Best No Annual Fee Travel Credit Cards Of 2025

Those in the market for a solid travel rewards card with no annual fee and an introductory APR will find the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) a great addition to their wallet.

Why We Like It

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offers a straightforward earning structure: You earn 1.25 miles for every dollar spent on every purchase. These miles can be redeemed for travel expenses such as flights, hotels and car rentals, through Capital One Travel or transferred to Capital One’s travel partners like Air Canada or British Airways.

There’s no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, so the card is an excellent companion for international travelers. Additionally, the VentureOne offers protection for some travel-related issues.

What We Don’t Like

While the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a strong contender for simple, everyday purchases, the flat 1.25 miles per dollar earning rate isn’t as high as some cards that focus on specific spending categories. There are also no rotating rewards categories to take advantage of, which could be a limitation for those looking to maximize their earning potential.

Who It’s Best For

This card is ideal for those who want a simple way to earn travel rewards, especially if you don’t want to deal with complex bonus categories or spending limits. It’s a great choice for frequent travelers seeking a no annual fee card that offers solid rewards on all purchases and a flexible introductory APR offer.

If you’re looking for a cash-back credit card for redeeming points for travel, the Chase Freedom Flex® may be exactly what you need.

Why We Like It

This card features strong rewards rates, which are further enhanced by quarterly rotating bonus categories that earn a hefty 5% (activation required). You can redeem points for cash back, statement credits, gift cards, merchandise or travel through Chase Travel℠.

For a no annual fee card, the Freedom Flex offers impressive benefits, such as cellphone protection, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty coverage.

New cardholders are eligible for a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% to 28.49% applies. Balance transfer fee of up to 5% (min. $5) of the amount of each transfer applies. So if you’ve got a big purchase planned and need extra time to pay, you won’t pay interest within the introductory APR period.

What We Don’t Like

While the earning rate on rotating categories is generous, it only applies to the first $1,500 spent each quarter, effectively limiting the cash back you can earn. And it’s not automatic—cardholders must activate the bonus every three months. The Freedom Flex charges a foreign transaction fee, so it’s not ideal if you’re traveling internationally.

Who It’s Best For

The Freedom Flex is well-suited for those wanting to maximize their rewards and can take advantage of quarterly spending bonuses. Cardholders with a premium Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card can supercharge their earnings by pairing it with the Freedom Flex to enable transferable points redemptions through Chase’s airline and hotel partners.

The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card (rates & fees) is excellent for everyday spending with bonus categories that most people regularly use.

Why We Like It

The strong earning structure emphasizes common spending categories, which makes it easy to quickly earn rewards. Cardholders can get the best value by transferring points to Wells Fargo’s airline and hotel partners. Otherwise, points are redeemable at a fixed 1 cent per point. The card provides cellphone protection, an auto rental collision damage waiver and a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening. A variable APR of 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% applies for purchases after the intro period ends and for balance transfers. The card has a balance transfer fee of up to 5%, minimum $5. There’s also no foreign transaction fee.

What We Don’t Like

Wells Fargo has a short list of airline and hotel transfer partners (for now) which limits the value and flexibility of Wells Fargo points. But if you prefer cash rewards, the card can help you boost your earnings on purchases.

Who It’s Best For

If you’re looking for strong earnings rates on everyday spending and you want to avoid foreign transaction fees, this card could work for you.

The One Key™ Card is for anyone who often books travel through Expedia and its partner network.

Why We Like It

The One Key™ Card earns a competitive 3% in OneKeyCash on Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, 3% in OneKeyCash on gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and food delivery purchases and 1.5% in OneKeyCash on other purchases.

Points can be redeemed for hotels, accommodation rentals, rental cars, flights and activities through the One Key programs, which is powered by Expedia. Finally, it offers a generous cellphone insurance policy: up to $1,000 in coverage ($25 deductible applies).

What We Don’t Like

While the One Key™ Card offers solid rewards on all purchases, it’s limited to Expedia, Vrbo and Hotels.com for redemptions so you won’t have the same flexibility as cards that allow point transfers to airline or hotel partners. And to earn the highest rewards in the travel categories, you’ll need to achieve One Key’s top-tier status.

Who It’s Best For

The One Key™ Card is perfect for anyone who wants a simple, no annual fee rewards card with an easy way to redeem rewards through Expedia, Vrbo and Hotels.com. It’s especially great for those who frequently book travel through Expedia and its partners and want to take advantage of exclusive offers and selection of travel options.

The Hilton Honors American Express Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees) offers the ability to earn Hilton Honors points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases and automatically qualifies you for elite perks.

