Getting a travel-focused credit card is a big step in financial responsibility. I grew up in a blue-collar home; we lived paycheck to paycheck off of my mom’s deli clerk and father’s delivery man salary. That isn’t to disparage them—it just means that the thought of a travel credit card was out of reach for them. I’m in my late 30s, and truly, I’ve only just started considering getting one. It’s an aspirational desire after I clear up some debts (again, remember, blue-collar origins here), but as a motivator, I started looking into where and what I could start with should I ever get to book a cool vacation.
The truth is, there are a lot of higher-risk, higher-fee cards out there that aren’t a great place to start. After poking around, I stumbled upon Motley Fool’s Best Travel Credit Cards list, and the top one caught my eye.
The best beginner travel credit card
For starters, the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card does not have an annual fee, which is a huge rarity for travel cards. There’s a generous welcome bonus of 25,000 points (worth $250) after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days. The rewards earned after that are solid, too: you get 1.5 points for every $1 you spend. You also get a 0% APR period of 15 billing cycles for both purchases and balance transfers, but the variable interest rates skyrocket after that (17.99%–27.99% variable).
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Another enticing factor for someone just starting this journey is that Bank of America has a pretty loose approach to what counts as “travel” when it comes to redemption. Points aren’t just redeemable for flights and hotels—you can use them for rental cars, baggage fees, and even restaurants while traveling.
Other options for starter credit cards
If you’re a little more advanced in your finances, of course, that isn’t the only great card on the market. If you’re traveling a lot via flights, it might be more lucrative to use a card that is directly connected to miles.
“I use a Citi Venture travel rewards card and find that it’s better than any specific business tie-in card,” said TravelHost Editor-in-Chief Daniel Kline. “I used to have a Royal Caribbean card, but the benefits were not as good and only could be used for cruises.”
Photo by Igor Alecsander on Getty Images
With this card, you can earn at a set rate on every purchase, allowing regular spending to build toward travel points. They also offer a large welcome bonus of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in three months, which equals $750 in cash. There are also flexible redemption options, and if you’re an international traveler, there are no foreign transaction fees.
Related: Another low-cost airline is launching a credit card
What to consider before jumping into credit card travel rewards
Taking the first leap comes with a few necessary steps—the biggest being figuring out what you want to get out of it. Jumping into an offer can prove to be fruitless if not carefully vetted.
“I have a Frontier Airlines reward card. The points I have accumulated have been redeemed for flights. But trying to convert the points was a tedious process,” admitted Jimmy Dinsmore, managing editor of TravelHost. “You have to use the browser through a website, not through the Frontier app. It’s unnecessarily cumbersome. I regret having the card and will likely transfer my balance to something with a lower rate. The rewards and effort are not worth it.”
Related: How United reward members can get extra points with Instacart collab
Here are some other essential criteria before making a travel card choice:
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Plan around your welcome bonus: The signup bonuses only work if you meet the requirements. Plan signup around large purchases to hit the spending threshold responsibly in a way you can efficiently pay off. Never spend more than you normally would.
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Determine the redemption rules: Make sure you figure out who your card’s transfer partners are so you can plan around those perks.
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Check the annual fees: Even if it starts out with low or no fees, they will kick in eventually, and you need to determine if they’re feasible.
Ultimately, these cards can be masterfully used—just be sure to never outkick your coverage.
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This story was originally reported by TravelHost on Oct 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
