When you can’t use points or miles to fully pay for a trip, earning rewards on travel purchases is the next-best option. From taxis and rideshares to trains, cruises, activities and short-term rentals, the right card can help you collect points or miles, get statement credits and access travel protections. Below are seven cards that perform especially well on general travel spending.
Cards covered:
– Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
– American Express Green Card
– Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Card
– Citi Strata Premier Card
– Bank of America Premium Rewards Card
– Capital One Venture Rewards Card
– Capital One Venture X Rewards Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Annual fee: $95
Why it stands out: A strong mid-tier travel card with flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points and solid travel protections.
Earning: 5x on travel booked through Chase Travel; 3x on dining, select streaming and online groceries; 2x on other travel purchases.
Perks: Increased point value (up to 1.75¢ each) when booking via Chase Travel, plentiful transfer partners (e.g., Aeroplan, World of Hyatt), a $50 annual hotel credit on Chase Travel, 10% points back annually based on spending, primary rental car insurance and trip delay/cancellation coverage.
American Express Green Card
Annual fee: $150
Why it stands out: Mid-tier card focused on travel, transit and dining with strong category bonuses.
Earning: 3x on travel, transit and dining (including U.S. takeout and delivery); 1x on other purchases.
Perks: Up to $209 annually in Clear Plus credit (enrollment required), no foreign transaction fees and a broad definition of travel that captures transit and many short-term rentals.
Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Card
Annual fee: $395
Why it stands out: Rewards foreign spending effectively and is straightforward about overseas value.
Earning: 3x on purchases from Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, eligible dining and foreign transactions; 1x on other spending.
Perks: Rewards international everyday spending (rare for premium cards) and charges no foreign transaction fee — helpful for frequent travelers abroad.
Citi Strata Premier Card
Annual fee: $95
Why it stands out: Low-fee midlevel card with strong portal bonuses and a wide range of 3x categories.
Earning: 10x on many travel purchases booked through Citi Travel (air often excluded); 3x on air travel, other hotels, gas, EV charging, restaurants and supermarkets; 1x elsewhere.
Perks: Citi ThankYou points transfer to airline partners, offering useful sweet spots with programs like Avianca LifeMiles.
Bank of America Premium Rewards Card
Annual fee: $95
Why it stands out: Simple, easy-to-understand earnings and extra value for Bank of America Preferred Rewards members.
Earning: 2x on travel and dining; 1.5x on all other purchases.
Perks: Points redeemable for statement credits, deposits, gift cards or travel at roughly 1¢ each; up to $100 TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee credit every four years; up to $100 annual airline incidental statement credit; higher earning rates if enrolled in Preferred Rewards.
Capital One Venture Rewards Card
Annual fee: $95
Why it stands out: Simple flat-rate earnings and the ability to transfer miles to partners.
Earning: 2x miles per dollar on all purchases; 5x on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel.
Perks: Redeem miles for travel at a fixed value or transfer to more than a dozen airline and hotel partners, often at 1:1.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Card
Annual fee: $395
Why it stands out: Premium card with generous travel credits, lounge access and anniversary miles that can offset the fee.
Earning and perks: $300 annual travel credit when booking through Capital One Travel; up to $120 toward Global Entry/TSA PreCheck; 10,000 anniversary bonus miles; complimentary Capital One Lounge access and Priority Pass membership; travel protections including trip cancellation/interruption and rental car coverage. The mix of credits, lounge access and transfer options makes it competitive among higher-fee premium cards.
Bottom line
Not every travel expense is an airfare or hotel bill. Trains, cruises, taxis, transit, meals abroad and airport transfers all qualify as travel spending that can earn meaningful rewards. If you can’t cover a trip with points or miles, make sure the card you use helps you accumulate them and provides useful protections and credits.
Note: For Capital One products listed here, some benefits may be provided by Visa or Mastercard and can vary by product; review each card’s Guide to Benefits for details.