Which is the best credit card for road trips?

The best credit card for road trips will depend on your objectives. If you’re looking to earn rewards in advance and redeem those rewards to offset the cost of your trip, you may select a card that is different from the one you would use to earn rewards during your trip. For example, if you wanted to cover some of the lodging costs you would incur during your trip, you might select a hotel-branded credit card with a generous welcome bonus that can be redeemed for free hotel nights. During your trip, a card that earns at gas stations, dining out, and at supermarkets might fit your situation.

How do travel rewards cards work?

Travel rewards cards focus on earning rewards on the types of purchases made by frequent travelers, have travel-related redemption options, and travel perks. The cards may earn rewards in the form of cash-back, points, or miles. Rewards can be redeemed for flights, hotels, and statement credits, or users have the ability to transfer rewards to airlines/hotel programs and other travel-related options.

Which is better, cash-back or points?

Whether cash-back or points is better for you will depend on your redemption preferences. For example, if a card allows you to accumulate cash-back in your account, it can serve as a savings account for an annual family vacation or for making a large purchase. If a card earns points that can be redeemed for free hotel nights, and that is a redemption option you value, points may deliver better value for your situation.

Which is the best credit card for free hotel nights?

A hotel-branded credit card from a hotel brand you frequent will generally provide the best value for staying at that brand. It’s also common to find welcome bonuses for these cards that offer rewards which can generally be redeemed for several free hotel nights. In addition, many hotel-branded credit cards offer free hotel night certificates at the card anniversary renewal. We have mentioned several of these cards in this article.

The 21 Best Credit Cards for Road Trips [Gas, Hotels, Dining]

Road trips are a unique form of travel that allows us to see the country up close and in relatively slow motion. Unlike flying, the road trip is less about efficiently traveling from point A to point B than it is about creating experiences during the journey.

For this reason, and more, planning a road trip can play a key role in the success of your adventure out on the open road.

That planning process could certainly include earning and redeeming rewards to help you fund your adventure and continuing to earn rewards along the way. Regardless of which is your primary objective, we can help you accomplish either or both.

We’re going to explore credit cards that offer elevated earnings on typical road trip expenses and cards that can add value to your journey, such as those that allow you to offset the cost of activities. We’ll even talk about credit cards that can assist you in securing free hotel nights to utilize during your trip.

Table of contents

Best Credit Cards for Gas Station Purchases
Best Credit Cards for Road Trip Accommodations
Best Credit Cards for Road Trip Dining
Best Credit Cards for Sightseeing and Entertainment
Best Credit Cards for Road Trips — Summary
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

Best Credit Cards for Gas Station Purchases
Best Credit Cards for Road Trip Accommodations
Best Credit Cards for Road Trip Dining
Best Credit Cards for Sightseeing and Entertainment
Best Credit Cards for Road Trips — Summary
Final Thoughts

Best Credit Cards for Gas Station Purchases

You’ll be filling up the gas tank often on your road trip, so you’ll want to be sure you’re earning rewards on every fuel purchase.

Here are some of the best credit cards for gas station purchases.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Why We Like the Card for Gas Station Purchases

The Blue Cash Preferred card earns 3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations and on transit such as buses, trains, parking, and tolls. It also earns 6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets, which may sell gas station gift cards (up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1%).

Additional Card Benefits

6% cash-back on select U.S. streaming services
$10 monthly Equinox credit
Secondary car rental insurance with the option to purchase premium protection for 1 low fee that covers the entire rental period
Shopping benefits such as extended warranty, purchase protection, and return protection
Terms Apply

Hot Tip: Gas stations often sell gift cards for restaurants, streaming services, and other road trip-related purchases you might be making during your trip. When you use a credit card that has bonus earnings at gas stations, you may be able to pick up a gift card you can use and earn additional cash-back or points.

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Why We Like the Card for Gas Station Purchases

Cardmembers earn 5% cash-back at gas stations when the merchant is a quarterly bonus category merchant. Gas station gift cards purchased at quarterly bonus category merchants, such as supermarkets, drugstores, warehouse clubs, etc. also earn 5% cash-back.

