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The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® earns its place as our best no-annual-fee travel card, thanks to an array of travel protections and rewards* that are on par with some annual fee travel cards. On top of that, you can also pay your rent with it to earn rewards (up to 100,000 points per year).
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Foreign Exchange Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bilt World Elite Mastercard®
Apply Now
on Bilt Rewards's secure site Rates & Fees |
Winner (Best travel credit card no annual fee)
|
1,000 points
Bilt cardholders can earn double points on purchases made on the first of the month (excluding Rent) up to 1,000 bonus points. You must use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points.
| 1X - 5X points
| $0 |
Apply Now
on Bilt Rewards's secure site Rates & Fees |
The New United Gateway℠ Card*
|
Best airline credit card no annual fee
|
20,000 miles
Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. Learn more.
| 1X - 2X miles
| $0 | |
Hilton Honors American Express Card
|
Best hotel credit card no annual fee
|
100,000 points
Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a $100 Statement Credit after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express® Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 8/13/2025.
| 3X - 7X points
| None | |
Prime Visa
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site Rates & Fees |
Best Chase travel card no annual fee
|
$150 Amazon gift card
Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members
| 1% - 5% cash back
| $0 |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site Rates & Fees |
Discover it® Miles
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
Best no-annual-fee travel card with an intro APR
|
Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match
Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. You could turn 35,000 Miles into 70,000 Miles.
| 1.5X Miles
1.5 Miles per dollar on all purchases.
| None |
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students*
|
Best no-annual-fee travel card for students
|
25,000 points
25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases
| 1.5X points
Earn unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 you spend on all purchases. | $0 | |
Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business*
|
Best travel business credit card no annual fee
|
50,000 miles
One-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
| 1.5X Miles
1.5 Miles per $1 on every purchase
| $0 | |
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
|
Best no-annual-fee cash back card for travel
|
$200 Cash Back
$200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
| 1% - 8% cash back
| None | |
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card
|
Best no-annual-fee travel card for bad credit
|
N/A | 1.5% - 5% Cash Back
| None |
To bring you the list of best travel credit cards with no annual fee, we use an objective rating and ranking system that compares features across a large set of credit cards (over 200 cards from over 50 issuers). We use calculations to estimate the value of each card for the average cardholder, based on numbers from LendingTree and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
We rank cards based on the following criteria:
We calculate the value of rewards and perks for the average cardholder using Bureau of Labor Statistics data and an annual spend of $20,000, minus the annual fee. This value includes the card’s sign-up bonus, annual bonus (including free night certificates) and travel perks like lounge access and travel credits. We look at the average rewards earned over two years to balance out a card’s ongoing value with its first-year value.
We consider how easy the rewards are to use, looking at factors like expiration dates, minimum thresholds to redeem, blackout dates and the availability of flexible redemption options like travel statement credits and cash back.
We also compare a card’s benefits, such as purchase protections, travel protections and elite status benefits against benefits from other cards.
Note that our ratings are a starting point for comparing and choosing the best travel credit card with no annual fee. However, your needs may be different from the average cardholder. You should consider the amount you’re likely to spend in a card’s bonus categories and which benefits you value most to choose the best card for you.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here. Apply Now
Welcome offer: 1,000 points
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 an auto rental collision damage waiver 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 (up to 100,000 points per year) 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. On the downside, though, you’ll need to make sure you use the card at least five times each statement period to earn points.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Welcome offer: 20,000 miles
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.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Welcome offer: 100,000 points
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.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here. Apply Now
Welcome offer: $150 Amazon gift card
Get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members.
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 TravelSM 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.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here. Apply Now
Welcome offer: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match
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.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Welcome offer: 25,000 points
Earn 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
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.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Welcome offer: 50,000 miles
Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
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.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Welcome offer: $200 Cash Back
Earn $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
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.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Capital One will automatically review your account starting at six months to see if you qualify for a higher credit line.
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.
