My Favorite Sub-$100 Travel Credit Cards (And Why They’re Worth It)

I’m always on the hunt for the credit cards that give you the most bang for your buck, and while those premium cards come with some jaw-dropping perks, the reality is that not everyone wants to pay the fee on those.

Thankfully, there's a sweet spot in the sub-$100 range with some great options. Some of these, I’ve used myself, and others I’ve chosen for either long-term perks or return on everyday spending.

Let's dive into my favorites and why they could also become yours.

The OG. Chase Sapphire is the metric against which all other cards are judged. With its modest $95 annual fee, it's been a mainstay in many wallets for a long time.

Here are a few reasons why this card is one of my top choices:

Sign-up Bonus: ~75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after $5,000 spend in 3 months (recent offer). This bonus is worth ~$750 when redeemed for travel through Chase, or potentially more via point transfers.

Earning Structure: 5× points on travel booked through the Chase Travel portal, 3× on dining (worldwide), 3× on select streaming services, 3× on online groceries, 2× on all other travel purchases, and 1× on other spending.

Redemption & Transfer Options: Points redeem for 1.25¢ each toward travel through Chase’s portal, or transfer 1:1 to top partners like United MileagePlus, Southwest, JetBlue, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, British Airways Avios, and Air Canada Aeroplan.

Travel Perks: Annual $50 Hotel Credit: Each cardmember year, you get $50 in statement credits for hotel stays booked via Chase Travel.

This is another option I’ve recommended to my friends many times.

Just like Chase Sapphire Preferred, the card comes with an annual fee of $95. Here’s what makes it. It also comes with a sign-up bonus of 75,000 Capital One “Miles” (points) after spending $4,000 in 3 months.

That’s worth $750 as a statement credit against travel purchases, or transferable to partner programs.
The Venture card is praised for its simplicity while still offering advanced redemption options. It’s a great choice if you want rewards without a complex strategy. Other things that make this card stand out include:

Earning Structure: Simple and solid: 2× miles on all purchases (unlimited), plus elevated 5× on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel.

Redemption & Transfer Options: Miles can be redeemed for any travel expense at 1¢ per mile (erase travel purchases) or for booking travel through Capital One’s portal.

One thing that makes it stand out is that Capital One also allows transfers to 15+ airline and hotel partners (generally at 1:1), such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca Lifemiles, British Airways, Flying Blue (Air France/KLM), Emirates, Singapore KrisFlyer, Wyndham, and more. I’d get this card for this alone.

With an annual fee of $99 (waived first year), there was no way this wasn’t making the cut.

For AA loyalists (or anyone occasionally flying American), the Citi Platinum Select is a solid choice. This card stands out for a couple of reasons:

Sign-up Bonus: ~80,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles for $3,500 spend in 4 months (worth about $1200)

Earning Structure: 2× AAdvantage miles per $1 on American Airlines purchases, gas stations, and restaurants; 1× on other spending. This is similar to its competitor (Barclays Aviator Red), but the Citi card uniquely gives 2× at gas and dining too.

Redemption Options: Miles go into your AA frequent flyer account. AAdvantage miles are very valuable for award flights on American and partners (oneworld alliance and others like JetBlue). Use them for flights worldwide – e.g., 60k miles for a one-way business class to Europe on partners. Transfers aren’t applicable here (you earn AA miles directly, not bank points).

Notable Airline Perks: First checked bag free for you and up to 4 companions on domestic AA itineraries (saving $30-$40 per bag per person each way). Preferred boarding (Group 5) on AA flights. 25% off in-flight food and beverages. $125 flight discount each card membership year, you spend $20k+. Also, no foreign transaction fees – a nice plus for an airline card

With a $95 annual fee (often waived the first year), the United Explorer Card consistently delivers strong value, especially for those who fly United at least a few times a year.

Sign-up Bonus: Typically around 50,000–60,000 United MileagePlus miles after spending $3,000 in 3 months. This can easily translate to over $600 in flight value, depending on how you redeem.

Earning Structure: 2× miles per $1 on United purchases, dining, and hotel stays; 1× on all other purchases. While it doesn’t have broad bonus categories, it’s a strong performer when used on travel and food expenses.

