8 best travel cards for fair credit of August 2024

Many travel credit cards require applicants to have at least good credit — typically scores 670 and above. However, some credit cards are tailored to consumers rebuilding their credit scores. These credit cards are easier to qualify for but often lack the benefits and rewards available with the best credit cards. That said, there are travel credit cards for consumers with less-than-perfect credit that allow you to rebuild or establish your credit and earn cash back, points or miles.

Below, CNBC Select rounds up the best travel credit cards for fair credit, including cards with generous rewards structures, welcome bonuses and intro APR offers. (See our methodology for information on how we chose the best fair credit travel credit cards).

Who’s this for? The Discover it® Miles stands out for having a unique and potentially lucrative welcome bonus. Plus, the card charges no foreign transaction fees making it a for international travel.

Standout benefits: For new cardmembers, Discover automatically matches the miles you earn at the end of your first year regardless of how much you spend. If you earn 15,000 miles in your first year (worth $150) with your Discover it Miles card, Discover will give you an additional 15,000 at the end of that year. There’s no minimum spending requirement and no limit to how many miles you can earn from this bonus.

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Who’s this for? The Citi Custom Cash® Card is a great fit for anyone who may need extra time to pay for their travels thanks to its generous 15-month 0% APR introductory offer on purchases and balance transfers (after, 19.24% – 29.24% variable APR)

Standout benefits: Cardholders earn 5% cash back (up to the first $500 spent and then 1%) on their top spending category each billing cycle. The categories include restaurants and grocery stores, gas stations, select travel, select transit and more. Plus, a special travel offer: earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025. Cash-back is awarded as Citi ThankYou® Points, which can be transferred to select travel partners.

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Who’s this for? The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is worth considering if you’re working on your credit, but want to earn rewards along the way. It earns cash back at a generous pace and has a welcome offer, which is rare for secured credit cards.

Standout benefits: With the Discover it Secured, you’ll earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1% back), which is especially rewarding for a secured card.

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Pro tip: You can pair this card with a Discover bank account

If you want to do all your banking in one place, the Discover® Cashback Debit Checking account offers a debit card that earns 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month. You can also earn a generous return on your cash with a Discover® Online Savings Account.

Who’s this for? The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card provides students with high cash-back rates for all sorts of travel and everyday purchases. If you want to build credit while you’re in school and earn cash back, this card is for you.

Standout benefits: In addition to elevated rewards on eligible travel booked through Capital One Travel, the Capital One SavorOne Student card earns a generous 3% cash back on dining, popular streaming services, entertainment and grocery stores (not including superstores like Walmart or Target), then 1% on all other purchases.

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Who’s this for? The Credit One Bank Wander® Card is worth considering if you have average credit and want to earn the most rewards for your travel spending.

Standout benefits: Eligible travel, including flights, dining and gas purchases, earn a generous 5X points, and you can earn a whopping 10X points on eligible hotels and rental cars you book through the Credit One Bank travel partner site. You can redeem points for one cent each toward statement credits, so you’re earning 5% to 10% back on a large swath of travel spending.

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Who’s this for? The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Credit Card is a great low-cost option for anyone working to rebuild or establish their credit. Plus, it earns a solid flat-rate return on every purchase.

Standout benefits: With this card, you’ll earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase, with no limit to how much cash back you can earn. The card charges no foreign transaction fees, which is useful when traveling overseas.

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The Discover it® Miles offers a strong return on everyday spending and no annual fee.

Rewards

• 1.5X miles on all purchases

Welcome bonus

Discover will match all of the miles you earn at the end of your first year.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

When you open a Discover it Miles card, you’ll get an intro 0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, after that, a variable 18.24% to 28.24% APR applies. If you plan on taking advantage of this card’s balance transfer offer, be aware that there is an intro transfer fee of 3% of the amount of each transfer for eligible transfers. For future balance transfers, the fee is 5% of the amount of each transfer.

This card has no foreign transaction fees, so you won’t pay extra if you bring it along on your next trip out of the U.S. 

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The Citi Custom Cash® Card is a no-annual-fee card that offers a solid welcome bonus and flexible spending categories that automatically adjust to your biggest spending category each billing cycle.

Rewards

• 5% cash back on purchases in the top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent (then 1%)
• 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025
• Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn $200 cash back after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

New Citi Custom Cash® Card members receive an intro 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (after, 19.24% – 29.24% variable APR). The standard balance transfer fee is 5% of each transfer ($5 minimum).

You can redeem the rewards you earn with this card in various ways, such as toward gift cards, statement credits and to book travel through the ThankYou travel center. You can also transfer your points to a limited number of Citi’s travel partners including, JetBlue TrueBlue, Wyndham Rewards and Choice Privileges.

As you improve your credit, you can boost the value of your rewards by pairing the card with one that provides access to all of Citi’s ThankYou travel partners, such as the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card.