Travel credit cards offer you the chance to earn rewards that can take you around the world at a discount. If you’re trying to choose a card, you may want to compare your top picks from our list or even expand your search by checking out our list of best no-annual-fee credit cards. When comparing cards to pick the best no-fee travel credit card for you, here are some key features to keep in mind:
Are you a frequent flyer on an airline or a devoted loyalist to a hotel chain? If you are, it may make sense to pick a co-branded card that rewards your loyalty. Even if you’re looking for a more flexible point currency, like Chase Ultimate Rewards®, you’ll want to pay attention to the transfer partners in order to maximize value. Many of the best flexible points programs allow you to transfer points into many different loyalty programs to maximize your earnings.
While a sign-up bonus is a one-time value to the card, some can be worth over $1,000, though the bonuses on no-annual-fee travel cards typically are worth less. Nonetheless, taking advantage of one or more lucrative sign-up bonuses could be a way to rack up points toward that dream trip you’re planning.
The card’s rewards earning rate is one of the most important features. Long after you’ve earned your sign-up bonus, it’s the card’s earning rate that is going to help you earn rewards faster.
Take a look at your spending over the past few months. Are you eating out a lot? Then a card that rewards restaurant spending might be a good fit for you. Or maybe you’re driving a lot more? Consider a card that rewards gas purchases. It’s worth taking a few minutes to crunch the numbers to figure out where you’ll get the most value.
Not all points currencies are created equal. Transferable point currencies — like Chase Ultimate Rewards® or American Express Membership Rewards — are often worth more than hotel points or airline miles, but most of the cards that earn these rewards have an annual fee.
→ Check out LendingTree’s guide to what credit card points are worth.
No-annual-fee travel rewards cards vary in how you can redeem points or miles, so make sure to take a look at your travel goals and the card’s redemption flexibility. Many co-branded airline or hotel cards allow you to redeem only for travel purchases from that brand, which is a significant limitation but might be fine if you’re a brand loyalist. Generally, the more flexible the redemption options, the better.
If you are planning on traveling internationally, a credit card that offers no foreign transaction fees will help save you from being charged an additional percentage on each purchase. No one wants to get hit with hundreds of dollars in surprise fees after their fun vacation, so if you travel internationally, look for a card without foreign transaction fees.
Most no-annual-fee travel cards do not offer sought-after benefits such as free checked bags or priority boarding. However, many offer travel insurance, purchase protection, rental car insurance or elite status. These extra perks can make your stay more comfortable, allow you to get a discount on an airline food purchase, score a room upgrade or even get a free night’s stay. It’s worth checking the fine print on these perks to see if a card you’re considering has benefits that would bring you real value.
Beginner credit cardholders
If you’re a student or just new to credit cards, a no-annual-fee travel credit card is a great option — especially if you’re planning to study abroad or dorm far from home. The card will help you build credit — as long as you pay your bill in full each month — and you’ll get perks like travel rewards and trip insurance.
Infrequent travelers
If you love to travel but only manage to take to the skies or hit the road a couple of times a year, a no-annual-fee travel card might be a great option for you. While travel credit cards that charge hefty annual fees have value for frequent flyers and digital nomads, you likely won’t be able to maximize such cards with just a trip or two.
Those diversifying points
No-annual-fee cards can play an important role in anyone’s card portfolio, even seasoned rewards chasers. Some of these cards, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates & fees) pair well with the premium Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates & fees) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates & fees) cards, which do charge annual fees, allowing you to earn more bonus points in additional categories.
Others, like the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, would help you earn Marriott Bonvoy® points, thus allowing you to transfer fewer of your valuable American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to Marriott.
Travel cards with annual fees can easily be justified if you reach a certain level of spending and can take advantage of other value-added perks. Even if you don’t travel frequently per se, if you spend a fair amount in a card’s top-earning categories, it could still be worth the fee.
In our example below, the $0-annual-fee Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card would generate only $250 in rewards with $20,000 in spend. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, on the other hand, would generate $400 in rewards with the same amount of spend. When you subtract the $95 annual fee, you still come out ahead for the year by $305.
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $95 |
| Earning rate | 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| Miles earned on $20,000 annual spend | 25,000 | 40,000 |
| Value of miles | $250 | $400 |
→ See the best annual fee travel cards
To see rates & fees for American Express cards mentioned on this page, visit the links provided below:
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The information related to the The New United Gateway℠ Card, Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students, Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business and Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
