Top Travel Rewards Cards

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By Ellen Kennedy From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Vacations can be expensive, but these travel rewards cards can help trim the cost.

Here are some of the top travel rewards cards in the latest survey by Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Visa

Sign-up bonus: $200 back if you spend $500 in the first three months; 5 percent back on gas station and grocery store purchases on up to $12,000 spent in the first year

Cardholders get 5 percent back on travel purchased through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards program, 3 percent on restaurant and drugstore purchases, and 1.5 percent on all other spending. You can trade the Ultimate Rewards points you earn at a rate of a penny each for cash back, gift cards or travel bookings.

Discover It Miles

Sign-up bonus: A match of miles earned after one year, doubling your rewards

All purchases earn 1.5 miles per dollar, and the redemption options are flexible. You can exchange miles at a rate of a penny each for statement credits on travel purchases, cash back, account credits to pay your card bill, and purchases with Amazon and PayPal.

American Express Everyday

Sign-up bonus: 10,000 points if you spend $2,000 in the first six months

Amex EveryDay provides a way to earn points without paying an annual fee. You get two points per dollar on up to $6,000 of supermarket purchases per year and one point per dollar on all other spending. If you make at least 20 purchases on the card in a billing period, you get a 20 percent bonus on the points you earned on those purchases. You can trade points at a rate of 1 cent each for flight bookings through Amex Travel or certain gift cards.

Capital One Venture Rewards

Annual fee:$95

Sign-up bonus: 75,000 miles if you spend $4,000 in the first three months

Capital One Venture offers five miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars that you book through Capital One Travel and two miles per dollar on all other spending. Miles are worth a penny apiece if you redeem them for statement credits on travel purchases or travel bookings through Capital One, or you can transfer miles to partner airline and hotel loyalty programs. Extra perks include reimbursement of the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, which provide expedited airport security screening.

US Bank Altitude Connect Visa

Annual fee: $95, waived the first year

Sign-up bonus: 50,000 points if you spend $2,000 in the first 120 days

This card delivers five points per dollar on hotel and rental car bookings through U.S. Bank’s travel portal; four points per dollar on other travel purchases and at gas and EV charging stations; two points per dollar on grocery store, restaurant and streaming-service spending; and one point per dollar on other spending. You can redeem points at a rate of a penny each for travel, gift cards, cash back, merchandise and other options. Cardholders are also reimbursed for the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and receive four free yearly visits to Priority Pass Select airport lounges.

©2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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