Steffi Montoya
There are many Mastercard travel credit cards available in the US, each with its own unique features and benefits. Here is a list of some of the best Mastercard travel credit cards:
- Citi Strata Premier Card: This card offers an initial bonus of 70,000 points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. It also rewards cardholders with at least 10 points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com, 3 points per $1 spent at hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations, and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. It has a 0% foreign transaction fee.
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: This card offers a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles for spending $4,000 within the first 3 months, equal to $750 in travel. It also offers unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: This card offers 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3X points on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases. It also comes with a $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit and premium travel protection benefits.
- American Express Gold Card: This card offers 4X Membership Rewards points on dining at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year), 4X points on US supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year), 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com, 2X points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points on all other eligible purchases. It also comes with a $120 dining credit, a $120 Uber Cash credit, and a $100 Resy Credit.
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card: This card offers unlimited 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, and 1X points on other purchases. It also comes with a $50 annual statement credit with a $50 minimum airline purchase, up to $1,000 of cell phone protection, and complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature Concierge.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 - $995 |
| Foreign transaction fee | Yes/No |
| Rewards | Points/Miles |
| Redemption options | Airfare, statement credits, hotel stays, merchandise, upgrades, etc. |
| Sign-up bonus | 20,000 - 140,000 points/miles |
| Perks | Lounge access, TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, free checked bags, priority boarding, etc. |
No annual fee
No-annual-fee travel credit cards are a great option for frugal or infrequent travellers, as they offer rewards for no yearly cost of card ownership. However, these cards may not have the same rich rewards and perks as cards that charge an annual fee.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
This card has a $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Cardholders can earn a bonus of 20,000 miles (equal to $200 in travel) after spending $500 within three months of opening the account. They can also earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase and 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many can be earned.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
The Citi Custom Cash® Card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Cardholders can earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 in the first six months. It also offers 5% cash back on purchases in the top eligible spending category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Cardholders can earn 80,000 bonus points and up to 17 total points for every $1 spent at IHG Hotels & Resorts. It also offers 3 points per $1 spent on purchases on monthly bills, gas stations and restaurants, and 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Capital One Platinum Credit Card
The Capital One Platinum Credit Card has no annual or hidden fees. Cardholders can be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as six months and can monitor their credit score with CreditWise from Capital One for free. It also offers $0 Fraud Liability, so cardholders won't be responsible for unauthorized charges.
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. Cardholders can earn 20,000 bonus points (a $200 cash redemption value) after spending $1,000 in the first three months. It also offers unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans, and 1X points on other purchases.
Discover it® Miles
The Discover it® Miles card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. Cardholders can earn an unlimited 1.5X miles on every dollar spent on all purchases. Discover will also match all the miles earned in the first year. Miles can be redeemed for travel or cash back at a rate of 1 cent per mile.
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High rewards rate
The best travel Mastercard for you will depend on your spending habits, travel preferences, and the type of rewards you value. Here are some of the best travel Mastercards with high rewards rates:
Citi Strata Premier Card
The Citi Strata Premier Card is an excellent option for those seeking a high rewards rate on travel-related purchases. It offers 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. Additionally, you can earn 3 points per dollar on air travel, other hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets, gas, and EV charging stations. The card also comes with a $100 annual hotel benefit, no foreign transaction fees, and a competitive sign-up bonus.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is another popular choice for travellers seeking high rewards. It offers 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, along with 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases. The card also includes a generous sign-up bonus, no foreign transaction fees, and the ability to transfer miles to over 15 travel loyalty programs.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a well-known travel rewards card that offers 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries, and 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases. The card also comes with a $50 annual hotel credit, premium travel protection benefits, and a reasonable annual fee.
American Express Gold Card
The American Express Gold Card is ideal for those seeking high rewards on dining and U.S. supermarket purchases. It offers 4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (up to a certain annual limit) and 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. The card also includes an annual dining credit, a welcome bonus, and no foreign transaction fees.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card offers a high rewards rate on travel purchases, including 5 points per dollar on hotels, 4 points per dollar on airlines, and 3 points per dollar on other travel, restaurants, and select streaming services. The card also comes with a $50 annual statement credit, no foreign transaction fees, and a solid welcome bonus.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium travel card that offers 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals, and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases. It also includes a $300 annual credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel, a 10,000-mile bonus every account anniversary, and complimentary access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide.
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Sign-up bonus
The sign-up bonus is a great incentive to get a travel credit card. Here are some of the best travel credit cards in the US and their sign-up bonuses:
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® offers 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. It also includes Admirals Club® membership for you and up to two guests or immediate family members travelling with you, with no foreign transaction fees.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offers a bonus of 20,000 miles, equal to $200 in travel, after spending $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. It has a $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles, equal to $750 in travel, after spending $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. It also includes up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®.
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card offers 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards, after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. It also includes a $100 annual hotel benefit.
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. It has a $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a $250 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. It also includes an 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases and has no annual fee.
Mastercard® Titanium Card™
The Mastercard® Titanium Card™ is designed for those seeking an introductory premium travel card. It offers a flat-rate redemption value of 1% for cash back or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. It also includes a 24/7 Luxury Card Concierge® service and exclusive Luxury Card Travel® benefits.
