Greatest Journey Rewards Credit score Playing cards For Rookies in 2022

Who’s this for? The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a superb selection for these simply beginning out with factors and miles due to its wide selection of journey advantages and redemption alternatives — and for a modest $95 annual price besides. New cardholders can presently earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 throughout the first three months of account membership.

Past the welcome bonus, you will be nicely in your method to free (or practically free) journey very quickly, as the cardboard permits you to earn 5X factors per greenback on flights, accommodations, automobile leases and different journey actions booked by way of Chase Ultimate Rewards®; 5X factors per greenback on Lyft rides now by way of Mar. 31, 2025; and 2X factors per greenback spent on common journey purchases, whether or not you are shopping for prepare tickets or reserving a vacation rental. Cardholders can even choose up 3X factors per greenback for utilizing choose streaming providers, eating or searching for groceries on-line (besides Goal®, Walmart® and different wholesale golf equipment), in addition to 1X level per greenback for all different purchases.

Perks embody a $50 annual Final Rewards® Resort Credit score, a ten% factors enhance in your card anniversary, auto rental collision damage waivers, baggage delay insurance coverage, journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage and particular reductions on purchases made by way of DoorDash, Instacart+ and GoPuff. You will additionally by no means have to fret about paying overseas transaction charges for utilizing the cardboard outdoors the U.S.

The right way to redeem rewards: Factors are price 1.25 cents apiece while you redeem them by way of Chase Ultimate Rewards® so you will have not less than $750 in journey rewards to begin out with after incomes the 60,000-point welcome bonus. Nevertheless, you will get extra worth when transferring your factors to one among Chase’s many resort and airline companions, corresponding to Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, United Airways MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards and World of Hyatt. Rewards consultants usually value Chase points at 2 cents every when transferred to journey companions

Who’s this for? If bonus classes confuse you and also you need a extra simple incomes construction, look no additional than the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which provides you 2X miles per greenback on each buy, in addition to 5X miles per greenback everytime you guide rental automobiles or accommodations by way of Capital One Journey or automobile leases with Turo while you guide now by way of Could 16, 2023.

New cardholders can even earn 75,000 miles as a welcome bonus after spending $4,000 throughout the first three months of account opening.

So far as journey advantages, this card actually packs a punch given its modest $95 annual price, providing perks corresponding to two complimentary visits per 12 months to any Capital One Lounges (or any of the greater than 100 partner lounges in its community), Hertz 5 Star standing and a press release credit score of as much as $100 to cowl Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® membership. There are not any overseas transaction charges and cardholders obtain auto rental collision injury waivers, journey accident insurance coverage and entry to further perks by way of Capital One Eating and Capital One Entertainment — Taylor Swift tour presale tickets, anybody?

The right way to redeem rewards: Redeeming the miles is as straightforward as it’s to earn them. First, you possibly can both redeem that at a set worth of 1 cent per level to “erase” current journey purchases or money them in towards flights, accommodations, rental automobiles and different journey actions by way of Capital One Travel. Or, to stretch the worth of your miles, you possibly can switch them to a wide range of airline and resort companions, corresponding to Air Canada Aeroplan, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Etihad Visitor, Accor Stay Limitless and extra.

Who’s this for? Anybody who’s inquisitive about a beneficiant welcome bonus and a straightforward method to choose up factors in a jiffy ought to think about signing up for the Citi Premier® Card, which is presently providing 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 throughout the first three months of account membership.

Past that, you will rating a vast 3X factors per greenback while you use the cardboard at eating places, supermarkets, fuel stations, and on air journey and accommodations. You will earn 1X factors on all different purchases.

There’s a modest annual fee of $95, however no transaction charges for utilizing the cardboard outdoors the U.S. You will additionally obtain a $100 annual resort financial savings profit, which can be utilized when reserving a single resort keep of not less than $500 by way of the Citi journey portal.

