Which type of travel credit is easiest to redeem?
These days, it’s becoming more and more common to see cards that charge annual fees in the $450 (or more) range. In many ways, reward is the new normal.
To entice customers to spend hundreds of dollars a year, most of these cards offer some sort of annual travel statement credit, but they’re certainly not all created equal. Some range from automatic and easy to use to much more restrictive, with strict guidelines you need to follow to redeem those travel credits.
At TPG, we want to give you information to help you make decisions. So we created this chart to help you easily navigate between some of the travel credit card Provide easy-to-use travel credit:
| Card | Welcome Bonus | Travel credit | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Get 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. | $300 Annual Travel Credit | $550 |
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® | Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 within the first three months of account opening. | Up to $120 Lyft Credit Up to $120 in statement credits on Grubhub purchases Up to $120 statement credit on Avis or Budget car rentals | $595 (see prices and fees) |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card | Earn 95,000 points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases with your card in the first six months of card membership. | Up to $300 dining statement credit at restaurants worldwide (up to $25 per month per calendar year) Up to $100 luxury property credit for select stays of two nights or more at Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis hotels Registration is required to enjoy certain benefits. | $650 (see prices and fees) |
| Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | Earn 175,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Terms apply | Annual airline credit up to $200 Up to $400 annually Hilton Resort Credit Statement valid at participating resorts Up to $100 property credit for qualifying stays of two nights or more at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels Credit up to $189 per year for Clear Plus membership (taxes and fees not included) Registration is required to enjoy certain benefits. | $550 (see prices and fees) |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | Get 80,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on card purchases in the first six months of card membership. | Annual credit up to $200 for airline charges Up to $200 hotel credit for prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or Hotel Collection hotels (minimum two-night stay) Up to $200 in annual Uber Cash ($15 a month and $20 bonus in December) Clear Plus Credit Worth $189 Registration is required to enjoy certain benefits. | $695 (see prices and fees) |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening | $300 annual travel credit for bookings through Capital One Travel | $395 (see prices and fees) |
The information about the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Travel Credit: $300 Annual Travel Credit
Outstanding benefits: The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards. Although it has a $550 annual fee, the $300 annual travel credit is a compelling incentive to sign up.
Finally, the Sapphire Reserve will finish with 3 points per dollar spent on travel and dining, a Priority Pass Select Membershipaccess to one Premium reception service and a series other benefits.
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve Review
Register here: Chase Sapphire Reserve
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Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
Travel Credit: Up to $120 for Lyft credit, up to $120 for statement credit on Grubhub purchases, and up to $120 for statement credit on Avis or Budget rentals.
Outstanding benefits: The Citi / AAdvantage CEO The card offers great statement credits and impressive savings rates. It stands out thanks to its free Admirals Club membership.
The AAdvantage Executive card offers attractive rewards rates, with 4 miles per dollar on purchases on American Airlines and 10 miles per dollar on hotel or car reservations through the AA travel portal.
You can also add authorized users, for a fee of $175 for up to three individuals and $175 for each authorized user thereafter.
Related: Citi/AAdvantage Executive Review
Register here: Citi / AAdvantage CEO
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
Travel Credit: Dining statement credit up to $300 at restaurants worldwide and up to $100 high end real estate credit Stay two nights or more at the St. Regis or Ritz-Carlton hotel.
Outstanding benefits: In addition to these credits, this card automatic supply Marriott Platinum Elite Status and a Valid annual free night certificate worth up to 50,000 points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels (some hotels charge a resort fee).
Related: Great Review of Marriott Bonvoy
Register here: Marriott Bonvoy Radiant
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Travel Credit: Up to $200 annual airline credit, up to $400 annual Hilton resort statement credit valid at participating resorts, up to $100 property credit for two or more nights at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels, and up to $189 credit per year for Clear Plus membership (excluding taxes and fees).
Outstanding benefits: Hilton Aspire Premium offers valuable credits for offset its annual fee. Aspire card members will also enjoy Free weekend night certificate upon account opening and annually on their account anniversary, automatically ranked highest Hilton Diamond Elite Status and 14 points per dollar on eligible purchases at Hilton.
Find out more: Hilton Honors Aspire
American Express Platinum Card
Travel Credit: Up to $200 annually airline charges statement credit, up to $200 in Uber Cash annually ($15 a month, becoming a $20 bonus in December), $189 Clear Plus credit, and up to $200 in hotel credit. You must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App, and your eligible American Express Platinum Card must be the payment method in your Uber account.
Outstanding benefits: The Amex Platinum CardHigh annual fees can be offset by taking advantage of free services Marriott Hotel And Hilton Hotel Gold elite status, access to Amex Global Lounge Collection and many other benefits. Registration is required to enjoy certain benefits.
Related: Amex Platinum Review
Register here: Amex Platinum Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Travel Credit: $300 annual travel credit when booked through Capital One Travel.
Outstanding benefits: The Capital One Venture X is a phenomenal card that turned the travel credit card industry upside down a few years ago. The Venture X earns 10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights through Capital One Travel, and an unlimited 2 miles per dollar on everything else. Cardholders also get a 10,000 bonus miles on their card anniversary, but the card excels when it comes to lounge access.
The cardholder can add four authorized users (see prices and fees) free and primary cardholders And authorized user (see prices and fees) — plus up to two guests — get complimentary access to Capital One lounges. Additionally, all guests traveling with the primary cardholder or authorized user (see prices and fees) can also access more than 1,300 Priority Pass lounges worldwide.
Related: Capital One Venture X Review
Register here: Capital One Venture X Rewards
Last line
For a long time, it was easy to overlook the annual fees that came with premium cards, in part because many annual statement credits easily offset your upfront costs. However, recent changes and restrictions on how these credits can be used can impact the value you get from these high-annual-fee cards. It’s important to plan how you’ll use these credits before you open the card to ensure you can recoup them. annual fee.
For rates and fees for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click This.
For Hilton Honors Aspire card rates and fees, click This.
For Amex Platinum rates and fees, click This.
