How To Choose The Right Travel Credit Card

Whether you’re new to earning points and miles or it is something you’ve been doing for years, opening up a new credit card to earn welcome offers is the most powerful strategy to book travel. But how do you choose which card to open? While there are A LOT of cards out there, there are a few things to consider when making your decisions.

What is the welcome offer?

How many points are being offered by this credit card company if I open this specific card. Opening up a card that is being advertised and an elevated welcome offer is absolutely a top reason for picking a card. Elevated offers come once in a while throughout the year and it is a great opportunity to maximized on points.

Is there an annual fee?

When I first started opening credit cards for travel, the annual fee was something I didn’t quite agree with, or at least understand well. Why would I pay each year for a piece of plastic I keep in my wallet? This is where knowing the benefits of your particular card is worth it’s weight in gold. Take this card for instance. I love this credit card for many reasons! It has an annual fee of $395 😳. Excuse me??

Let me start with: this card gives $300 in annual credits that apply toward bookings made on Capital One Travel. This means, I can book a hotel through the portal and there is an automatic $300 credit put back on my statement. This alone reduces the cost of the annual fee to $95 once you’ve maxed out that $300 credit.

Another thing to note is once you’ve applied and secured your welcome offer, after a year you could request a downgrade for many of these cards. If you find yourself with a card that you are not maximizing on the travel benefits and therefore not able to justify the annual fee, this is a great option that will not impact your credit score. In the example above, you would request downgrading this card to this card.

Where can I use the points?

Utilizing the points earned from a credit card is the most important part of realizing your travel goals and dreams. It’s not good enough (most of the time) to simply book within the travel portal. While this may be one way to utilize points, it generally doesn’t give you as much value. Let’s say you want to book a trip from LAX to Florida. You have a bunch of Chase UR points from this card. Because of the transfer partners that Chase aligns with, you can now search 11 different airlines!

This opportunity makes these points particularly valuable. There are major transfer partners in this card and this card as well! Do you live near a certain airline hub that you fly frequently? Know which points they accept to make sure the points you’re earning can be utilized with that specific airline. This is a preferred way to decide which card to open.

When all else fails, check out my favorite cards for all the best opportunities out there! These cards will certainly set you up for success as you earn high yielding welcome offers and book travel and accommodations on points and miles!

Lastly, if your credit score is not optimal, it may feel intimidating to apply for a credit card. Getting a denial is no bueno, but don’t let that stop you! Using CardMatch is a fantastic tool that uses a soft pull on your credit and therefore does NOT impact your credit score. This can be used to help match you with a perfect card option or could unlock a special elevated welcome offer targeted just for you! To utilize this tool further, check out more information here!

The bottom line is this: there are a lot of things to consider when deciding which card is the best option for you. By utilizing welcome offers, understanding the transfer partners, and learning the travel perks included in each card, you are well on your way to earning valuable points and miles! So don’t hesitate in opening your next card to keep your travel adventures going!