Best Travel & Hotel Rewards Credit Cards

It’s Free Money Friday! Since we’re on vacation, I thought it would be appropriate to share the best travel and hotel rewards credit cards with you!

I’ll keep the list updated, so you can check back later, especially if you have a planned vacation coming up.

Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard — $89 Annual Fee Card

• Earn 40,000 bonus miles if you make $1,000 or more in purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. 40,000 bonus miles equates to $400 off your next trip!
• 0% introductory APR on purchases for the first 12 months after account opening. After that, variable APR, currently 14.99% or 18.99%, based upon your creditworthiness.
• Earn 2X miles on all purchases
• No mileage caps and no foreign transaction fees
• Get 10% miles back when you redeem for travel (i.e. redeem 25,000 miles for travel and get 2,500 miles back)
• Use miles for a statement credit toward any airline purchase to any destination with no seat restrictions and no blackout dates
• Easily redeem your miles for statement credits toward flights, cruises, car rentals, hotels and more
• Complimentary subscription to TripIt Pro mobile travel organizer — a $49 annual value!

Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard — No Annual Fee Card

• Start by earning 20,000 bonus miles when you make $1,000 or more in purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. 20,000 bonus miles equates to $200 off your next trip!
• 0% introductory APR on purchases for the first 12 months after account opening. After that, variable APR, currently 14.99% or 18.99%, based upon your creditworthiness.
• Earn 2X miles on travel and dining purchases and 1X miles on all other purchases
• No mileage caps and no foreign transaction fees
• Get 10% miles back when you redeem for travel (e.g. redeem 25,000 miles for travel and get 2,500 miles back)
• Use miles for a statement credit toward any airline purchase to any destination with no seat restrictions and no blackout dates
• Easily redeem your miles for statement credits toward flights, cruises, car rentals, hotels and more
• Complimentary subscription to TripIt Pro mobile travel organizer — a $49 annual value!

Blue Sky from American Express®

• Welcome Bonus: earn 7,500 points after you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months of Cardmembership – redeemable for a $100 statement credit.
• Flexible Ways to Earn: earn 1 point for virtually every dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
• Unlimited Travel Options: Travel with any airline, hotel, cruise, car rental and travel package – with no blackout dates.
• Flexible Bill Payments: pay your bill all at once or over time.
• No annual membership fee and 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months, after that, your APR will be a variable rate, currently 17.24%- 22.24%.
• Terms and Restrictions Apply.

Capital One® Venture^SM Rewards Credit Card

• 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
• As seen in Money® Magazine’s “Best” issue three years in a row. – Money® Magazine May 2010, 2011, 2012
• Earn 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months, equal to $100 in travel
• Redeem your miles for any travel expense
• No limit on the miles you can earn and miles don’t expire
• Fly on any airline, any time with no blackout dates
• No foreign transaction fees
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $59 after that

Capital One® Venture^SM Rewards Credit Card

• 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
• As seen in Money® Magazine’s “Best” issue three years in a row. – Money® Magazine May 2010, 2011, 2012
• Earn 10,000 bonus miles when you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months, equal to $100 in travel
• Redeem your miles for any travel expense
• No limit on the miles you can earn and miles don’t expire
• Fly on any airline, any time with no blackout dates
• No foreign transaction fees
• $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $59 after that

Capital One® VentureOne^SM Rewards Credit Card

• 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and no annual fee
• One-time bonus of 10,000 miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months, equal to $100 in travel
• Redeem miles for airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, and more
• No limit on the miles you can earn and miles don’t expire
• Fly on any airline, any time with no blackout dates
• 0% intro APR on purchases until June 2014
• No foreign transaction fees

Capital One® VentureOne^SM Rewards Credit Card

• 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and no annual fee
• One-time bonus of 10,000 miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months, equal to $100 in travel

Capital One® Orbitz® Visa® Platinum

• 3 points per dollar spent on eligible Orbitz.com bookings
• Get 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
• Bonus points on eligible Orbitz.com bookings
• No limit on the points you can earn and points don’t expire
• Redeem for travel, merchandise, gift cards, and more
• Earn travel quickly with low redemption minimums
• No annual fee

Chase Sapphire Preferred®

• 40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months – that’s $500 toward travel rewards!
• 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
• Get 20% off airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises when you redeem through Ultimate Rewards^SM
• No foreign transaction fees
• Receive a 7% Annual Points Dividend on all new points earned on purchases – even on points already redeemed
• 1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs – that means 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points equal 1,000 partner miles/points
• Direct access to expert service advisors anytime
• Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $95

