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Guys, we don’t get a kickback for sharing this information with you. Pinky promise.
These 5 credit cards are genuinely our favorites and we just want you to experience free travel.
Commence racking up free flights and hotel stays in 3… 2…1…
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Sign-Up Bonus:
50,000 Ultimate Reward Points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth at least $625 when redeeming the points through the Chase Ultimate Reward Portal but those 50,000 points can be worth much more when you transfer them to Chase Travel Partners like Hyatt Hotels.
Bonus Category:
Get two points per dollar on all travel purchases and at restaurants. (One point per dollar on all other purchases.)
Annual Fee:
The first year? It’s $0. Each consecutive year the annual fee is $95.
Extras:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card gets you automatic cool status. Okay that might be a stretch, people act like the fact that the card is metal is a big deal, so…
You can also get rental insurance that covers the entire loss, damage or theft of your car rental without reporting it to your insurance company. This is a benefit that can save you big time if you have an incident involving your rental car.
Note: For all of these cards, we don’t even include APR because this is only a good deal if you pay off your card every month and NEVER pay interest rates!
2. American Express Hilton Surpass Card
Sign-Up Bonus:
Through May 31st, get 100,000 Hilton Honors points after you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first three months. That’s enough for two to three nights at most Hilton Hotels and enough for at least one night at the most expensive Hilton Hotels. If you’re gonna get this card, now is the time to do it!
Bonus Category:
You’ll get one point per dollar you spend except when you buy groceries, eat at restaurants or get gas for your car. In those cases, you get six Hilton Honors points for every dollar you spend on. (Six!!! I use this card whenever I buy in those categories.)
Annual Fee:
$75, but the perks and free anniversary night along with the bonus categories make the annual fee well worth it.
Extras:
You’ll get automatic Hilton Honors Gold Status, which gets you room upgrades, late check-out and free breakfast at most Hilton Hotels. The free breakfast alone can be worth hundreds of dollars per year.
3. Chase Southwest Plus Credit Card
Sign-Up Bonus:
If you want a card with a relatively easy sign-up bonus of 40,000 points (worth at least $600) after just $1,000 in spend in the course of three months, this is your card. At various times throughout the year, this sign-up bonus is increased to 50,000 points though, so it might be worth waiting for one of those windows of time and jumping on it.
Bonus Category:
Two points per $1 spent on Southwest Airline Purchases and Rapid Reward Hotel and Car Rental Partner Purchases. (One point per $1 for all other purchases.)
Annual Fee:
The Southwest Plus Credit Card comes with an annual fee of $69.
Extras:
You’ll receive an extra 3,000 bonus miles on your cardmember anniversary. And getting the Southwest Airlines Plus Credit Card gets you a little closer to the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass which is one of the best perks in the airline industry. Read how I flew my whole family to Disney twice for free.
4. Capital One Venture Credit Card
Sign-Up Bonus:
40,000 mile sign-up bonus(worth $400) after $3,000 dollars in purchases in the first three months. Some companies refer to their points as “miles,” which is true for this card and for the Delta card (#5).
Bonus Category:
Get two miles per dollar on ALL purchases! That means you’ll get 2% back across the board and those miles will quickly add up!
Annual Fee:
$0 annual fee for the first year, followed by $59 per year for subsequent years.
Extras:
Another flashy metal card. And the Capital One Venture Card offers extended warranty protection. This means that you’ll get additional warranty protection at no charge on items that are purchased with the Venture Credit Card.
5. American Express Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card
Sign-Up Bonus:
A $50.00 statement credit and 30,000 bonus miles after you make $1,000 in purchases within the first three months. Delta Miles are valued at 1.2 cents per mile, so that means the sign-up bonus is worth at least $320. The bonus is often increased to 50,000 miles, so again, it might be worth waiting for the increased sign-up bonus before applying.
Bonus Categories:
Two miles per dollar on all Delta purchases and one mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Annual Fee:
The American Express Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card has an annual fee of $95, but that fee is waived for the first year.
Extras:
The credit card also comes with one free checked bag, free priority boarding, 20% off all on board food and drink purchases and no foreign transaction fees.
Have I convinced you yet? Put away those debit cards and start earning points and miles for your next vacation.
Traveling free is the best way to travel!
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