May 2025: Best Travel Credit Card Offers
We’ve simplified things with our “Best Of” rankings for best travel credit offers for travel rewards. If you don’t have time to research cards, take advantage of our expertise! Travel Freely is here to help you with the best travel credit card offers. Need a primer on Rewards Cards? Sign up for Travel Freely (for free), check out Rewards Cards 101, or jump into why this rewards travel card is our #1 recommended card.
Don’t Let Offers Disappear – We’ve seen a LOT of offers come and go. Some offers have clear expiration dates, and others just vanish without warning. My advice: If you are ready for another card, and you know the card you want… Don’t delay!
Brand new here? Free Travel Starts Here.
Make sure you sign up for Travel Freely – it’s free, and you’ll immediately get access to the short ebook Free Travel 101 and receive custom recommendations for the best travel credit card offers. Travel Freely is 100% Free. We don’t ask for credit card info or any sensitive information. Want to know more? Check out the benefits and features of our 100% free tool.
If this is your first time to our best offers page, it is so easy to travel for free! Please read our “How to Get Started” Travel Freely strategy overview so you can know our secret approach to earning tons of points and miles in no time.
Best Travel Credit Card Highlights for May 2025
🔥 Offer Ending Soon! “Best Offer This Year” On Our #1 Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card – The Overall Best Personal Card for Beginners
It has been awhile since we saw an offer this big! Earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points for $5,000 spend in 3 months for our #1 best beginner travel credit card. That means the bonus is worth over $1,250 in free travel. Do not hesitate to go after this offer!
Two of you? Couples can double up on great cards if you apply separately. That’s over $2,500 in free travel if you are both eligible and can reach the spending requirements during this increased offer.
This card is great for those who want flexibility and value when they do not know what kind of free travel they need – domestic flights, international flights, hotels, rental cars, etc.
Want to know more? Check out our Rewards Cards 101 mini-webinar to get an overview on Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Learn How to Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred (100,000 points valued at over $1,250) or Read Zac’s review here.
🔥Offer ends 5/12/25! Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards card is now offering a limited-time $250 Capital One Travel credit in addition to 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months.
That’s $250 toward travel plus 75,000 miles — a huge value for a card with a $95 annual fee. Note that the $250 travel credit can only be used for bookings made through the Capital One Travel portal. It does not apply to any travel purchases charged to your card.
The travel credit is available as soon as you’re approved, so you can start booking flights, hotels, or rental cars right away. Learn How to Apply for the Capital One Venture Rewards Card or read more about why the Capital One Venture Cards are great for beginners free travelers.
New! For business owners with a high annual spend, the Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card just unveiled an incredible offer where you’ll earn up to 350,000 Miles: 150,000 miles for $30,000 spend in 3 months + an additional 200,000 miles for $200,000 spend in 6 months. Read more about whether this card is worth it.
Elevated offers for fans of United
Chase has unveiled elevated welcome offers on its United consumer and business credit cards, along with increased annual fees and enhanced perks. This makes it easier to earn more MileagePlus miles, while new benefits — such as improved travel protections and statement credits — add extra value. Our advice: read through the perks to make sure they provide actual value for you before you apply. Limited-time offers end 5/7/25.
Hotel Offers Get an Upgrade
For those who prefer the Marriott brand, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card have “best ever” welcome offers. The Marriott Bonvoy® Brilliant card welcome offer is 185,000 Bonvoy® Points for spending $6,000 in 6 months, while the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® is 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy® Points for spending $5,000 in 6 months. Each card carries a hefty annual fee, so it’s important that you review the perks of each card carefully to offset that cost.
Best Travel Credit Card Offers
At Travel Freely, we are all about maximizing great signup bonuses with the best travel rewards credit cards. Our approach is to get the most points in the least amount of time. Signup bonuses are the #1 way to rack up points WITHOUT traveling or spending a lot of money. Some people get more rewards in 1 bonus than they would in an entire year’s worth of spending on the same old card they’ve had for 5 years. Check out the BEST deals here:
- Overall #1 Travel Credit Card for Beginners: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (100,000 points!)
- Best “No-Thinking” Card: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (75,000 miles + $250 Capital One Travel Credit) or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (75,000 miles)
- Best No Annual Fee Card: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Overall Best Business Travel Card: Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (90,000 points)
- Best No Annual Fee Business Travel Card: Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (75,000 points or Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (75,000 points)
- Best Stay-at-Home, Travel Later Card: American Express® Gold Card (75,000 points + 20% in statement credits for restaurant purchases in first 6 months — up to $250)
- Best Airline Business Card: Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (80,000 points) or Chase New United℠ Business Card (125,000 miles)
- Best Hotel Personal Card: American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card or Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Best Hotel Business Card: Chase IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card or Chase World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (60,000 points + Explorist status thru 2/28/26)
- Best Cash Back Personal Card: Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Citi Double Cash® Card
- Best Travel Card for 3x on Gas, Grocery, and Dining: Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
- Best Ultra-Premium Card: The Platinum Card® from American Express (100,000 points) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card (60,000 points) or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (75,000 points)
- Best Premium Hotel Card: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® (185,000 points) or American Express Hilton Honors Aspire
- Best Ultra-Premium Business Card: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (150,000 points + $500 statement credit after $2,500 spend on qualified flights)
- Best Card for College Students/Grads: Discover It Student
- Best Personal Cards for Carrying a Balance: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express or Citi Double Cash® Card
- Best Business Cards for Carrying a Balance: Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card or Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- Best Travel Cards for Carrying a Balance: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Best Personal Balance Transfer: Citi® Diamond Preferred® or Citi Double Cash® Card
New to Travel Freely? Need a Refresher? Here are Beginner Mini-Webinars:
Learn why Travel Freely strategy is the easiest and most effective. Check out these mini-webinars to learn your best strategy. Feel free to share with others who could use a huge boost to their travel budget.