Redemption Options: Miles are deposited directly into your United MileagePlus account and can be redeemed for United flights as well as for travel on Star Alliance partners like Lufthansa, ANA, and Singapore Airlines. United also tends to have more award space available to cardholders.

Notable Airline Perks: First checked bag free for you and one companion on the same reservation (saving $70 round-trip for two). Priority boarding, two United Club one-time lounge passes annually, and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit (up to $100 every 4 years) are also included. Additionally, the card gives you expanded award availability and helps you earn Premier Qualifying Points (1 PQP for every $20 spent).

This is another no-brainer. Hyatt points are among the most valuable hotel currencies, making the World of Hyatt Visa card a standout at its $95 annual fee. The annual free night certificate alone often exceeds the fee's value.

Key details include:

Sign-up Bonus: Currently up to 2 free night certificates and 25,000 Hyatt points (after hitting spending tiers). For example: 2 free nights after $4,000 in 3 months, plus 25k points after $12k in 6 months. Hyatt points are very valuable (~1.7¢ each), and free night certs can be used at Category 1–4 Hyatt hotels.

Earning Structure: Up to 9× points per $1 on Hyatt stays (4× from the card + 5× base as a Hyatt member. Also, 2× points per $1 on dining, airline tickets (purchased from airline), local transit and commuting, and fitness club memberships. While the bonus categories aren’t super broad, Hyatt points are hard to earn elsewhere (no major transferable except Chase UR), so this helps boost your Hyatt balance on everyday spend.

Notable Hotel Perks: Free Night Certificate every anniversary – good for a Category 1-4 Hyatt (worth easily ~$150+ if used at a nice Hyatt). Second free night cert if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year. Comes with automatic Hyatt Discoverist elite status (free premium internet, late checkout, preferred room, etc.), and 5 elite night credits every year just for holding the card. Plus, earn 2 elite night credits for every $5,000 spend on the card.a great way to climb to higher status (Explorist or the top-tier Globalist) for heavy spenders. No foreign transaction fees as expected. Also includes trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay coverage, purchase protection, and Visa Signature perks

With an annual fee of $95, this is another choice that I just had to include. Here’s the gist:

Sign-up Bonus: Often a lavish offer of Free Night Awards instead of just points. In 2025, we saw “3 Free Night Awards (up to 50k points each)” after $3k spend. That’s up to 150k Marriott points worth of nights, a fantastic limited-time bonus.

Earning Structure: 6× Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 at over 7,000 Marriott hotels (this stacks on top of the points you get as a Marriott member) 3× points on the first $6,000 per year in combined spend at U.S. gas stations, U.S. groceries, and dining; 2× points on all other purchases.

Redemption Options: Points redeem for free nights across Marriott’s extensive portfolio (from budget to Ritz-Carlton). Award pricing is dynamic (no fixed chart anymore), but the free night certificates (35k points value) can be topped up with points if the hotel costs a bit more. Marriott points can also transfer to 40+ airline programs (mostly at 3:1 ratio, with 5k bonus miles for each 60k points transferred) – a legacy feature from SPG days. This isn’t the most efficient way to use them given the ratio, but it’s an option for topping off airline miles.

Notable Hotel Perks: Free Night Award every anniversary (35,000-point level – easily worth ~$200 if used at a nice Marriott, which by itself makes the $95 fee a no-brainer for many. 15 Elite Night Credits each year automatically boosts you halfway to Marriott Gold (need 25 nights) or a start on aiming for Platinum (50 nights).
Other Notable Features: The Boundless is the middle child of Marriott’s cards – above the no-fee Bold and below the $250 Bevy or $650 Brilliant. Most agree the Boundless offers the best bang-for-buck: a free night certificate that reliably exceeds the fee cost, plus the elite credits.

I tried to only recommend options that are useful for international travelers, so that my non American readers can benefit as well. Each delivers serious value, whether through unique earning opportunities, standout redemption options, or outsized perks relative to the fee.

With annual fees under $100, these cards offer exceptional value, making them well worth considering for your wallet.