The offer mentioned below for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is no longer available.
Family travel is a rewarding but complicated endeavor, and every family member you add to the trip increases the cost. However, planning ahead and using the right travel credit card can save you money and make your trips more comfortable.
The best family travel credit cards earn valuable points, miles or cash-back and offer benefits like airport lounge access that the whole family can enjoy. Here are CNBC Select's top picks for families looking to upgrade their next vacation. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best travel credit cards for families.)
Best family travel credit cards
- Best for no annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Best for domestic flights: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (See rates and fees)
- Best for lodging: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (See rates and fees)
- Best for airport lounge access: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Best for good credit: Citi Double Cash® Card
Best for no annual fee
The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card offers generous bonus spending categories and lets you transfer points to airline and hotel partners, which is rare for a credit card with no annual fee.
- Access to all of the Wells Fargo transfer partners including Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) and Virgin Red
- No annual fee
- Excellent bonus spending categories
- Intro-APR for purchases
- No travel credits or other valuable travel perks
- Lacks key travel protections such as trip delay reimbursement and trip cancellation/interruption coverage
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
- Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
- $0 annual fee.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR thereafter.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
Balance transfer fee
3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5
Foreign transaction fee
None
Who's this for? The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card stands out for those seeking a no-annual-fee travel credit card as it has a long list of 3X bonus categories and earns transferrable points.
Standout benefits: The points earned with this card can be transferred to a growing list of airline and hotel partner programs, including British Airways Executive Club, Avianca LifeMiles and Air France/KLM Flying Blue. Having these various redemption options increases the value of your points as it allows you to take advantage of sweet spots with different programs.
Best for domestic flights
Who's this for? With free checked bags for all passengers and a family-friendly seating policy, Southwest is great for families, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card can help you save on your trips.
Standout benefits: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Best for lodging
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Who's this for? The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an amazing all-around travel card, but can be especially valuable for booking your hotel stays and other lodgings.
Standout benefits: The points earned with this card can help you book everything from an Airbnb to a suite in a luxury hotel. At a minimum, Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are worth one cent for statement credits and gift cards.
Best for airport lounge access
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card with a myriad of benefits and a lower annual fee than other high-end cards with similar features.
- Annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
- 10,000 bonus miles after every card anniversary
- Unlimited complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations
- Long list of valuable travel and shopping protections, including return protection, rental car coverage and trip delay reimbursement (Benefit(s) only available to accounts approved for the Visa Infinite card. Terms apply.)
- Limited bonus spending categories compared to other premium credit cards
- High annual fee
- High credit score requirement (excellent credit)
Highlights
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fees
$0
Who's this for? The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is great if you're looking for a premium credit card with easy-to-use benefits.
Standout benefits: This card offers generous airport lounge access, including unlimited access to Capital One Lounges and Landings, participating Priority Pass™ Lounges and Plaza Premium lounges. You can bring up to two guests to Capital One and Plaza Premium lounges and unlimited guests to participating Priority Pass Lounges. Better yet, airport lounge access benefits extend to authorized users on your card, and you can add up to four for no additional fee.
Best for good credit
The Citi Double Cash® Card is one of the best no-annual-fee cash-back cards thanks to its straightforward rewards structure.
- Balance transfers get a long intro APR
- Generous flat-rate cash-back rewards structure
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Intro APR only applies to balance tranfer
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
- Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
- If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
Balance transfer fee
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. A balance transfer fee of 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum) applies if completed after 4 months of account opening.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Who's this for? The Citi Double Cash® Card is perfect for families with good to excellent credit who don't want to bother with a complicated rewards program.
Standout benefits: Most cash-back credit cards and rewards credit cards earn 1% back or 1X points on purchases that fall outside of special bonus categories. With the Citi Double Cash, you get double the return: 1% cash back when you buy and 1% cash back when you pay. Over time this adds up and there is no limit to how much cash back you can earn.
More on our top credit cards for family travel
Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card is a rare no-annual-fee card that earns transferrable travel rewards.
Rewards
- 3X points at restaurants
- 3X points on travel
- 3X points at gas stations
- 3X points on transit
- 3X points on popular streaming services
- 3X points on phone plans
- 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases with the card in the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee
$0
Notable perks
One of the best features of this card is its ability to transfer points to travel partners. You can transfer Wells Fargo rewards to these airline and hotel programs:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Iberia Plus
- Choice Hotels
If you prefer simplicity, you can still redeem your points for one cent each for statement credits, gift cards and travel booked through the Wells Fargo rewards site.
When you pay your monthly phone bill with the card, you'll not only earn 3X points but also qualify for cell phone protection. This coverage will reimburse you for up to $600 per claim with a $25 deductible (up to two claims per 12 months). It also has no foreign transaction fee, roadside dispatch, travel and emergency assistance and rental car collision coverage (secondary in the U.S.).
New cardholders also receive an intro 0% APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases, then a 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR applies.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is a family-friendly airline card with more than enough benefits to justify its annual fee.
Rewards
- 3X points on Southwest purchases
- 2X points on hotel and rental cars booked through Southwest
- 2X points on local transit
- 2X points on internet, cable and phone services
- 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual fee
$149
Notable perks
Anyone pursuing Southwest elite status will appreciate the opportunity to earn 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) for every $5,000 you spend annually with no cap on the number of TQPs you can earn.
