The Best No-Fee Travel Credit Cards

Posted: three/16/23 | March 16th, 2023

One of the simplest methods to save cash touring is by
journey hacking. Using bank cards (responsibly) to gather factors and miles primarily transforms your on a regular basis spending into free flights, free lodge stays, and different superior journey perks.

Not solely does this stretch your journey funds nevertheless it ranges up your journey expertise, offering free upgrades, lounge entry, and far, far more.

Whether you wish to be on the street for longer, take extra journeys, or just get monetary savings in your subsequent trip, factors and miles can get you there.

However, many of the finest journey bank cards have annual charges (generally enormous ones).

While annual charges are often value it for frequent vacationers (you will get far more worth out of a card than its annual charge), if you happen to’re new to journey hacking or don’t journey, it’s possible you’ll wish to get a no-fee card first.

And there are loads of no-fee playing cards on the market. Which one do you decide?

Here is my listing of the perfect no-fee journey bank cards so you can begin incomes factors towards free journey right now:
 

1. The Bilt Rewards Mastercard

Without a doubt my favourite no-fee journey card, the Bilt Mastercard lets you earn factors if you pay your hire (in addition to on on a regular basis purchases). The card is primarily geared towards vacationers and restaurant-goers because it provides 2x factors spent on journey and 3x factors on eating out.

You can switch factors 1:1 to journey companions, together with American Airlines, United, Emirates, Hawaiian, Virgin Atlantic, Air Canada, Air France/KLM, Hyatt, and IHG. The reality that you would be able to switch Bilt factors to American Airlines actually units this card aside; no different card’s factors are transferable to American, so amassing Bilt factors is the one solution to get AA factors with out having an AA card.

Bilt additionally integrates with level.me, a useful search and reserving engine for award flights.

With the Bilt card, you get:

• 1x factors on rental funds
• 2x factors on journey
• 3x factors on eating
• American Airlines as a switch associate (it’s the one card that does)
• Rent Day advantages: month-to-month giveaways and challenges in addition to 6x factors on eating, 4x factors on journey, and 2x on all different spending on the first of the month
• Travel safety together with journey cancellation and delay
• No overseas transaction charges

The Bilt card is totally a no brainer for renters who like to journey. To be taught extra, learn my full Bilt Review. It is the cardboard I exploit probably the most proper now (particularly on hire days).

Sign up for the Bilt card!
 

2. Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

The playing cards in Capital One’s Venture lineup are all improbable. While the Venture and Venture X are extra well-known, they arrive with annual charges. If you’re searching for a no-fee card, VentureOne is a wonderful choice. You’ll earn 1.25x factors on all purchases in addition to 5x factors on journey booked by means of the Capital One journey portal. Just like the opposite Venture playing cards, the factors you earn with the VentureOne card can then be transferred to Capital One’s 15+ switch companions to redeem for flights and lodges.

With this card, you’ll get:

• 40,000 factors if you spend $1,000 inside three months of account opening
• 1.25x factors on all purchases
• 5x factors on lodges and rental vehicles booked by means of Capital One Travel
• Travel accident and automobile rental insurance coverage
• No overseas transaction charges

Click right here to join the VentureOne!
 

three. Chase Freedom Unlimited

The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a superb no-fee card that provides 1.5% money again on all purchases, three% again on eating places and drugstores, and 5% money again on journey bought by means of Chase Ultimate Rewards. The card additionally provides journey protections like rental automobile insurance coverage and journey cancellation/delay. However, it does cost overseas transaction charges, so that you don’t wish to use it whereas touring overseas, solely to guide journey prematurely.

When you join this card, you’ll get:

• Earn an extra 1.5% on all purchases within the first yr (as much as $20,000)
• 1.5% money again on all purchases
• 5% money again on journey bought by means of Chase Ultimate Rewards
• three% money again on eating places and drugstores

Sign Up for the Freedom Unlimited!
 
Another comparable choice is the Chase Freedom Flex. Freedom Flex provides 5% money again on quarterly rotating bonus classes, 5% money again on journey bought by means of Chase Ultimate Rewards, three% on eating places, and 1% again on all different spending.
Sign Up for the Chase Freedom Flex right here!
 

CARDS WITH LOW FEES

If the playing cards above are somewhat too primary to your journey hacking wants and also you need one thing extra intermediate, right here’s a fast listing of journey bank cards with reasonably priced charges:

Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95 annual charge) – 3x factors on eating, on-line grocery buy, and choose streaming companies, 2x factors on journey (5x when booked by means of the Chase journey portal), journey protections, and a $50 annual lodge credit score if you guide and prepay by means of Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Capital One Venture ($95 annual charge) – 2x factors on all purchases, 5x factors on lodges/rental vehicles booked on Capital One journey, $100 Global Entry/TSA pre-check credit score, 2 airport lounge visits per yr.

Chase Ink Plus Business Preferred ($95 annual charge) – If you’re a enterprise proprietor, this card provides 3x factors per greenback on the primary $150,000 spent annually on transport, web, telephone, journey, and internet advertising, and free playing cards for workers.
 

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While fee-based playing cards have higher incomes constructions and journey advantages, if you happen to’re new to the factors and miles sport, the thought of forking out for an annual charge would possibly put you off from journey playing cards completely. But if you happen to like to journey (or wish to journey extra), not gathering factors and miles is the largest mistake you may make.

No-fee playing cards are an awesome place to begin in an effort to start to work in the direction of free flights and lodge stays right now, with out having to consider whether or not you’re getting sufficient worth out of the cardboard to justify the annual charge.

Advertiser Disclosure: “Nomadic Matt has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Nomadic Matt and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.”

Editorial Disclosure: “Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.”