Chase Sapphire Preferred℠

• Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months – that’s $500 toward travel rewards!
• 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
• Get 20% off airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises when you redeem through Ultimate Rewards℠
• No foreign transaction fees
• Receive a 7% Annual Points Dividend on all new points earned on purchases – even on points already redeemed
• 1:1 point transfer to participating frequent travel programs
• Direct access to expert service advisors anytime
• Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $95

Chase Sapphire Preferred℠ Card

• Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months- that’s $500 toward travel rewards!
• 2 points per dollar spent on travel and at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
• Get 20% off airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises when you book through Ultimate Rewards℠
• No foreign transaction fees
• Receive a 7% annual dividend on all new points earned – even on points already redeemed
• 1:1 point transfer to participating frequent travel programs
• Direct access to expert service advisors anytime
• No Annual Fee for your first year – A $95 value

Chase Sapphire® Card

• 10,000 bonus points after you spend $500 in the first 3 months – that’s $100 toward travel rewards!
• 2 points per dollar spent at restaurants & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
• Points never expire and there are no limits on how many points you can earn
• Redeem points for travel, gift cards, merchandise, cash back and more
• Direct access to expert service advisors anytime
• No annual fee!

Escape by Discover® Card

• Double Miles on every $1 you spend
• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 6 months, then the variable purchase APR of 10.99% – 19.99%*
• No restrictions on travel–fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates
• Flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash
• Travel Insurance benefits, including primary car rental, lost or damaged luggage, travel delay, and trip cancellation when you book with your Escape by Discover card
• Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty–16 years in a row! (2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
• *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information

Miles by Discover® Card

• 1 Mile on every $1 you spend – Plus flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash
• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 6 months, then the variable purchase APR of 10.99% – 19.99%*
• No restrictions on travel–fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates
• Travel benefits include secondary collision damage insurance when you rent a car with your Miles by Discover card
• Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty–16 years in a row! (2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
• Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee
• *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information

PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express® Card

• You must be a PenFed member to apply. Not yet a member? It’s easy to join!
• You may be eligible through your employment, association membership, and volunteerism, or by becoming a member of one of our nonprofit partner organizations.
• Earn 5 points on airfare purchases, and 1 point on all other purchases.
• Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $650 within the first 3 months of opening the Card account—that’s worth $200 toward your next round-trip airline ticket.
• Free LOUNGE CLUB™ membership which provides worldwide airport lounge access (upon spending $15,000 on the Card within a calendar year).
• Ability to redeem points for a wide-range of rich rewards, including travel, brand-named merchandise, and gift cards at PenFedPremiumRewards.com.

The Carnival™ MasterCard®

• 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months after account opening (after that a variable APR currently 13.99% – 20.99%)
• Earn 5,000 bonus points when you use your card for the first time
• Earn DOUBLE points on any Carnival™ purchase
• Earn 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else
• Redeem points for cruises on Carnival™ or other eligible World’s Leading Cruise Lines vacations, hotel or flight discounts, onboard gifts and services, merchandise or gift cards
• No Annual Fee
• Please see terms and conditions for complete details

The Priceline Rewards™ Visa® Card

• Earn 5,000 bonus points after your first purchase
• Earn 5X points on Priceline.com purchases
• Earn 1X point on everything else
• Plus, earn an additional 5,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on qualifying transactions in the first 90 days of account opening
• Your points can act like cash – Redeem points for statement credits against purchases made on your account
• No limit to the number of points you can earn
• Please see terms and conditions for complete details

U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Travel Rewards Visa Signature® card

• Get 17,500 bonus FlexPoints after the first $2,500 in net purchases in the first 150 days
• Award travel starts at just 20,000 FlexPoints (up to a $400 ticket value) on over 150 airlines with no blackout dates or redemption fees
• Earn one FlexPoint for every $1 of eligible net purchases charged to your card
• Earn two FlexPoints for every $1 spent on gas, grocery or airline purchases – whichever you spend most on each monthly billing cycle – and on most cell phone expenses
• Earn Triple FlexPoints for your charitable donations
• $0 Annual Fee* the first year, after that $49*
• Earn 3,500 bonus FlexPoints each year when you spend $24,000 in Net Purchases. You can redeem these FlexPoints for your annual fee or combine them with other FlexPoints for travel