Additional Card Benefits

Welcome bonus
No annual fee
Earns cash-back in the form of Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to premium Chase credit cards for up to 50% greater value when redeeming points via the Chase travel portal or transfer to airline/hotel partners
5% cash-back on Lyft rides through March 2025
Free 3-month DoorDash DashPass food delivery subscription and option to purchase an additional 9 months for 50% off
Shopping benefits such as purchase protection and extended warranty

Additional Credit Cards for Gas Station Purchases

Marathon gas station — Earn gas station program rewards, as well as credit card rewards during your road trip. Image Credit: Marathon

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card — earn 6 Hilton Honors points per dollar spent at U.S. gas stations and at U.S. supermarkets (which could sell gas station gift cards), 12x points at Hilton, and 3x points on all other purchases. Terms Apply
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express — earn 3% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets purchases, 3% cash-back on U.S. online retail purchases, and 3% cash-back at U.S. gas station (each capped at $6,000 per year)
Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi — 4% cash-back at all U.S. gas stations including Costco and on EV charging purchases (on the first $7,000 per year, then 1% thereafter), 3% cash-back at restaurants, and 2% on Costco purchases other than gas
The Platinum Card® from American Express — Save 10¢ per gallon on fuel at Walmart, Murphy, Exxon, and Mobile stations with a complimentary Walmart+ subscription.

For a quick look at some of the other top credit cards for gas station purchases, our article features a helpful list.

Hot Tip: In addition to earning rewards at gas stations by using a card that bonuses those purchases, you could qualify for additional rewards via the gas station’s fuel rewards program.

Best Credit Cards for Road Trip Accommodations

You’ll need a place to stay on your road trip, and fortunately, you’ll find plenty of card options for earning rewards points, receiving free hotel nights, and even enjoying complimentary elite status.

American Express® Gold Card

We like that the Amex Gold card can help you earn rewards to help fund your trip, then continue to earn rewards during your travels.

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 90,000 points with the Amex Gold card! (The current public offer is 60,000 points.)

Why We Like the Card for Road Trips

Amex’s Membership Rewards program makes it easy to transfer points to Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, and Choice Privileges. When redeeming with Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors, cardmembers can also receive the fifth hotel reward night free.

The Amex Gold card also has big earnings at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets.

Additional Card Benefits

Up to $10 monthly dining credit for specific restaurants
Travel protections including trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage
Secondary car rental coverage with the option to purchase premium protection for a low fee that covers the entire rental period
Shopping protections such as return protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty
Terms Apply

IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card

Convenient locations and free breakfast make Holiday Inn Express hotels the perfect road trip choice. Holiday Inn Express Brooklyn. Image Credit: IHG

It’s difficult to imagine a road trip that doesn’t include a stay at a Holiday Inn Express property along the way.

With IHG Hotels & Resorts’ huge footprint of properties throughout the country, there’s always a place to stay nearby and you know you’ll have a warm breakfast to start each day.

Why We Like the Card for Road Trip Accommodations

On top of a generous welcome bonus that can be redeemed for several free hotel nights, the card comes with complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status that can result in room upgrades and other hotel benefits. You’ll also receive a free hotel night certificate at each card anniversary renewal.

Additional Card Benefits

Trip interruption and cancellation coverage
Purchase protection and extended warranty

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card can help contribute value during your road trip by offsetting accommodation expenses.

Why We Like the Card for Road Trip Accommodations

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 5x on Lyft purchases (through March 2025), 3x points on dining, and 2x points on all other travel purchases. Ultimate Rewards points transfer to IHG Rewards and cardmembers receive the fourth hotel reward night free.

You can also transfer points to World of Hyatt for good value stays starting at 5,000 points per night. Redeem your points for 25% more via the Chase travel portal, including accommodations.

Bottom Line: The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers great travel insurance benefits and why it’s a smart choice for frequent travelers.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Sapphire Reserve offers great value and a source for travel funds to use during your road trip.

Why We Like the Card for Road Trip Accommodations

Similar to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you can transfer points to IHG Rewards and World of Hyatt.

Travel, including accommodations, has 3x earnings on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, and every travel purchase earns against the $300 travel statement credit each card anniversary year.

You can also redeem points for 50% more via the Chase travel portal, including accommodations.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Free hotel nights can help offset the cost of your road trip. Image Credit: Hampton Inn & Suites Manchester

The Hilton Surpass card offers great value for those who frequent Hilton properties. With elevated earnings and complimentary Hilton Honors elite status, the card could be the perfect companion for road trip earning and redeeming.

