I’m Seeking the Best Credit Card for My Spending and Travel Goals

In the cashback and travel credit card world, everyone is always looking for the best offers when wanting a new card. With all the different perks and benefits available today, it makes perfect sense to shop around and find who offers the best deal. 

This is precisely the situation with one Redditor posting on r/CreditCards, as they are looking to find the card that best matches their goals and travel needs. This individual is looking at travel as their primary goal, so all efforts here will be about earning miles and points. 

It’s a little confusing that the Redditor wants a card that excels for both general and travel purposes, as most cards do one or the other really well, but there is no harm in trying to find something that works. 

The Criteria 

With an income of over $300,000 and a FICO score of 800, this Redditor hopes to get a solid travel card that allows them to use points for domestic and international travel. 

Currently, they are okay with category-specific cards but do not favor rotating-category cards, which knocks some of the more popular cashback cards off the board. While they only travel once per year, either domestically or internationally, they have an international trip already planned, so it would be ideal to have a card they could use to rack up some points this year. 

As far as expenses, they have their once-yearly travel plans, a $5,000 monthly mortgage, a $500 HOA, and $350 in monthly utilities, none of which are paid by card. There is also a Costco membership, but this really isn’t a factor, and they already have a Costco Citi Visa, BoA unlimited cash rewards, BoA customized cash rewards, and a Discover card. 

So, after considering the AMEX Platinum and Bilt cards, they are still waiting to find something better. However, it’s worth noting that in the comments, they clarify that they are okay with an annual fee and the option to downgrade if they find themselves traveling less. 

The Options 

AMEX Platinum 

Among the top recommended options is a card that the original poster is already considering. The American Express Platinum card has a $695 annual fee, which is a definite negative, but it also has many bonuses to help offset this charge. 

However, before getting into the benefits, it’s worth knowing that the attractive 80,000 membership reward point bonus requires $8,000 in eligible purchases over 6 months. While we don’t know precisely what the Redditor spends monthly, this should be manageable based on their overall income and general spending habits. 

With this card, you get a $155 Walmart+ credit, a $200 hotel credit every year, a $240 digital entertainment credit, and a $200 airline fee credit, which means the $695 annual fee is offset by $900 in value when you also get a $15 Uber Cash credit every month. 

Capital One Venture X

Another solid option for this Redditor might be the Capital One Venture X card. While it has a $395 annual fee, it offers a $300 annual travel credit, a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, 10,000 bonus miles (equivalent to $100) every year, and 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in the first three months. 

Earning 10X miles on hotel and car rentals, 5X miles on flights, and 2X miles on all other purchases, this Redditor should have more than enough time to spend and save for their once-yearly big trip. Plus, you get access to more than 1,300 lounges, which could be beneficial if and when the original poster goes international and wants a nicer place to sit and wait for their flight. 

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Among Chase’s best cards, this one offers an outstanding balance between general and travel spending, making it a top option. The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee but offers 100,000 bonus points with just $5,000 in spending after 90 days, a pretty strong bonus overall. 

In addition, you get $200 in partner value from Chase partners, $50 statement credits every year when booking through Chase Travel, and 25% more value when rewards are redeemed for travel. To earn rewards, you can earn 2X on all travel purchases, 3X on dining out or taking in, 3X points on grocery purchases, and 3X on streaming services, so rewards can quickly add up. 

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