring it abroad.

Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit AmericanExpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex assurance company.

*For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

*Information about American Express® Green Card and Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuers.

Next steps in your credit card journey

A guide to earning and redeeming frequent flyer miles

Learn all the best ways to earn more points and miles

Do I need credit card travel insurance?

Some cards offer this helpful perk, but you may not need it

8 of the best ways to use points and miles for travel

Discover these tricks to maximizing your travel rewards

Best credit card rewards programs in 2026

Not all credit card rewards programs are built the same

Meet the Bankrate Experts

Written by

Ana Staples Ana Staples

Principal Analyst and Credit Cards Expert

How we choose the best travel credit cards

We select cards for “Best” credit cards pages based primarily on how cards score in our proprietary card rating system, our editors’ subjective assessment of card quality, card approval odds and credit requirements and unique card features.

Cards typically must score a minimum of 3.0 stars to be included on a “Best” list. However, we may include cards with scores below 3.0 if they have low credit requirements or unique features — despite their scores, these cards may still be among the “best” in certain categories. Card ratings are not influenced by advertisers or issuer relationships in any way.

Card selection and ordering may vary based on business considerations, including Bankrate visitor interest, site interactions and card application volume. Affiliate commissions (see how we make money), limited-time offers and a card’s general popularity in the product landscape may also influence which cards we feature on our pages and the order in which they appear. Bankrate’s editorial and business teams also strive to feature a variety of card types from various issuers.

Here’s a quick look at how our rating methodology breaks down for travel cards:

Overall Score

Value 65%
Flexibility 15%
Perks 15%
Customer experience 5%

The primary criteria for a rewards-earning card’s rating is its rewards value. This includes the card’s average rewards rate, estimated annual rewards earnings and sign-up bonus value.

To estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings, we first calculate its average rewards rate based on how much it earns in different bonus categories and how closely its categories align with the average person’s spending habits. In other words, we assess whether the card earns rewards at a high rate in the most popular spending categories.

We use consumer spending data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to get a reliable third-party measure of people’s spending habits. The most recent BLS data estimates average total spending in 2024 was $78,535 per consumer. We then narrow our focus to which purchases are likely to be put on a credit card and earn rewards, subtracting expenditures like housing, vehicle purchases and education. This gives us a total “chargeable” annual spend of around $25,500.

This includes the following spending by category:
- Groceries: $6,000
- Dining out: $3,900
- Entertainment: $2,500
- Gas: $2,400
- Apparel and services: $2,000
Using this data, we assign a weighting to each of a card’s bonus categories. For example, a card’s grocery rewards rate receives a 26% weighting based on how much of the average person’s budget is spent on groceries.

This weighting allows us to estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings — how many points or miles you’d earn with a given card if your spending was about average and you used the card for all of your purchases.

With these calculations complete, we assign each card a score based on how its average rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value and rewards rate stack up against other rewards cards.

The better these values, the higher its score will be, making it more worthy of inclusion in our list and increasing its potential ranking.
We also score cards based on how much it costs to keep them in your wallet or carry a balance.

To start, each card is scored based on whether it offers an intro APR and how its ongoing APR compares to the rates available on other rewards cards. However, the latter rating only has a slight influence on the card’s score and whether the card is included in our list, since rewards card users generally try to avoid carrying a balance.

More important to both a card’s score and its inclusion in our list is how its annual fee influences its overall value. We consider a card’s annual fee in two ways — how it ranks relative to the fees you’ll find on other cards in the category and how it impacts a card’s overall rewards value.

Cards with an annual fee will always be at a slight disadvantage in our scoring system since annual fees inherently cut into your rewards value. However, if a card offers terrific value via its ongoing rewards and perks, it can earn a high score and a spot in our list even if it carries a high annual fee. After all, the highest rewards rates and most valuable perks are often found on cards with annual fees.

With this in mind, we rate a card based primarily on how its ongoing rewards value and ongoing perk value (such as annual credits or bonuses) stack up against those of other cards in the category when you subtract annual fees.

That said, we strive to include as many no-annual-fee options in our list as possible since many people would rather not worry about offsetting fees, even if a card carries impressive rewards and perks.
Rewards cards may make it easy to earn a lot of points, miles or cash back, but how easy is it to use those rewards? After all, if it takes a ton of effort to redeem rewards or you can only redeem rewards in a couple of ways, a card may be more trouble than it’s worth.

As such, we rate each card’s flexibility based on the restrictions it imposes on earning and redeeming rewards. We factor this rating into a card’s overall score and consider it when deciding on a card’s inclusion in our list.

Flexibility factors include whether a card only allows you to earn a high rewards rate on only a small amount of spending or requires you to meet a certain earning threshold before you can redeem rewards. We also examine whether your points are worth less when you opt for some redemption options over others and whether a card gives you the flexibility to transfer rewards to travel partners.
We also score each card’s set of features — its perks and benefits — against five tiers of features to provide a rating.

We break down these tiers as follows:

Tier 1 includes fewer features than even standard credit cards (for example, an ultra-streamlined card that offers basic utility and next to nothing in the way of ancillary benefits).

Tier 2 includes the benefits you’d expect on standard Visa or Mastercard credit cards, such as free access to your credit score, car rental insurance and $0 liability for fraudulent charges.

Tier 3 includes “prime card” or better-than-average card features like cellphone insurance, lost luggage insurance, concierge services and purchase protection.

Tier 4 includes luxury features such as airport lounge access, elite status with an airline or hotel and credits for expedited security screening membership programs.

Tier 5 includes the sort of exemplary benefits you’ll find on top-tier luxury cards, such as high-value travel credits, cardholder memberships and other unique and valuable perks.

In evaluating the best cards, we tend to favor cards that offer at least Tier 3 benefits, unless they include other unique features that could make up for less-impressive perks.

And since this list focuses on travel cards, we tend to favor cards that carry travel-centric features like travel insurance, airport lounge access and credits for expedited security screening, instead of more general perks like food delivery credits or shopping discounts.

Best travel credit cards of August 2026

+ Show Summary

If there's a better card out there, it's probably here

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® credit card

American Express Platinum Card®

Bilt Palladium Card

American Express® Gold Card

Citi Strata℠ Card

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

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

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

Compare Bankrate's best travel credit cards

Determine your preferred category

Find your match

Choose to apply

How do I choose a travel credit card?

Decide whether you want to pay an annual fee.

Consider which perks are important.

Compare bonus offers.

What kind of traveler are you?

Pros and cons of a travel credit card

Pros

Cons

How can I best redeem points?

How to maximize your travel rewards

Get the most out of your spending

Maximize redemption value with transfer partners

Make the most of your travel perks

Pick the right time to earn a sign-up bonus

Combine cards and categories