Some of the Best Travel Credit Cards in 2020 Offer Non-Travel Perks

Not many people have been traveling in 2020, but consumers are still relying on the best travel credit cards in 2020 to rack up points for future vacations. 

Many travel reward credit cards have added special rewards and benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic including statement credits for food delivery apps and streaming subscriptions.

Across various “best of” lists on the web, certain travel credit cards are mentioned often.

CNBC named the American Express Gold Card as the best travel credit card in 2020. CNBC called the credit card a “smart choice for consumers who love travel and dining out” due to the perks and points that it offers frequent travelers and diners. 

Every year, cardholders get $100 to cover airline fees, $120 to cover restaurant charges, and $100 in Hotel Collection credits. Cardholders earn 3x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express's travel website and 4x points on restaurants.

American Express's Platinum Card is the best credit card for luxury travel perks, according to CNN Underscored. The website said, “It’s definitely not cheap, but the famous American Express Platinum card is a heavyweight when it comes to travel perks.”  

Every year, Platinum cardholders get $200 to cover airline fees, $200 for Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, $100 in statement credits for Saks Fifth Avenue purchases, access to more than 1,200 airport lounges, 5x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express's travel site, and 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through the site.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card is CNBC’s pick for luxury travel. The Points Guy says that it’s the best option for travel credits. “The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a stellar selection of perks on top of solid earning rates,” according to The Points Guy.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card gives cardholders $300 in annual travel credits, 3x points on travel and dining, 10x points on Lyft rides through March 2022, $12 in DoorDash statement credits between 2020 and 2021, and 50 percent more value on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

For a no-fee option, CNET recommends the Wells Fargo American Express Card. The credit card offers cash back instead of travel rewards, which makes it “an easy solution for those who want to earn money back on their travel and dining spending but don’t necessarily want to use those rewards to book more travel through a credit card miles portal,” according to CNET.

The Wells Fargo Propel American Express Card offers 3x points on certain purchases across various categories including restaurants, food deliveries, gas stations, ride-shares, transit, flights, hotels, homestays, car rentals, and streaming services.

All four of the previously mentioned sites named the Capital One Venture Rewards Card as one of the best travel cards in 2020. The Points Guy said that the Capital One Venture Rewards Card is the best credit card for earning miles. The Points Guy said, “The Capital One Venture Card allows you to redeem miles for a fixed-value or transfer the miles you earn to several airline and hotel transfer partners. … The transfer ratio is 2:1.5 for most partners.”

The Capital One Venture Rewards card offers 2x miles per dollar on every purchase, reimburses cardholders with a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓ applications, and doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.

Nerdwallet said that the Bank of America Travel Rewards Card gives cardholders “a solid rewards rate on every purchase, with points that can be redeemed for any travel purchase, without the restrictions of branded airline and hotel cards.”

Currently, Bank of America offers 25,000 online bonus points for Travel Rewards cardholders who spend $1,000 in the first 90 days. Cardholders earn 1.5 points for every dollar spent on the card. Also, there aren't any foreign transaction fees.