Travel hacking is awesome. I would not be able to travel as much as I do without all the free travel perks I get from credit cards. Of course, you have to be sensible about how you use them, but done correctly, credit cards can net you tons of free travel! Check out my Beginner’s Guide for the basics of how this works.
I’ve used a bunch of different cards over the years. Some I was very happy with and some were a giant pain in the ass. In this post, I’m going to rank the cards I have personal experience with in several different categories. I personally never chose a card with a super high spending threshold or an annual fee that isn’t waived for the first year, so there won’t be any of those on this list.
Each of the factors I rank will be more important to some people than others. So think about what’s most critical in your mind (bonus points value, ease of use, etc.) and the card that scores highest in that category might be perfect for you. Or read to the end to get my pick for best overall card!
Scale
1 = easy / awesome
2 = pretty easy / good
3 = doable / okay
4 = harder / iffy
5 = difficult / bad
*Note: Credit cards occasionally change their bonus points offers and spending thresholds. This ranking is based on offers at the time of writing, March 2019.*
Capital One Venture
Bonus Point Value: 2
Good – 50,000 points worth $500
Ease of Achieving Spending Threshold: 2.5
Pretty easy/doable – $3000 in 90 days
Ease of Cashing in Points: 1
Easy – erase qualifying travel purchases online in seconds
Annual Fee Factor: 2
Good – $95, waived the first year
Notable Perks: 1
Awesome – $100 Global Entry fee credit, 10X miles on hotels, no foreign transaction fees
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Bonus Point Value: 1
Awesome – 50,000 points worth $625 when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Ease of Achieving Spending Threshold: 3.5
Doable/iffy – $4000 in 90 days
Ease of Cashing in Points: 4
Harder – must redeem through their travel booking portal to get the 25% bonus value
Annual Fee Factor: 2
Good – $95, waived the first year
Notable Perks: 3
Okay – 2X points on travel & restaurants, 10,000 bonus points for every friend you refer, no foreign transaction fees
*Special Note*
I feel compelled to add this note to this card because, while it doesn’t really factor into any other card I’ve tried, I will never get the Chase Sapphire Preferred card again because of the terrible experience I had trying to cancel it.
Ease of Cancelling: 5
Difficult – must call to cancel and listen to them try to convince you not to or to switch to another Chase card instead
Chase Freedom
Bonus Point Value: 4
Iffy – $150 statement credit
Ease of Achieving Spending Threshold: 1
Easy – $500 in 90 days
Ease of Cashing in Points: 1
Easy – get statement credit automatically
Annual Fee Factor: 1
Awesome – $0
Notable Perks: 4
Iffy – 5% cash back on certain categories each quarter if you activate online, $50 cash back (up to $500) for every friend you refer
Barclay Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard
Bonus Point Value: 1
Awesome – 70,000 points worth $700
Ease of Achieving Spending Threshold: 5
Difficult – $5000 in 90 days
Ease of Cashing in Points: 1
Easy – erase qualifying travel purchases online in seconds
Annual Fee Factor: 2
Good – $89, waived the first year
Notable Perks: 3
Okay – 5% miles back every time you redeem, no foreign transaction fees
Bank of America Travel Rewards
Bonus Point Value: 3
Okay – 25,000 points worth $250
Ease of Achieving Spending Threshold: 1
Easy – $1000 in 90 days
Ease of Cashing in Points: 1
Easy – erase qualifying travel purchases online in seconds
Annual Fee Factor: 1
Awesome – $0
Notable Perks: 4
Iffy – 10% points bonus if you have an active Bank of America checking or savings account, no foreign transaction fees
Citi Premier World Elite Mastercard
Bonus Point Value: 1
Awesome – 50,000 points worth $625 when redeemed through their Thank-You Travel Center
Ease of Achieving Spending Threshold: 3.5
Doable/iffy – $4000 in 90 days
Ease of Cashing in Points: 4
Harder – must redeem through their travel booking portal to get the 25% bonus value
Annual Fee Factor: 2
Good – $95, waived the first year
Notable Perks: 2
Good – 3X points on travel & gas stations, no foreign transaction fees
Category Rankings
Bonus Point Value:
- Barclay Arrival +World Elite Mastercard – $700
- Chase Sapphire Preferred & Citi Premier World Elite Mastercard – $625
- Capital One Venture – $500
- Bank of America Travel Rewards – $250
- Chase Freedom – $150
Spending Threshold:
- Chase Freedom – $500/90 days
- Bank of America Travel Rewards – $1000/90 days
- Capital One Venture – $3000/90 days
- Chase Sapphire Preferred & Citi Premier World Elite Mastercard – $4000/90 days
- Barclay Arrival+ World Elite Mastercard – $5000/90 days
Cashing In Points:
- Chase Freedom – no need to do anything, $150 automatic statement credit
- Barclay Arrival+ World Elite Mastercard, Capital One Venture, Bank of America Travel Rewards – erase purchases or redeem statement credit online
- Chase Sapphire Preferred & Citi Premier World Elite Mastercard – must book through their portal to get the 25% bonus
Annual Fee:
- Bank of America Travel Rewards & Chase Freedom – $0 annual fee
- Barclay Arrival+ World Elite Mastercard – $89, waived first year
- Capital One Venture, Chase Sapphire Preferred & Citi Premier World Elite Mastercard – $95, waived first year
Perks:
- Capital One Venture
- Citi Premier World Elite Mastercard
- Barclay Arrival+ World Elite Mastercard & Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Bank of America Travel Rewards & Chase Freedom
Best Overall Travel Rewards Credit Card:
Capital One Venture Card
While it only achieved the top ranking in the perks category, it is middle of the pack to high ranking in all the others. The rest of the cards swing wildly from top to bottom. The Venture card has the best balance of a relatively high bonus point offer, doable spending threshold, and ease of use. It’s the only card on this list I’ve opened more than once (so far…).
Best for Beginners:
Chase Freedom
This is the easiest one to try. It has a low spending threshold and you don’t have to do anything to get your rewards. Plus, there’s no annual fee so you don’t have to worry about canceling. The only thing to watch out for it that this card does have foreign transaction fees, so use it for advanced travel purchases at home but not when you are actually abroad.
Best for Big Spenders:
Barclay Arrival World Elite Mastercard
If you have some big purchases coming up and know you can achieve the spending threshold, this card will get you the most free travel and it’s pretty easy to use with okay perks.
Best for Small Spenders:
Bank of America Travel Rewards
The ratio of $250 in points value for spending $1000 is the best of the lot. The spending threshold is more achievable than 90% of other cards and still gets you a reasonable bonus. Plus, there’s no annual fee ever so no need to worry about canceling in time to avoid that charge.
*This post includes one or more affiliate links. I earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!) if you purchase a product or service through one of these links. Find out more here.*
Related Posts:
- 5 Tricks for Maximizing Credit Card Travel Rewards
- 50+ Unique Gifts for Travelers
- 5 Perks You Didn’t Know Credit Cards Offer
Want more from The Global Gadabout? Sign up for the newsletter and like the Facebook page!
Pin this post for later!
