What’s the best way to finance that trip of a lifetime? With careful planning and budgeting, using credit cards for your next vacation can be a great way to enjoy the freedom of the open road. You can also get benefits on gas and hotels, among many other travel expenses.
With the best credit card for a road trip, we’ll show you how carefully budgeted and strategic use of a credit card can help make your next getaway a reality.
Best Credit Card for a Road Trip Reviews
From rewards on dining and hotels to cash back points earned on gas and other travel expenses, the Citi Premier Card is the best credit card for a road trip.
No matter what’s happening in current events, however, and especially when the weather gets warmer, many crave the freedom of the open road. The road trip, after all, is a great American institution, especially for senior citizens who finally have the time to slow down and see the sights.
Keep reading to find out everything we liked and a few things consumers should be aware of when considering an account opening for any of these cards.
Best Overall Credit Card for Road Trips: Citi Premier Card
First up in our ranking of the best cards for making a road trip is the Citi Premier Card from CitiBank. This travel rewards credit card with cash back offers 60,000 ThankYou bonus points on the first $4K spent on the card in the first three months after the account opening.
Eligible categories most useful for experienced road-trippers include gas, hotels, supermarkets, restaurants (both dine-in and takeout), and air travel. In addition to those categories, the 60,000 ThankYou Points from Citi Bank are worth an estimated $1,000 value thanks to Citi’s robust network of transfer partners.
Points accrue 3X faster on travel purchases annually, with no caps or annual limits. Cardholders continue earning 1X ThankYou points on all other eligible purchases as if that weren’t enough. What’s not to like?
As well as this generous ThankYou points program, the Citi Premier card also offers a $100 annual credit each year on a single-stay hotel visit of $500 or more, wherever your destination may be (excluding taxes and fees). We also like the low annual fee, at only $95.
Despite having an annual fee, additional benefits of this rewards premier credit card worth mentioning include extended warranty protection, damage and theft protection, and a whole host of World Elite Mastercard Benefits, including many travel perks.
Suppose the purpose of your getaway is to catch your favorite performing artist or sports team play. The Citi Premier Card allows early ticket access through Citi Entertainment.
Pros
- $10 discount on every five Lyft rides, and if you plan your stay through the World Luxury Hotels & Resorts portfolio, you can enjoy perks like free daily breakfast.
- Citi Concierge service helps you shop, dine, and even make entertainment arrangements once you’ve arrived at your destination.
Best Credit Card for Road Trips and Saving Money at Restaurants: American Express Gold Card
The American Express Gold Card is an alternative to the Citi Premier Card or a card to use in tandem, especially for saving money at restaurants while on the road.
At $250, the annual fee with the American Express Gold Card is steeper than some. However, this credit card issuer makes up for it with a similar welcome offer to the Citi Premier: 60,000 Membership Rewards points after the first $4,000 spent on the card.
Setting Express Gold apart, however, is that with AMEX, consumers enjoy an additional three months to reach that spending minimum. And once you’ve reached that number, 1X points continue to accrue on those same travel purchases.
As promised, the Exmuch Gold card with cash back has a lot to offer, such as the following bonus, available at restaurants but also participating grocery stores: Use your AMEX at participating partners like Grubhub and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, among many others, and earn up to $10 in statement credits.
Pros
- Despite an annual fee, additional advantages for registered AMEX cards like the Citi Premier include $10 in Uber Cash or up to $120 a year covering Uber Eats and 4x membership rewards points at restaurants.
- Once you’ve arrived at your destination, book a hotel through the AMEX Hotel Collection and receive $100 credit toward dining and spa treatments, among other relaxing activities.
Best Road Trip Credit Card with Rewards Points: Chase Sapphire Reserve
To maximize rewards points on eligible purchases related to travel, we recommend the next card in our ranking: the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Although the Sapphire Reserve has a steep annual fee of $550, it more than makes up for it with generous offerings in the area of dining and travel.
You’ll earn 60,000 bonus points after the first $4K spent on the card in the first three months after the account opening, including a $300 travel credit. Additionally, users can earn 3X Ultimate Rewards points on a broad selection of hotels and Airbnb lodging.
