Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Travel expenses can quickly add up, and many people take advantage of travel credit cards to help offset costs with rewards and perks. But what happens when those cards become more expensive?
2025 saw increases in annual fees among popular premium travel credit cards, with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) and American Express Platinum Card® (see rates and fees) increasing their annual fees from $550 to $795 and $695 to $895, respectively. There were also new cards launched, like the $595-annual-fee Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees).
Many of these premium cards can justify their high annual fees due to the ongoing value they provide. In the case of the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum, the higher annual fees came alongside newly added statement credits, rewards rates or both. But cards loaded with statement credits can be a mixed bag; the credits may be difficult to use, come with strict enrollment requirements or apply to lifestyle products or services you simply aren't interested in.
If travel benefits are your main priority, chances are you can find a card that offers them (with some luxury perks stripped away) for a much more manageable price. CNBC Select takes a look at three top travel credit cards on the market for less than $100, highlighting perks that help you save on travel without the premium price tag.
3 travel cards under $100 (that still pack value)
If you're looking for a travel credit card but don't need thousands of dollars in added, niche perks, consider one of these low-cost options instead. While these cards don't come with airport lounge access or $400 worth of lifestyle perks, you can often find credits for trusted traveler programs or hotel stays and opportunities to boost your rewards value through travel bookings.
Capital One Venture
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a $95 annual fee, and, currently, the welcome bonus alone is worth up to $750. You can earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel. The 75,000 bonus miles are worth 1 cent apiece toward travel redemptions.
In terms of the card's ongoing travel value, you'll earn 2X miles on all purchases, plus an elevated 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. The Capital One miles you earn can be transferred to 22 different transfer partners, most at a 1:1 ratio (unless noted):
Capital One transfer partners
| Capital One transfer partners | Transfer ratio |
|---|---|
| Accor Live Limitless | 2:1 |
| Aeromexico Rewards | 1:1 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 |
| British Airways Club | 1:1 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 |
| Choice Privileges | 1:1 |
| Emirates Skywards | 4:3 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 4:3 |
| Finnair Plus | 1:1 |
| Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) | 1:1 |
| I Prefer Hotel Rewards | 1:2 |
| JAL Mileage Bank | 4:3 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 5:3 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1:1 |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | 1:1 |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | 1:1 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1:1 |
| Virgin Red | 1:1 |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 |
When actively traveling, you can use the card's $50 hotel credit when booking a hotel from the Lifestyle Collection, and a complimentary Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application credit, valued at up to $120. If you need to rent a car, the Venture offers complimentary Hertz® Five Star status, which includes free status upgrades and a wider selection of cars.
You'll also be covered in case something doesn't go as planned, with 24-hour travel assistance, accident insurance and rental car insurance.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a reasonable annual fee and earns flexible travel rewards, which makes it a great travel card for beginners or heavy travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer worth at least $750 in travel
- You can transfer miles to over 15 Capital One partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lacks ongoing travel benefits such as statement credits or lounge access
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- 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 fee
None
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
If you're looking for a card in the Chase ecosystem — or an option with multiple bonus categories — the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) fits the bill for a $95 annual fee.
You'll earn an elevated 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3X points on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2X points on all other travel purchases and 1X points on everything else. The card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which can be redeemed for travel at 1 cent per point or up to 1.5 cents per point on select bookings with Chase's Point Boost feature.
You can also transfer points to one of Chase's 14 transfer partners (including newly added Wyndham Rewards) for potentially greater value:
Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners
| Chase transfer partner | Transfer ratio |
|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1:1 |
| The British Airways Club | 1:1 |
| Flying Blue (Air France and KLM) | 1:1 |
| Iberia Club | 1:1 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | 1:1 |
| United MileagePlus | 1:1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 |
| IHG One Rewards | 1:1 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 |
| World of Hyatt | 1:1 |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 |
While the Sapphire Preferred doesn't offer specific airport perks like complimentary TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credits, it does feature a $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit (which, in itself, covers half of the card's annual fee). It's also one of the best credit cards for travel insurance; you'll get access to trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, travel and emergency assistance, trip delay reimbursement and auto rental coverage.
