{"id":97209252,"date":"2019-11-26T19:43:21","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T19:43:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/?p=97209252"},"modified":"2019-11-26T19:43:21","modified_gmt":"2019-11-26T19:43:21","slug":"are-travel-credit-cards-worth-it-heres-everything-you-need-to-know-to-decide-for-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/are-travel-credit-cards-worth-it-heres-everything-you-need-to-know-to-decide-for-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Travel Credit Cards Worth It? Here&#8217;s Everything You Need to Know to Decide for Yourself!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you have plans to travel abroad then it\u2019s a good idea to look into getting a travel credit card. Although not a perfect option for all travelers or for every international itinerary, travel credit cards can prove useful in a variety of situations and can often help you save money.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s our no-nonsense breakdown of what a travel credit card is, how it\u2019s different to a normal credit card, the pros and cons of having one, and if a travel credit card is worth it for you.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is a Travel Credit Card?<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-What-is-a-Travel-Credit-Card.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-97209258\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-What-is-a-Travel-Credit-Card.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-What-is-a-Travel-Credit-Card.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-What-is-a-Travel-Credit-Card-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-What-is-a-Travel-Credit-Card-768x461.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Although there\u2019s no absolute definition of what a travel credit card actually is, generally these cards don\u2019t charge fees when used abroad. Most other types of credit cards charge a fee when you make a purchase or withdraw cash in a foreign country.<\/p>\n<p>Travel credit cards tend to charge higher interest rates than run-of-the-mill cards. But as long as you can pay off your balance, you should be able to enjoy hassle-free spending without worrying about added expense when going away. Very often, travel credit cards may offer other incentives to use them when traveling or making travel-related purchases (like using them to pay for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/deals\/flight-deals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">flight deals<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Related:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/how-to-avoid-travel-credit-card-mistakes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Costly Mistakes You\u2019re Probably Making With Your Travel Credit Card<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Pros and Cons<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-pros-and-cons.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-97209259\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-pros-and-cons.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-pros-and-cons.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-pros-and-cons-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-pros-and-cons-768x461.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Before deciding to apply for a travel credit card, you should weigh the pros and cons.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s consider some of the positives first. In addition to not charging fees for spending abroad, things to look for in a good travel credit card include the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Usually, travel cards convert currencies to more favorable rates for users than non travel cards do.<\/li>\n<li>Many travel cards offer points or miles on everyday spending, so it\u2019s easy to accrue points for travel-related rewards.<\/li>\n<li>Sometimes, points or travel miles\u00a0can be redeemed as a statement credit, saving you money during future trips.<\/li>\n<li>Some travel cards come with perks such as complimentary airport lounge access, hotel room and flight upgrades, discounts on dining and entertainment, or even travel insurance.<\/li>\n<li>Using a branded hotel or airline credit card\u00a0can earn you free nights or\u00a0flights or other rewards through the hotel&#8217;s or airline&#8217;s loyalty programs.<\/li>\n<li>Some travel cards allow you to transfer points or miles to travel partners.<\/li>\n<li>Some travel cards also give juicy\u00a0introductory bonuses\u00a0as incentive to sign up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As for the negatives, there are a few you you should keep in mind:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>As mentioned above, travel credit cards tend to charge higher rates than regular credit cards.<\/li>\n<li>Interest can really rack up if you\u2019re not able to pay off your balance monthly.<\/li>\n<li>Many travel cards charge\u00a0annual fees.<\/li>\n<li>Some travel cards have blackout dates or restrictions on when and how you can redeem rewards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Deciding on a Travel Credit Card<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-Deciding-on-a-Travel-Credit-Card.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-97209260\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-Deciding-on-a-Travel-Credit-Card.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-Deciding-on-a-Travel-Credit-Card.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-Deciding-on-a-Travel-Credit-Card-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Are-Travel-Cards-Worth-It-Deciding-on-a-Travel-Credit-Card-768x461.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Of course, it\u2019s important to weigh the pros and cons of having a travel credit card while also doing your research for the best offers out there and reading the fine print before applying for any financial service.<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t think you can manage the higher interest rates of a travel credit card, then it&#8217;s probably not the right option for you. If you can keep your expenses in check and benefit from any added rewards, perks, or other incentives, then a travel credit card can mean saving money when you travel compared to using traditional cards, currency cards, or cash.<\/p>\n<p><b><em>What are your thoughts about travel credit cards? Do you use them when visiting foreign destinations? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.<\/em><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you have plans to travel abroad then it\u2019s a good idea to look into getting a travel credit card. Although not a perfect option for all travelers or for every international itinerary, travel credit cards can prove useful in a variety of situations and can often help you save money. Here\u2019s our no-nonsense breakdown [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":97209257,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1942,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97209252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-stories","category-travel-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97209252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97209252"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97209252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97209270,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97209252\/revisions\/97209270"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97209257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97209252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97209252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97209252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}