Rossen Reports: Comparing rewards and fees for travel credit cards
As you're booking travel for spring break, you might be considering a travel credit card.
Travel credit cards can save you money and give you major perk – but choosing the right one is overwhelming.
Here are some things to consider:
Decide between co-branded or general travel credit card
A co-branded credit card is a card that's issued by a bank in partnership with a specific airline or hotel, while a general travel card is issued by a bank or credit card company.
A co-branded one means you're earning rewards straight from the airline or hotel. For example, you can get the – and you earn Delta SkyMiles every time you make a purchase. Also, the gives you automatic status, which will give you more rewards like a free night's stay. If you're loyal to specific brands, this is a good choice for you.
A general travel card gives you general rewards and discounts, often if you book through the card issuer's travel portal. Examples of this are the credit card and the . If you want to earn miles and rewards but not specifically with one airline or hotel, this type of card is right for you.
Look at the rewards and the welcome bonuses
Certain cards give you bigger rewards in specific spending categories. If you spend a lot of money at restaurants and on takeout, look for a card that offers bigger rewards for that, like the . The gives you rewards for every dollar you spend on gas, among other categories.
Oftentimes, a lot of travel cards will give you bonuses for signing up, depending on how you redeem your rewards. If you want a lot of hotel points up front, look for a card that does that.
What are the annual fees?
If you only plan on traveling once this year, a credit card with a high annual fee won't be worth it. Look at the fee, the rewards you're going to use and then figure out how many trips you're taking this year to see if the travel credit card you’re looking at is right for you.
Check out this from Bankrate, where you can get personalized credit card recommendations based on your spending habits.
Bankrate also created a comparison list of travel credit cards, categorizing them. For example, "Best starter travel credit card" and "Best luxury card" and "Best for zero annual fee" and more. for that.
Have a question for Jeff Rossen? He’s answering your consumer questions every Friday in the new segment "Rossen Responds." Email your questions to him at RossenResponds@hearst.com.
