The 3 Best Credit Cards for Families Who Love to Travel
When it comes to family travel, every dollar (and point) counts!
Whether you’re looking to score free flights, a luxury hotel or even a covered rental car on your next family trip, the right credit card for family travel can make all the difference. But with so many options out there, how do you choose the best one?
We’ve compared the best family credit cards based on annual fees, sign-up bonuses, redemption value, travel perks, and more—so you don’t have to.
Whether you want to travel with points or maximize your travel benefits, here’s a deep dive into the top contenders and which one might be the perfect fit for your family’s next adventure!
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Do’s and Don’ts of Travel Credit Cards
Do: Put all your everyday purchases on your travel rewards credit card
You’re already spending money on things you need to live every day, so why not get some free perks out of it? Groceries, gas, toiletries – on the card!
However, that big splurge? Best to wait until you have the full amount in savings ready to pay off the card immediately.
Don’t: Charge expenses that add a credit card processing fee
It almost never makes sense to get charged a credit card processing fee just to earn points. Paying your electric bill with a 2.5% credit card processing fee to earn 1.5% back in points? That’s just bad math.
Do: Pay off Your Card in Full Every Month
The easiest way to negate any benefits of having a travel rewards credit card is by owing interest on a balance. Don’t put any charges on a credit card that you can’t with absolute certainty pay off before the bill’s due date.
Yes, it requires extra diligence to be tracking your spending and card balance frequently, but it’s the most critical part of your points strategy.
Don’t: Be a Points Hoarder
We’ve all been there, “let’s save up these points for the next vacation”. Well, your points are only as valuable as when you use them.
Save the money today, or save the money tomorrow? Given the opportunity, use those points now!
Do: Book all travel on your rewards credit card.
As we’ll get into a little later in this post, all 3 of the big travel rewards credit cards offer a level of travel protection. But those travel purchases must be made using your card. So be sure to book all travel for a trip on the same travel rewards credit card.
The Best Family Credit Card for Travel
You know you need a travel rewards credit card to get free family travel money, but with so many variables to consider, choosing the best family credit card can be a difficult task!
So to help you decide, we’ll break down the fees, redemption options and perks of what we believe are the top three family credit cards travel: Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Platinum and Capital One Venture X.
Let’s get into it.
Important Note: The information in this post is for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Actual terms and conditions of each credit card program are subject to change at any time and should be verified by the consumer with each card directly.
Lowest Annual Fee for Family Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: $550/year, plus $75/year for additional authorized users
- American Express Platinum: $695/year, plus $195/year for additional authorized users
- Capital One Venture X: $395/year, plus 4 free additional authorized users
At a whopping $695/year, American Express’s Platinum Card leads the pack as the highest annual fee of premium travel credit cards. Chase Sapphire Reserve is not too far behind at $550/year, while the Capital One Venture X card remains a “reasonable” $395/year.
And if you want to add an additional user to your account (so you and your spouse both earn on purchases)? That will cost you an extra $195/year with AMEX and $75/year with Chase. Capital One on the other hand, allows up to 4 additional card users for no extra fee.
Capital One Venture X is the clear winner here, with not only the lowest annual fee, but also no additional user fees, a big perk for 2 parent households.
Sign Up Bonus for Family Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: 60,000 points when spending $4000 in first 3 months
- American Express Platinum: 80,000 points when spending $8000 in first 6 months
- Capital One Venture X: 75,000 miles when spending $4000 in first 3 months
All 3 of the best family credit cards for travel offer a nice sign up points bonus for an average spend of $1333/month. While American Express requires a higher spend to earn their bonus, they also give you a little more time to do.
At first glace it looks like American Express wins here, but we have to consider how much these points are worth through each card’s respective online travel portal.
Since Chase points receive a 50% bonus when using Chase’s booking portal, in practicality, this actually makes the value of the sign up bonus 90,000 points, giving it the edge of American Express.
Redemption Value of Family Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: 1.5 cents per point
- American Express Platinum: 1 cent per point
- Capital One Venture X: 1 cent per mile
The most common (and easiest) way to use your credit card points or miles is by booking through each card’s respective travel portal.
