My Favorite Travel Credit Card + How to Pick the Best Credit Card for You
Credit cards. They’re a big part of most of our daily lives. Especially for travelers, credit cards make things easier. Whether it’s booking trips, checking into hotel rooms, or paying for international goods, credit cards help.
My love of travel was a big factor in helping me choose a credit card recently. There are a few things that I looked for when deciding what credit card I wanted.
Flexible Points
First I wanted to find a card that helped me earn points that were flexible. Some might prefer a cashback card versus a points card. If you do pick a points card over a cashback card, I recommend finding a universal points program. This means instead of collecting points on a specific airline or hotel, instead earn points that can be transferred to multiple carriers. I’m now earning AMEX membership reward points, which gives me tons of redemption options.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Again, this one comes back to my love of travel. Also the fact that I visit my in-laws in Canada. Many cards now offer no foreign transaction fees. If you don’t have a card that offers no foreign transaction fees then you’ll be charged a percentage fee every time you use your card internationally.
Travel Perks
For my own personal uses, I wanted to find a card that offered me some great travel perks. My favorite perk that my card gives me is airport lounge access. It comes with a hefty annual fee, but that lounge access is so nice! Plus, I get to the airport in plenty of time because I don’t mind waiting a bit. Some of my best work has been done in a Seattle airport lounge!
Annual Fee
Are you looking for a card with no annual fee? Often points earning programs have some kind of annual fee. My new card has one of the highest annual fees, $450, but it brings enough benefits to make it worthwhile. Be sure to consider the value the card gives you and see if the annual fee makes sense.
Sign up Bonuses
If you’re shopping for a credit card, it’s always nice to be able to take advantage of a special bonus offer. Most cards have a standard sign-up offer, but it’s during a bonus sign-up that you can really score. There’s a top offers section on CreditCards.com that will help you spot great offers.
Once you have an idea of what to look at in credit cards, you might be overwhelmed by all the credit cards offered. It’s hard to figure out which one is the best fit for you! There’s always an offer arriving in the mail or being advertised on tv. One way to make it easier is to use the CardMATCH tool at CreditCards.com to help narrow down your options.
The CardMATCH tool securely matches you with offers in less than 60 seconds without impacting your credit score in any way. Using CreditCards.com helps you make smart choices when choosing credit cards.
Everyone has different priorities and plans with credit cards, so do some research and make sure you find the best card for you!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
I think next time I switch I need to get one that gives me airport lounge access. My hubby sure could use that perk too.
Lounge access is such a great perk! Honestly makes me not mind layovers or getting to the airport early!