Best Travel Credit Cards With No Annual Fee in 2025

The Bilt World Elite Mastercard^® is the best card for travelers who want to avoid an annual fee because it offers rewards and travel benefits comparable to top-notch annual fee cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card (see rates & fees). It lets you earn points at a high rate in several bonus categories and transfer points 1:1 to a variety of travel loyalty programs, including United MileagePlus. It also offers no foreign transaction fees and strong travel protections, including primary car rental insurance and trip cancellation/interruption protection. And, if you’re a renter, it moves to no-brainer status since you can pay your rent and earn rewards with a $0 transaction fee.

Even if you’re not a renter, though, you can still get a lot of value without any annual cost. Sadly, you’ll need to make sure you use the card at least five times per billing cycle to keep your earned rewards.

The New United Gateway℠ Card is the best airline credit card with a $0 annual fee because — unlike similar cards — it offers a few valuable benefits. That includes a lucrative welcome bonus with a comparably small spending requirement and bonus rewards on a wide variety of categories, including United flights, gas and groceries. It also has decent travel coverage and shopping protections for an annual-fee-free airline card.

However, besides a 25% discount on United purchases, it’s lacking in airline-specific perks. For that, you’re better off with a United card with an annual fee for a comparable minimum spending requirement.

Squeezing a lot of value from hotel cards with no annual fee is not an easy task. The Hilton Honors American Express Card is a $0-annual-fee hotel card with a lot to offer, thanks to its great rewards-earning potential and better-than-usual hotel benefits. Its welcome offer alone makes it one of the most rewarding $0-annual-fee cards you can find. You’ll earn points at a high rate on a variety of lucrative categories, including Hilton hotels, U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets.

Cardholders receive complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status in the Hilton rewards program, which gives you bonus points, as well as your fifth night free on award stays. And if you spend at least $20,000 per year, your elite status is upgraded to Gold — this level of status provides additional benefits, like complimentary upgrades and a daily food and beverage credit.

The Prime Visa has two-fold appeal for Amazon Prime shoppers who also happen to like to travel. You’ll get the highest bonus rewards on Amazon, Whole Foods, and Chase Travel^SM purchases. In addition, you’ll get a slew of travel protections and a $0 foreign transaction fee, which are seldom found on $0-annual-fee cards.

The up-front Amazon gift card is a solid welcome for new cardholders since there is no purchase necessary. However, the card becomes less valuable in terms of rewards if you use it to finance large purchases (in lieu of rewards), or don’t have a Prime membership.

If you’re looking for a decent travel card to help finance an upcoming trip, the Discover it^® Miles is one of the best deals you can find. It offers a 0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases (followed by a 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR).

It’s a great card for beginners with a simple, flat rate. You can redeem for cash back or statement credits on travel you purchase — at the same 100 miles equals $1 value. Discover will also match all the miles you earn in the first year for new cardholders.

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students is a good choice for students who want to build credit while earning rewards. It’s among the best student cards currently available in that it combines simple rewards with a solid earning rate and offers an intro APR on both balance transfers and purchases. In fact, it has the same perks found on the non-student version of the card.

This student credit card focuses more on the basics of credit building so you won’t find travel perks and protections. But there’s no foreign transaction fee, making it perfect for studying abroad.

Small business owners looking for a $0-annual-fee travel card can’t go wrong with the Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business. It has a solid earnings rate, a chance to earn a high-value sign-up bonus, and lots of redemption options — including 1:1 miles transfer to 15+ travel partners.

Earnings are limited since there aren’t multiple bonus spending categories, but given its strong base rate, it may be a good choice to use in tandem with a tiered rewards card.

Though it’s actually a cash back card, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is still a smart choice for travelers thanks to its key travel benefits like travel insurance. Plus, if your trips involve enjoying new restaurants, seeing shows and visiting attractions, this card has arguably the best earning potential for a $0-annual-fee card.

The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card is a solid choice for those looking to rebuild credit while leveraging their regular spending to earn rewards. It stands out compared to other secured cards for its solid rewards earning rate. It’s a good option for travelers because it has a few travel benefits, like emergency card replacement and a reward boost on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel.