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If you only travel occasionally, you may not want to commit to a travel credit card. These cards tend to come with high annual fees, which can be hard to offset if you don’t use enough of the card benefits. In that case, using a cash back credit card might make more sense to help fund your travel needs.
Many cash back cards offer rewards on both everyday and travel spending which you can redeem for statement credits to reimburse yourself for travel expenses. Plus, some cash back cards provide access to an issuer’s travel portal and other travel benefits.
Comparing the best cash back credit cards for travel
The best cash back credit cards for travel provide a combination of solid earning rates with benefits that can help with your travel needs or provide value while away from home.
|
Card name |
Best for |
Highlights |
Bankrate score |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Chase Freedom Flex®* |
Rotating categories |
|
4.8 |
|
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express |
Everyday spending |
|
4.4 |
|
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card |
International travel |
|
5.0 |
|
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card |
Flat rate cash back |
|
4.6 |
Top cash back credit cards for travel
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The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex offers 5 percent cash back on quarterly rotating bonus categories (up to $1,500, then 1 percent back, activation required), which usually covers gas or other travel-related categories. You’ll also earn 5 percent cash back on bookings through Chase Travel and Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025). This card also comes with solid trip cancellation and interruption insurance, travel and emergency assistance services and the ability to redeem rewards for travel through Chase.
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Pros
- This card offers solid travel protections for a no-fee cash back card.
- Using bonus categories when they align with travel needs can provide an excellent return.
Cons
- You have to activate the bonus categories every quarter to earn higher rewards.
- You must pair this card with a premium Chase card to access transfer partners or elevated travel portal value.
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The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a great card for everyday spending, earning 6 percent cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year, then 1 percent) and select U.S. streaming subscriptions and 3 percent cash back on transit and at U.S. gas stations. You’ll get a $0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 annual fee after). You can use your elevated cash back earnings for a statement credit to reimburse yourself after making travel purchases. This card also has access to the American Express Travel portal, although you can’t redeem cash back directly for bookings.
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Pros
- This card is one of the top choices for maximizing everyday spending with one card.
- The welcome offer and intro APR on purchases and balance transfers can help finance larger travel purchases.
Cons
- The card doesn’t provide travel-specific benefits.
- The annual fee and spending caps may make this card tough to justify if you don’t maximize your spending.
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The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is ideal for international travel since it has no annual fee or foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees) and earns impressive rewards in categories like dining and entertainment. This card also comes with several travel-related benefits and concierge services to enhance your travel abroad while earning solid rewards. Plus, you can redeem cash back rewards for Capital One Travel reservations (not including taxes and fees).
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Pros
- This card is an excellent choice for a standalone card while traveling, covering many categories at an elevated reward rate.
- Combining solid rewards with the intro APR and welcome offer provides substantial initial value and flexibility.
Cons
- You must book through Capital One for the best rates in multiple categories, which may not have the best prices or availability.
- Merchant coding may not work correctly while traveling internationally, which may cost you rewards.
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The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card takes out the guesswork of bonus categories with a decent 1.5 percent flat cash back rate on eligible purchases. While this isn’t the top rate available, other cash back cards with higher rates charge foreign transaction fees, unlike the Quicksilver. You also won’t pay an annual fee (See Rates and Fees) and get a generous intro APR offer, easy-to-earn welcome bonus and solid travel protections.
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Pros
- This card is straightforward and low-maintenance.
- You’ll have access to standard Mastercard travel benefits with this card.
Cons
- There aren’t any extra travel benefits unique to this card.
- There aren’t any extra travel benefits unique to this card.
How to choose the best cash back credit cards for travel
Here are some important considerations to keep in mind when selecting a cash back credit card for travel.
Look for cards that offer bonuses on everyday expenses and travel
Numerous cash back cards offer rewards on both everyday expenses and travel purchases, so look for a card with bonus categories that fit well with your spending and travel needs. Finding a card with a good balance of both features gives the card more practical everyday use.
Redeem cash back as a statement credit to reimburse yourself
Even if your cash back credit card doesn’t have travel-specific redemption options, you can redeem your cash back to pay yourself back for any travel-related expenses. For instance, you could save up your rewards from other bonus categories until you reach the amount you spend on your travel purchases. Then, you could redeem your rewards for a statement credit to pay yourself back for those expenses.
See if you have access to your issuer’s travel portal
Many cash back credit cards now offer access to the issuer’s travel portal. These portals may offer exclusive deals on travel or boosted rewards rates for select bookings, while others allow you to redeem your rewards for travel purchases through the travel portal. See how you can leverage a travel portal for additional value.
Decide if you need a card with no foreign transaction fees
Many cash back credit cards include a foreign transaction fee (usually 3 percent) on any purchases you make outside of the United States or in a foreign currency. If you travel abroad, you’ll want a card with no foreign transaction fee so you don’t cancel out the rewards you’ll earn with your card. For instance, all Capital One credit cards come with no foreign transaction fees.
Why you might want a different card
While you can use the rewards you earn from a cash back credit card to help fund your travel plans, make sure that you’re actually better off with a cash back card rather than a points or miles credit card. Here’s when other cards might make more sense for you:
- You plan to travel two or more times per year
- You plan to travel more frequently
- You plan on traveling abroad
- You spend significant money on travel
- You want access to premium travel perks
In these instances, you would likely be better off with one of our top travel credit cards, which come with perks like high welcome bonuses, travel protections, annual statement credits for travel-related purchases or airport lounge access. Just make sure you can offset the potentially higher fees through card spending and benefits.
If you’re just starting to travel more frequently — or if you’re not sure if a travel card is right for you — there are a number of entry-level travel cards with low annual fees or no annual fees. That way, you can test out the travel card space to see if it’s right for you before committing to a card with a higher annual fee, while still reaping better rewards than you would get with a cash back card.
Frequently asked questions
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While the requirements vary depending on the card, you’ll generally need at least good credit or better (FICO score of 670 or higher) to get approved for the best cash back credit cards for travel.
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Weigh the value of the benefits offered and an estimation of how much you might earn in rewards against the cost of the annual fee to determine whether you can justify the cost. If the math doesn’t add up, consider a no-annual-fee card.
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Depending on the issuer, you can pool your cash back earnings with other cards from the same issuer, which would allow you to turn them into points or miles if desired. Card combinations, like the Chase trifecta, can be leveraged as powerful earning tools for your travel needs.
What’s next?
Check out these Bankrate tools to match your next card.
The bottom line
If you don’t travel frequently, you might find value in strategically using a cash back credit card to reimburse travel-related purchases. The right cash back card can provide travel-related perks like elevated rewards on travel purchases, no foreign transaction fees or access to the issuer’s travel portal. However, if you travel often, you’ll likely benefit from credit cards specifically for travel.
*The information about the Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
*For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
*For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred Card, please click here.
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