Your Top 3 Travel Cards for Summertime Fun

Vacations and summer. They go together like sunscreen and coconut scent, hot dogs and mustard, and tropical drinks and decorative umbrellas.

Is it any wonder that people begin to plan trips to warmer climates during the dead of winter? They spend weeks — and even months — obsessing about location, quibbling over price, and delving into web research. A massive amount of planning goes into an annual summer vacation, but people sometimes neglect a key concern: How to make funding your trip simple, convenient, and simultaneously rewarding?

The answer is simple: Partner with the right credit card company

Credit cards are a traveler’s dream. Those little plastic rectangles are generally waterproof — a bonus if you forget to empty your pockets before hitting the surf — they’re accepted at even the smallest of boardwalk snow cone dealers, and they provide a great alternative to packing your pockets with bulky bills and clanging coins. Plus, they protect you in case of theft.

Need another reason to choose plastic over paper? Don’t forget the bevy of perks that will leave you smiling wider than a sun-drenched kid after a day of beach side fun.

Credit Cards: Practical, Prolific Perks

The credit card industry can be slightly cutthroat. Companies compete on every front, jockeying to make the best offer to potential borrowers. That competitive nature means consumers are in prime position to capitalize on myriad benefits by doing a little digging.

Rewards

Rewards vary from the mundane to the magnificent. You can opt for a straightforward credit card that offers cash back or rewards points for every purchase you make. Some cards even offer larger perks depending on spending categories, rotating out rewards on a monthly or quarterly basis to encourage spending in certain sectors. While a 1 percent cash back offer translates to $1 back for every $100 you spend, some people can get bigger returns from other rewards.

Bonus Points

Vacationers who travel by airplane should consider credit cards that offer bonus points and mileage for every purchase. While some cards include blackout dates and other time periods when points cannot be used, that doesn’t negate their value for people who routinely travel for business or pleasure. It’s important to note that some cards are tied to specific airlines, so be certain any card you use correlates with your preferred airline.

Sign-on Bonuses

This leads us to one of the best credit card perks: the sign-on bonus. To boost credit card applications, some companies provide a heaping helping of bonus points or miles at acceptance. If you plan to use credit cards to snag free tickets or upgrade to first-class seats, figure out which cards give you the best sign-on bonus. Be sure to incorporate any annual fees into your calculations, as this yearly expense could offset thousands of transferable miles.

Intro Interest Rates

Finally, you might be interested in cards that have low introductory interest rates. This is particularly crucial if you plan to charge all your vacation expenses to a card before paying off the balance over a few months. Some cards allow you to carry a balance without a penalty for a set period. As a general rule of thumb, a longer period of zero percent interest corresponds with fewer credit card points, miles, and bonuses. Depending on your financial situation, you’ll want to weigh the costs and benefits of each approach.

Our Favorite Credit Cards for Summer Travel

You could spend your valuable time sifting through the mountain of available credit card choices, though the options are fairly overwhelming. Luckily for you, we’re here to help. We’ve scoured the planet to find three credit cards that offer the best bang for your buck, depending on your individual travel tendencies.

1. Best Card for International Jetsetters: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Your bucket list is filled with the names of foreign cities, and you’re determined to visit as many places as possible in your lifetime. A financial tool like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can help you avoid nasty foreign transaction fees while checking off destinations. Hate restrictions? You’ll appreciate that Chase lets you redeem travel points for miles whenever you want to fly. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

2. Best Card for Free-Spirited Wanderers: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

You buck the system and don’t make plans on paper, allowing the wind to direct your every move. Your free spirit is as comfortable sightseeing in sunny San Diego as hiking through the Norwegian fjords. Thankfully, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card offers the sort of flexibility you demand.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card allows you to earn 2x points on Southwest® purchases, local transit and commuting — including rideshare, and on internet, cable, and phone services (select streaming). This means you don’t need to stick to one airline or hotel chain — you can go wherever you want, however you want. It comes with a low annual fee, and you earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This card provides you with plenty of reasons to say “yes”.

3. Best Credit Card for Thrifty Travelers: Atlas Rewards Credit Card

Do you budget everything and carefully evaluate your spending and saving figures, even when you’re on vacation? You’ll appreciate how simple it is to stockpile rewards through the Atlas Rewards Credit Card.

With earnings up to 3% cash back rewards on gas, food delivery, coffee shops, subscriptions and more, the Atlas Rewards Credit Card is the perfect card to accompany you while on the go. Earn rewards on the things you need while traveling. This card has safe spending limits that grow with you and no credit history is needed to apply. It also reports to all three credit bureaus, to help build your credit as you go. Use it anywhere that Mastercard® is accepted.

Stress is for the birds, not the beach.

Cut loose during your next vacation, and leave the worries behind knowing you’re safe and secure with a seriously stellar credit card. In addition to giving you financial peace of mind while you’re kicking back, travel cards can help you build up rewards to bring your next vacation within reach.

Still not sure which credit card is right for your vacation needs? See a rundown of a few of our favorite travel cards, or use our Credit Card Finder service to connect you with personalized offers.