Travel rewards credit cards earn flexible points that can be transferred to a variety of airline and hotel transfer partners. They’re the most valuable travel rewards currency because they are easily earned and they can help you book award travel anywhere around the globe.

For this reason, flexible points are best for anyone just getting started with points and miles, as well as for travelers who’ve been earning travel rewards for years.

Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Current Welcome Bonus: 80,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months from your account opening

Favorite Card Features: 

• 2x on travel and dining
• No foreign exchange fees
• Transfer Ultimate Rewards points to airline and hotel partners like United, Flying Blue, and Hyatt
• 1.25 cents per point value if you redeem points for travel in the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal

Annual Fee: $95

I love earning Ultimate Rewards points with my Sapphire. These valuable flexible points have helped me travel around the globe to places like Barcelona and Botswana, Chile, Canada, and Cambodia. If you’re looking for your first travel rewards credit card, start with the Sapphire Preferred. It helped me realize my travel dreams and it can help you, too. 🙂

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Current Welcome Bonus: 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months from your account opening

Favorite Card Features: 

• 3x on travel and dining
• $300 travel credit
• Priority Pass Membership
• No foreign exchange fees
• Transfer Ultimate Rewards points to airline and hotel partners like United, Iberia, and Hyatt
• 1.5 cents per point value if you redeem points for travel in the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal

Annual Fee: $550

Although I started with a Sapphire Preferred, I now have a Sapphire Reserve. I earn Ultimate Rewards points, offset more than half the fee with the annual travel credit, and take advantage of lounge access at airports across the world.

American Express Green

Current Welcome Bonus: 30,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months from your account opening

Favorite Card Features: 

• 3x on travel and dining
• $100 Lounge Buddy credit
• No foreign exchange fees
• Transfer Membership Rewards points to airline and hotel partners like Aeroplan, Delta, and Hilton.

Annual Fee: $150

American Express Gold

Current Welcome Bonus: 35,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months from your account opening

Favorite Card Features: 

• 4x on restaurants and U.S. supermarkets
• 3x on flights booked with an airline directly or through Amex Travel
• No foreign exchange fees
• Transfer Membership Rewards points to airline and hotel partners like Delta, Eithad and Choice.

Annual Fee: $250

American Express Membership Rewards points are another of my absolute favorite to earn! They have many airline transfer partners, which can help you fly domestically and internationally in whatever your desired seat class. 😉 Amex even offers periodic bonus transfers which help you get even more miles for your points.

Among many other things, my hubby and I used Membership Rewards points to book our dream honeymoon to Italy!

American Express Platinum

Current Welcome Bonus: 60,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months from your account opening

Favorite Card Features: 

• 5x on flights booked with an airline directly or through Amex Travel
• 5x on prepaid hotels with Amex Travel
• Statement credits for things like airline incidentals, Uber, and Saks Fifth Avenue
• Lounge privileges with Priority Pass, Centurion, and others around the globe
• No foreign exchange fees
• Transfer Membership Rewards points to airline and hotel partners like Delta, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, and Choice.

Annual Fee: $550

Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card

Current Welcome Bonus: 50,000 Capital One® miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months from your account opening

Favorite Card Features: 

• 2x on every $1 spent
• 10x when booking hotels through Hotels.com/Venture until January 31, 2020
• No foreign exchange fees
• Use your miles as a travel purchase eraser or transfer them to one of the Capital One transfer partners like Flying Blue or Aeroplan.
• Up to a $100 Global Entry or TSA Precheck credit

Annual Fee: $0 in your 1st year, then $95 thereafter

Capital One miles used to be limited to erasing travel expenses from your statements. But, Capital One added airline and hotel transfer partners, which added a ton of value to this familiar travel rewards card. This versatility means you can transfer your miles to an airline like Air Canada Aeroplan or use the miles to erase travel expenses that can’t be booked with points or miles like car rentals or Airbnbs.

Citi Premier

Current Welcome Bonus: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months from your account opening

Favorite Card Features: 

• 3x on travel
• 2x on restaurants and entertainment
• No foreign exchange fees
• Transfer Citi ThankYou Points to airline and hotel partners like Virgin Atlantic and Asia Miles.