Why We Like It

The card offers robust earning categories that let you earn bonus points in many common areas of spending. Cardholder benefits include automatic Hilton Honors™ Silver status (but you can move up to Gold status if you spend at least $20,000 on your card within a calendar year), secondary car rental damage insurance¹ and no foreign transaction fees.

What We Don’t Like

The card offers minimal travel benefits. Frequent Hilton customers may find more value in one of the other Hilton cards, which charge an annual fee. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (terms apply) provides Hilton Honors™ Gold status, higher earning rates and more travel perks. When traveling internationally, you may find Amex is not accepted everywhere.

Who It’s Best For

The Hilton Honors American Express Card is best for those who travel occasionally and prefer to stay in Hilton hotels.

The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® (rates & fees) is unique because you can pay and earn points on rent. For rent payers, it offers a way to earn a bunch of points each year without the transaction fee (up to 100,000 per calendar year).

Why We Like It

Bilt points can be transferred at a 1:1 rate to various transfer partners, including United and Hyatt. Points can also be redeemed through Bilt Travel for 25% more value or used as a statement credit. The card also offers various travel benefits, cellphone protection and the ability to double points (excluding rent) on the first day of every month (known as Rent Day) for up to 1,000 bonus points per month.

What We Don’t Like

To earn points, cardholders must use the card at least five times during each statement period (rewards & benefits). Unlike the other listed cards, the Bilt card doesn’t offer a welcome bonus.

Who It’s Best For

The card is most beneficial for renters who are interested in travel rewards.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® keeps it simple with a solid base rate on all purchases with a few higher earnings categories. Plus, you can redeem rewards for travel or cash back.

Why We Like It

There’s no extra effort required to earn healthy rewards across all your purchases. The card offers benefits such as trip cancellation and interruption insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty coverage. It also offers a 0% introductory APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% to 28.49% applies. An intro transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies in the first 60 days of account opening. After that, a fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer applies.

What We Don’t Like

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® won’t be the best choice for traveling abroad because it charges a foreign transaction fee. You’re also required to book through Chase Travel℠ to earn top rewards on travel, which doesn’t always offer the best price. However, just like the Chase Freedom Flex®, pairing this with a premium card allows you to pool and transfer your points to travel partners.

Who It’s Best For

The Freedom Unlimited is a good fit for people who don’t want the hassle of juggling multiple credit cards to maximize rewards on every purchase.

The Discover it® Miles card earns flat-rate rewards on every purchase and has a simple redemption program.

Why We Like It

The unlimited Discover Match® matches your miles earned in the first year, which makes the card especially rewarding in that period. Miles can be redeemed for travel or cash back at an equal fixed rate per mile.

What We Don’t Like

Discover cards are not as widely accepted outside the U.S., so it isn’t a good choice for international travel, despite there being no foreign transaction fee. After the first year, the card’s rewards are easy to beat with any 2% cash-back credit card.

Who It’s Best For

The Discover it® Miles card is suitable for cardholders who prefer simplicity in earning and redeeming.

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card is an excellent option for those who want to earn travel rewards without any complicated bonus categories or fees. It offers a simple, flat-rate earning structure and is a great choice for casual spenders and frequent travelers.

Why We Like It

With the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card, cardholders earn at least 1.5 points per dollar on every purchase and 3 points per dollar on travel purchased through the Bank of America Travel Center. These points can be redeemed for travel expenses and dining purchases.

What makes this card even better is its compatibility with Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program. Customers with qualifying balances in their Bank of America accounts can earn a bonus on points through the program, increasing their rewards potential. This is a great perk for existing Bank of America customers who already have higher-tier banking accounts.

This card comes with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Additionally, new cardholders can earn a generous welcome bonus.

What We Don’t Like

Although the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card offers a simple earning structure, point redemptions don’t include transfers to travel partners.

Who It’s Best For

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card is ideal for individuals who prefer a no-fuss, no annual fee rewards card with reliable earning potential on all purchases. It’s especially beneficial for existing Bank of America customers who qualify for the Preferred Rewards program.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card* is a decent option for those wanting to earn Marriott points without paying an annual fee.

Why We Like It

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold offers travel and purchase coverage, such as baggage delay insurance and purchase protection, and it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.

What We Don’t Like

The card’s lackluster earning structure makes accumulating Marriott points slow going. If you’re really looking for a Marriott-specific card with the goal of earning hotel rewards, you should also check the full list of Marriott Bonvoy cards.

Who It’s Best For

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold card is a good fit for casual travelers who tend to stay in Marriott hotels and find the travel and purchase perks useful.