If you travel and have good credit, then you should already be maximizing your purchases to receive the most return per dollar (or peso) spent. Here is a simplified list of five credit cards we believe you should consider, including the most prominent features & benefits of each card.

Also, the bonuses sometimes go up & down, but these are the most current 2025 bonuses and benefits.

If you travel by air more than a couple of times a year then the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a great card. It has over 1,300 airport lounges you can access, with each visit worth at least $30 per person. And the 60,000 point bonus is valued at $600 to $1,200 in travel. The full list of benefits are below.

For living in Mexico the Hilton HHonors AMEX has been extremely valuable to us. It’s the only card that we’ve been able to use to make some of our online utility payments, and we’ve used our points to spend the night at Hilton properties during long layovers at the Los Angeles International Airport.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card

• Annual Fee: $95
• 50,000 Alaska Miles after Spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
• One Annual Companion Fare – Buy One Ticket Get a Companion Ticket for $99 + taxes & fees (must spend $6,000 per year to receive)
• Free checked bag for you and up to six other passengers and priority boarding (2nd checked bag for $25)
• $100 off the annual Alaska Lounge Membership
• 20% off in-flight purchases
• Earn 3 miles per $1 on Alaska Airlines purchases, 2 miles per 1 on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services, and local transit (including rideshare) purchases, and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases
• No Foreign Transaction Fees

Chase Freedom Unlimited

• Annual Fee: $0
• Earn $200 cash back once you’ve spent $500 in the first 3 months
• 1.5% cash back on all purchases, 3% cashback on dining and drugstores, and 5% cashback on travel purchased through the Chase Travel Portal
• Does have Foreign Transaction Fees

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Annual Fee: $795 (plus $195 for a second authorized card)

Apply Here!

• Earn 60,000 bonus points (after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
• $300 Annual Travel Statement credit
• Complimentary Airport Lounge Access for you and a guest with Priority Pass Select (1,300+ Lounges throughout the World)
• Global Entry / TSA Pre-Check or Nexus Fee Credit of up to $120 every 4 years for reimbursement costs
• Two $250 credits per year towards “The Edit” – Chase’s collection of 1,000+ premium hotels and resorts, plus complimentary benefits including a $100 property credit, room upgrade, and daily breakfast for two (minimum 2 night stay, with the first credit valid for the first 6 months and the second credit valid for the last 6 months of each year)
• Two $150 dining credits at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables and access to primetime reservations at this curated list of award-winning restaurants on OpenTable, includes restaurants in Cancun, Cabo, Mexico City, and Monterrey (the first credit valid for the first 6 months and the second credit is valid for the last 6 months of each year)
• Two $150 Stubhub credits good per year (the first credit is valid for the first 6 months and the second credit is valid for the last 6 months of each year)
• Complimentary AppleTV+ and Apple Music
• $25 per month credit towards DoorDash, $10 per month credit to use towards Lyft, $10 per month to use towards Peloton memberships
• If you spend $75,000 per year then you also receive IHG Diamond Status, Southwest Airlines A-List and a $500 travel credit, and a $250 credit towards Chase’s The Shop online
• Points for travel are redeemed at 1 to 2 times the point through the Chase Travel Portal, can be redeemed for cash at 1cent per point, or transferred to other airlines and hotels
• Your purchases will earn: 8x points on all Chase Travel, 4x points on flights and hotels purchased direct, 3x points on dining worldwide, 5x total points on all eligible Lyft purchases, 10x points on eligible Peloton hardware and accessory purchases, and 1x points on everything else
• No Foreign Transaction Fees
• Travel Protection: Flight delays over 6 hours you are covered for unreimbursed expenses up to $500 per ticket. Lost Luggage is covered up to $3,000 per passenger. Baggage Delay covers up to $100 per day for 5 days for essential items like toiletries. Roadside assistance covers up to $50 per incident up to four times per year.

Citi Costco Anywhere Visa

• Annual Fee: Free with your Costco membership
• Earn 5% back on gas at Costco and 5% on other eligible gas and EV charging up to a $7,000 spend per year, 3% on restaurants and eligible travel, including Costco Travel, 2% on all other purchases from Costco, and 1% on all other purchases
• No Foreign Transaction Fees

Hilton HHonors American Express

Apply Here!

• Annual Fee: $0
• 80,000 Points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months (good for 1 to 8 free nights at Hilton properties)
• Complimentary Hilton Silver Status
• 7 Bonus Points per $1 spent on Hotel Stays within the Hilton Portfolio, 5 Bonus Points per $1 spent at US Supermarkets, Restaurants and Gas Stations, and 3 Points per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
• Book Five Consecutive Nights at a Hilton Property and the Fifth Night is Free
• No Foreign Transaction Fees