Annual Fee: $95

ThankYou Points are a valuable addition to a diversified flexible points portfolio. I’ve used ThankYou Points to book award flights with partner airlines like Virgin Atlantic and Etihad which saved thousands of points had I booked with another airline.

Best Business Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Ink Business Preferred

Current Welcome Bonus: 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $15,000 in the first 3 months from your account opening.

Favorite Card Features:

• 3x on travel, shipping costs, internet, phone & cable services, and advertising with social media sites and search engines on the first $150k in combined category spending
• No foreign exchange fees
• Transfer Ultimate Rewards points to airline and hotel partners like United, Flying Blue, and Hyatt
  1.25 cents per point value if you redeem points for travel in the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal

Annual Fee: $95

This Chase business card earns Ultimate Rewards points that can be combined with your overall Ultimate Rewards balance. I love this because I can use the card for expenses like internet, cable, and phone and then combine all my points earned with my Sapphire Reserve to book an unforgettable trip!

Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express

Current Welcome Bonus: 3 $100 credits for Dell, FedEx, and Docusign after making a purchase within 3 months of opening your account

Favorite Card Features:

• 2x American Express Membership Rewards points for up to $50k a year
• Add Amex Offers to the card to earn bonus points and statement credits for qualifying purchases
• Transfer Membership Rewards points to valuable airline and hotel transfer partners including Delta, Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic, and ANA

Annual Fee: $0

Memberships Rewards points are among my favorite travel rewards currency to earn! I love the variety of airline transfer partners American Express offers. I’ve booked premium class seats on flights operated by Iberia, Aeroplan, and ANA to name a few, as well as taken advantage of bonus transfers that give a 10%-40% bonus on the points I transfer!

If you have business expenses, consider maximizing what you’re paying by using a Membership Rewards card to earn valuable travel rewards points for future trips. 

American Express Business Gold Card

Current Welcome Bonus: 35,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months from your account opening.

Favorite Card Features:

• 4x on 2 bonus categories that make sense for your business on up to $150k in spending each calendar year. Choices include advertising, U.S. gas, restaurants, or shipping, flights booked directly with the airline, and technology costs involving cloud services and software. 
• No foreign exchange fees
• Transfer Membership Rewards points to airline and hotel partners like Aeroplan, Delta, ANA, and Etihad. 
• Get a 25% point rebate when you book a flight with American Express Travel on your selected airline or on any premium class flight.

Annual Fee: $295

The Business Platinum Card from American Express

Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 in the first 3 months of opening your account

Favorite Card Features:

• 5x on airfare and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel
• No foreign exchange fees
• Transfer Membership Rewards points to valuable airline partners like Aeroplan, Avianca, Delta, Etihad, and Virgin Atlantic.
• Access American Express Centurion Lounges.
• Get 35% of your points back when booking economy flights with your selected airline or on premium class flight bookings with any airline when you book through American Express Travel.
• Get Dell statement credits up to $200 that can be stacked with other Dell promotions

Annual Fee: $595

Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business

Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 50k miles after spending $4,500 in the first 3 months from your account opening.

Favorite Card Features:

• 2x on all purchases with no spending caps
• No foreign exchange fees
• Transfer miles to Capital One's airline transfer partners like Aeroplan, Avianca, and Flying Blue or redeem them to erase travel purchases on your monthly statement.

Annual Fee: $0 for the first year, then $95 starting the 2nd year

Read more about the Capital One Spark Miles for Business to know whether it's right for your business.

Capital One miles can now be used to transfer to a variety of airline and hotel transfer partners at a 2:1.5 transfer ratio. This can be a much better value for your Capital One miles compared to using them as a travel purchase eraser on your statement. Premium class bookings are worth a lot more than the fixed 1 cent per point value you get when using these miles as a statement credit.

Important Things to Know about Flexible Points

The tips below will help you learn more about the value of travel rewards credit cards and the flexible points they earn. To learn more, sign up for my free travel hacking basics course.