Travel FanboyI’m not saying that some of my peers in the travel/points and miles blogosphere are guilty of primarily promoting credit cards that give them the best commission, but I’m not not saying it. Accordingly, some great cards are criminally underappreciated. I’ve listed a few of my favorites below. This is an evolving list and will be updated periodically as card offers and terms wane. And, of course, I have to note, I’m no cc affiliate. As a prominent travel influencer, I have other ways to compensate me for my incredibly valuable time.
Updated: 09/10/2018
Key deets:
- $500 bonus with $3k of spend in first 3 months
- 4% cash back on dining and entertainment
- 2% cash back on grocery stores
- $95 annual fee, waived year one
- Points redeemable as cash back in any amount
Capital One cards are, overall, not covered much by travel blogs. They lack the ever exciting option of point transfers to loyalty partners, which is how points and miles fanboys and girls unlock significant value. While Capital One point redemptions may be boring, they’re perfect for those looking for simplicity. Plus, they offer some seriously elevated cash back options in good categories. The Savor card exemplifies this. 4% in dining is double the standard and coupled with 2% on grocery, you’ve pretty much set a 2% cash back floor on all food purchases. Food is important.
Propel – Wells Fargo (Amex card)
Key deets:
- $300 bonus with $3k spend in first three months
- 3x points on dining, gas, rideshares, transit, flights, hotels, homestays, car rentals, streaming services
- $0 annual fee
- Points redeemable for travel, cash, and more
Say what you want about Wells Fargo as a company. Seriously, go ahead, they have a boatload of issues and deserve harsh criticism. But instead of boycotting, get this card with an impressive list of useful bonus spend categories and stick it to them by racking up and spending those points. A good intro bonus and no annual fee may be good enough for me to overlook some transgressions.
Key deets:
- $0 annual fee
- 1.5 miles on every purchase
- Miles redeemed as a statement credit for travel purchases
Discover is a company with a portfolio of boring cards, but Discover’s it Miles is one worth considering holding on to for at least a year. DiM earns 1.5 miles on all purchases, which sets a nice base. What sets it apart, though, is that Discover will match all the miles you earn at the end of your first year. Rack up 25,000 points? They’ll deposit another 25k on top. This is only for the first year, but with no annual fee, you don’t have to worry about a cancelation date before redeeming those hard earned miles.
H/T Kyle of Due For a Win
Have a card you think is underappreciated? Let me know and I can add it to the list!
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