Best 3 Credit Cards For Travel Rewards in 2012

Travel reward cards come with different perks and features. It’s not an easy task to rate the cards.We found the best travel rewards card for affluent is American Express platinum card. If you are a frequent traveler, this card can earn you more rewards than the $450 annual fee. Bur we are not recommending to general public who usually are not frequent flier.

Many air lines also provide travel credit cards. But some those cards have much higher APR than bank or other credit card providers. Still some airline credit cards, like British Airways, Southwest airlines are better than other credit cards.

One caution before you start using credit cards for rewards – you will need to pay your unpaid balance in-full each month. If you fail to pay that, banks will charge you a huge penalty and that penalty will be much more than the rewards you get from using the card.

So it is very important to choose a credit card according to how frequently you travel and where you travel.  Applying for a credit card according to your financial condition is the most important thing.

Following are our top choices as travel reward credit card. Based on a reader profile who is between 25 – 50 years old and travels no more than 2 times a month.

Starwood Preferred Guest Credit card By American Express

This card is by American express. American Express is a multinational company. This company provides best credit cards, travel cards etc. they have collaborated with Starwood hotels for this card.  This card has won Best Traveler Reward card award in year 2011.Following are some details about this card.

• Reward rate is 2.30 percent which are nearly equal to 2.30c per dollar.
• You get 10k star points when you do purchasing for first time with this card.
• You get additional 15k star points if you spend $5k within 6 months from activating card.
• You can redeem your star points for traveling and for staying in hotel.
• There is no annual fee for first year. After that you will have to pay yearly $65.
• The annual percent rate is 15.24 percent to 19.24 percent.
• Annual rewards can be $752.

British Airways Signature Visa Card

This card has such offers which are difficult to turn down. They have very good annual percentage rate and have very good reward points rate. Following are details about this card:

• Reward rate is 1.25 percent.
• After first purchasing with this card, you get 50k bonus avios (A BA rewards virtual currency).
• If you spend $10k within a year from purchasing card, you get additional 25k avios.
• You will not need to pay foreign transaction fee if you use this card.
• 2.5 avios for spending $1 with British airways and 1.25 avios for other purchasing.
• Their annual percentage rate is 15.24 percent to 19.24 percent, which is same as Starwood Preferred Guest card.
• But for this card you will have to pay more annual fee.  Annual fee for this card is $95
• You will have to pay annual fee from first year. There is no introductory off in annual fee.
• Annual rewards can be $675

Capital One Venture Reward Card

This card stands third in list because of its good reward rates. This card has minimum annual fee than above two cards. But because of high annual percentage rate this card has fell to number three. Following are some details about this card.

• You get 2 miles for every $1 spending.
• Their 10k bonus miles are equal to $100.
• You can redeem these points for any travel spending.
• There is no limit how much miles you can earn. Also these miles never expire.
• You will not need to pay foreign transaction fee.
• Without any blackout dates you can fly with any airline.
• Their annual percentage rate is 13.9 percent to 20.9 percent.
• There is no annual fee for first year from purchase date. After one year you will need to pay $59.
• If you want free airlines flight then this is very good card.
• This card gives annual rewards of $453.

Complete reviews of these three cards on the cards at FPR. Let us know if you think some other card provides better rewards at present. We will be happy to revise our list.

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