Don’t be intimidated by this. It’s essentially like using Expedia or Orbitz, giving you all of your booking options in both dollars and points.
In general, 1 credit card point is worth the equivalent of 1 cent. That means 50,000 points is the equivalent of $500 to be spend on travel.
However, Chase outshines its competitors in a big way here, because Chase points are worth 1.5 cents per mile on travel booked through their online portal. This means your points with Chase are automatically worth 50% more than with the others, making your 50,000 points worth $750 worth of travel. It’s a major advantage of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card that gives it a decisive edge over the other big travel rewards cards out there.
Bonus Spending Categories from the Best Family Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: 5x on travel booked through Chase Travel, 3x on dining and other travel, 1x all other purchases
- American Express Platinum: 5x on flights booked direct, 5x on hotels booked through AMEX Travel , 1x all other purchases
- Capital One Venture X: 10X on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X on flights booked through Capital One Travel, 2X on all other purchases
In general, all 3 of the best premium travel credit cards for families offer additional points on travel purchases, but how those points can be accrued vary by rewards program. Chase offers the most flexible options, offering 5x points on travel booked through their portal, but also 3x points on travel and dining purchases of any kind.
AMEX is a bit more restrictive, offering an attractive 5x points on flights and hotels, but requiring that this travel be booked through their AMEX Travel portal.
Finally, Capital One offers the most attractive points multiplier, awarding cardholders a generous 10X points on hotels and rental cars and 5X points on flights booked through Capital One Travel. But better yet, with the Capital One rewards credit card, you’ll earn 2X points on all other purchases, whereas Chase and AMEX earn you just 1 point per dollar.
Yearly Travel Credit from the Best Family Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: $300 statement credit on any travel purchases
- American Express Platinum: $200 hotel credit, $200 airline incidental fee credit
- Capital One Venture X: $300 on travel booked through Capital One Travel; 10,000 yearly anniverary bonus miles ($100 value)
Each of the top family credit cards offer an annual travel credit to help ease the weight of their hefty annual fee.
Chase again offers the most flexibility here, with a $300 statement credit for any and all travel purchases with no restrictions on how or where they are made. Basically any purchases coded as Travel are subject to immediate reimbursement, including parking fees, Uber and taxis, Airbnb, etc.
AMEX offers the highest travel credit at $400, but using it is more challenging. $200 of the credit can be earned by booking a hotel through AMEX travel, while the other $200 is earned through reimbursement of flight incidentals (think seat upgrades, baggage fees, etc). If you’re like us and are super budget conscious when flying, this may not be as easy to exhaust.
Lastly, the Capitol One Venture X card tries to keep things fairly simple, offering a $300 credit for travel booked through their online portal (flights, hotels, rental cars, etc.). They also offer an option to request reimbursement of travel related expenses (though this process is not automatic, as is the case with Chase).
While Chase’s travel credit may not be the highest, it’s certainly the easiest to redeem, so we’re declaring Chase the winner in this category.
Other Statement Credits from the Best Family Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: DoorDash DashPash Subscription plus $5 monthly credit ($180 value), 12 month Instacart+ membership plus $15 monthly credit ($279 value for 1st year), 2-year Lyft Pink All Access membership ($398 value)
- American Express Platinum: $240 digital entertainment credit (Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, etc.), $155 Walmart+ Credit, $15 monthly credit for Uber and UberEats, $50 twice yearly credit at Saks Fifth Avenue, $300 Equinox credit
- Capital One Venture X: None
Beyond the yearly travel credit, two of the top three family credit cards offer other partner perks in hopes of offsetting their high annual fee. How valuable these credits are will, of course, depend on your family’s own needs.
I like to look at these statement credits as only valuable if it’s a service I’m already paying for or would pay for if I didn’t have the card. For example, Chase offers a DashPass subscription, which we love and use a ton. But would I pay for this service if it weren’t included? Probably not.