Why We Like the Card for Road Accommodations

A great choice for Hilton Honors devotees, the Hilton Surpass card has a generous welcome bonus that can be redeemed for free hotel nights and has 12x earnings at Hilton properties, including Hampton by Hilton.

It also has 6x earnings at U.S. supermarkets and 3x earnings on every other purchase, including every road trip purchase you make.

Hilton Honors Gold status is complimentary and cardmembers receive a free weekend hotel night after spending $15,000 each card anniversary year.

Additional Card Benefits

Spend $40,000 on the card to receive top-level Hilton Honors Diamond elite status
Secondary car rental coverage with the option to purchase premium protection for a low price that covers the entire rental period
Shopping protections such as return protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty
Terms Apply

Additional Credit Cards for Road Trip Accommodations

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card — redeem your earned welcome bonus for several free nights of lodging, receive 6x earnings at Marriott properties, 2 Marriott points per dollar spent on every other purchase you make, and receive a free hotel night certificate at card renewal
The World of Hyatt Credit Card — welcome bonus that can be used for free nights, free night certificate each card renewal, 4x earnings at Hyatt
Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card — budget travelers will enjoy complimentary Choice Privileges Gold status and earn 15x points per dollar spent at Choice hotel properties
Wyndham Rewards® Visa® Card — 3x points per dollar spent at Wyndham properties, 2x points at grocery stores, gas stations and on utilities, complimentary Gold status

A hotel-branded credit card can serve to earn free nights you can utilize during your road trip, but cards that earn transferable points can also accomplish this objective.

For a breakdown of the best credit cards for hotels, including earning free hotel nights, we offer our take on the topic in this detailed article.

You’ll also enjoy our articles for specific hotel chain loyalists. If you’re a frequent Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, or World of Hyatt guest, you’ll want to check out our card comparisons for each program.

Bottom Line: Many hotel-branded credit cards also offer free night certificates at card renewal.

Best Credit Cards for Road Trip Dining

Road trips generally call for a less formal meal experience that can include picnics, carryout, mom-and-pop restaurants, and even food delivery. Fortunately, there are plenty of options for statement credits, earning rewards, and getting free delivery on road trip dining.

Here are a few of our recommended cards and why the cards work well for road trip dining.

Takeout food — It’s easy to earn rewards on every food purchase you make during your road trip, even carry out. Image Credit: Syda Productions via Shutterstock

Amex Gold Card

You’ll be earning plenty of rewards with the Amex Gold card in your wallet during your trip.

4x earnings at restaurants
4x earnings at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x), some of which sell restaurant, gas station, and other road trip-related gift cards
Up to $10 monthly dining statement credit for specific restaurants (including Grubhub delivery)
Terms Apply

Hilton Surpass Card

6x Hilton Honors points per dollar spent at restaurants and at grocery stores that may sell restaurant gift cards
Terms Apply

Costco Anywhere Card

3% cash-back at restaurants
4% cash-back at U.S. gas stations or EV charging purchases on the first $7,000 per year; 1x thereafter
2% cash-back at Costco (which may sell restaurant gift cards)

Citi Premier® Card

3x ThankYou Points at restaurants and on travel
3x ThankYou Points at grocery stores (which might sell restaurant gift cards)

Freedom Flex Card

You’ll find several ways to earn rewards on road trip dining with the Freedom Flex card.

Quarterly bonus-category merchants offer 5% cash-back, up to $1,500 in purchases, each quarter and often include restaurants
5% cash-back at bonus-category merchants who may sell restaurant, gas station, and other road trip-friendly gift cards
Free 3-month DoorDash DashPass food delivery subscription and option to purchase an additional 9 months for 50% off

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

Road trip dining is also very rewarding when you use your Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

3x Ultimate Rewards points at U.S. restaurants and on travel purchases
Free DoorDash DashPass food delivery subscription for at least 1 year (activation must occur before December 31, 2024)
$5 monthly DoorDash credit

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of our favorite travel rewards cards. You’ll also find it a worthy companion for earning during your road trip.

