The Best Rewards Card for a Big Travel Purchase

If you travel frequently, you're bound to make big travel purchases at least part of the time. Sure, you can get some of your travel expenses covered with rewards, but you'll have to pay out of pocket for some components of your trip no matter how points-savvy you are.

With that in mind, it's important to get the most bang for your buck when you actually charge a travel purchase to a rewards credit card.

Since you should always pay your bill in full to avoid credit card interest, the interest rate on your card shouldn't matter at all. What should matter before you make a big travel purchase is how many miles you'll get in return.

But, which card should you use? Like most things in life, there is no "wrong" or "right" answer that works for everyone. And some cards work better for certain travel purchases but not for others.

Here are three cards to consider that can be ideal for a large travel purchase:

Discover it Miles

The Discover it Miles card is a no-fee travel credit card that lets you earn 1.5 miles for every dollar you spend. The kicker is, Discover has promised to double the miles you earn after the first year. That brings your earnings haul to 3 percent back for the first 12 months.

Since you can redeem these points to cover any travel purchase, this option is good for people who want flexibility in how they redeem. Use your points to cover a hotel, pay for an expensive flight or book a rental car. With the Discover it Miles, the choice is yours.

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Platinum Card from American Express

The Platinum Card from American Express is an especially good option if you're paying a lot for airfare.

Why? Because this card offers 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on airfare booked directly with airlines or through the AmexTravel.com travel portal.

Since Membership Rewards are a flexible travel currency that is transferable to popular airline and hotel partners, using this card is a good option for anyone who wants several ways to use their points. Also, keep in mind that you can use Membership Rewards points to book travel through AmexTravel.com, or redeem them for gift cards or merchandise.

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Chase Sapphire Reserve

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is another no-brainer for any big travel purchase. This card offers 3 points per $1 spent on travel and dining, which translates into a minimum of 3 percent back for each dollar you spend on a big travel purchase.

Like other flexible travel currencies, you can also redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points in more than one way. For example, you can transfer them to popular hotel and airline loyalty programs 1:1, use them to book travel through the Chase travel portal, or redeem them for cash back or gift cards at a rate of one cent per point.

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