How to Earn Travel Rewards
Quick Answer
You can earn travel rewards by using your credit card to make purchases, signing up for airline or hotel rewards programs, using online shopping portals or dining out. Using multiple strategies can help you earn rewards even faster.
Whether you travel often or only occasionally, the cost can add up quickly. Travel rewards can help offset these expenses. The best part? You can earn rewards for things you'd be doing anyway. Here's how.
How to Earn Travel Rewards
There are multiple ways to earn travel rewards you can use to redeem for your next trip. One of the most popular is to use a rewards credit card. When you combine the use of your card with other strategies, you'll earn rewards even faster. Here's how.
1. Earn With a Rewards Credit Card
Using a travel rewards credit card is a simple and effective way to earn rewards on purchases you'd make anyway. Here's how they work:
For every purchase you make with your card, you earn a specific number of points or miles you can cash in to pay for travel expenses. Different cards have different reward structures, and many offer bonus points or miles for certain types of purchases, such as dining out or groceries. Many cards also offer welcome bonuses that allow you to rack up tens of thousands of points or miles when you meet a minimum spending requirement within a few months of opening the card.
Travel cards can be used to earn airline, hotel and general travel rewards. As you'd expect, airline miles offered by airline-specific travel cards can be redeemed for flights, but you may also be able to redeem them for hotel stays, cruises, spa packages and other experiences, as well as gift cards and merchandise. However, you usually get the most bang for your buck when you cash them in to cover airfare. The same is true for hotel points earned using hotel loyalty credit cards. Points earned from general travel rewards cards may offer more value across brands because they're not linked to a specific provider.
While a travel credit card is a quick and easy way to earn travel rewards, it's only worth it if you use the card wisely. Consider using it only for purchases you'd make anyway and can pay off each month. By paying your balance in full and on time, you'll avoid late fees and interest that can wipe out the value of the points you earned. Making on-time payments is also a key component to maintaining a good credit score.
Best travel cards of 2026
Compare cards from our partners that earn valuable points or miles and unlock travel perks on flights and hotel stays.
Offers from our partners
Citi Double Cash® Card
Intro APR:0% for 18 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
Discover it® Chrome
Intro bonus:INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards.
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 6 Months on Purchases and 0% intro APR for 18 Months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1% - 2% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
American Express Platinum Card®
Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards:1x - 5x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$895
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Intro bonus:Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:2% (Cash Rewards)
Annual Fee:$0
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
Intro APR:0% for 15 months on Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Citi Strata Premier® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
Rewards:1x - 10x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$95
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi
Ongoing APR:18.74% - 26.74% (Variable)
Rewards:1% - 5% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$0
American Express® Gold Card
Intro bonus:You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Ongoing APR:See Pay Over Time APR
Rewards:1x - 4x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$325
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99, waived for first 12 months
Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®
Ongoing APR:19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
Rewards:1x - 6x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$350
Credit One Bank® Wander® American Express® with Dining, Gas & Travel Rewards
Ongoing APR:29.74% Variable
Rewards:1% - 10% (cash back)
Annual Fee:$95
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 70,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/15/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:3x - 7x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 5/13/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:2x - 6x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Discover it® Miles
Intro bonus:UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. You could turn 35,000 Miles into 70,000 Miles.
Intro APR:0% intro APR for 15 months on Purchases and Balance Transfers
Ongoing APR:17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1.5x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 3x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$650
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 20,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases with your new Card, and an additional 20,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card, both within your first 6 months. Ends 04/01/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 3x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$350
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 130,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/15/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:3x - 12x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$150
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card
Intro bonus:Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:1x - 2x (Miles per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card
Intro bonus:Earn 175,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 5/13/2026.
Ongoing APR:19.49%-28.49% Variable
Rewards:2x - 6x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$250
One Key™ Card
Intro bonus:Earn $250 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:1.5x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$0
One Key+™ Card
Intro bonus:Earn $350 in OneKeyCash™ after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. OneKeyCash is not redeemable for cash and can only be used on Expedia®, Hotels.com® and Vrbo®. To learn more, please refer to the One Key Terms and Conditions at www.expedia.com/one-key-terms.
Ongoing APR:18.49%, 23.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
Rewards:2x - 3x (Points per dollar)
Annual Fee:$99
See all our best travel credit cards for 2026.
2. Earn With Shopping Portals
Some airlines, hotel chains and credit card issuers have shopping portals that work like an online mall with links to major retailers. Shopping through an online portal is an easy way to boost your rewards. When you make a purchase through one, you earn points or miles on eligible purchases―on top of the rewards you earn for using your credit card to pay.
When you make a purchase using the retailer's link in a shopping portal, your account will be credited with the points or miles you earned.
3. Earn by Flying or Staying at a Hotel
You can earn travel rewards even if you don't have a rewards credit card by signing up for airline and hotel rewards programs. Once you're a member, you'll earn miles or points on eligible flights or hotel stays. Plus, you'll receive notifications about promotions that may allow you to earn bonus rewards.
Want to boost your rewards even more? Use a hotel or airline rewards credit card to pay for your flights or hotel stays. You'll often earn more for every dollar you spend with the brand than you will on other purchases. It's an easy and effective way to grow your rewards balance quickly.
FAQs
Want to get started but still have questions? Here are some answers to help you on your way.
The Bottom Line
One of the quickest ways to earn travel rewards is by using a credit card to make purchases you'd already be making. Combining the use of your card with other strategies allows you to maximize your rewards opportunities. You can keep track of how your credit card usage is affecting your credit score by requesting your FICO® ScoreΘ for free for free from Experian.
Get the rewards you deserve
Cash back? Miles? Points? Whatever suits your goals, we can help match you to personalized rewards card offers. Start with your FICO® Score for free.
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About the author
Jennifer Brozic
Jennifer Brozic is a freelance content marketing writer specializing in personal finance topics, including building credit, personal loans, auto loans, credit cards, mortgages, budgeting, insurance, retirement planning and more.
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