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Best Travel Cards That Doesn't Charge an Annual Fee
When you’re a frequent traveler, you want a credit card that helps you make the most of your trips and travel expenses. Some of the best features to look for include bonus points and miles, and discounts on travel ranging from savings on airfare, hotel stays, and other travel costs. Plus, it helps if you don’t have to pay anything extra for the card, which means that some of your best options also have no annual fee and other fees. Here are some of the features you should consider when choosing the best travel cards with no annual fee.
Cards with No Foreign Transaction Fees
Some cards work well for traveling within the US, but are not the best option when it comes to traveling to another country or making foreign transactions. Many credit cards come with a foreign transaction fee that can cost you as much as 3% of every purchase made abroad.
If your traveling includes destinations outside of the US, this fee can add up and cost you more than it’s worth to carry the card. This is why it’s best to find a card with no foreign transaction fee so it doesn’t cost you more just to use your credit card. Otherwise, you could get charged as much as 3% more every time you use your card. Considering that usually rewards programs don’t even give you as much as 3% in miles, points, or cash back, you likely won’t break even.
Although some of these travel cards have annual fees, depending on how much you travel abroad, it could be worth more to pay an annual fee than a foreign transaction fee. Some of the best travel credit cards without foreign transaction fees include the following:
| regular APR | |
- earn 2x miles on all purchases
- get 40,000 miles bonus after spending $3,000 on a card in the first 3 months
- redeem easily as a statement credit towards any travel expenses
good credit required
no first-year annual fee, $59 after
40,000 miles welcome bonus
2x miles on everything
Visa Signature status
With no foreign transaction fee and the annual fee of $59 waived the first year, the Capital One Venture Rewards card is a solid choice for frequent travelers. Plus, you can earn a bonus of 40,000 miles if you spend $3,000 on the card within the first three months of opening the account, which can be worth $400 in travel. You also earn two miles for every dollar you spend with the card.
| regular APR | |
- earn 2x points on travel and dining out
- get 50,000 bonus after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- get 5,000 bonus miles after adding authorized user in 3 months after account opening
- 25% more in travel redemption
good credit required
$95 annual fee, waived for the first year
or no annual fee for basic Sapphire card
2x points on travel and dining
1 point per dollar on all other purchases as usual
the card is made of metal
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card comes with a $95 annual fee that is waived your first year, which makes it a little easier to try out the card and see if it’s worth keep paying for. You don’t have to worry about foreign transaction fees with this card, either. This card also awards 2X points on travel ranging from airfare to hotels, taxis, and trains, 2X points on dining, and 1X point on all other purchases. You can transfer points to frequent travel programs at a ratio of 1:1. New cardholders can also earn a bonus of 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. This bonus can be worth $625 in travel.
No Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fee
There are travel credit cards with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee but they are rare.
no annual fee 1.5% cash back $100 welcome bonus
regular APR excellent / good credit required
read review
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the only cards that awards travel purchases without charging an annual fee or a foreign transaction fee. If you spend just $500 in the first 3 months of card membership, you will earn a bonus of $100 in cash. You also earn cash back with every purchase, at a rate of 1.5% cash back for each dollar you spend with the card. The only downside of this card is that there are fewer travel benefits and you earn cash back instead of miles. However, it’s worth considering if your travel purchases vary and you want to avoid paying an annual fee or foreign transaction fee.
no annual fee unlimited 1.5 miles per dollar redeem for any travel or cash
regular APR good credit required
read review
The Discover It Miles card another travel credit card without an annual fee or foreign transaction fee. You earn 1.5 miles for each dollar you spend with the card. And, currently, Discover will match all the miles you earn your first year as an extra bonus. This card’s only disadvantage is that depending on where you travel, you could run into problems with Discover card acceptance.
Travel Cards for Fair Credit
Not everyone has great credit. Fair credit makes it a bit more difficult to get approved for travel cards with high rewards. A fair credit score is usually a score in the range of the low 600s to mid 600s. Because most rewards credit cards require higher scores at least in the low 700s, you could find qualifying for travel credit cards a challenge.
