We receive compensation from our advertising partners for links on the blog. Here’s our full Advertiser Policy. Editor’s Note: Some of the offers below may have expired or are no longer available on our site. There is a truly an overwhelming selection of travel rewards credit cards on the market, with options for just about every kind of traveler.

So, to narrow down those options a bit, we’ve picked out the best travel rewards credit cards for 2018 and compared their most appealing features. Annual fee: Some travel rewards credit cards come with no annual fee, some come with a massive annual fee, and some waive their fee for the first year. Generally, the more you pay, the bigger the perks.

Sign-up bonus: Don’t cheat yourself out of points or miles by signing up for a travel card with no sign-up bonus. Once you decide on what kind of spending minimum you can reliably meet, you can compare the best travel rewards credit cards based on which will give you the most points for that initial spending.

Extra points: Some travel cards will give you 2x points or miles on all of your purchases, and some will award as much as 5x points or miles on specific spending categories. It’s worth the time to look through your recent credit card statements and compare the rewards you would have earned with different travel cards. No foreign transaction fee: Period. Introductory APR: If you’re looking to drop a few thousand to earn a sign-up bonus, having a 0% introductory APR on purchases could be a big help.

Travel perks, benefits, and protections: Each travel credit card comes with different perks, but most will offer varying levels of protection for travel mishaps like canceled flights, stolen luggage, and collision damage waivers for car rentals. You don’t have to find a travel rewards credit card that checks off each of these boxes for you- but you might be able to. We’ll rank the best credit cards based on how they compete in each of these categories. Also, please read this post on Chase’s 5/24 rule if you’re not familiar with it.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred the best travel rewards credit card for 2018, 625 toward travel through Ultimate Rewards. But you can receive even more value by transferring your Ultimate Rewards points out to a travel partner. 95 annual fee (waived for the first year), 2x points on travel and dining, and a long list of travel protections, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers excellent value for its cost.

The Sapphire Preferred’s flexibility comes from its redemption options. You’ll be able to redeem points for statement credit (at a rate of 1 cent per point) or for an elevated rate of 1.25 cents each toward travel booked through Ultimate Rewards. But your best bet with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card will usually be to take advantage of Chase’s 1:1 transfer ratio with its hotel and airline transfer partners.

That’s a huge draw and makes your Ultimate Rewards points very flexible. Another feature that makes this travel rewards card remarkably flexible is your ability to transfer your points immediately to another Ultimate Rewards account held by you, your spouse, or your domestic partner. If you already hold a card like the Chase Freedom or the Chase Ink Business Preferred, that could be a huge boost in meeting your rewards goals.

And it’s definitely worth noting, that there’s the Sapphire Reserve card, which comes with a higher annual fee, but also comes with more benefits. 5,000 spending minimum in the first 3 months from account opening. 1,000 towards travel when you redeem them through the Ultimate Rewards portal, or potentially even more if you can transfer them to the right airline partner. 150,000 in combined purchases in each account anniversary year. After that, all purchases will earn 1x points. 5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.

The SPG card’s sign-up bonus isn’t as high as some others, but it offers value in a different area. This card is definitely geared toward people who frequently stay at hotels and want to benefit from elevated status. With the SPG card, you’ll earn 2x Starpoints on purchases at Starwood and Marriott properties, and 1x Starpoints on all other purchases.