The BEST Travel Credit Cards on a Budget

The question I get asked the most often is “Henley, how do you afford to travel so often?” And I used to rattle off reasons like “I stay in cheap accommodations” and “I find really cheap flights” and “I cook my own food instead of going out to eat.” While all of those things are helpful in saving money while traveling, they don’t compare to the FREE money you can be earning by using a good travel credit card. Now I know what you’re thinking, there are so many credit cards out there, how do I know which one is right for me? Navigating the world of credit cards can be confusing and overwhelming, but that’s why I’m here, to answer your questions & help you out.

First things first, instead of the money you spend translating into actual money, credit card companies like to make things more confusing by using miles and points. They’re essentially the same thing, for example Chase uses points and Capital One uses miles but they can both be used to purchase airline tickets, hotels, and more. While not all credit card issuers and airlines use the same method to quantify how much your points & miles are worth, a list of most major issuers and airlines can be found here. To confuse you even further, credit card companies also like to add on a bunch of zeros to these quantities of points and miles. But you can calculate what yours are worth here. While they vary from provider to provider, they’re all relatively similar amounts.

Second, you’ll notice that I don’t include the APR (interest rate) in any of these lists. I use my credit cards to earn money, not to lose it and I do so by always making my payments on time. Credit Card companies will try to sell you on things like a ‘low intro APR’ or no intro APR for your first year but the truth is, if you’re making your payments on time, the APR shouldn’t matter. You’re only charged interest when you’re making a late payment, which if you’re using your credit card wisely, you shouldn’t be doing anyways. Plus, making payments late tanks your credit score and the whole point of a credit card is to increase your creditscore— not make it worse.

Third and finally, before you apply for ANY of these credit cards, it’s important to check & know your credit score, which you can do here. While you can check if you’re ‘pre-approved’ for a credit card without impacting your credit score, actually applying for a credit card— also known as a hard inquiry—will have an impact on your credit score and will often cause it to temporarily drop. Too many hard inquiries are bad for your credit score so it’s important to only apply for cards you truly believe you will be approved for.

Pretty please keep all of this in mind before applying for any of these lovely credit cards. So, without further ado, my top five favorite travel credit cards.

5. The DiscoverIt Travel Rewards Card

The DiscoverIt Travel Rewards Card is a great first travel credit card. It’s one of the easiest cards to get approved for & it comes with the classic Discover ‘First Year Match’ meaning that they will match every mile you earn! If you really maximize this you can earn a ton of points!

4. Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card

The Bank of America Travel Rewards Card is a good basic card to begin earning miles. It has no annual fee which we LOVE to see and 1.5x points on all purchases! While it doesn’t have excellent opportunities for points, it does have a decent sign-up bonus.

3. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Now I know this may be a surprising middle choice because the Chase Sapphire is widely considered to be the crème de la crème of travel credit cards, but hear me out. When traveling on a budget, any unnecessary fee is just that, unnecessary. While the yearly fee for the Sapphire isn’t too extreme (some credit cards have yearly fees of around $700) it can feel like a lot. While the bonus points and opportunities to earn miles can outweigh the annual fee, there are other beginner cards that have pretty decent cash back programs. That being said— if you have excellent credit and feel that the $95 annual fee is worth it, then go for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card— it’s amazing.

2. The Capital One Venture One Card

When people think travel credit cards, it’s common for Capital One to come to mind, with a wide variety of travel cards for all budgets, it’s easy to find one that suits your needs & budget. For those of you who are trying to earn money without spending extra, the Venture One Card from Capital One is a perfect fit.

1. The Chase Freedom Unlimited Card

While Chase did temporarily scrap their $200 sign on bonus, it does appear that it’s back! Spend $500 in the first 3 months and earn $200– its that easy! With incredible opportunities to earn cash back and points, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is the clear number one choice. With no annual fee, the Freedom Unlimited is the perfect introductory card for those looking to enter the Chase family on a budget.