Visa® Black Card^TM

• Receive special benefits at over 3,000 hotels, resorts and villas worldwide
• Earn 25,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 within 90 days of account opening
• 1% cash back as a statement credit
• 100% more value on airfare rewards. It only takes 25,000 points to get a $500 ticket
• 24-Hour Concierge Service
• Unlimited VIP Airport Lounge Visits
• Luxury Gifts
• Excellent Credit Needed

Hotel Rewards Credit Cards

Citi® Hilton HHonors™ Reserve Card

• Earn 2 weekend night certificates good at select hotels and resorts within the Hilton HHonors portfolio after $2,500 in eligible purchases within 4 months of account opening*
• Earn 10 HHonors Bonus Points per $1 spent on hotel stays within the Hilton HHonors portfolio*
• Earn 5 HHonors Bonus Points per $1 spent on airline and car rental purchases*
• Earn 3 HHonors Bonus Points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases*
• Enjoy the benefits of HHonors Gold status as long as you are a cardmember*
• No foreign transaction fees on purchases*
• Travel with ease and enjoy global acceptance with your Citi chip credit card
• Earn an anniversary bonus of 1 weekend night certificate at select hotels and resorts within the Hilton HHonors portfolio each cardmembership year with qualifying purchases*

Citi® Hilton HHonors^TM Reserve Card

• Earn 2 weekend night certificates good at select hotels and resorts within the Hilton HHonors portfolio after $2,500 in eligible purchases within 4 months of account opening*
• Earn 10 HHonors Bonus Points per $1 spent on hotel stays within the Hilton HHonors portfolio*
• Earn 5 HHonors Bonus Points per $1 spent on airline and car rental purchases*
• Earn 3 HHonors Bonus Points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases*
• Enjoy the benefits of HHonors Gold status as long as you are a cardmember*
• No foreign transaction fees on purchases*
• Travel with ease and enjoy global acceptance with your Citi chip credit card
• Earn an anniversary bonus of 1 weekend night certificate at select hotels and resorts within the Hilton HHonors portfolio each cardmembership year with qualifying purchases*

Citi® Hilton HHonors^TM Visa Signature® Card

• Earn 40,000 Hilton HHonors Bonus Points after spending $1,000 within 4 months of account opening*
• Earn 6 HHonors Bonus Points for each $1 spent at a participating hotel within the Hilton HHonors portfolio.*
• Earn 3 HHonors Bonus Points for each $1 spent on purchases at supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations*
• Earn 2 HHonors Bonus Points for each $1 spent on all other purchases*
• No annual fee.*

Citi® Hilton HHonors™ Visa Signature® Card

• Earn 40,000 Hilton HHonors Bonus Points after spending $1,000 within 4 months of account opening*
• Earn 6 HHonors Bonus Points for each $1 spent at a participating hotel within the Hilton HHonors portfolio.*
• Earn 3 HHonors Bonus Points for each $1 spent on purchases at supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations.*
• Earn 2 HHonors Bonus Points for each $1 spent on all other purchases.*
• No annual fee.*

Hyatt Credit Card

• Begin with 2 Free Nights at Hyatt properties worldwide, after making your first purchase with the Hyatt Credit Card
• Receive 1 Free Night each year on your anniversary in any Category 1-4 property
• No foreign transaction fees and Smart Chip protection on international purchases
• 3 Hyatt Gold Passport points for every $1 spent with your Hyatt Card at all Hyatt properties
• 1 Hyatt Gold Passport point for every $1 spent on purchases elsewhere
• There are no limits to the points you can earn

Hyatt Credit Card

• Begin with 2 Free Nights at Hyatt properties worldwide, after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months from account opening with the Hyatt Credit Card
• Receive 1 Free Night each year on your anniversary in any Category 14 property
• No foreign transaction fees and Smart Chip protection on international purchases
• 3 Hyatt Gold Passport points for every $1 spent with your Hyatt Card at all Hyatt properties
• NEW: Now more points in more places, 2 Hyatt Gold Passport points for every $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly with the airline and at car rental agencies
• 1 Hyatt Gold Passport point for every $1 spent on purchases elsewhere
• There are no limits to the points you can earn

Marriott Rewards® Credit Card

• Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after your first use, redeemable for up to 4 free nights; plus receive 2 free night stay e-certificates upon account approval, that’s enough up to 6 free nights at a category 1 hotel
• No Annual fee for your first year – that’s a $45 value*
• Earn 3 points for every $1 spent at Marriott® locations
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on other purchases
• Cardmembers achieve Silver elite status with 10 nights credit toward Elite status
• Redeem Marriott Rewards® points at Marriott properties including Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Fairfield Inn & Suites

