Best Credit Cards for Road Trips
Planning a road trip and want to maximize your travel rewards? What are the best credit cards for road trips? That's what the Vanessa wants to know.
She commented on my post on how to use points for car rentals asking,
This is great information because I am entering a time in my life where I will be making monthly road trips to see my kids while I go to graduate school. I need something that will earn me points on hotels and possibly gas. Do you have any suggestions for my specific needs?
Lately, I've been taking a lot of staycations and road trips to places like Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. I'm enjoying exploring California and visiting cities I would normally just drive through.
The freedom to decide when and where to go versus maintaining a strict time schedule is exhilarating.
It's gotten me so excited that I'm planning road trips to other states for later in the year and visiting National Parks like White Sands, Zion, and Moab. Plus going to Las Vegas every month.
If you're a miles and points junkie like me you'll want to make sure to bring the right credit cards to hit the road.
So you don't leave any miles (pun intended), points, or cash back behind, here are the best credit cards to use for a road trip.
Pro-tip: Be sure to read the ultimate guide on how to get a free room upgrade.
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
One of the best cards for a road trip is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. You earn a $50 yearly hotel credit on rooms booked through the Chase travel portal, 5 points for every dollar you spend on travel booked through the Chase portal: airline tickets, hotels, and rental cars. You earn 3 points for every dollar spent on dining and 2 points per dollar spent on travel booked directly with the airlines, hotels, and rental car companies. If you use this card you'll earn lots of points on a road trip.
Points are transferrable to 14 airline and hotel partners like Southwest and Marriott. So you can use the points for free nights on the road.
This is a great card if you're getting started earning travel rewards. The annual fee of $95 is reasonable. The only downside, you won't earn points for gas purchases.
Pro-tip: Here's how to earn points for gas purchases with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Prepay your fuel on your rental car for your road trip and you'll earn points for gas. You may end up paying more for gas but you'll earn 2 points per $1 spent instead of only one.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED® CARD
2. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the best credit cards for road trips.
Because you earn unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases. You also earn 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CAPITAL ONE VENTURE REWARDS CREDIT CARD
3. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
You can earn cash back during your road trip with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. Some people prefer cash back to points. Because you can use cash for everything. 🙂
You get 3% cash back at US gas stations, 6% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 a year then 1%), and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. You can stock up on snacks for the road and earn cash back. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
With this card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the annual fee is a reasonable $95. During your first year, there's $0 introductory annual fee, then $95. You won't earn cash back on hotels but there's a workaround.
Pro-tip: You can buy Visa, Mastercard, and Hotels.com gift cards at many US grocery stores. If you pay with your Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express you'll earn 6% cash back.
This card also makes our list of 10 best balance transfer credit cards with 0% intro APR.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BLUE CASH PREFERRED® CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
4. Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Another top credit card for a road trip is the Chase Freedom Unlimited® because it's so handy.
You earn 3% cash back at restaurants (including takeout and delivery) and 1.5% cash back when you fuel up, when you sleep (at hotels), and on all other purchases.
Because there's no annual fee this card should have a permanent spot in your wallet.
Pro-tip: You can transfer points to participating airlines and hotels if you have a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHASE FREEDOM UNLIMITED®
5. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
One of the best credit cards for road trips is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card. You earn 10 points per dollar spent on hotels and car rentals booked through the Chase travel portal (3 points per dollar when you book directly with the hotel and car rental companies).
You also earn 3 points per dollar spent at restaurants including fast food. Which any road tripper knows is practically a road trip staple!
Not only do you earn lots of points but you get perks that come in handy on a road trip. You get elite status, upgrades, and discounts on car rentals. Plus you get free room upgrades, meals, and other discounts when you book hotels through the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection and Relais & Chateaux.
You can offset the $550 annual fee because you get a yearly $300 travel credit. The credit is automatically applied to all travel purchases including Airbnb rentals.
If you have to cut your road trip short and fly home, you earn 5 points per dollar spent on airfare booked through the Chase portal (3x points if booked direct with the airlines).
Pro-tip: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card doesn't earn bonus points for gas but you can use the same trick as you would with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Prepay your fuel on rental cars.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® CARD
6. Citi Premier® Card
The Citi Premier(R) Card is one of the best credit cards for road trips. You earn 3x points at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets.
You earn 10x points when you book your hotel or car rental through the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024.
Points don't expire and you can use them for hotels, flights, cruises, and other travel. You can also transfer them to participating airline and hotel partners.
