“Top 3 Credit Cards for Travel Hacking”
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Traveling lets you experience new places and cultures. However, even the most well-planned trips can take a bite out of your finances. Specialty credit cards for travel hacking let you save money and take advantage of enticing perks.
Here are the top 3 credit cards for travel hacking
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card gives you access to points, which accumulate when you make purchases. You can boost the awards by doing specific trip-related activities within Chase Travel. This specialized portal gives you extra points for booking flights, reserving hotel rooms and more.
Unexpected expenses are no problem thanks to the Chase Pay Over Time option, available for eligible purchases of $100 or more. It allows you to break payments into monthly segments to pay a flat amount with no interest.
Key Features
| 100,000 bonus points once you spend $5,000 in the first three months of opening your account | Points transferable to 14 airline and hotel partners for additional flexibility |
| Five times the points on eligible travel purchases made through Chase Travel and double points on other travel purchases | Trip interruption and cancellation insurance, baggage and trip delay reimbursements, and no blackout dates or restrictions when booking trips with accumulated points |
2. Capital One Venture Rewards Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards card gives you two points for every dollar spent. Some categories offer even more earning potential. Booking your trip through Capital One Travel results in five times the miles for those transactions.
Since this card provider also offers airfare predictions and price-drop protection, you can remove the guesswork from figuring out when to book your flights. Eligible cardholders also get Five-Star status at Hertz, offering them a wider selection of rentals.
Key Features
| $250 to spend on transactions made through Capital One Travel in your first year as a cardholder | Accumulated miles transferable to more than 15 travel loyalty programs |
| 75,000 bonus miles when you spend at least $4,000 with the card in the first three months of opening the account | Credit of up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck |
3. American Express Platinum Card
The American Express Platinum card allows users to unlock more than $1,500 in value by claiming appealing perks. Cardholders get up to $200 in statement credits yearly when they book select hotel rooms through the American Express Travel hub. Additionally, people can receive up to $20 monthly statement credits for eligible digital entertainment purchases.
Cardholders may select one qualifying airline and receive up to $200 per calendar year in statement credits as reimbursement for incidental fees charged by that brand. This incentive helps people travel with fewer financial hassles.
Key Features
| 120,000 membership rewards points when you spend $8,000 in the first six months | Complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges in 140 countries |
| Five times the points on flights booked directly through the airlines or American Express Travel or when booking prepaid rooms through American Express Travel | Statement credits to cover fees associated with applying for or renewing TSA PreCheck or Global Entry |
Optimizing Reward Points
Once you’ve chosen a card for the best travel hacks, how can you maximize the perks?
Spend Strategically
Become familiar with how you earn rewards to determine how and when you charge transactions to your card. Have you always used your debit card to buy groceries? Now’s a good time to change that if you plan to get a credit card that rewards purchasing those essentials.
As you review where your money goes and how you pay for things, consider a percentage-based system to keep your spending on track. One popular approach is to set aside half of your income for necessary items. Then, use 30% of the remainder for things you want and put 20% toward saving or paying off debt.
Use Multiple Cards
Consider getting more than one travel card so you can enjoy all the rewards. Combinations work especially well if you regularly fly with multiple airlines and want to accumulate miles with both.
Maintain responsible credit card habits as you expand your usage, especially since credit limits can tempt you to spend more. Consider storing the cards in a wallet that protects them from hackers who try to get information from the RFID chip.
Explore Opportunities to Transfer Your Points
Many cards allow cardholders to use points with hotel and airline partners in the provider’s network. Those perks give you more freedom to use various brands when traveling.
If your chosen travel card features a specific brand on the front, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can only select options from it when planning your next trip.
Aim for a Strong Credit Score
Statistics suggest providers using digital issuance platforms will distribute more than 321 million credit cards worldwide by 2027. The internet has made applying for new cards easier and faster. However, be aware of how those choices could impact your credit score.
You should understand what factors affect your score and which ones are within your control. Consider using a credit-monitoring app so you notice when your score changes and why. Those insights should help you feel more empowered whether your score is already where you want it or you’re trying to improve it.
Glorious Getaways Are Within Reach
Incentives from credit card companies make travel more accessible. Explore the options above and imagine how they’d fit with your travel style and destination-related aspirations. Also, check the terms and conditions before applying since credit card companies may change them or have limited-time offers.
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