Also, setting the Chase Sapphire apart from other cards is the broad definition of what dining even means. Must the meal be served on a white tablecloth to be considered eligible?
Not so with Chase Sapphire, as this credit card issuer considers everything from coffee shops and cafes to university dining halls eligible for the program, among many other food service outlets.
Pros
- Chase’s Pay Yourself Back feature allows 1.5 cents toward a statement credit offsetting online grocery purchases, home improvement, or dining.
- The Chase Ultimate Rewards generously cut down costs on gas and groceries while you’re on the road.
How to Choose the Right Credit Card for a Road Trip
Making the appropriate card selection for your road trip could be crucial. Here are some tips for selecting the best credit cards:
Rewards Alignment
Consider your travel preferences and pick a card that complements them. Give priority to travel credit cards with generous fuel rewards if you plan to spend more on gas. Choose credit cards that excel at hotel rewards if lodging is your priority.
Fees
Consider the annual fee in light of the benefits provided. A higher annual fee might be acceptable if the benefits and advantages outweigh the cost by a large margin. Get a no-annual fee card and zero foreign transaction fees.
Sign-Up Bonuses
Numerous credit cards for road trips offer alluring sign-up bonuses that can help you earn rewards immediately. To identify the most profitable offer, evaluate and contrast the various offers.
Travel Partnerships
Check out the card’s affiliations with hotels, car rental agencies, and airlines. Cards that partner with travel-related brands can improve your experience and increase your rewards.
Additional Benefits
Examine advantages like travel insurance, lost luggage insurance, purchase protection, extended warranties, and travel-related perks.
Bonus points to consider before choosing a card for your next road trip is whether or not the card offers roadside assistance, because many do.
What Are the Benefits of a Road Trip Credit Card?
We’ll begin by explaining what makes a credit card a good choice for travel—road trip or otherwise—as opposed to any other kind of purchase.
- Bonus points: When selecting a credit card for a road trip, consider cards offering bonus points on things most beneficial for your journey, like gas, hotels, and dining.
- Welcome bonus: Most cards offer introductory 0% APR or other welcome bonuses for new customers. Taking advantage of these offers can be no-interest, like a no-interest loan for travel or cash back rewards on travel purchases made while you’re on the road. Just make sure you plan to spend enough to qualify for these perks.
- Lowest fees: What may seem like the best credit card benefits for vacation may not seem so great once the annual fees are taken into consideration. Don’t forget to read the fine print carefully, especially regarding the annual fee months from account opening.
- Fuel rebates: The potential to save money on gas is one of a road trip credit card’s most alluring features. As you travel the highways, these cards frequently offer cash back or reward points on eligible purchases, making it easier on your wallet.
- Travel rewards: Imagine accumulating points while driving that can later be used to book hotel rooms, rental cars, or even flights. Every mile on a road trip counts as a step toward your next adventure, thanks to partnerships between merchants and credit card companies.
- Roadside assistance: Breakdowns can occur at the worst possible times. Some credit cards for road trips offer free roadside assistance, giving you the peace of mind that you will never be stranded.
- Dining discounts: Trying new cuisines is important to any road trip. Certain credit cards provide exclusive dining discounts, allowing you to enjoy local cuisine without breaking the bank.
- Zero foreign transaction fees: A card that waives foreign transaction fees can be a game-changer if your road trip crosses international borders and enables you to enjoy seamless payments free from unforeseen fees.
It is also a good idea to pair cards together, offering the best bonus points on gas and lodging, with another offering better roadside assistance, the longest introductory rate, or the lowest minimum spending limit to take full advantage of the cash back rewards program.
How to Travel for Free With Credit Card Rewards
Here’s the big question many of you are asking: is it possible to travel for free with a rewards credit card? Leverage card perks like cash back rewards, and you can travel nearly for free, or practically so. We’ll show you how:
Check Your Credit Score
The best credit cards for travel require excellent credit, and if your credit could be better, the first step in traveling for free is to take the steps necessary to repair it.