Pro-tip: You get $100 off your hotel stay of $500 or more not counting taxes and fees every calendar year. You can't combine multiple stays to get the $100 off. It has to be one reservation totalling $500 or more.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE Citi Premier(R) Card
7. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
If you prefer cash to points, consider the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express because you can earn cash back on your road trip.
You earn 3% cash back at US gas stations (up to $6,000 a year then 1%), 3% cash back at US supermarkets (up to $6,000 a year then 1%), and 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases. You'll save money on gas and road trip snacks and other goodies. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
This is a great card to keep because there is no annual fee.
Pro-tip: To save on your road trip hotel and lodging costs, you can buy Visa, Mastercard, and Hotels.com gift cards at many US grocery stores.
This card also makes our list of 10 best balance transfer credit cards with 0% intro APR.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BLUE CASH EVERYDAY® CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS
Conclusion
These best credit cards for road trips can help you cover your travel expenses.
Whether you're on the road for work, planning the epic family vacation road trip a la National Lampoon, or relocating across the country with the right card you can earn lots of points and/or cash back.
You can earn free hotel nights with cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, and Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card.
Cards like the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, and Chase Freedom Unlimited® earn cash back on all purchases. You'll earn 6% cash back on gas with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and 3% cash back from the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.
Because your road trip may involve staying at hotels, remember to read how to get VIP treatment at hotels.
With a few of these cards in your wallet, your next road trip just got cheaper.
Which is your favorite credit card for road trips?
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I am not a big fan of Credit Cards but they are very useful for hiring out rental cards. Looks like there are some good deals here but this is more focused on the American market (I am British based in london, Uk). However by the looks of it, credit cards in the USA offer more incientives than those here which is a plus.
Hi Danik,
We do have more rewarding rewards cards in the US. There are some good ones for UK residents.
I'll be honest, I still have never used a credit card!! It seems bizarre and also not the best as a travel blogger, as I recommend others book their flights on them, but ah well. They do have so many benefits when abroad, I will have to review this and finally get one before my next trip.
Hi Tom,
Let me know if you need any help.
My wife and I have been traveling for years now and I know our credit card miles game could use some work. Thanks for this handy guide! I've heard people mention the Sapphire Reserve but didn't know many details, you had me at three points for fast food. All these extra points will make travel so much easier and cheaper in the long run. Thanks for sharing!
For rebates on gas purchases, we really like our Costco card. It's cheapest when we buy gas from Costco gas stations, and on top of the lower price we get another 4% back in rebates. But we also get 4% back for gas purchased at any gas stations in the United States. So that's our go-to card for all gas purchases. Then we use our Sapphire card for everything else!
Hi Tami,
Costco's 4% rebate is a good deal. The only bummer is that there's aren't Costcos everywhere.
Hi Steve,
So glad you liked the post! Let me know if you need any extra tips.
It is always interesting to read posts that talk about the variety of credit cards available in U.S. I get all excited and then find they are not available in Canada or to Canadians. But finding a card that has higher points for gas purchases is a great tip for doing a road trip. I have a credit card that lets me switch which purchases get extra points. Good to remember to switch it to gas for my next road trip!
Hi Linda,
Glad you liked the post. There are some good rewards cards for Canadians, although I'm not as familiar with those.
It looks like there's quite a range of credit cards and a useful post if you're looking for a new card! I'll pass this on to my friend who is in the market for one right now!
Hi Christina,
There sure are. Glad you enjoyed the post and are passing it along.
I really need to get into travel hacking as I have an address in the US just no US credit cards. I'm going to study this and find the best one for me - which I think is sapphire. Such good rewards
Hi Nicole,
Let me know if you need any help.
Wow, you've done your research in credit cards. Chase Sapphire sounds great for earning points on almost everything related to travel! We don't really have these many options here where I live, unfortunately (Dubai) and the one I use doesn't have a lot of benefits related to travel. But your post has inspired me to look into all the options available.
Hi Medha,
Best of luck to you. I'm not familiar with any travel rewards card for Dubai but if I come across any, I'll be sure to let you know.
Thanks for such a well-researched piece. I have never applied much though on such things but I think smart decisions based on research like this can make travel much easier.
Hi Jitaditya,
Thanks 🙂
Badly need this now that Im back to long term traveling in the Americas!! I thinl the best cards are the ones that offer insurance as well! Beaides having handy points.
Hi Trisha,
Yes, definitely use this post as a reference. Let me know if you need any help.