7 best travel cards for fair credit of September 2024 (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.(Seeour methodologyfor information on how we chose the best fair credit travel credit cards).

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 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 Chase Freedom Rise℠ is a great option for establishing your credit and a relationship with Chase, which issues many top travel credit cards.

Standout benefits: The Chase Freedom Rise earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases, which is a high rate of return for a starter credit card. If you or a household member have a card that allows point transfers (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card), you can move the rewards you earn from your Freedom Rise onto that card and transfer them to any of the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel partners.

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Who's this for? The Credit One Bank® Wander® American Express® 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 Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card is an exceptionally rewarding secured credit card because you can choose where you earn the most cash back. This makes it a great option if you want to maximize the cash back you can earn to use for your next vacation.

Standout benefits: The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Secured Card earns 3% cash back in the category you choose each month. On top of that, you'll get 2% cash back at grocery store and wholesale clubs. You earn these bonus cash-back rates on the first $2,500 in combined purchases each quarter (then 1% cash back).

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Pro tip: Pair this card with a Bank of America account for more rewards

You can boost the cash back you earn with the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card if you qualify for Bank of America's Preferred Rewards program. The Preferred Rewards program offers a range of benefits, including a credit card rewards boost of 25% to 75%.

You qualify for the program based on the three-month combined average daily balance of your Bank of America and Merrill accounts. This includes checking accounts, such as the Bank of America Advantage Plus Banking account, savings accounts and investment accounts. You'll need at least $20,000 in deposits to be eligible for the first tier of rewards and remember, retirement accounts with Merrill count toward that number.

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 chargesno foreign transaction fees, which is useful when traveling overseas.

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Who's this for? The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is ideal if you have average or fair credit and want to earn rewards with an unsecured credit card.

Standout benefits: The Capital One QuicksilverOne earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases. While you won't earn additional cash back in special categories, you are earning a higher return on everyday spending compared to other cards. Plus, this card chargesno foreign transaction fees.

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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

• 8% cash backon 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 backon dining
• 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
• 3% cash backon 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

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® American Express® 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 Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card allows you to choose a bonus cash-back category based on where you spend the most.

Rewards

• 3% cash back on a category of your choice, the categories are: Gas and EV charging stations, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores, home improvement and furnishings*
• 2% cash back on grocery stores and wholesale clubs*
• 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases

*You earn 3% and 2% cash back on up to $2,500 in combined choice category and grocery stores purchases each quarter

Welcome bonus

None

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

This secured card requires a minimum security deposit of $200 to open, with a maximum deposit of $5,000. The size of your deposit, income and ability to repay all factor into your credit limit.

The cashback you earn never expires if you keep the account open, and it's easy to redeem. You can use your rewards for statement credits or deposits into an eligible Bank of America or Merrill account, including checking, savings and investment accounts.

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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."

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.

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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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