On the other hand, AMEX offers a $240 entertainment credit and Walmart+ subscription as park of their perks. If you’re already paying $20/month for Disney+ or paying a yearly grocery delivery service fee, then this most certainly adds to your bottom line.
Capital One doesn’t offer any other statement credits, but it also carries a lower yearly fee, making these optional perks not necessary.
Overall, we find AMEX’s perks to be the most valuable here.
TSA PreCheck/Global Entry/CLEAR Plus Credits
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit every 4 years
- American Express Platinum: Global Entry credit of $100 every 4 year; TSA PreCheck credit of $85 every 4.5 years; $189 CLEAR Plus credit per year
- Capital One Venture X: $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit every 4 years
Any frequent flyer knows how valuable TSA PreCheck can be, which makes reimbursement of these enrollment fees a great benefit for traveling families.
While each card offers a different iteration of this reimbursement, AMEX offers the most comprehensive option with reimbursement for both TSA PreCheck AND Global Entry, plus a CLEAR Plus membership.
Built-in Travel Insurance with Family Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Auto Rental CDW, Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Trip Delay Reimbursement, Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, Baggage Delay Insurance, Emergency Evacuation & Transportation, Roadside Assistance Emergency Medical (reimbursed up to $2500)
- American Express Platinum: Auto Rental CDW, Trip Delay Insurance, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, Premium Global Assist Hotline may cover emergency medical transportation if approved, Cell Phone Protection
- Capital One Venture X: Auto Rental CDW, Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Trip Delay Reimbursement, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, Baggage Delay Insurance, Travel Accident Insurance, Cell Phone Protection
Travel insurance is one of those things that you think you don’t need until you need it. And that’s when you find out how valuable it is.
When we had to cancel our trip to London one day before departure because of a medical emergency, I’ll tell you, I’ve never been happier to have built-in travel insurance with our travel rewards credit card.
All three of the best family credit cards offer some variation of travel insurance, and I won’t bore you with the details of each. But we’ve found the Chase Sapphire Reserve card to have the most comprehensive coverage in this area, so it wins this category in our book.
PS. Although the travel insurance through a travel rewards credit card is a great perk, it won’t cover you in every situation. Be sure to check with the fine print and work with an insurance broker to find the right coverage for your particular trip.
Lounge Access with Family Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Priority Pass membership with 2 guests, plus access to Chase Sapphire Lounge by the Club locations and select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges
- American Express Platinum: Centurion Lounge access for cardholder only, plus Delta Sky Club, Lufthansa Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounge, and Priority Pass membership
- Capital One Venture X: Complimentary access to Capital One Lounges, Capital One Landings and participating Priority Pass Lounges for primary cardholder only. An annual lounge access fee of $125 can be added for additional cardholders. Alternatively, cardholders can purchase a one-day guest pass for $25-45 per person per visit.
One of the most used features of our travel rewards credit card is Lounge Access! It’s another one of those “don’t know you’re missing it until you have it” things.
All 3 cards offer a Priority Pass membership, which gets you access to over 1700 lounges around the world. And with the growth of travel rewards credit cards in recent years, the number of participating lounges has grown too, meaning you’ll find a Priority Pass lounge in just about every major international airport.
In addition to Priority Pass, each card has their own collection of branded lounges. The AMEX centurion lounges have the widest network, with 30 of premier lounges worldwide.
Chase and Capitol One are newcomers to the game here, but are quickly adding more lounges to keep pace with AMEX. Chase currently has 8 lounges (with plans for more on the way), while Capitol One has lounges in 5 major airports, with construction underway at La Guardia and JFK next.
While American Express has the most lounges in its portfolio, it still doesn’t make it best choice for families. That’s because AMEX (as well as Capitol One) offer entry for the cardholder only (no guests), whereas Chase allows the cardholder plus two additional guests. Keep in mind that for a family of 4 to 6 people, a second authorized card user (with their own 2 guests) is needed for your whole family to gain entry. Children under 2 are free.
Given the guest limits with AMEX and Capitol One, we’re giving this one to Chase.