Choose Credit Cards With Travel-Related Rewards
After repairing your credit, the next step is to find yourself credit cards that offer the best rewards, bonuses, and other perks related to travel and use them strategically, paying off your debt quickly and on time and never charging more than you can afford.
Don’t be afraid to get more than one card for this purpose. For example, one card might offer great rewards when you stay at your favorite hotel, while another offers better rewards when you fill up at the pump.
Check for Cack Back Rewards
Earning bonus points on travel-related expenses is one of many ways to travel for free with credit card rewards. Using credit cards that offer cash back rewards on what you spend most can be another great way to finance your trip.
Pick a card with no cap on what you can earn for the best results, despite paying an annual fee. Make sure earnings apply to what you spend money on the most.
Read the Fine Print
Be well aware that even the best cash back rewards from credit card companies and points earned on travel won’t do you any good if there are earning caps or expiration dates that render them useless for your purposes. It also won’t do you much good if the credit card’s annual fee consumes all your earnings.
Maximize the Sign-Up Bonus
It’s entirely possible a credit card’s sign-up bonus after account opening might finance your trip. Often you have to spend a certain amount within a certain timeframe to earn those rewards, so make sure the minimum spending requirements fit your budget.
- One tip to earn the sign-up bonus easily is to add an authorized user to the card to double up on the spending and the rewards! You can also earn sign-up bonuses across multiple cards.
- Additional pointers include joining airline and hotel loyalty programs access to maximize spending and exploring ways to transfer and consolidate points between cards. Be sure to redeem your points immediately so they don’t expire.
- It’s also essential to stay on top of any rewards program changes to avoid surprises and redeem your rewards as quickly as possible so they don’t expire.
Most importantly, it’s crucially important never to spend more than you can afford on your cards.
What Credit Score Is Needed for a Travel Credit Card?
No matter which credit card you choose, you won’t be eligible if your credit score isn’t good enough. Most credit cards require good to excellent credit, and that’s a credit score of at least 650, although a credit score of more than 700 is ideal.
In case you weren’t aware, credit scores typically range from 300 on the low end to 850 in the upper range. It’s possible you may still be approved for a credit card if your score falls below 650.
However, it may be more difficult, and you may have to spend time boosting your rating. Credit scores from one of three major credit reporting agencies typically breakdown as follows:
- Payment History: 35%
- Total Amount Owed: 30%
- History of Credit: 15%
- New Credit: 10%
- Mix of Credit: 10%
Credit Utilization Ratio
The credit utilization ratio, or the amount of credit available versus the total amount owed, is an important part of anyone’s credit score. Opening a new credit card with an annual fee can contribute to this aspect of your score.
However, the most critical credit score factor is a history of on-time payments on your credit card bill. This means it’s most important never to charge a credit card for what you can’t afford.
Having multiple cards won’t affect your credit as long as the debt is paid off promptly. In fact, it may even help your credit score in terms of the credit utilization ratio, meaning the amount of credit a consumer has available to them versus how much debt they carry.
Related Questions
What Is a Road Trip Credit Card?
Road trip credit cards are designed to meet the particular needs of tourists who favor the open road to the well-trodden path. They frequently have bonuses, savings, and extras that improve your traveling. These cards open up a world of benefits aimed at enhancing your travel experience.
Should I Use a Credit Card to Pay for My Road Trip or Vacation?
Use credit cards to pay for road trips or vacations if you want travel-related benefits and perks. Even if there’s an annual fee, using a card for roadside assistance and having backup money for expenses is ideal.
Who Should Get a Credit Card for Road Trips?
Anyone who wants to maximize the perks of traveling should get road trip credit cards. Get this type of credit card if you’ll get travel insurance and earn rewards while paying for travel expenses.
Conclusion
Road trips are a great American tradition, and through a combination of targeted rewards on lodging and dining as well as cash back rewards and other perks, any one of the credit cards in our ranking could be the perfect companion for your getaway.
Maximize the benefits offered by any one of the best credit cards, and you may even be able to travel for free! Spend some time repairing your credit and choose a card from our ranking; the only thing left to do is plan your trip.
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