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If travel rewards cards are tuxedos, cash-back cards are comfy black T-shirts — they aren’t as flashy, but they’re great to use in so many situations. As a result, some cash-back cards can be good companions for everyday spending and travel.
Think of cash-back cards as flexible travel rewards cards. Instead of using points to get a free plane ticket or discounted car rental, you can offset travel costs with rewards cash. If you have a $400 plane ticket on your statement and you redeem $400 worth of cash back, you essentially get the airfare for free.
Unlike many travel credit cards, some cash-back credit cards may also offer a 0% introductory APR that can free up cash flow to cover travel expenses in your budget. As long as you can pay off the balance with certainty, this move can make good financial sense. Combined with a sign-up offer for new cardholders, you could defray travel costs by a few hundred dollars.
There are a couple of scenarios when cash-back cards are useful for travel:
What to look for in a travel-friendly cash-back card
Several features can make cash-back cards a decent option to bring on trips, or to use at home so you can offset travel costs later. Look for:
- A good rate of cash back. Among flat-rate cash-back cards, look for ones that earn at least 2% back. If a card has bonus categories, look for one that not only amps up your cash back overall, but also gives you something extra for spending you’ll do while traveling, such as extra rewards for gas, hotels, transportation or restaurants.
- Travel protections. You won’t find robust travel protections, insurances and perks like you would on good travel credit cards. But the best cash-back cards for travel will have some travel features, sometimes offered by the bank and sometimes by the network, such as Visa or American Express.
If you’re traveling abroad, also look for:
- Worldwide acceptance so your card doesn’t get declined. In general, Visas and Mastercards are accepted all over the globe, while Discover and American Express cards may not be.
- No foreign transaction fees. Many cash-back cards charge these fees, often 3% of your purchases, but some do not. The fee is irrelevant if you use the card for only domestic purchases.
Good cash-back cards to carry while traveling in the U.S.
The following cards earn solid cash-back rates on a variety of spending — travel, yes, but also major line items in many household budgets.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card offers an ongoing 3% back on a category of your choice, which among others includes gas, dining and travel, as well as 2% back on grocery stores and wholesale clubs for the first $2,500 of combined bonus category/ grocery store/ wholesale club spending per quarter. After hitting that threshold, you’ll earn 1% back on these purchases.
Gas, dining and travel are useful 3% categories for domestic excursions.
It has an annual fee of $0 and comes with a sign-up bonus: $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
There's also an introductory offer: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 17.49%-27.49% will apply.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is as simple and straightforward as a cash-back card can get. It earns 2% cash back on all eligible purchases, making it an excellent workhorse card for both travel and everyday expenses. It has a $0 annual fee and a new cardholder sign-up offer: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. You could also use the introductory offer to finance a trip or a large expense. It offers a 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR.
Chase Freedom Flex®
The Chase Freedom Flex® offers multiple bonus categories that are ideal for many budgets. It earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. The card's bonus calendar offers a glimpse into the types of purchases that have qualified for this rate in the past.
You’ll also earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% cash back on drugstore and restaurant purchases, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
It has a welcome offer for new cardholders: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. It has a 0% intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, and then the ongoing APR of 18.24%-27.74% Variable APR. If you’re willing to pair it with other eligible credit cards in the Chase portfolio, you can potentially get more value. See more below.
Cash-back cards to carry while traveling abroad
The following cards don’t charge a foreign transaction fee and run on the widely accepted Visa and Mastercard networks. Both are important features when using a card in a foreign country.
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
The $0-annual-fee Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card earns unlimited 1.5% cash back on purchases, and 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. New cardholders can earn this sign-up bonus: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. The card offers travel benefits like travel accident insurance and 24-hour assistance if your card is stolen. It also has a 0% introductory APR window: 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 18.49%-28.49% Variable APR.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card*
The $0-annual-fee Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card features a powerful combination of rewards categories for frequent travelers, earning 3% back on dining and entertainment (which includes streaming services, movie theaters, sporting events, zoos, aquariums, amusement parks and more). You’ll also earn 3% back at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases. New cardholders qualify for the following: For a limited time, earn a one-time $250 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.. This card, too, has a 0% promotional APR offer: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months; 18.49%-28.49% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies.
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
With less-than-perfect credit, you could explore an option like the $39-annual-fee Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. It’s a low-maintenance option that earns 1.5% cash back on purchases and 5% back on hotels, vacation rentals and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel. With these categories, you won’t have to put in too much brain power to earn rewards.
You can also be considered for a higher credit limit in as little as six months. Such an increase could potentially help your credit scores.
Apple Card
The Apple Card may be hit or miss, depending on where you spend, but it does have some travel-related categories that earn rewards. For example, it earns 3% back on Apple purchases and at select merchants like Booking.com, Uber, Ubereats, Exxon Mobile and Chargepoint, among others, when you use the Apple Card with Apple Pay.
It also gets you 2% back on all other purchases made with the Apple Card using Apple Pay. But you’ll earn just 1% back when you use the physical Apple Card to make purchases, and as of this writing, it doesn’t provide any standard introductory offers for new cardholders (though you may occasionally receive targeted offers).
Pairings that maximize travel rewards
Some cash-back credit cards pair well with other cards in their issuer’s portfolio, allowing you to collect rewards at a faster pace and potentially get more value toward travel.
Of course, managing multiple credit cards requires more effort and responsibility to ensure you're making the most of each credit card’s value and paying off the balances in full to avoid interest charges. For instance, you may need to track different redemption values for each card, annual fees, or the categories that earn rewards on each card. Still, if you’re organized and strategic, using more than one card can help you cover the costs of your next trip more quickly.
Here are some examples:
Chase trifecta
If you’re willing to use three cards strategically and jump through some hoops, you can use two cash-back cards from Chase in a strategy to collect rewards toward travel. Details are here.
Basically, you use the popular Chase cash-back cards — the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex® — to earn cash-back rewards. Then you convert those cash rewards to travel points by transferring rewards to either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Once you’ve converted your cash back into points, you can transfer them to travel partners to get greater value or redeem them for a statement credit and pay for travel with the card. Another option is to redeem those rewards directly through Chase’s travel portal, potentially for a "points boost."
» MORE: What is the ‘Chase trifecta’?
Why you might want a travel credit card instead
Many consumers can get more value out of cash-back cards than travel rewards cards, but you might benefit more from a travel card if you:
- Travel domestically or overseas more than once a year.
- Are willing to open new credit cards every year or two to snag those (usually richer) sign-up bonuses.
- Take advantage of the other perks that travel cards typically offer, such as Global Entry or TSA Precheck application reimbursement, access to airport lounges, and free checked bags.
- Can make the most of the card's perks and rewards to offset any potential annual fees.
Not everyone can eat enough room-temperature cheese cubes in an airport lounge to offset the higher annual fees of a travel card. Thankfully, there are cash-back cards that can help pay your expenses — and some that can travel with you, too.