Citi Rewards+® Card
The Citi Rewards+® Card offers 20,000 bonus points, redeemable for $200 in gift cards, after spending $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening. It also includes 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025.
Mastercard® Gold Card™
The Mastercard® Gold Card™ is ideal for those seeking a top-of-wallet premium card. It offers a flat-rate redemption value of 2% for cash back or airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. It also includes an annual airline credit of up to $200, up to a $120 application fee credit for TSA Pre✓® or Global Entry, and 24/7 Luxury Card Concierge® service.
IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
The IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card offers 80,000 Bonus Points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. It also includes no foreign transaction fees.
Mastercard® Black Card™
The Mastercard® Black Card™ is ideal for those seeking a top-of-wallet premium card. It offers a flat-rate redemption value of 1.5% for cash back or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. It also includes an annual airline credit of up to $100, up to a $120 application fee credit for TSA Pre✓® or Global Entry, and 24/7 Luxury Card Concierge® service.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card offers 140,000 Bonus Points and an anniversary free night at IHG Hotels & Resorts after account opening. It also includes a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
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Redemption options
The redemption options for travel credit cards vary depending on the type of card you have.
General travel credit cards allow you to redeem rewards for a lot of things. Options may include:
- Statement credits
- Trips booked via the issuer's travel portal
- Online purchases
- Gift cards
Depending on the rewards program, you may also be able to transfer rewards to airline or hotel loyalty programs.
Airline credit cards offer perks that are especially useful to frequent flyers. They can be co-branded, meaning you earn rewards with a particular airline. Benefits often include:
- Free checked bags
- Priority boarding
- Complimentary or discounted access to airport lounges
- Discounts on in-flight purchases
Hotel credit cards are generally most valuable when used to book eligible accommodations. Co-branded hotel credit cards work best for loyal guests of a specific hotel group. If you regularly stay at properties within a hotel group, you can earn rewards that you can use for free nights at participating hotels. Redemption options might include:
Using points for free or discounted hotel stays, hotel services and upgrades, gift cards and airfare.
The best redemption option depends on your personal preferences and travel habits. If you want a simple redemption process, you may prefer a general travel credit card that allows you to redeem points as a statement credit or through the issuer's travel portal. If you want more flexibility, you may prefer an airline or hotel credit card that allows you to redeem points for a variety of travel-related purchases.
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Added benefits
The Mastercard Titanium Card is designed for those seeking an introductory premium travel card with exceptional airfare redemption, access to hotel privileges, and elevated service that most conventional cards do not provide. Cardholders also receive protection benefits that exceed those of standard credit cards.
The Mastercard Titanium Card offers a flat-rate redemption value of 1% for cash back or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. Cardholders earn one point for every dollar spent. Point redemption is simple, without requiring a complex reward strategy. The card features no foreign transaction fees, no earning caps, no rotating categories, and eliminates the need to pursue transfer partners to maximize point values.
The Mastercard Titanium Card also offers 24/7 Luxury Card Concierge services, where cardholders can make requests by phone, email, SMS, and chat in the app. Cardholders can connect directly with a real agent and receive 24/7 assistance for tasks big and small. Requests do not require a purchase, incur no charge for making them, and do not involve department transfers.
Additionally, the Mastercard Titanium Card provides exclusive Luxury Card Travel benefits, with an average value of $500 per stay (e.g., resort credits, room upgrades, free wifi, breakfast for two, etc.) at over 3,000 properties. Cardholders can also receive protection benefits like trip cancellation and interruption, auto-rental car collision waiver, travel accident, and baggage delay. Cell phone protection is also included for eligible claims of up to $1,000 each year, plus additional World Elite Mastercard benefits.
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Frequently asked questions
The best travel Mastercard in the US is the Citi Strata Premier Card. It offers an initial bonus of 70,000 points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. It also rewards cardholders with at least 10 points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com, 3 points per $1 spent at hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and EV charging stations, as well as 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. It has a 0% foreign transaction fee, too.
There are three basic types of travel cards: general travel cards, airline cards and hotel cards. General travel cards are more flexible than co-branded airline or hotel credit cards, which is a big plus for travellers who aren't necessarily loyalists or for those who travel to destinations with fewer hotel options.
Travel credit cards can accrue points and miles at higher rates on travel-related spending than other rewards credit cards. When you redeem those rewards for travel, you could get more value out of them than if you redeemed them for other rewards, like cash back, statement credits or gift cards. They also usually don't charge foreign transaction fees. However, most travel rewards credit cards have an annual fee. Fees can range from $39 to over $500. Plus, while those premium travel cards provide premium benefits, it's most certainly reflected in their annual fees.
Before you begin searching for a travel card, think about your travel preferences. Do you prefer to use one airline or do you enjoy the flexibility to choose different airlines? You also want to consider if you want a straightforward rewards program or if you're willing to navigate a complex program to get more enticing rewards.
Travel credit cards work just like any other rewards credit card, though they tend to reward cardholders more for making travel-related purchases than anything else. Plus, the points or miles that travel credit cards provide are usually worth more when redeemed for travel, compared to other redemption methods.