You’ll need to search for fair credit options that still offer any travel benefits or bonuses. If your credit score is at the fair level or below, some of the best travel credit cards to consider include the following:
| regular APR | |
earn 1.5% on all purchases with no cap and limitations
fair credit / no credit required
$39 annual fee
good for average credit/limited credit
1.5% cash back
Like the Quicksilver card, the Capital One QuicksilverOne Rewards awards a flat rate of 1.5% cash back on all your purchases. This card, however, is for those with fair or average credit scores. There is an annual fee of $39 for this card, but there is no foreign transaction fee, making it a great option for those who travel abroad but don’t have high credit scores.
no annual fee 0% intro APR 5% cash back on quarterly categories $100 intro bonus
regular APR fair credit required
read review
Chase Freedom is another card you might qualify for if you have fair credit. As long as your score falls in the upper 600s, you should have no problem getting this card. The card awards as much as 5% cash back in quarterly rotating categories and 1% cash back on all other purchases. New cardholders can earn a bonus of $150 cash back if you spend $500 in purchases with the card in the first 3 months of card membership. There is no annual fee for this card.
no annual fee good card for an average credit 1% cash back on all purchases
regular APR fair credit required
read review
You might not typically think of a business travel card as an option when you have fair credit, but the Capital One Spark Classic for Business is a good option. Business owners often have a tough time finding a fair score credit card. This is also a great card to use if your business purchases include traveling for work. It awards a flat rate of 1% cash back on all your purchases with no annual fee or foreign transaction fee.
Secured Travel Credit Cards
There are also secured credit cards for people who travel and have low credit scores. The biggest difference with these cards is that you will need to make a security deposit, but you’ll receive a travel rewards credit card with a limit in the amount of the deposit. As you use your card, you can improve your credit rating and may qualify for other travel rewards credit cards in the future.
$25 annual fee $0 first-year fee reports to credit agencies 24 days grace period unsecured card offer after 12 months
regular APR bad credit required
read review
The AeroMexico Visa Secured Card awards two miles for each dollar you spend on gas and groceries and one mile on all other purchases. You can redeem your miles for AeroMexico flights or flights with SkyTeam airlines. This card also comes with benefits like free checked bag and a companion certificate each year. There is an annual fee of $25 which is waived the first year.
Korea Air SKYPASS Visa Secured Card
The Korea Air SKYPASS Visa Secured Card awards one mile for each dollar you spend on all purchases. You can earn a bonus of 5,000 miles after your first purchase, plus you get 1,000 miles when you renew each year. The annual fee is $50.
Avianca LIfeMiles Visa Secured
The Avianca LIfeMiles Visa Secured Card also awards one mile for each dollar you spend with the card. You also earn a bonus of 5,000 miles after you use your card the first time, as well as travel benefits such as 15% baggage fee redemption discount and travel accident insurance. The annual fee of $25 is waived the first year.
Travel Cards with Flying Miles
One of the best things about travel cards is that you receive flying miles with every purchase. Most allow you to earn at least one mile for each dollar you spend, which you can later redeem for award flights on your next trip. Some people let the miles rack up until they can pay for their entire flight, while others use up their miles as discounts on every flight they take.
$95 annual fee, waived for the first year or no annual fee for basic Sapphire card 2x points on travel and dining 1 point per dollar on all other purchases as usual the card is made of metal
regular APR good credit required
read review
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the best options for earning rewards on travel purchases. Not only do you have your annual fee waived the first year, but you also receive a myriad of rewards based on how you use the card. If you dine at a restaurant, you earn two points for each dollar you spend. Plus, if you book your travel plans through the Chase Ultimate Rewards site, you get a 20% discount. You also earn plenty of miles for all the purchases you make, which are easy to redeem or transfer to other travel programs.
$99 annual fee 2x on Southwest purchases 60,000 miles bonus
regular APR good credit required
read review
If you spend $1,000 with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card within your first 3 months of opening the account, you can earn a bonus of 40,000 points. This bonus can be worth a round-trip ticket with Southwest Airlines. You also receive an additional 6,000 points every year after your first anniversary with the card. Use them any way you see fit toward your flight plans. This card also includes travel benefits such as first and second checked bags fly free and no change fees. The annual fee is $99 but there is no foreign transaction fee.
| regular APR | |
- get 30,000 miles bonus after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
- get $50 statement credit if you make Delta purchase in the first 3 months
- 2x miles on Delta purchases
- 1 mile for $1 on other purchases
excellent required
Gold: $95 annual fee, waived for the first year
Platinum: $195 fee
Reserve: $450 fee
Delta benefits
The Gold Delta SkyMiles card awards double miles for each dollar spent on Delta purchases and one mile for all other purchases. New cardholders can earn a bonus of 60,000 miles after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of opening the account. You can also earn a $50 statement credit after making a Delta purchase also in the first 4 months. This card includes first checked bag free, priority boarding, and in-flight discounts of 20%. The annual fee is $95 with no foreign transaction fees.
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