I Discovered the Best Cashback Cards for My $36K Annual Airfare Spend—Here’s What I Found

When it comes to the best cashback cards for traveling, it’s often hard to pick the best because there are so many great options. Almost every major credit card company and bank has something in both the cash-back and travel space. 

Well, one Redditor is doing fantastic work and has helped compile a list that he believes is top-tier for “the best cashback credit cards for high spenders on airfare.” While this list is subjective, this individual has plenty of cachet in the r/CreditCards subreddit, so his post was well-received. 

In this case, it does seem that the poster, u/EarnItBack, has done a lot of research and seemingly knows exactly how to judge which cards would work best if you have around a $36,000 annual travel spend. 

The Best Travel Cards

Wells Fargo Autograph

Highlighting its 3% cashback on travel, the original poster believes this card is the current benchmark for “comparing higher-tier options.” With Wells Fargo calling it its “best rewards credit card,” there shouldn’t be any surprise it’s a top recommendation. You also get 3X points on travel with airfare, hotels, car rentals and more, and you also get 3X for dining in and taking out at restaurants, gas stations, subway and ride share, streaming services, and paying your cell phone bill. 

Chase Freedom Unlimited

One of the poster’s easiest and most common recommendations is either the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Capital One cards. These cards are attractive because you can get 5% cash back when you book flights through their respective travel portals, with no annual fee or other travel requirements. Capital One also extends its offer to add 5% cash back when you book a rental car through its travel portal. 

GreenState Credit Union Mastercard

Residents of Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota can join the GreenState Credit Union and get 5% cash back on travel with no limit. However, the only downside to this card is that you have to be a current resident of this state in order to qualify. 

Bank of America Customized Cash Reward

If you choose travel as a bonus category with the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards card, you can earn as much as 5.25% cashback on airfare, up to $2,500 each quarter. While this won’t get you a third of the way to the $36,000 annual spend the original poster is suggesting they do, they still recommend the card because of the ability to combine categories and earn this reward amount. 

Truist Wealth Credit Card

While the Truist Wealth Credit Card comes up as a highly recommended option, it’s an important note from the Redditor that you must invest at least $1 million to enjoy its best perks. If you do, you can receive a $450 annual fee waiver and a 75% cash bonus when you redeem cash rewards into a Truist checking, savings, or money market account. In addition, you will receive an unlimited 3% cash back bonus on airfare, hotels, and car rentals. 

The Next Best Travel Cards

If you’re not pleased with the options above, the Redditor makes additional recommendations like the American Express Platinum Schwab card. If you book airfare through Amex Travel, you can earn 5X points with a limit of $500,000 per year, making this card ideal for high-volume fliers. 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is another top-tier travel card that is often recommended as a Reddit favorite. When you book through the travel portal, earning 5X points on airfare, your points are worth seven and a half cents per dollar, much higher than the 1.5 cents per dollar they’re typically worth without the portal. 

The American Express Platinum and Centurion cards offer 5X points on airfare, with a $500,000 limit. However, you can receive up to a 50% rebate on points, doubling their value. Unfortunately, taking advantage of this strategy and card requires significant assets and requires spending almost $56,950 per year on travel to break even.

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