2x Ultimate Rewards points at U.S. restaurants and on travel purchases
Free DoorDash DashPass food delivery subscription for at least 1 year (activation must occur before December 31, 2024)

American Express® Green Card

3x Membership Rewards earning at restaurants worldwide and on travel

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

3x Marriott Bonvoy points at restaurants worldwide
Up to $25 in monthly statement credits (up to $300 per year) for eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide

Hot Tip: Earn up to 20 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent at Restaurant.com for dining gift certificates via the Shop Through Chase portal.

Best Credit Cards for Sightseeing and Entertainment

You’re sure to be enjoying some sightseeing during your road trip, perhaps a rainy-day museum visit, or even take a tour.

We don’t often consider using our credit card rewards points for purchasing experiences but there are several ways to find good value when doing so.

Here are a few ways to offset the cost of sightseeing and entertainment during your road trip.

Chase

Ultimate Rewards-earning Chase credit cards offer an excellent option to redeem points for experiences.

In your Chase Ultimate Rewards online account, click on Things to Do at the top of the page, and type in your destination.

You’ll find a long list of activities that can be purchased using your Chase card or with Ultimate Rewards points.

Hot Tip: Ultimate Rewards points transferred to premium Chase cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Reserve card can receive up to 50% more value when redeemed for travel, including lodging and experiences, via the Chase travel portal.

American Express

While you can’t use Membership Rewards earned on your Amex cards to purchase activities directly, you can transfer your points to airline partners and book vacation packages or experiences that can include theme park tickets, boat rides, museum entrance passes, and much more.

Amex cards that earn transferable Membership Rewards points include:

Additional Cards for Sightseeing and Entertainment Purchases

Here are some additional card options to use for sightseeing and entertainment purchases.

Citi

Citi Premier Card

The Citi Premier card is a great card to have in your wallet during a road trip as the card earns 3x ThankYou Points per dollar spent on travel (including gas stations), on dining, and at grocery stores. You’ll earn 2x on specific entertainment purchases.

And while the best redemption option for those points is transferring to partner airlines and flight redemptions, it is also possible to redeem ThankYou Points on gift cards for golf, dining, grocery stores, and other road trip-friendly merchants.

ThankYou points gift card — Redeem your ThankYou Points for a variety of gift cards. Image Credit: Citi

Never redeem your ThankYou Points for less than 1 cent in value per point, however, and watch for special deals in your Citi card account for gift cards that can be purchased with ThankYou Points.

Best Credit Cards for Road Trips — Summary

Car on Road Unsplash — Selecting the right credit card can help offset your road trip expenses. Image Credit: Alex Mares via Unsplash

There is no doubt that a road trip is a perfect opportunity to earn and redeem rewards points or cash-back.

Let’s now recap the cards we’ve mentioned in our article and summarize the value offered by each card when planning for or executing your road trip.