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The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is a secured credit card that earns valuable rewards for gas station and restaurant spending, as well as a potentially lucrative welcome bonus.

Rewards

• 2% back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1% back
• 1% back on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Discover will match all of the cash back you earn at the end of your first year.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

The Discover it® Secured Credit Card requires a refundable security deposit of at least $200, which then becomes your credit limit. After seven months, Discover will review your account to see if you can be moved to an unsecured card and have your deposit refunded.

Since this card has no foreign transaction fees, you won’t be dinged for using it abroad. 

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The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the most rewarding credit cards available to students.

Rewards

• 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats
• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases when you book through the Capital One Entertainment portal
• 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply)
• 3% cash back on dining
• 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
• 3% cash back on popular streaming services
• 3% cash back on entertainment
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn a $50 cash bonus when you spend $100 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

In addition to the cashback you can earn from spending, you can enroll to receive monthly Uber One membership statement credits (through Nov. 14, 2024). With Uber One, you get perks like $0 delivery fees on eligible Uber Eats orders, member pricing and top-rated drivers on Uber rides. To qualify for the credit, you need to use your card to pay the monthly membership fee.

This card has no foreign transaction fees, which can be useful for students studying abroad.

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The Chase Freedom Rise℠ is a no-annual-fee card geared toward those just starting their credit journey. It offers an elevated rate of return on everyday purchases that you normally only see on credit cards with higher credit requirements.

Rewards

• 5% cash back on Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025)
• 1.5% cash back on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn a $25 statement credit after enrolling in automatic payments within the first three months of opening your account.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

Eligible items you purchase with this card qualify for purchase protection and extended warranty protection. You can also be reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for eligible prepaid non-refundable fares with this card’s trip cancellation and interruption insurance.

This card also qualifies for several limited-time partner benefits. Cardholders can enroll to receive three free months of DoorDash DashPass (enroll by Dec. 31, 2024). After the three free months, you’ll be automatically enrolled at 50% off for the next nine months. You can also take advantage of three free months of Instacart+ (enroll by July 31, 2024). After the free Instacart+ membership expires, you’ll be automatically enrolled in an annual membership unless you cancel. After you’re enrolled, you’ll also receive up to $10 in statement credits each quarter (through July 31, 2024) for eligible Instacart purchases you make with your Freedom Rise card.

You can redeem your cash-back rewards for a direct deposit or statement credit to offset travel expenses. You can also use rewards to book travel through Chase Travel℠. After you build your credit history, you can upgrade to a Chase Freedom Flex® or Chase Freedom Unlimited® card without losing the rewards you’ve earned.

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The Credit One Bank Wander Card is rewarding for travel purchases, especially when you consider that it’s available if you have fair or average credit.

Rewards

• 10X points on eligible hotels and rental cars you book through the Credit One Bank travel partner site
• 5X points on eligible travel, dining and gas purchases
• 1X points on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

None

Annual fee

$95

Notable perks

This card has no foreign transaction fees and offers travel accident insurance. Cardholders also enjoy free access to their credit score.

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The Capital One Quicksilver Secured Credit Card is a secured card with a rewards rate comparable to some of the top flat-rate cash-back credit cards.

Rewards

• 1.5% cash back on all purchases

Welcome bonus

None

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

To qualify for this card, you’ll need to make an upfront refundable deposit of at least $200. You are eligible for a refund of your deposit and an upgrade to an unsecured version of the card once you have a track record of “responsible use.”

You can also get up to six months of complimentary Uber One membership. To qualify, be sure to use your card to pay for the Uber One membership fees. You’ll automatically receive a statement credit now through Nov. 14, 2024.

This card has no foreign transaction fees.

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The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card keeps it simple with a higher-than-average rate of return on every purchase and low annual fee.

Rewards

• 1.5% cash back on all purchases

Welcome bonus

None

Annual fee

$39

Notable perks

This card has no foreign transaction fees, so when you’re traveling outside the U.S. or make any purchase in a foreign currency, you won’t pay anything extra for that privilege.

You can also get statement credits to cover up to six months of Uber One membership fees. Just use your card to pay for the Uber One membership and now through Nov. 14, 2024, you’ll receive an automatic credit for the purchase.

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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best travel credit cards for fair credit.

To determine which travel cards are the best value for anyone with fair credit, CNBC Select analyzed the most popular credit cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions available to those with no credit or who are rebuilding their credit.

We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards (e.g., cash back, points and miles), annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back). 
 
We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.  

For the cards that offered a rewards program, we considered consumer spending data forecasts from location intelligence firm Esri to determine where U.S. consumers are spending the most money, like on dining and travel. We used this to help determine what bonus categories are most useful for consumers. Since the value of a point or mile varies based on what they can be redeemed for, we also considered things like transferability and the ability to redeem for cash-back. 

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For rates and fees of the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Miles, click here.