Just read through U.S. News’ updated travel card rankings for July, and while the usual names showed up Sapphire Preferred, Venture X, etc, a few curveballs made it interesting. The Choice Privileges Mastercard getting a 4.4 rating with no annual fee kind of surprised me, I’ve always thought of that one as a niche pick for hardcore Choice hotel folks, but maybe it’s having a moment. I'm still hanging onto my Venture X mostly for the lounge access and easy point transfers, but I’ll admit the Chase Reserve’s perks still tempt me now and then.
If you’re someone who doesn’t travel constantly but wants some decent rewards and travel benefits, there are a few $0 annual fee cards on this list that actually look usable. For anyone newer to the game, combining one general travel card with a co-branded airline or hotel card is still a smart move in my book.
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