For almost a decade, we’ve been traveling the world without paying for a single trans-Pacific or trans-Atlantic flight, all thanks to U.S. travel rewards.
Since we started this journey, we’ve accumulated more than 5 million points and miles, and we still have about 1.5 million left to spend. Those points have taken us from San Francisco to Japan, across Europe, through Southeast Asia, and back again saving us thousands in flight cost if paid for our tickets in cash.
But here’s the thing: this isn’t some secret hack. It’s a repeatable, transparent system that anyone with a U.S. address and responsible credit habits can use. You don’t need to be a financial expert or fly full-time. You just need to just follow a few key principles and the right cards can cover a big part of your travel lifestyle.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- The basic rules to follow before applying for a U.S. credit card.
- Our top 5 travel rewards cards for 2025, based on real value, flexibility, and ease of use.
Whether you’re new to points or already optimizing every mile, this breakdown will help you earn smarter and travel farther, without overspending or getting lost in fine print. Are you ready to dive in?
Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you use them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Nomad Numbers!
Basic Rules for U.S. Travel Credit Cards (for Newbies)
If you’re just stepping into the world of travel rewards, here are some ground rules to make sure you don’t get burned:
- Good or Excellent credit is usually required. Most of the best travel cards will look for credit scores in the “good to excellent” range (e.g. 700+).
- Always pay off your balance in full each month. Interest on credit cards will destroy your gains faster than any points you earn. Please be responsible with this!
- Know the Chase 5/24 rule! Chase limit how many new credit cards you can open in a 24-month window before your approvals get harder. You won’t be able to open more credit card with Chase if you have had already open 5 credit card in the past 24 months.
- Be realistic about your spend. Don’t open a card just to chase a bonus if you can’t hit the required spend without overspending or debt.
- Use benefits and credits. Many premium cards include credits (travel, dining, hotel, etc.) or perks (lounge access, free nights) that help offset the annual fee.
- Point transfer flexibility matters. Cards that let you transfer to airlines or hotel partners (rather than locking you into one rewards “store”) give more options in booking.
- Annual fee vs net value. A high-fee card may be worth it if you can extract more value through credits and perks than the fee itself.
- Do not close old cards lightly. Your account age and total available credit matter for credit score. So always keep a few ‘free’ card open in your portfolio.
Keep these in mind as we look at specific cards. The idea is to combine the signup bonus, ongoing rewards, and built-in credits so that the card’s cost (annual fee) gets eaten up or minimized.
Our Top 5 Travel Rewards Cards for U.S. Residents in 2025
Bookmark this page: it’s our always-updated list of the best credit cards for digital nomads. These are cards we personally use and genuinely recommend.
Here are five strong picks (as of mid-2025). These represent a mix of premium, mid-tier, and flexible transfer cards. Since your ideal card depends on your style, travel frequency, and ability to use perks please make sure to pick one that fit your needs.
If you would like to open more than one card, please prioritize the Chase cards first due to the 5/24 rules. If you want to open cards with the lowest annual fee start with Chase Sapphire Preferred card, then Chase United Explorer card and then Capital One Venture X card.
1️⃣ Chase Sapphire Preferred
Click HERE if you would like to sign-up for this card.
- Welcome bonus: 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points
(for a limited time only, usually 60,000 points) - Minimum spend: $5,000 in the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $95
- Bonus value: ≈ $750 in travel when booked through the Chase portal (1¢ per point), often $900–$1,100 if transferred to partners (like United, Hyatt, or Singapore Airlines)
- Perks to offset the fee:
- $50 annual hotel credit (via Chase Travel)
- Strong multipliers on travel & dining (2–5x points)
- Excellent flexibility through 14+ airline & hotel partners
- 💡 Best for beginners: simple, reliable, and high long-term value without a big fee.
2️⃣ Capital One Venture X
Click HERE if you would like to sign-up for this card.
- Welcome bonus: 75,000 Capital One miles
- Minimum spend: $4,000 in the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $395
- Bonus value: ≈ $750 (1¢ per mile via Capital One Travel)
- Perks to offset the fee:
- $300 annual travel credit (Capital One Travel portal)
- 10,000 miles anniversary bonus (~$100 cash value)
- Priority Pass & Plaza Premium lounge access (for unlimited guests until 2/1/2026 – then any additional guest will get charged $35)
- 💡 Effective net cost: Around $0–$95 if you use the travel credit and annual bonus.
- 💰 Great for frequent travelers who want premium perks at a mid-tier cost.
3️⃣ Chase Sapphire Reserve
Click HERE if you would like to sign-up for this card.