Marriott Rewards® Credit Card

• Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after your first purchase, redeemable for up to 4 free nights; plus receive 2 free night stay e-certificates upon account approval
• $0 Introductory Annual Fee the first year, then $45
• Earn 3 points for every $1 spent at Marriott® locations
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
• Cardmembers achieve Silver elite status with 10 nights credit toward Elite status
• Redeem Marriott Rewards® points at Marriott properties including Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Fairfield Inn & Suites

Marriott Rewards® Credit Card

• Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months after account opening, redeemable for up to 4 free nights
• Plus receive 2 free night stay e-certificates upon account approval
• $0 Introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $45
• Earn 3 points for every $1 spent at Marriott® locations
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on other purchases
• Cardmembers achieve Silver Elite status with 10 nights credit toward Elite status
• Redeem Marriott Rewards® points at Marriott properties including Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard, Residence Inn and Fairfield Inn & Suites

Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card

• Earn 50,000 Bonus Points after your first use
• Receive 1 free night stay upon account approval and each year upon account anniversary
• Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Marriott® locations
• Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on qualifying airline, dining, and rental car purchases
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on other purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Cardmembers achieve Silver elite status with 15 nights credit toward Elite status
• Redeem Marriott Rewards® points at Marriott properties including Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Fairfield Inn & Suites

Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card

• Earn 50,000 Bonus Points after your first purchase
• Receive 1 free night stay after account approval and each year upon account anniversary
• Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Marriott® locations
• Earn 2 points for every dollar spent on airline tickets purchased directly with the airline, and at car rental agencies and restaurants
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spend on all other purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Cardmembers achieve Silver elite status with 15 nights credit toward Elite status
• Redeem Marriott Rewards® points at Marriott properties, including Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Fairfield Inn & Suites

Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card

• Earn 50,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months from account opening
• Receive 1 free night stay after account approval and each year upon account anniversary
• Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Marriott® locations
• Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on airline tickets purchased directly with the airline, and at car rental agencies & restaurants
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on other purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Cardmembers achieve Silver Elite status with 15 nights credit toward Elite status
• Redeem Marriott Rewards® points at Marriott properties including Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Fairfield Inn & Suites

Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card

• Enjoy up to 7 Free Nights To Start!
• New! Smart Chip Technology and No Foreign Transaction Fees!
• Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Marriott® locations
• Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on airline tickets purchased directly with the airline, and at car rental agencies & restaurants
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on other purchases
• Receive 1 free night stay after account approval and each year upon account anniversary
• Cardmembers achieve Silver Elite status with 15 nights credit toward Elite status

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

• Starpoints® bonus: earn up to 25,000 bonus points: 10,000 after your first purchase and another 15,000 after you spend $5,000 within the first 6 months of Cardmembership
• That’s enough for a weekend getaway to a Category 4 Hotel like the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa, or six free nights at a Category 2 Hotel
• Free Hotel Nights: redeem Starpoints at over 1,100 hotels in nearly 100 countries worldwide – with no blackout dates
• Free Flights: redeem Starpoints on over 350 airlines with SPG Flights – with no blackout dates
• Get 5,000 bonus Starpoints after you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to a frequent flyer program with more than 30 airlines
• No limits on the number of Starpoints you can earn
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65
• Terms and Restrictions apply.

The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card

• The world-class service you experience when staying at The Ritz-Carlton can always be within reach with The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card
• A Complimentary Night Stay at any participating Ritz-Carlton, using your 70,000 points received after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months
• Earn 5 points per $1 spent at The Ritz-Carlton hotels, 2 points per $1 spent on airline tickets purchased directly with the airline, and at car rental agencies and restaurants, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Exclusive member benefits include a $100 Hotel Credit for qualifying dining, spa, and hotel recreational activities during every two night stay or longer
• Upgrade to the Ritz-Carlton Club® Level three times annually and enjoy a dedicated concierge and complimentary food and beverage presentations
• Automatic Gold Elite status your first year, which entitles you to complimentary room upgrades, priority late checkout, a 25% bonus on The Ritz-Carlton Rewards membership base points and more
• Elite cardmember travel privileges including a $200 annual credit for airline incidentals, such as baggage fees and in-flight meals
• Complimentary airport lounge access to hundreds of airport lounges worldwide. Plus, no foreign transaction fees.

Be sure to read the fine print and review all the terms and conditions!

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