Hittin’ the road for an epic adventure across the country? That sounds awesome! But let’s be real, road trips can burn a hole in your pocket.
Gas, hotel stays, food, and supplies can all add up very quickly – but having the right credit card can help you save money on your next road trip.
Several credit cards offer rewards or cashback for spending on things like gas, hotels, and food. And guess what? We’ve lined up the top choices for you below. Check it out.
Best All-Around Travel Card: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review)
Best for Dining & Groceries: American Express® Gold Card (review)
Best for IHG Stays & Gas Expenses: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (review)
1. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Best All-Around Travel Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) delivers both everyday value with unlimited 2x miles on purchases and premium comfort through comprehensive airport lounge access for you upon enrollment. You’ll also receive $300 in annual travel credits plus 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, creating substantial ongoing value.
Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months.
Earning Rewards: 10x miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel; 2x miles on all other purchases.
Card Benefits: $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary, airport lounge access (Capital One and Priority Pass) upon enrollment, Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and cell phone protection.
Transfer Partners: Accor (2 to 1), Aeromexico, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Choice Privileges, Emirates, Etihad, Finnair, I Prefer Hotels (1 to 2), Japan Airlines(2 to 1.5), JetBlue (5 to 3), Qantas, Qatar, Singapore KrisFlyer, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Red, and Wyndham Rewards.
2. American Express® Gold Card
Best for Dining and U.S. Supermarkets
The American Express® Gold Card (review) is a great card for earning points at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and flights booked directly with airlines. Cardholders can also enjoy up to $424 in annual credits and nice travel and purchase protections.
Earning Points: 4x points at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1x points); 4x points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1x points); 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com; 2x points on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com; 1x points on all other eligible purchases.
Benefits:
- $120 Dining Credit: Enroll and earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys).
- $120 Uber Cash: Get up to $10 monthly Uber Cash for U.S. Uber Eats orders and rides when you add your American Express Gold Card as a payment method. Your Uber Cash can be redeemed using any American Express card.
- $84 Dunkin’ Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with this card at U.S. Dunkin locations).
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $50 semiannually in statement credits after you enroll and pay with this card at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases).
- Other benefits: No foreign transaction fees, travel insurance (trip delay, baggage insurance, and secondary rental car), extended warranty, and return protection.
Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, AeroMexico, Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Choice Privileges, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Air France – KLM Flying Blue, Hawaiian Airlines, Hilton, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore KrisFlyer, and Virgin Atlantic.
3. IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Best for Hotel Elite Status and Free Annual Hotel Night
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (review) stands out with its combination of IHG elite status, reward night benefits, and nice rewards on hotel stays. The card provides good value even for moderate IHG travelers through perks like the anniversary free night certificate (up to 40,000 points) and the ability to top it off with points for higher-priced properties.
Welcome Bonus: Earn 5 Free Nights after you spending $5,000 in the first 3 months and each night is valued at up to 60,000 points.
Earning Points: 10 points per dollar spent at hotels participating in IHG One Rewards; 5 points per dollar spent on other travel purchases, at gas stations and on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services); 3 points per dollar spent on other purchases.
Card Benefits: IHG Platinum elite status, anniversary free night (up to 40,000 points), 4th night free on award stays, earn a $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 each calendar year, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee credit of up to $100 ($120 starting 10/1/24) every four years, no foreign transaction fees, baggage delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and purchase protection.
4. Citi Strata Premier® Card
Best for General Spending
- 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- 3x Points for Flights, Hotels, Gas Stations, EV Charging, Supermarkets, and Restaurants. hotels, gas stations, EV charging, supermarkets, and restaurants.
- $100 Annual Hotel Credit
- $95 Annual Fee
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card stands out for its impressive 3x points earning on everyday purchases including restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and travel. While its redemption options might not match competitors like Chase or Amex, you’ll still get solid value through airline transfer partners and travel bookings.
Welcome Bonus: 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
Earning Points: 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal; 3x points on airfare, hotels, gas stations, EV charging, supermarkets, and restaurants.
Card Benefits: $100 annual hotel credit on bookings of $500+ through the Citi travel portal, no foreign transaction fees, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, secondary rental car insurance, and Mastercard World Elite benefits.
5. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Best Starter Travel Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee.
Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Earning Rewards: 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2x points on all other travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
Card Benefits: Ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners, 25% bonus when redeeming points through Chase Travel, $50 annual hotel stay credit via Chase Travel, 10% anniversary points bonus, no foreign transaction fees, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty.
Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, IHG, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
6. Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
5% Cash Back on Your Top 2 Spending
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers a unique rewards structure that automatically earns 5x points in your highest spending category each billing cycle, up to $500 in purchases. You’ll maximize your rewards with this flexible no-annual-fee card that adapts to your spending habits across ten useful bonus categories including restaurants, travel, groceries, and gas stations.
Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full
Earn Rewards: 5% cash back for your top category each billing cycle up to $500 in the following categories: restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel (airlines, hotels, cruise lines and travel agencies), select transit (car rentals, parking, EV charging, tolls, etc.), select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment.; 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases.
Card Benefits: Access to Citi Entertainment, contactless payment, a free check of your FICO credit score, and 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfer, after that, a reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR applies.
7. Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
4% Cash Back on Gas (up to $7,000 per year)
The Costco Anywhere Visa offers bonus rewards on gas, dining, and travel but falls short for regular shopping needs with its low base earning rate. The card’s once-yearly reward distribution and required Costco membership limit its usefulness for most consumers.
Earning Rewards: 5% back on gas at Costco and 4% back on gas and EV charging up to $7,000 per year, 3% back on restaurants and travel; 2% back at Costco, and 1% back on all other eligible purchases.
Card Benefits: Secondary rental car insurance, no foreign transaction fees, purchase protection, and extended warranty.
8. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Free Annual Hotel Night & 3X on Gas
- Earn 125,000 Bonus Points + 1 Free Night Award after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening. Each Free Night Award valued up to 50,000 points.
- 6x Points at Marriott Hotels & Resorts
- One Annual Free Night Award (Up to 35,000 Points Every Year After Account Anniversary)
- Automatic Silver Elite Status + 15 Elite Credits
- $95 Annual Fee
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (review) offers valuable rewards for Marriott stays plus an annual free night certificate valid at properties costing up to 35,000 points. While the card provides good baseline benefits for Marriott guests, its true strength lies in helping you achieve higher elite status tiers through its 15 annual elite night credits.
Welcome Bonus:6x points at Marriott Hotels; 3x points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year at grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants; 2x points on all other purchases.
Earning Rewards: 6x points at Marriott Hotels; 3x points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year at grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants; 2x points on all other purchases.
Card Benefits: Free annual hotel night after each account anniversary (up to 35,000 points), Marriott Silver elite status, 15 elite night credits, no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance (trip delay, baggage delay, and lost luggage), and purchase protection.
9. Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Best for Drugstore Purchases
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review) sets itself apart with 1.5% back on non-bonus purchases, plus higher rewards in select categories including dining and travel. This flexible rewards card becomes even more valuable when paired with a premium Chase card, allowing you to transfer your rewards to travel partners.
Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full
Earning Cash Back: 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services; 3% back on drugstore purchases; 1.5% back on all other purchases
CaBenefits: Purchase protection, extended warranty, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, secondary rental car insurance, and 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, after that reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR applies;
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