Credit Card	Road Trip Benefits
Blue Cash Preferred card	3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations, 6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 annually, 1% thereafter), and on transit such as buses, trains, parking, and tolls
Blue Cash Everyday card	3% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets, and 3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations (both capped at $6,000 in purchases per year)
Freedom Flex card	5% cash-back at quarterly bonus category merchants and gift cards purchased at quarter bonus category merchants Complimentary DoorDash DashPass for 3 months, 50% discount for an additional 9 months Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to premium Chase cards to receive up to 50% more in value when redeemed for travel including lodging and experiences or transferred to airline/hotel partners
Amex Gold card	4% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year) and restaurants Up to $10 monthly food credit at select restaurants Transfer Membership Rewards points to hotel partner programs such as Choice Privileges, Marriott Bonvoy, and Hilton Honors and redeem for free hotel nights Terms Apply
Hilton Surpass card	12x earnings at Hilton 6x earnings at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. restaurants Spend $15,000 on the card per anniversary year for a free hotel night certificate Terms Apply
IHG Premier card	Free hotel night certificate at each card anniversary Complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status 26x earnings at IHG (10x on card purchases + 16x for Platinum status bonus)
Hyatt Credit Card	4x earnings at Hyatt 2x earnings at restaurants, on transit, flights purchased with airlines, gyms, and fitness Free hotel night certificate at each card anniversary
Costco Anywhere card	4% cash-back at gas stations or EV charging purchases including Costco gas stations, up to $7,000 in purchases per year; 1% thereafter 3% cash-back at restaurants and on travel 2% at Costco
Chase Sapphire Reserve card	3x earnings on dining and travel 10x earnings on Lyft purchases (through March 2025) Transfer Ultimate Rewards points to hotel partners 1:1 $300 travel statement credit each anniversary year 1.5 cents per point for booking travel, including hotel rooms and experiences via the Chase travel portal Free DoorDash DashPass for at least 1 year from activation $5 monthly DoorDash credit Roadside assistance benefit with 4 free service calls, up to $50 each, per calendar year
Chase Sapphire Preferred card	2x earnings on dining and travel 5x earnings on Lyft purchases (through March 2025) Transfer Ultimate Rewards points to hotel partners 1:1 Receive 1.25 cents per point for booking travel, including hotel rooms and experiences via the Chase travel portal Free DoorDash DashPass for at least 1 year from activation
Marriott Boundless card	Free hotel night each card anniversary Marriott Bonvoy Silver elite status 6x earnings at Marriott 2x earnings for all other purchases
Citi Premier card	3x ThankYou Points on travel, dining, and at grocery stores 2x ThankYou Points on entertainment
Amex Platinum card Amex Green card	Complimentary Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and Gold status with Hilton Honors with the Amex Platinum card Transfer Membership Rewards points to hotel partner programs such as Choice Privileges, Marriott Bonvoy, and Hilton Honors and redeem for free hotel nights Amex Green card earns 3x points on restaurants worldwide and on travel Amex Platinum card saves 10¢ per gallon on fuel at Walmart, Murphy, Exxon, and Mobile stations with a Walmart+ subscription Terms Apply
Venture card VentureOne card	Venture card earns 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase, VentureOne card earns 1.25 miles per dollar spent
Wyndham Rewards card	3x points at Wyndham 2x points at grocery stores and gas stations Complimentary Wyndham Rewards Gold status
Choice Privileges card	15x points at Choice properties 2x points for all other purchases Gold status Spend $10,000 on the card each anniversary year for a free night certificate

Final Thoughts

Whether your objective is to earn rewards in advance to offset the cost of your journey or earn rewards during your road trip, selecting the right card can make an economic difference in your total bottom-line road trip expenses.

Selecting a card that will provide free hotel nights, for example, can offer tremendous value. Purchasing road trip-related gift cards with a rewards-earning card at the grocery store or other eligible bonus category merchants will allow you to earn rewards while prepaying for expenses you’d normally incur during your trip.

It’s worth noting that not all bonus-category merchants will allow you to purchase gift cards with a credit card, although most will. Your experience will vary based on the merchant and location.

The information regarding Choice Privileges® Visa Signature® Card, Wyndham Rewards® Visa® Card, American Express® Green Card, Capital One Venture Rewards Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, and Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.

1 comment

Fanny Behrens June 25, 2021
Nice clear summaries based on objectives. Easy to see what card would be best for me, road tripper, rather than generic best card for traveling which would then have perks for airline lounges or skymiles.

Best Credit Cards for Gas Station Purchases

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Why We Like the Card for Gas Station Purchases

Additional Card Benefits

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Why We Like the Card for Gas Station Purchases

Additional Card Benefits

Additional Credit Cards for Gas Station Purchases

Best Credit Cards for Road Trip Accommodations

American Express® Gold Card

Why We Like the Card for Road Trips

Additional Card Benefits

IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card

Why We Like the Card for Road Trip Accommodations

Additional Card Benefits

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Why We Like the Card for Road Trip Accommodations

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Why We Like the Card for Road Trip Accommodations

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Why We Like the Card for Road Accommodations

Additional Card Benefits

Additional Credit Cards for Road Trip Accommodations

Best Credit Cards for Road Trip Dining

Amex Gold Card

Hilton Surpass Card

Costco Anywhere Card

Citi Premier® Card

Freedom Flex Card

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

American Express® Green Card

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Best Credit Cards for Sightseeing and Entertainment

Chase

American Express

Additional Cards for Sightseeing and Entertainment Purchases

Citi

Best Credit Cards for Road Trips — Summary

Final Thoughts

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best credit card for road trips?

How do travel rewards cards work?

Which is better, cash-back or points?

Which is the best credit card for free hotel nights?

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