The Best Travel Credit Cards for Low Spenders

Try these cards if you want some points and perks but don't plan on spending too much.

Many or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.

Updated · 2 min read
Profile photo of Carissa Rawson
Written by Carissa Rawson
Profile photo of Chris Burkhardt
Edited by Chris Burkhardt
Assistant Assigning Editor
Fact Checked

You’ve probably seen an exciting article or two about people traveling to far-flung destinations using travel rewards points. As inspirational as these stories tend to be, they may seem out of reach for you — especially if you’re a low spender. After all, how do you earn points if you don’t have many expenses?

Happily, not all cards require you to splash out to cash in.

Let’s look at the best travel credit cards for low spenders and their benefits.

The best rewards credit cards for low spenders

AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
NerdWallet rating 

Do you have enough cash to cover a $99 annual fee? Can you afford to make a single transaction on a credit card? If so, the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® could be an excellent option for you.

The card's welcome bonus is as follows: Earn 60,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.

What will 60,000 AAdvantage miles get you? Well, from New York, it can get you a round-trip flight to Europe, eight flights across the country or two tickets to the Caribbean and back.

Not bad for a cup of coffee and an annual fee.

The card also has ongoing benefits as well, such as:

  • $25 in statement credits each year on American Airlines in-flight Wi-Fi purchases.

  • A free checked bag.

  • Priority boarding.

  • 2 miles per dollar spent at American Airlines.

  • 1 mile per dollar spent everywhere else.

  • Companion Certificate on your cardholder anniversary.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
NerdWallet rating 

One of our favorite travel credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers a whole host of benefits for its customers. Although it charges a $95 annual fee, you’ll receive $50 in statement credits toward hotel stays and a 10% bonus on earned points each anniversary in return.

It also offers a generous welcome bonus. Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year. You could possibly get even more value according to our recent valuations.

The main draw for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, however, is the ability to earn elevated rewards on common categories:

  • 5 points per dollar spent on all travel booked via the Chase travel portal.

  • 2 points per dollar on all other travel.

  • 3 points per dollar spent on restaurants, online grocery purchases and select streaming services.

  • 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

🤓Nerdy Tip

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also features rental car insurance, which can save you a good deal of money on your rentals.

Even if you don’t have significant expenses, the ability to earn increased bonus points on the purchases you do make will go a long way towards going on that dream vacation.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns Ultimate Rewards®, which is a flexible point currency. This means you can transfer and redeem points with a number of hotel and airline partners.

Citi Custom Cash® Card
NerdWallet rating 

The Citi Custom Cash® Card offers 5% cash back on the first $500 of your highest eligible spend category each billing cycle. Practically speaking, this means that Citi will automatically identify where you’re spending the most money every billing cycle and award you 5% back on the first $500 you spend. You’ll receive 1% back everywhere else. All with a $0 annual fee.

The categories eligible for a 5% return are broad:

  • Restaurants.

  • Gas stations.

  • Select travel and transit.

  • Grocery stores, drugstores, and home improvement stores.

  • Fitness clubs.

  • Select streaming services and live entertainment.

🤓Nerdy Tip

There's also a special travel offer on the Citi Custom Cash® Card right now: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026.

The Citi Custom Cash® Card earns cash back in the form of Citi ThankYou Points, which can be redeemed for travel, statement credits and more. Even better, if you also hold the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, you can combine your points and transfer them to one of Citi’s 19 transfer partners.

Our most expensive card on this list, the American Express® Green Card will charge you a $150 annual fee. That may seem high, but you’ll receive a lot in return, including:

Even if you only make it to the airport once a year, these benefits help smooth the way for your travel. The American Express® Green Card also offers strong returns on your spending, including 3 points per dollar spent on restaurants, transit and travel. You’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent everywhere else.

The card's welcome offer threshold is much lower than many other offers: Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

This card earns American Express Membership Rewards, another flexible point currency. These kinds of flexible points typically offer travelers a solid value since they grant you the ability to compare different transfer partners to find the cheapest redemption rates. This is especially true for airfare since each airline may charge you different point amounts for your flights.

Terms apply.

Discover it® Miles
NerdWallet rating 

If you’re looking for something simple, the Discover it® Miles card (annual fee: $0) is hard to beat. Its benefits are sparse, but you’ll earn a flat 1.5 miles per dollar spent without limit. You can then redeem your miles at a rate of one cent each, whether you’re looking for a statement credit, a PayPal purchase or a cash deposit.

The Discover it® Miles card also comes with the UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. You could turn 35,000 Miles to 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. This effectively grants you 3 miles per dollar spent on all purchases in your first year, which is unbeatable for any other fee-free credit cards.

Final thoughts on credit cards for minimal use

Just because you don’t have many charges doesn’t mean you have to miss out. Whether you’re looking for a credit card that provides an appreciable welcome offer for minimal spending or travel cards that earn you plenty of points on your purchases, there’s an option out there for you. So decide what matters most, weigh your options and start enjoying the perks of owning a travel credit card.

All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The American Express® Green Card is no longer available through NerdWallet.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024:

Travel Cards from Our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

60,000 Points + $300 Travel Credit

Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1.5%-5%

Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Cashback

Intro offer

Up to $300

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
4.7
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

2x-5x

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options

Miles

Intro offer

75,000

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Miles
See more travel cards
MORE LIKE THISTravel
Get more smart money moves – straight to your inbox
Sign up and we’ll send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money.