The right way to redeem rewards: The factors you earn with the Citi Premier Card could be redeemed for journey, reward playing cards or cash-back rewards by way of thankyou.com, on-line buying through Amazon or PayPal and assertion credit when buying with eligible retail companions. Factors are usually price as much as 1 cent per level on a lot of these redemptions, which means 80,000 factors can be price $800.

Nevertheless, you may also switch your ThankYou factors to one among Citi’s airline or resort companions, corresponding to Singapore Airways KrisFlyer, JetBlue TrueBlue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, Alternative Privileges and Wyndham Rewards. As with the opposite packages, you can simply double the worth of your factors by taking this route.

Who’s this for? In case you’re somebody whose finances consists primarily of journey, eating and grocery bills, the American Express® Gold Card could be a great selection, particularly since its present welcome supply begins you off with 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 throughout the first six months of card membership.

Although the Amex Gold Card has a $250 annual price (see rates and fees), it additionally gives a spread of journey and eating advantages together with as much as $120 price of Uber Money annually ($10 monthly) to place towards rides within the U.S. and eating through Uber Eats (you could add your Amex Gold Card as a fee methodology within the Uber app with a purpose to enroll); as much as $120 price of annual eating credit ($10 every month) while you use the cardboard to pay for eating by way of taking part companions like Grubhub, Milk Bar, The Cheesecake Manufacturing unit and sure Shake Shack eating places (enrollment required); entry to particular perks while you guide stays by way of The Resort Assortment; Most popular Seating and unique entry to reveals, live shows and sporting occasions by way of American Specific Experiences; and additional limited-time perks with SiriusXM, Panera Bread and the Leisure® app. Phrases apply.

Most significantly, this card permits you to earn 4X factors per greenback at eating places worldwide, together with takeout and supply throughout the U.S., 4X factors per greenback on as much as $25,000 price of purchases at U.S. supermarkets, 3X factors per greenback while you guide flights instantly with the airline or through amextravel.com and 1X factors per greenback for all different purchases.

Cardholders additionally obtain different perks corresponding to automobile rental loss and injury insurance coverage in addition to baggage insurance coverage, whereas there are not any overseas transaction charges for utilizing the cardboard abroad.

The right way to redeem rewards: Membership Rewards® factors could be redeemed through a variety of things, together with reward playing cards, assertion credit, journey and extra, however you will usually solely get between 0.5 cents and 1 cent in worth per level this fashion. To get round 2 cents per level or extra, you possibly can switch your factors to American Specific’ varied airline and resort loyalty program companions, corresponding to Delta SkyMiles, British Airways Govt Membership, Etihad Visitor, Emirates Skywards, Avianca LifeMiles, JetBlue TrueBlue, Alternative Privileges, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors and extra.

Who’s this for? In case you’re somebody who prefers to earn cash-back rewards moderately than saving up factors and miles to make use of for future travels, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® could be card to go along with, particularly since there isn’t any minimal quantity required if you wish to redeem your factors.

Not solely does this no-annual-fee card supply an 0% intro APR for purchases and steadiness transfers for the primary 15 months of account membership (after that, 17.99% to 26.74%, variable), it additionally permits you to earn an extra 1.5% money again on all of your purchases for the primary 12 months as much as $20,000. Meaning for the primary 12 months you will earn 6.5% again on flights, accommodations, automobile leases and different journey actions bought through Chase Final Rewards®, 4.5% again while you dine at eating places (together with takeout and sure supply providers) and store at drugstores and three% again on all different purchases.

Cardholders even have entry to journey advantages and protections corresponding to auto rental collision damage waivers, journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage, journey and emergency help, buy safety and prolonged guarantee safety.

The right way to redeem rewards: Rewards earned with this card could be redeemed for money again, journey, reward playing cards and extra. Nevertheless, as you are beginning out on the earth of factors and miles, you must save your rewards till you’ve one other Chase-Final Rewards-earning card just like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, since you can convert the money again into transferrable Final Rewards factors, which opens up a world of redemption alternatives with the issuer’s 14 airline and resort companions.