Transfer Partners with Family Travel Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Aer Lingus, Air Canada, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM, Iberia, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic, IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt
- American Express Platinum: Aer Lingus, AeroMexico, Air France KLM, ANA, Avianca, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Etihad, Hawaiian, Iberia, JetBlue, Quantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Choice Privileges, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy
- Capital One Venture X: Accor Live Limitless, Aeromexico, Air France KLM, Air Canada, Asia Miles, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Choice Hotels, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Red
When it comes to how you spend your points and miles, you already know that each card has its own online portal for booking travel.
But that’s not your only option with redeeming points!
Let’s say you want to book a Delta flight that’s selling for $400/ticket. But you notice that Delta’s SkyMiles frequent flyer program is offering that same flight with award availability of 25,000 SkyMiles.
Since each point is worth 1 cent, the Delta flight booked through SkyMiles program costs the equivalent of $250 (saving you the $150)!
Now if you’re thinking “yeah great, but I don’t have a SkyMiles account”, just wait. This is where it gets interesting.
Since Delta Air Lines is a transfer partner with American Express Platinum, you can “transfer” 25,000 points from your credit card rewards account directly to your Delta SkyMiles account (free to sign up) and then book that flight direct with points!
If I’ve lost you, don’t worry. This is definitely a more complicated points and miles topic. But just know that the more transfer partners a card offers, the more flexibility you’ll have when it comes to booking.
With all 3 of the top family credit cards having a nice portfolio of transfer partners, we’re declaring this category a 3-way tie. Which card works best for you will ultimately depend on which of the transfer partners you see yourself using the most often.
Hotel Perks from Best Family Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: Complimentary guest privileges such as daily breakfast for two, a room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out, and a special property amenities worth up to $100 at Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection hotels
- American Express Platinum: $100 experience credit on two-night minimum The Hotel Collection stays booked through American Express Travel. Plus Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Hilton Honors Gold Status
- Capital One Venture X: Free breakfast, early check-in, on-property credits and room upgrades at Capital One Premier and Lifestyle Collection hotels
Chase, American Express and Capital One all offer hotel perks to their members in different ways, but with both member privileges and resort credits, we have to give this one to Chase.
Car Rental Perks from Best Family Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: National Car Rental Emerald Club
- American Express Platinum: Choice to enroll in Avis Preferred, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, and/or National Car Rental Emerald Club
- Capital One Venture X: Hertz President’s Circle Status
Like their hotel perks, each credit card includes status with a preferred car rental loyalty program. These programs are great for discounted rental car rates, skipping the check-in line and complimentary upgrades.
Chase and Capital One are competitive with membership enrollment in National’s Emerald Club and Hertz’s President’s Circle, respectively. However, AMEX offers the most flexibility here, with your choice of status with your preferred car rental company: AVIS, National or Hertz Gold Club.
Additional Perks of the Top 3 Family Credit Cards
Lastly, all 3 cards offers some additional perks that make them attractive for families. First, unlike other loyalty programs, the points or miles accrued never expire, meaning there’s no rush to use them until you’re ready.
Each card also comes with no foreign transaction fees, a must for making purchases abroad.
At a Glance: Comparing the 3 Best Family Credit Cards for Travel
So which card is the best of your family? Let’s compare each card side by side.
