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Family travel is definitely more challenging than traveling without children. Instead of booking one or two seats, you now have to book three, four, or five. You also have to rent a larger car and maybe even sleep in a hotel suite instead of a standard room. The best credit cards for family travel make it easy for you to earn bonus rewards so you can save money with points and travel more often. If you’re looking to save money for a road trip or just want to start earning rewards now for travel later, one of the options below can help.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Best Credit Cards for Family Travel
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best travel protection benefits
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best for flat-rate rewards
- American Express® Gold Card: Best for restaurants and U.S. supermarkets
- Citi Premier® Card: Best for travel and gas stations
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: Airline perks
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: Reward night
The best family travel credit cards all make it easy to earn bonus points on your daily spending. You can then redeem these points as a travel statement credit or book upcoming travel. Some cards even offer travel perks and credits that minimize your flight and hotel costs.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card – Overall Best Credit Card for Families
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers robust award travel options and trip protection benefits.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns unlimited:
- 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Anniversary Hotel Credit)
- 3x points on dining (including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out)
- 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target®, Walmart®, and wholesale clubs)
- Also 3x points on select streaming services
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
- 1x point per $1 spent on all non-bonus purchases
There is a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit. It comes in the form of a statement credit that will automatically be applied to your account when your card is used for hotel accommodation purchases made through the Ultimate Rewards program, up to an annual maximum accumulation of $50.
Plus, on each account anniversary, you’ll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year. So, if you spend $25,000 on purchases, you’ll get 2,500 bonus points.
Your points are worth 25% more (1.25 cents each) when booking award travel through Chase. Each point can be potentially worth more by transferring them at a 1:1 ratio to airlines and hotels like United, Southwest, British Airways, and World of Hyatt.
The Sapphire Preferred travel protection benefits can save you thousands if your family travel plans go bust. It’s possible to get up to $20,000 per family in non-refundable travel purchases if your trip gets delayed or canceled for a covered reason like extreme weather or sickness. Other benefits include primary rental car collision damage waiver protection, trip delay reimbursement, and baggage delay insurance.
New Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Member FDIC
The annual fee is $95.
Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred Perks
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is probably the best flat-rate travel rewards credit card. You earn 2x miles for every $1 spent. If you’re tired of only earning 1 mile for most purchases, the Venture Rewards Card is the easiest way to earn more.
However, if you are wanting to earn a few more miles on travel, good news—earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
You can redeem your Capital One Venture miles for travel statement credits and booking upcoming travel. Each mile is worth 1 cent each (10,000 points=$100) and can be redeemed in any amount. The primary cardholder also gets a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit that saves you up to $100 every 4 years.
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, with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
American Express Gold Card
The American Express® Gold Card earns 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earns 4X Membership Rewards® Points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Plus, earn 3X Membership Rewards® Points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
Your points are worth the most when booking award flights. Each point is worth 1 cent each on AmexTravel.com. You can also transfer them to 1:1 Membership Rewards partners including Delta, Hawaiian Airlines, and British Airways.
Another perk is the ability to earn up to $10 in statement credits on a monthly basis when you use your Gold Card to pay at the following dining establishments (enrollment is required):
- Grubhub
- The Cheesecake Factory
- Goldbelly
- Wine.com
- Milk Bar
- Shake Shack (only at participating locations)
This perk can save you up to $120 annually.
The annual fee is $250, and there are no foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees). If that seems steep, consider the fee can be offset by the purchase credits and flexible rewards program.
New American Express® Gold Card cardholders can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases within the first 6 months.
Citi Premier Card
The information for the Citi Premier® Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Citi Premier® Card offers a variety of bonus categories that make it easy to maximize your daily spending. You get 3x ThankYou points on air travel, hotels, gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets. All remaining purchases earn 1 point per $1. Cardholders can also take advantage of the $100 annual hotel credit that they’ll earn after spending $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) on a single hotel stay purchased through thankyou.com.
There are several 1:1 airline transfer partners including JetBlue, Asia Miles, and Qantas. The transfer partners can be a better option for booking international award flights.
New Citi Premier® Card cardmembers can earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. This bonus is redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards when redeemed at thankyou.com.
Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
If this sounds like a good choice for you, check out the CardMatch™ tool, which is a free resource for finding personalized offers that best serve you. It can help you determine if the Citi Premier is a card you can get. Additionally, you may be offered a higher targeted signup bonus that isn’t available to the general public.
The annual fee is $95.
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Flying may not always be in your family’s travel budget. However, an airline credit card can make flying possible so you can visit relatives or new places more often.
If you want to avoid checked baggage fees, check out the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, one of the best Delta credit cards. You and up to 8 companions get one free checked bag on Delta flights. You also get priority boarding on Delta flights plus Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding.
The Delta SkyMiles Gold Credit Card earns 2x Miles on Delta purchases at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and at U.S. supermarkets (1x Mile for everything else that is eligible). It also has 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets.
Additionally, you can Pay with Miles: take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
Plus, Gold card members will receive a $100 Delta Flight Credit after spending $10,000 in purchases on their card in a calendar year. Cardholders can use the Credit on future travel.
Cardholders can also get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
Welcome Bonus
New Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card cardholders can earn 40,000 bonus miles after they spend $2,000 in purchases on their new Card in their first 6 months.
The introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $99 (See Rates & Fees).
Tip: If you don’t live near a Delta hub, consider another of the best airline miles credit cards.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card gives you one reward anniversary night, valid at any IHG property that costs 40,000 points or less. This perk lets you stay at most Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and Staybridge Suites properties (note that the IHG Premier isn’t the only credit card that offers a hotel reward night).
Another benefit exclusive to IHG Premier cardholders is getting the 4th reward night on a 3+ night stay paid for with points (here are a few ideas on how to redeem those IHG Premier points). You also get automatic IHG Platinum Elite status which gives you space-available room upgrades, late check-out, an amenity at check-in, and more.
New cardholders can earn IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Member FDIC
The annual fee is $99.
Cardholders can earn up to 26 points total per $1 spent when they stay at an IHG hotel. Also, earn 5x points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3x points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
There isn’t a foreign transaction fee.
Related: Best Hotel Credit Cards
Summary Of The Best Credit Cards For Families
Your family travel plans may already be exciting. These best credit cards for families can help make your journey more affordable. From redemption bonuses, travel credits, and easy ways to earn bonus points, award travel can be easy.
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For rates and fees of The American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, please click here.