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
Bilt Obsidian Card
The Bilt Obsidian Card (see rates and fees) is one of three newly-launched cards within the Bilt Rewards program. This card carries a $95 annual fee, but it can be offset with the $100 Bilt Travel Hotel credit (split into two $50 semi-annual statement credits per year) for qualifying bookings of two nights or longer through the Bilt Travel portal.
The Obsidian earns 3X points on your choice of dining or groceries (groceries are capped at $25,000 in spending per year, then 1X points), 2X points on travel purchases and 1X points on your everyday spending — plus the option to earn rewards on rent or mortgage payments with no transaction fee.
Bilt Points are extremely valuable thanks to the program's extensive list of transfer partners, which includes 18 airlines and five hotels. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio unless noted otherwise:
Bilt Rewards transfer partners
| Bilt Rewards transfer partners |
|---|
| Avianca Lifemiles |
| Atmos Rewards (Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines) |
| Air Canada Aeroplan |
| Aer Lingus Aer Club |
| Accor Live Limitless (3:2) |
| British Airways Club |
| Cathay Pacific Cathy |
| Iberia Club |
| Etihad Guest |
| Emirates Skywards |
| Flying Blue (Air France and KLM) |
| Hilton Honors |
| IHG One Rewards |
| Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank |
| Mariott Bonvoy |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards |
| Air Portugal TAP Miles&Go |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles |
| United Airlines MileagePlus |
| World of Hyatt |
| Wyndham Rewards |
| Virgin Red |
With the Bilt Obsidian, you'll also receive $200 in Bilt Cash as a sign-up bonus after approval. At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire. Bilt Cash is a proprietary rewards currency created by Bilt for use within its ecosystem, and you can use it toward a handful of travel- and transit-specific redemptions. For example, you can help offset the cost of hotels booked through the Bilt Travel Portal, and on Bilt Rent Days (the first day of every month), you can use Bilt Cash to unlock higher transfer partner bonuses.
The card also comes with a few travel insurance protections, including MasterRental Coverage, Trip Delay Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection and Lost or Damaged Luggage Insurance.
*A maximum benefit amount and certain restrictions and limitations apply. Please review the Mastercard Guide to Benefits for details: https://www.biltrewards.com/terms/obsidian-card-guide-to-benefits.
The Bilt Obsidian Card offers 3X Bilt Points on key everyday categories, like groceries (up to $25,000 per year) or dining (your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year), plus comes with a $100 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit (split semi-annually each calendar year).
- Earns ultra-valuable flexible rewards
- Can earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee
- High return on dining or grocery purchases
- Additional steps for no-fee rent payments
- Cap on earning bonus Bilt points for groceries
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee.
- 3X points on your choice of grocery (up to $25K/year) or dining. Your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year.
- 2X points on travel
- 1X points on everyday spend
- Welcome offer: $200 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved. At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- $100 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $50 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.
- Earn additional points through Bilt Neighborhood Benefits™ when you use your card at Bilt's network of 50,000+ merchant partners.
Balance transfer fee
Greater of 5% or $5
When is a premium travel card worth it?
If you're new to travel credit cards or still trying to figure out which rewards program best fits your needs, you'll probably be better off with a lower-cost option. That said, there are situations where a more premium card can make sense:
- You use a majority of the statement credits: Many premium credit cards with annual fees of $500 or more do offer great value, as long as you use enough of the statement credits to offset a portion of the annual fee. Keep in mind, perks like travel insurance protections or airport lounge access can also add value if you'd otherwise pay out of pocket.
- You're a member of the military: Through both the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and the Military Lending Act (MLA), military members can receive interest rate caps and have credit card annual fees waived. If you can get approved for a premium travel card and have the annual fee waived under these protections, it can be a strong option.
- You want elevated travel statuses: Several travel cards offer elevated elite status with airline and hotel programs, which can offer more perks via upgrades and additional amenities. While hardcore travelers tend to get the most value, complementary elite status not only unlocks special treatment, but you often earn more rewards on purchases, too.
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.
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 article 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.
Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X to stay up to date.
Read more
For rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, click here.