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | Platinum Card by American Express | Capital One Venture X | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $550 | $695 | $395 |
| Additional User Fee | $75 | $195 | $0 |
| Sign Up Bonus | 60,000 points with $4000 spend in first 3 months | 80,000 points with $8000 spend in first 6 months | 75,000 with $4000 spend in first 3 months |
| Points Accrual | 5x on travel booked through Chase Travel, 3x on dining and other travel, 1x all other purchases | 5x on flights booked direct, 5x on hotels booked through AmexTravel.com, 1x all other purchases | 10X on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X on flights booked through Capital One Travel, 2X on all other purchases |
| Redemption Value | 1.5 cents per point | 1 cent per point | 1 cent per point |
| Points Never Expire | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| No Foreign Transaction Fee | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Yearly Travel Credit | $300 statement credit on any travel purchases | $200 hotel credit, $200 airline incidental fee credit | $300 on travel booked through Capital One Travel; 10,000 yearly anniverary bonus points ($100 value) |
| Other Credits | DoorDash DashPash Subscription plus $5 monthly credit, 12 month Instacart+ membership plus $15 monthly credit, 2-year Lyft Pink All Access membership | $240 digital entertainment credit (Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, etc.), $155 Walmart+ Credit, $15 monthly credit for Uber and UberEats, $50 twice yearly credit at Saks Fifth Avenue, $300 Equinox credit | None |
| Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / CLEAR | $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit every 4 years | Global Entry credit of $100 every 4 years; TSA PreCheck credit of $85 every 4.5 years; $189 CLEAR Plus credit per year | $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit every 4 years |
| Travel Insurance | Auto Rental CDW, Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Trip Delay Reimbursement, Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, Baggage Delay Insurance, Emergency Evacuation & Transportation, Roadside Assistance Emergency Medical (reimbursed up to $2500) | Auto Rental CDW, Trip Delay Insurance, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, Premium Global Assist Hotline may cover emergency medical transportation if approved, Cell Phone Protection | Auto Rental CDW, Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Trip Delay Reimbursement, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, Baggage Delay Insurance, Travel Accident Insurance, Cell Phone Protection |
| Lounge Access | Priority Pass membership for 2 guests, plus access to Chase Sapphire Lounge by the Club locations | Centurion Lounge access for cardholder only, plus Delta Sky Club, Lufthansa Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounge, and Priority Pass membership | Priority Pass membership for 2 guests, plus access to CapitalOne Lounge and Plaza Premium Lounge locations |
| Transfer Partners | Aer Lingus, Air Canada, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM, Iberia, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic, IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt | Aer Lingus, AeroMexico, Air France KLM, ANA, Avianca, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Etihad, Hawaiian, Iberia, JetBlue, Quantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Choice Privileges, Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy | Accor Live Limitless, Aeromexico, Air France KLM, Air Canada, Asia Miles, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Choice Hotels, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Red |
| Hotel Perks | Complimentary guest privileges such as daily breakfast for two, a room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out, and a special property amenities worth up to $100 at Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection hotels | $100 experience credit on two-night minimum The Hotel Collection stays booked through American Express Travel, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, Hilton Honors Gold Status | Free breakfast, early check-in, on-property credits and room upgrades at Capital One Premier and Lifestyle Collection hotels |
| Car Rental Perks | None | Choice to enroll in Avis Preferred, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, and/or National Car Rental Emerald Club | Hertz President’s Circle Status |
Bottom Line: The Best Family Credit Card
All three of these best family credit cards for travel offer a range of benefits that outweigh their high annual fees when taken advantage of.
The Capital One Venture X card excels with its low annual fee and high points accumulation potential. While the card doesn’t offer as many statement credits as Chase or AMEX, it still keeps up with the same base benefits. Plus you can add your spouse as a user at no additional fee.
The American Express Platinum Card, while long considered the crème de la creme of travel rewards credit cards, falls a bit short when it comes to making up for its huge annual fee. Limited lounge access and a high additional user fee make it less valuable for families as opposed to solo travelers.
And finally, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card rounds out the pack as our top choice for the best family credit card for travel. 3x earning potential for all travel and dining, easy to earn statement credits, flexible spending options and partners, as well as a 1.5 cent redemption value per point all make this our favorite card to have in your family’s wallet.
While we love the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, choosing the best family credit card for travel ultimately depends on what perks matter most to you. Do you prioritize flexibility in earning and redeeming points? Lounge access for stress-free airport experiences? Or statement credits that help offset travel expenses?
For those who want the best redemption value and travel insurance, Chase Sapphire Reserve stands out. If you’re after premium perks and luxury benefits, the Amex Platinum is hard to beat. And for families who want a lower annual fee with strong rewards, Capital One Venture X delivers big value.
No matter which card you choose, using a credit card for family travel strategically can unlock incredible travel opportunities—letting you and your loved ones explore more, for less!
Where has your travel rewards credit card taken you?
