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Travel Credit Cards

How points and miles work, why their value varies, and the costs to weigh before choosing a travel card.

Travel cards earn points or miles that you can redeem for flights, hotels or other options. Unlike cash back, a point has no fixed value. What it is worth depends on the program and how you redeem it, so the same balance can be worth very different amounts.

Start with these related guides

Questions to ask about any travel card

  • How do I redeem points, and what is a point worth in the way I would actually use it?
  • Does the card charge a foreign transaction fee?
  • Would I use the benefits enough to justify the annual fee?
  • Do points expire, or can the program change their value?

If you travel only now and then, compare the estimate with a simple cash back card. We have not yet published a full travel guide in this section, so these questions are a good place to start.