This is the No. 1 most-recommended travel credit card in America

To help with that endeavor, we’ve pulled together the 10 most recommended travel rewards credit cards for May 2023 (more details below). To create this ranking, our team scours the internet in search of credit card recommendations from 16 of the most-trusted financial sites in America, including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal’s Buy Side, CNBC, Money, and more (full methodology below). We then rank these accounts based on the total number of recommendations. Here are the top picks:

There is little question rising inflation has left its impact on travel costs this year. The price of  airfare surged 17.7% over the past 12 months, dining out climbed 8.8% and lodging costs rose 7.3%, over the period. That said, NerdWallet credit cards expert Sara Rathner says the right travel card can potentially help offset some of the rising costs. “If you’re loyal to a specific airline or hotel brand, carrying the brand’s credit card can get you access to really helpful extras like free checked bags, priority boarding, discounts on in-flight food and beverage purchases, room upgrades, late checkout and more,” Rathner says, adding however that “if you don’t stick to any one airline or hotel, a general travel rewards credit card can give you a lot of flexibility since you can redeem those points in a variety of ways.”

Most recommended 

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card 

Winner: 13 ‘best of awards’

A high introductory bonus for newcomers, solid rewards package, and credit available on nearly all facets of travel; it doesn’t take long to see why the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card is the most recommended card of May 2023. There’s even points for Lyft rides and spending at supermarkets. 

Rewards: Earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards^®, excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the card’s $50 Annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, and earn 2x points on all other travel. You can also earn 5x points on Lyft rides when you travel through March 31, 2025 (or 3 points in addition to the 2x points earned for travel. For streaming services and online supermarket purchases, you can earn 3x points, and 1x point for each dollar spent on all other purchases. 

Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 bonus points — the equivalent of $1,000 — toward travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards^® when you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. 

Annual fee: $95

Regular APR: 20.74% to 27.74%, variable APR based on creditworthiness. 

Intro APR: None

Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is higher

Foreign transaction fee: None

Credit requirements: 670-850 (Good to Excellent)

• Pros 
  • Good bonus for newcomers 
  • Flexible redemption options 
  • Good travel coverage
  • High intro bonus 
  • Dining rewards
• Cons
  • Has an annual fee
  • Complex rewards package
  • Does not offer Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit
  • No intro APR
  • Best rates are only for bookings through Chase

Best for luxury travel 

Chase^® Sapphire Reserve Card

Winner: 9 ‘best of awards’

If you don’t mind paying the annual fee, the Chase^® Sapphire Reserve Card just might be the tool for you. With this card in your wallet, you can easily earn cash towards travel and points for flights, hotels and dining, and a whole lot more. This one ultimately pays for itself with its high rewards package and attractive introductory offer. It’s easy to see why this credit card is among the most recommended on the market. 

Rewards: Earn $300 in statement credits as reimbursement for travel purchases each year. After meeting that threshold, earn an additional 5x points on flights when you use Chase Ultimate Rewards^® card, 10x points on hotels and car rentals, and 3x points on all other travel purchases. Your points are also worth 50% more when you redeem them via the Ultimate Rewards. There are also 10x points on Chase Dining^SM and 1x point per dollar spent on all other purchases. What’s more, receive Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^® or NEXUS Fee Credit access, earn exclusive reservations at popular restaurants, 10x points on Lyft, complimentary DoorDash and DashPass subscriptions, a $10 monthly statement credit from Gopuff, as well as VIP access and early ticket sales to sporting events, festivals and more.

Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points — the equivalent of $900 — toward travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards^® when you spend $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.  

Annual fee: $550; and additional $75 for each authorized user

Regular APR: 21.74% to 28.74% variable APR based on your creditworthiness. 

Intro APR: N/A

Balance transfer fee: $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee: None

Credit requirements: 740-850 (Excellent)

• Pros 
  • Great travel perks and rewards 
  • Point value can be increased by 50% after redeeming through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• Cons
  • Excellent credit required 
  • High annual fee

Our methodology for choosing travel rewards credit cards

To create this ranking, our team scours the internet in search of credit card recommendations from industry experts to bring you the very best of the best, including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, NerdWallet, Business Insider, CNN, CNBC, Bankrate, Money, U.S. News, WalletHub, The Ascent/Motley Fool, CreditCards.com, Compare Credit, Credit Karma, Value Penguin and LendingTree. We then rank these accounts based on the total number of recommendations. Winners are determined by the number of times they appear on any of these experts’ lists. Simply put, credit cards that appear the most will be deemed the winner! In the event of a tie, we select our choice for the card with the best deal. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs):

What is a rewards credit card? 

Credit cards that are most commonly known as rewards credit cards offer some kind of benefit for its use. Typically these rewards include cash back, points or miles earned when you spend money on the card. There are of course limits with these rewards and you are often given a variety of ways to use or spend these rewards — often with gift cards, dollars or points. 

What is an annual percentage rate (APR)?

The annual percentage rate, also known as the APR, is the yearly interest that is charged to credit card holders or borrowers. This is essentially the cost of funds over the term of a loan or income earned on any given investment, including fees or any other costs that come with a given transaction. 

How is APR calculated?

The calculation for APR is made by multiplying the periodic interest rate by the number of periods in a given year that it should be applied. Here is a helpful calculation provided by Investopedia: 

APR=((Fees+Interest Principal/n)×365)×100

where:

Interest=Total interest paid over life of the loan

Principal=Loan amount

n=Number of days in loan term

How much can I expect to pay in interest with an average credit card? 

The average credit card interest rate today is 24.10%, according to a Forbes report.  If you had a credit card balance of $500 at 24.10% APR, you would theoretically owe $10 in interest at the end of a 30-day billing cycle period. Check out this useful calculator from NerdWallet for help running the numbers on your own credit card balances. 

How often do rates change? 

First, it’s important to understand the three types of interest rates for credit cards: variable, fixed and promotional. The frequency at which credit card interest rates change depends on the type of rate a credit card has:

• Variable rates: The interest rate for a card with a variable rate fluctuates over time because it is tied to a benchmark interest rate or index that periodically changes. 
• Fixed rates: A fixed rate remains stable during a set period of time and can sometimes become variable at the end of the period. These rates do not fluctuate due to inflation or changes in the prime index.
• Promotional: Credit cards that offer a promotional rate typically require that you meet some sort of balance requirement to earn a temporary interest rate. Much like a fixed rate offer, these promotional periods typically come to an end and one day revert back to a variable rate. 

How do I choose the best credit card?

Choosing the best credit card for your needs really comes down to preference and how much you intend to spend. Some key factors to consider here are fees, interest rates, your credit score and your monthly spending habits. The annual percentage rate (APR), which changes depending on the bank and card you ultimately choose, will also vary based on your score; the higher your score, the better the rate you will receive. 

What is a good credit score? 

Anything from 670 to 739 is considered a good credit score. Scores from 580 to 669 are considered fair; 740 to 799 are considered very good; and 800 and up are considered excellent.