- Welcome bonus: 125,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points
(for a limited time only, usually 100,000 points) - Minimum spend: $6,000 in the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $795
- Bonus value: ≈ $1,500 in travel (via Chase Travel at 1.5¢/pt) worth up to $2,000 with high-value partner transfers
- Perks to offset the fee:
- $300 annual travel credit
- Priority Pass & Sapphire Lounge access
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit
- Comprehensive travel insurance, trip delay, and rental coverage
- 💡 Effective net cost: ~$200–$300 if you use all benefits.
- 💰 Ideal for heavy travelers or digital nomads who value comfort and flexibility.
4️⃣ Chase United Explorer Card
Click HERE if you would like to sign-up for this card.
- Welcome bonus: 60,000 United MileagePlus miles
- Minimum spend: $3,000 in the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $95 (waived for the first year)
- Bonus value: ≈ $720–$900 depending on redemption (1.2¢–1.5¢/mile average value)
- Perks to offset the fee:
- 2 United Club passes per year (~$100+ value)
- First checked bag free for you + companion (worth $70 round trip)
- Priority boarding and expanded award availability
- 💡 Effective net cost: often $0 or better if you check bags or use passes.
- Best for travelers who fly United or Star Alliance frequently.
5️⃣ American Express Gold Card
Click HERE if you would like to sign-up for this card.
- Welcome bonus: 60,000 Membership Rewards®
- Min spend / time: $6,000 in 6 months
- Annual fee: $250
- Bonus value: ~$600–$900 (≈1.0–1.5¢/pt via Amex Travel or partners)
- Offsets / perks: $120 Dining Credit ($10/mo), $120 Uber Cash ($10/mo), 4x restaurants (worldwide), 3x flights (direct/Amex Travel)
- 💡 Dining powerhouse; easy to offset most/all of fee if you use the monthly credits.
Pro-Tip: How to Manage Multiple Credit Cards While Traveling the World
Living abroad makes it tricky to receive new U.S. cards. In the post below, we shared the practical strategies we use to open and manage cards while outside the U.S. without missing deliveries or bonuses!
Keep it simple, make it count
You don’t need a dozen cards or fancy hacks to fly and stay for (almost) free. Our decade of long-haul travel on points came from doing a few things well: pick the right card for your goals, hit the bonus without overspending, and redeem smart.
Your 5-minute next steps
- Choose one card from the list that matches your spending and travel goal.
- Set a 90-day plan to meet the minimum spend with bills you already pay.
- Always pay in full. Interest kills the value. This is a non-negotiable!
- Track your points and note transfer partners you’ll actually use.
💡 Here is the Google sheet template we started with back in 2017! - Plan a real redemption date now so the points don’t sit idle.
If you hate annual fees, start with the low/no-fee cards. If you travel often, the mid-/premium picks can net out close to $0 when you use the credits.
We’ve banked 5M+ points and still have ~1.5M to spend because we keep it intentional and fun. Start with one win, learn the system, then layer on cards only when it increases your freedom!
If you have questions please drop a comment in the comments section below as I’ll be happy to help!
4 Comments
Rachel · October 25, 2025 at 5:45 pm
We’ve been in the points and miles game for only a year and a half, and I’m blown away by the number of points people accumulate! Seems like you’re earning an average of 500K points/year. Are you always working on a sign-up bonus, or are you mostly using the cards you mentioned in this post (CSP, Venture X) strategically to maximize particular categories? And do you have business cards too? Also, out of curiosity, how do you track the points you’ve accumulated – in a Google Sheet/Excel? Thanks for this post – the breakdown is really helpful.
Mr. Nomad Numbers · November 27, 2025 at 12:13 pm
Hey Rachel! We’ll open cards just to snag the bonus. Open a card without getting a bonus seems like a big waste right? Our goal is always to grab the cards we recommend first, and if we can’t, we move to our backup list. Right now we’re tracking everything in a Google Sheet, but I’m planning to roll card + reward tracking into Nomad Purse app (https://www.nomadpurse.com) before the end of 2025 so people can manage all of this without the spreadsheets. Stay tuned as it’s coming.
Deb · October 26, 2025 at 3:49 am
Hi! Thanks for your guidance on reward credit cards. I currently have 2 credit cards (Capital One Venture Card and Chase Explorer Card). I’ve been primarily using the Capital One card and am accruing miles quickly. But twice a year I have a big property tax payment and I’m thinking it might be good to jump on the Chase Sapphire Preferred offer of 75,000 points and use that property tax payment for the required spend. Is this a good time to open a Chase card? Is 75,000 points likely their best reward offer, or would we be better off waiting to see if they bump it up to 100,000 again like they did for one month in the spring last year? What would you suggest? Thanks!
Mr. Nomad Numbers · November 27, 2025 at 12:16 pm
Hey Deb! You’re thinking about that property tax the right way. And yeah, the 75K offer on the CSP is pretty much as good as it gets right now, so if you’re planning to grab it, I wouldn’t sit on it too long.