Every year, you'll receive two benefits that can offset the annual fee alone: A $75 Southwest travel credit and 7,500 bonus points. Experts value Southwest points at around 1.3 cents per point, which makes the annual bonus points worth roughly $97.50 in Southwest flights.
Every Southwest ticket comes with two free checked bags, no cancellation fees and no change fees, and with this card, you'll get reimbursed for up to four upgraded boardings per year. Southwest doesn't have assigned seats, so upgraded boarding becomes more valuable, especially for families that need to sit together. If you don't want to pack snacks for the trip, you'll receive 25% back on inflight purchases when you use this card.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a popular travel rewards card with useful benefits and a lucrative welcome bonus, all for an annual fee under $100.
Rewards
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 5X points per dollar on Lyft rides through Sept. 30, 2027
- 3X points per dollar on dining
- 3X points per dollar on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
- 3X points per dollar on select streaming services
- 2X points per dollar on all other travel purchases
- 1X points per dollar on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual fee
$95
Notable perks
The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with many valuable protections, including primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty protection and baggage and trip delay insurance. On top of that, you pay no foreign transaction fee and for every card anniversary you'll receive a 10% points bonus based on how many points you earned the previous year.
You'll also have access to several statement credits, including up to $50 hotel credit for bookings you make through Chase's travel site. You can also enroll to receive a complimentary DashPass membership for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
Perhaps the best feature of this card is that it unlocks the ability to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to 14 airline and hotel partners. Chase has a long list of valuable partners including United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Air Canada Aeroplan, World of Hyatt Hyatt and more. Occasionally, Chase offers discounts on gift card redemptions and you may be able to pick up Airbnb gift cards for 1.1 cents per point.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a top-rated travel credit card offering premium perks for a significantly lower annual fee than luxury cards with similar benefits.
Rewards
- 10X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel portal
- 5X miles per dollar on flights booked via the Capital One Travel portal
- 2X miles on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Annual fee
$395
Notable perks
The Venture X's annual fee is one of the easiest premium credit card fees to justify thanks to its straightforward benefits. Every year cardholders receive up to $300 in Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, which are worth at least $100 in travel.
On top of that, when you apply for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® you'll receive an application fee credit of up to $120. Once through security, enjoy unlimited access to participating Priority Pass airport lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges and Capital One Lounges and Landings. You can add up to four authorized users for no additional fee and each authorized user receives the same airport lounge access for themselves and guests.
Eligible purchases are covered by the following travel and purchase protections:
- Rental car damage and theft insurance (primary)
- Cell phone protection
- Purchase security
- Return protection
- Extended warranty protection
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Travel accident insurance
- Travel and emergency assistance services
You can transfer the Capital One miles you earn with this card to partners like Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, Wyndham Rewards, Emirates Skywards and many more.
Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Refer to your Guide to Benefits for more details.
Citi Double Cash® Card
The Citi Double Cash® Card is a no annual fee cash-back credit card with a straightforward rewards structure and useful intro APR offer for balance transfers.
Rewards
- 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
- Earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
Welcome bonus
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening.
Annual fee
$0
Notable perks
The Citi Double Cash is an excellent option for balance transfers because new card members receive an intro 0% APR on eligible balance transfers for the first 18 months, then a variable 17.49% - 27.49% APR applies. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount of each transfer ($5 minimum) for the first four months, after that the balance transfer fee is 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum).
While this is technically a cash-back card, it earns cash back in the form of Citi ThankYou® Points. You can redeem these points at a value of one cent each for statement credits, gift cards, travel and more. You also have access to a limited number of Citi's travel partners and can transfer the points you earn with this card to Wyndham Rewards, Choice Hotels or JetBlue TrueBlue.
FAQs
How do I choose the best travel credit card for my family?
The best travel credit card for your family depends heavily on where you want to go and what you want to use credit card rewards and benefits for. Some cards are great for airline redemptions, while others are better for hotel stays or cash-back rewards. Knowing your travel goals can help you hone in on the right choice for your situation.
Can you add family members to a credit card?
You can add family members to your credit cards as authorized users. However, it's important to understand the fine print because there can be an additional fee for adding authorized users and authorized user card benefits may be limited.
Is it better to use Visa or Mastercard in Europe?
Visa and Mastercard are both widely accepted in Europe and beyond. Both of these payment networks tend to be more universally accepted in Europe than Discover or American Express.
Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best travel credit cards for families.
Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.
Our methodology
To determine which cards offer the best value for family travel, CNBC Select analyzed over 250 major credit cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions that are widely available in the U.S.
We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards (e.g., cash back, points and miles), annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back).
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.
For the cards that offered a rewards program, we considered consumer spending data forecasts from location intelligence firm Esri to determine where U.S. consumers are spending the most money, like on dining and travel. We used this to help determine what bonus categories are most useful for consumers. Since the value of a point or mile varies based on what they can be redeemed for, we also considered things like transferability and the ability to redeem for cash-back.
When choosing the best family travel credit cards, we focused on cards that offer perks or rewards that make sense for families.
Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.
Read more
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