- Watch Free Travel 101: Basic Strategy (12 min)
- Watch Rewards Cards 101 with a Spotlight on Chase Ultimate Rewards (12 min)
- Watch How Free Travel Impacts Your Credit (6 min)
- Watch Southwest Companion Pass Strategy (12 minutes)
Extra Resources: Couples Need to Double Up! | Free Business Owner Guide | Yes! You Are Eligible for Business Credit Cards | Southwest Companion Pass Strategy
Amazing Offers on Chase Business Cards
One of the very best business cards. A highly recommended business card for an incredible signup bonus and 3X categories.
This card has a great signup bonus and 3X categories. It’s hard to beat this Chase Ink card. Especially when you’re looking for an all-around business card that has flexible redemption options. Also, it can be combined with your personal Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Learn more about this card with our Chase Ink Business Preferred Complete Guide.
- Earns 3X rewards on travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone, and advertising with social media sites (up to $150K spend per year)
- Points worth 25% more when redeemed for travel
- Cell phone protection against theft or damage
- No foreign transaction fees
Great signup bonus for a business card with no annual fee, now with an extended timeline for hitting the spend requirement. Great for carrying a balance. 5x earning categories, and if paired with a premier Chase credit card (one that carries an annual fee), your points are worth even more.
Incredible signup bonus for a no annual fee card. An excellent companion to the Ink Preferred, personal Sapphire Reserve or personal Sapphire Preferred. Like the personal Sapphire cards, this card earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards. As of 3/21/24, this card has a new multi-tiered offer where the points amount on the offer has not changed, but the spending required to hit the bonus has become significantly more achievable for many people. You now have 6 months to meet the spending requirement, where previously you only had 3 months.
- Earn 5X rewards (on first $25k spent) for phone, TV, internet, and office supply stores.
- Earn 2X rewards on gas and restaurants
- No Annual Fee
A no-brainer, great business card. Your choice to receive 1.5% cash back or 1.5x points.
An all-round great no-thinking business card with no annual fee. It’s very simple. You earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases. This can be a great standalone card, but it is a excellent companion card to the Ink Business Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Sapphire Preferred since you can combine your points under one of those 3 cards which allows point transfers to Chase’s transfer partners!
- Earn 1.5X rewards on Everything
- No Annual Fee
| Card | Signup Bonus | Spending Required | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ink Preferred | 90,000 | $8,000 in first 3 months | $95 |
| Ink Cash | up to 75,000 | 35,000 for $3,000 in first 3 months; add’l 40,000 for $6,000 total in first 6 months | $0 |
| Ink Unlimited | 75,000 | $6,000 in first 3 months | $0 |
Our Top Recommendations for Carrying a Balance
If you’re looking to carry a balance, think about the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card. The next best option would be the Citi Double Cash® Card. Note: You will not earn rewards for the balance transfers. Make sure to check terms when applying.
For great introductory offers, check out the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express or Chase Freedom Unlimited® because they also have a welcome bonus.
Now with a signup bonus! A great complement to the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card.
Definitely worth considering if you're looking for a cash-back card, as you'll earn 3% cash back on several categories. Terms apply.
With this card, you typically earn 3x on dining (including takeout and select delivery services); 3x on drugstores; 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; and 1.5x on everything else.
Best Business Cards for Carrying a Balance
A no-brainer, great business card. Your choice to receive 1.5% cash back or 1.5x points.
Great signup bonus for a business card with no annual fee, now with an extended timeline for hitting the spend requirement. Great for carrying a balance. 5x earning categories, and if paired with a premier Chase credit card (one that carries an annual fee), your points are worth even more.
Special Guide for Business Owners
What’s Our Criteria for the Best Cards?
- Value of Points – Not all points and miles have the same value when it comes time to redeeming them. We take this seriously when helping you with the best credit cards with travel rewards.
- Bonuses – Travel Freely seeks to maximize signup bonuses, so if great signup bonus offers come out, those cards will move up in the rankings.
- Type of Card – We value airline cards higher than hotel cards because airfare never goes on sale (whereas hotel sites can get you almost 50% retail rates). That means airfare is the highest value in free travel. So, if we see airlines and hotel cards as similarly great deals, the airline card will get the edge in the rankings.
- Bonus Spending Requirement – We rank cards lower that require major spending as part of their signup bonus. For example: Some cards offer 50,000 points if you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months, but then they’ll offer an add’l 25,000 points if you spend $10-15k in additional spending over the course of the year. This is considered major spending to us and we do not factor that in for the normal free traveler.
- Ease-of-Use – Factors such as customer service and redemption fees play a factor in our rankings. We don’t want you to spend hours on the phone with poorly trained, off-shore customer service when you have a question about your card. Avoiding ridiculous fees for redeeming free travel are also important to us. For example: Frontier — you might get a “free flight” on Frontier Airlines with 20,000 points. But, you have to pay a reward redemption fee, bag fee for carry-on or checked luggage, and a seat booking fee. You might spend $96 in fees for a “free” $110 flight!
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