Travel rewards credit cards
Longing for the white powder of Whistler or the crystal clear waters of Cuba? A travel rewards credit card can help get you there — and we can help you get your new travel rewards credit card. Travel rewards cards are great if you travel frequently or want to go on a trip every once in a while. They offer an array of miles and points rewards programs based on the amount of money you spend on your card. In other words, more spending equals more and better travel.
About travel rewards
If you like to travel, you'll love travel rewards credit cards. Every time you make a purchase with your card, you'll earn points for your next trip or hotel stay. The type of rewards points you earn will depend on the card you select: some offer Aeroplan® or Airmiles® points, some offer points towards your favourite hotel chain or cruise-line, and some offer both.
Many travel rewards credit cards also offer additional travel-related perks too. Some cards offer rental car discounts, free flight upgrades, and travel insurance. In other words, a good travel rewards card can be a handy tool: you'll benefit from the card while you're booking your trip and while you're away on your trip.
Comparing travel rewards credit cards
Comparing travel rewards credit cards can be tricky. Most offer different rewards rates based on how much money you spend on the card.
To show you how different travel rewards cards are a good fit for different consumers, we compared the travel rewards that you could earn on three of our most popular American Express Aeroplan®* credit cards. Check out our table below:
- 1 Aeroplan®* Mile for every $1 spent.
- Earn double Aeroplan®* miles at select merchants.
- Interest rate
- 30.00%
- Annual fee
- $60
$0 in the first year - Sign-up bonus
- 5,000 Bonus Aeroplan®* Miles after you use your card for the first time.
- 1 Aeroplan®* Mile for every $1 spent.
- 1.25 miles for every $1 spent after annual $10,000 limit.
- Interest rate
- 30.00%
- Annual fee
- $120
$0 in the first year - Sign-up bonus
- 25,000 Bonus Aeroplan®* Miles. Must spend $500 in first 3 months.
- 1.25 Aeroplan®* miles for every $1 spent.
- 1.5 miles for every $1 spent after annual $25,000 limit.
- Interest rate
- 30.00%
- Annual fee
- $499
- Sign-up bonus
- 40,000 Bonus Aeroplan®* Miles. Must spend $1,000 in first 3 months.
The graph below shows how the rewards on these cards stack up based on the amount of money you spend yearly. We removed the one-time sign-up bonus so you can see how these cards perform over the long term.
As you can see, the standard Amex Plus makes the most sense if you spend less than about $15,000 per year. Beyond $15,000 and up to approximately $90,000, the Amex Gold is the best bet. And if you're a six-figure spender, then it's worth paying the $499 annual fee for the Platinum Amex offering.
Compare travel rewards credit cards today
Travel rewards cards vary greatly, so you have to know what you need before you can find the right card. That's why using LowestRates.ca is so important: the best travel rewards cards from all the major credit card companies are just a click away.
