The Best Beginner-Friendly Travel Rewards Credit Cards

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Earning travel rewards doesn’t have to be complicated. Many of the most popular travel credit cards are designed for beginners, offering easy ways to earn and redeem rewards on everyday expenses. 

The simplest travel rewards credit cards highlighted in this guide don’t charge annual fees, and make it very easy to redeem points and miles.

No-annual-fee options include the Capital One VentureOne Credit Card, Wells Fargo Autograph® Card, and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express. All earn generous rewards on common purchases, and do not charge foreign transaction fees when you use them for international purchases. 

If you’re willing to pay for better perks, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for its travel insurance benefits. The American Express Green Card® offers travel-friendly benefits like CLEAR+ credits to help you blitz through airport security screening. Meanwhile, the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card provides top-notch financial protection for your business. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the most expensive card on this list, but it includes complimentary airport lounge access as well as a generous annual travel credit worth nearly as much as its annual fee. 

You’ll learn more about each of these cards and their merits in this guide.  

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Best for: Families who value travel insurance coverage, travelers who value Chase points.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best travel credit cards for beginners, with outstanding travel insurance benefits and an annual credit of up to $100 for hotels booked through Chase Travel. 

Cardholders can choose between redeeming rewards for travel through Chase or by transferring points to popular airlines and hotels like Southwest, United, Marriott, and Hyatt. Best of all, the travel insurance included with this credit card is generous and easy to use. 

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Best for: Frequent travelers who want top-tier airport benefits at a comparatively low cost.

If you’re a frequent traveler, consider the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card credit card an investment in your comfort. The $395 annual fee is worth the cost if you spend enough money on travel yearly to maximize the annual statement credit and many travel benefits. 

Best of all, this premium travel card comes with complimentary airport lounge access at an annual fee price point that costs half as much as its competitors.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Best for: Simple ways to redeem travel rewards without paying an annual fee

Welcome bonus: Earn 20,000 Miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

Annual fee: $0

Earning rates: 

• 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars via Capital One Travel

• 1.25 miles per dollar everywhere else

Other benefits: 

• 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for your first 15 billing cycles, 18.49% - 28.49% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies

• No foreign transaction fees

• Transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is ideal for newbies who want simple travel rewards and little to no learning curve for redemptions, without paying an annual fee. It’s a great starter credit card that earns flat-rate travel rewards, making it ideal for beginners who want to earn rewards on everyday purchases without investing too much time or effort. 

Capital One offers one of the simplest redemption methods possible: You can use your rewards to pay down any eligible travel expense. You can also transfer rewards to a large number of airline and hotel partners.

Wells Fargo Autograph® Card

Best for: Wells Fargo customers who want to earn generous rewards on common expenses.

Welcome bonus: 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in the first three months as a cardholder.

Annual fee: $0

Earning rates: 

• 3 points per dollar on dining, travel, gas, transit, select streaming services, and cell phone bills

• 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

Other benefits: 

• 0% intro APR for your first 12 billing cycles 

• Cell phone insurance

• No foreign transaction fees

• Rental car auto collision damage waiver

• ransfer rewards to airline and hotel partners

The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card is a great option for households that want an entry-level travel credit card for all spending that doesn’t have an annual fee. This card’s bonus categories are quite extensive, especially compared to other no-annual-fee credit cards. Better yet, cardholders are covered by Wells Fargo’s cell phone insurance coverage, which offers complimentary coverage for damaged or lost phones with eligible claims.

American Express Green Card®

Best for: Earning Amex points on dining, travel, and transit; CLEAR+ membership.

Welcome bonus: 40,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months.

Annual fee: Around $150–$200 (exact varies by version).

Earning rates: 

• 3 points per dollar on travel, including airfare, hotels, car rentals, and public transit

• 3 points per dollar on restaurants, including takeout and delivery

• 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

Other benefits: 

• Up to $219 CLEAR+ credit

• Trip delay and baggage insurance

• Car rental loss/damage insurance 

• No foreign transaction fees

The American Express Green Card® is a great card for commuters and foodies who value travel rewards and benefits. If you spend a lot of money on dining and travel and don’t mind paying an annual fee to earn Membership Rewards, the American Express Green Card® may be a great fit for you. 

Travelers who value minimal time spent in airport lines will appreciate the annual CLEAR+ credit, which lets them take the expedited lane for security screening. The card also offers trip delay and baggage insurance, which is helpful for covering unexpected expenses when travel plans go awry. 

Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Best for: Small business owners who spend on shipping, travel, and office purchases.

Welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee: $95

Earning rates: 

• 3 points per dollar on shipping, advertising, Internet/phone, and travel, on up to $150,000 each year, then 1 point per dollar

• 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

Other benefits: 

• Points that transfer to airline and hotel partners

• Cell phone insurance

• Generous travel insurance

• Order free employee cards for trusted additional users 

The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is the gold standard for business owners with varied expenses, offering generous rewards on common company expenses like shipping, advertising, select utilities, and travel. 

Rewards can be combined with those earned from many other Chase cards for additional flexibility and redemption opportunities, and the card comes with generous benefits and protections for small business purchases.

^{Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Compensation may affect how and where the cards appear on the site, and we do not include all card companies and all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses, and recommendations have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these affiliate entities. point.me has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. point.me and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened.}