Credit cards are the substitute for dollar bills today. Long gone are the days when people used to carry cash with them, now everyone carries hard cash (credit cards) because they are easier to use and hassle free. But credit cards don’t just offer this benefit. They can be a traveler’s best friend, especially if you plan to travel around the world for a year. How, you may wonder?
There are cards known as travel credit cards which offer a plethora of discounts, bonuses and offers for air miles and hotels depending on how much you spend on that card. It is either that the bank itself launches their own travel credit card or it may team up with companies who have expertise in the travel world.
But with so many credit cards out there making claims, how can you pick the one that suits your travel needs best? Following are some ways to find your travel friendly credit card.
To start off, it is important to understand that no credit card will suffice all your needs. There are some that are ideal for shopping, while others may offer business benefits. So, just know that there aren’t perfect credit cards but rather the ones that suit your needs. If you’re planning to go travelling for a year, you need a credit card that helps you throughout your journey. Travel hacking has definitely become more popular in the past 7 years due to more young people traveling after University.
Here are the best credit cards for travel hacking:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
Offering a $100,000 signup bonus for valuable rewards and 3x travel and dining points, this card is a hit with travelers. However, nomads aren’t a fan as it comes with a $450 annual fee and needs for the consumer to spend $4,000 in order to avail the signup bonus.
- Scwab Debit card
Even though it is not a credit card, it is one that a traveler must have for various reasons. Firstly because it comes free from all the extra charges such as maintenance fee, bank and ATM fee. This one is guaranteed to provide you peace of mind with no international travel fee too!
- BarclayCard Arrival Plus
With this card, you need not worry about your miles expiration because it never happens! This card offers 2x points on every single purchase, making it the new favorite of travel hackers. It comes with point redemption rather than miles, making it easier to use.
- Chase United Mileage Plus
By spending up to $1,000, this card offers 30K miles alongside a lot of perks which include priority boarding as well as free bag checking.
- Amex Starwood Preferred
Although it is a 4 or 5 star hotel stay card, it offers a 25k bonus which makes it travel friendly. Alongside, it offers a 25% bonus transfer, giving the cardholder an awesome deal. Travel hackers recommend that you get in, use the 25k miles and get out before the next annual fee kicks in.