Comparing the Best Travel and Hotel Credit Cards

For the true travel enthusiast, there’s one thing that can feel better than exploring new destinations, enjoying diverse cultural experiences, and finding new exotic foods: getting some of it for free! Well, if you travel enough—whether for business or pleasure—travel credit cards can help you achieve that goal.

With travel credit cards, frequent travelers can earn free flights, hotel stays and upgrades, trips on ride-share services, and a range of other rewards.¹ That could mean an extra family vacation to an alluring destination this year, or a business-trip upgrade from a mid-range hotel to a luxury spa.

Travel cards come in several different varieties, with two of the main categories being general-purpose travel credit cards and co-branded hotel credit cards.¹ The choice of which card works best for you will depend largely on your individual goals and travel patterns. 

General-purpose travel credit cards usually provide more flexibility in how you can exchange points for travel, so they might suit people who use a variety of travel providers.¹ Hotel credit cards and their benefits are closely linked to specific hotel brands, so they’re most beneficial if you frequently use hotels owned by the same company.² But each card has its own unique set of rewards—so it’s worth looking closely at each offer to determine whether it fits your needs.

Generally speaking, travel cards pay dividends for everyday spending—you earn points as you pay for purchases with the card, though certain spending categories may be excluded.² But they are particularly beneficial if you travel a lot. That’s because when you use the cards for travel-related spending, you tend to accumulate points more quickly—usually at a higher rate of several points for every dollar you spend.¹ You can then cash in those points for more travel or travel-related perks. 

Some issuers provide several “tiers” of cards with different levels of benefits and annual fees.² Also, some cards include big sign-up bonuses, awarding tens of thousands of points if you spend a specified amount within a few months of signing up—more than enough for some domestic or even international flights.¹

With general-purpose travel credit cards, your rewards are not tied to a specific airline or hotel chain.² You accumulate points in the card issuer’s program, and you can use those points to buy travel via the issuer’s online portal or transfer them to a variety of partners, such as airlines, hotel chains, and ride-share services.¹

Some cards also provide benefits you can use throughout your journey. Depending on the card, these may include:

• Discounts for TSA PreCheck^®, Global Entry, or CLEAR^® Plus Membership fees
• Free rental-car insurance and roadside assistance¹
• Credits for ride-share services and restaurant meals
• Elite membership status at selected hotel chains, entitling you to perks like room upgrades, free breakfast, Wi-Fi, and early check-in¹
• Elimination of fees that are usually added to each transaction in a foreign country—the savings can add up if you spend a lot while traveling abroad³                   

Hotel credit cards are co-branded by a hotel company and a card issuer.¹ With a hotel credit card, you typically accumulate points in the hotel’s rewards program, not the card issuer’s program.

As with general-purpose travel cards, you typically earn points for everyday purchases, but rewards may be bigger for travel-related spending on flights, restaurant meals, and some other expenses, such as gas. As you might expect, you can often earn even more points per dollar when you spend directly at the chain’s hotels and resorts.

Because your points accumulate in the hotel’s rewards program, hotel credit cards may deliver the biggest benefits for people who are loyal to a particular hotel chain and spend a significant amount on hotel expenses.¹

One example of this is the no annual fee Hilton Honors American Express Card.⁴ Card Members can earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, as well as 5X Points on dining at U.S. restaurants including takeout and delivery, and 5X Points at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations.⁵

For someone who prefers to stay at Hilton properties and uses their card frequently for other, everyday eligible purchases, these points can add up – helping you turn your everyday purchases into a future stay at Hilton properties. Terms and conditions apply, so be sure to visit the Card page for more details.

Typical hotel credit card benefits may include:

• Membership in the hotel’s loyalty program, which comes with perks like free breakfast, late checkout, and room upgrades²
• Free hotel stays, room upgrades, and vacation packages at resorts owned by the same company²
• Some loyalty programs may let you transfer points—although sometimes at a lower exchange rate—to different companies for airline miles, car rentals, and other services.⁶
• Some cards pass along card-issuer benefits such as auto rental insurance, roadside assistance, no foreign transaction fees, and access to airport lounges.