Updated September 7, 2026

Best Travel Credit Card Bonuses With No Annual Fee – 2026

You don't have to pay hundreds of dollars in annual fees to earn valuable airline miles and hotel points. Here are some of the best current travel credit card bonuses with no annual fee or a waived first-year annual fee.

Updated September 7, 2026

You don't necessarily have to pay a large annual fee to earn a substantial pile of airline miles, hotel points, or useful travel benefits.

There are several travel rewards credit cards currently offering strong sign-up bonuses with either no annual fee at all or an annual fee that is waived for the first year. That makes these cards particularly attractive for travelers who want to build their points and miles balances without immediately paying for the privilege.

There's also a newer wrinkle worth considering: shopping portals are now paying substantial bonuses for some credit card applications. In the case of the current Bank of America Travel Rewards offer through Rakuten, that portal bonus can potentially be worth more than the credit card's own welcome bonus.

For cards with an annual fee waived for the first year, I generally recommend keeping the card for at least a full year. If you decide the card isn't worth keeping, wait until the second-year annual fee posts and then evaluate whether to cancel, downgrade, or keep it.

Once airline miles or hotel points have transferred into the associated loyalty program, closing the credit card generally does not remove those rewards. However, card-specific benefits such as free checked bags, elite status, and lounge passes normally disappear when the card is closed.

Here are some of the best current opportunities.

Bank of America Travel Rewards — $375 Rakuten Bonus

Annual Fee: $0

Bank of America Welcome Bonus: Earn 25,000 online bonus points after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days. Those points can be redeemed for a $250 statement credit toward eligible travel purchases.

Additional Rakuten Bonus: $375 Cash Back when applying and being approved through Rakuten.

View the Bank of America Travel Rewards Offer on Rakuten

This is currently one of the most interesting no-annual-fee credit card opportunities on this list because the Rakuten reward comes on top of Bank of America's regular welcome bonus.

Take the Rakuten reward as ordinary cash and the math is straightforward:

$375 Rakuten + $250 Bank of America = $625 total value

That's after only $1,000 in required spending.

But the Rakuten reward can potentially be more valuable if you earn Bilt Rewards points instead of cash.

Rakuten Cash Back or Bilt Points

Rakuten members who have selected Bilt Rewards as their payout method can convert Rakuten Cash Back into Bilt points.

The conversion depends on your Bilt status:

• Bilt Blue: 50 Bilt points for every $1 of Rakuten Cash Back.
• Bilt Silver, Gold and Platinum: 100 Bilt points for every $1 of Rakuten Cash Back.

For a Silver, Gold or Platinum member:

$375 Rakuten = 37,500 Bilt points

I value Bilt points at approximately 2.2 cents each when redeemed effectively for travel.

Using that valuation:

37,500 × 2.2¢ = approximately $825 in potential travel value

Add the $250 Bank of America welcome bonus and the combined potential value becomes:

Approximately $1,075

A Bilt Blue member would receive:

18,750 Bilt points

At the same 2.2-cent valuation:

18,750 × 2.2¢ = approximately $412.50

Add the $250 Bank of America bonus and that's approximately:

$662.50 in combined potential value

The Bilt figures are estimated travel-redemption values, not cash values. Your actual return depends on how you redeem the points.

Don't Automatically Convert the $375 to Amex Membership Rewards

This is an important distinction.

Rakuten normally allows eligible members to earn American Express Membership Rewards instead of cash on many purchases, but do not assume that the publicly advertised $375 Bank of America credit card bonus equals 37,500 Membership Rewards points.

The public Bank of America Travel Rewards promotion should be evaluated as $375 Cash Back or the corresponding Bilt payout.

Rakuten offers can also vary by account and selected payout method, so always look at what your own Rakuten account displays before applying.

I've covered the Rakuten/Bank of America deal and the Bilt valuation in more detail here:

Rakuten Bank of America Bonuses: $375 Cash or Up to 37,500 Bilt Points

For a no-annual-fee card with only $1,000 of required spending, this is an unusually strong opportunity.

U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature

Annual Fee: $0

Welcome Bonus: Earn 20,000 points after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days of account opening.

View the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Offer

This remains one of my favorite overlooked no-annual-fee travel cards because it includes benefits normally associated with cards costing $95 or more per year.

Benefits

• Four complimentary Priority Pass visits each membership year.
• Up to $100 toward TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Complimentary GigSky international mobile data benefits.
• 5X points on prepaid hotels and rental cars booked through the U.S. Bank Travel Center.
• 4X points on travel.
• 4X points at gas stations and EV charging stations on the first $1,000 spent in those categories each quarter.
• 2X points on dining, streaming services, and grocery stores.

Getting four Priority Pass visits plus a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit on a card with no annual fee is pretty remarkable.

The welcome bonus isn't enormous, but this is one of the cards on the list that can continue providing meaningful value long after the signup bonus is gone.

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year; $99 thereafter.

Special Welcome Offer: Earn 80,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles after spending $3,500 within the first four months of account opening.

View the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select 80K Offer

Important: Check the Offer Before Applying

Citi's normal public card page is currently showing a lower offer, but a cached Citi application link for the 80,000-mile offer is still working.

Because of that, I would verify that the application page actually displays 80,000 miles after $3,500 in spending within four months before submitting the application.

This is an unusually strong bonus for a card that costs nothing during the first year.

Benefits

• First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for the cardholder and up to four companions on the same reservation.
• Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights.
• 2X AAdvantage miles at restaurants.
• 2X miles at gas stations.
• 2X miles on eligible American Airlines purchases.
• 25% savings on eligible American Airlines inflight food and beverage purchases.
• No foreign transaction fees.

With an 80,000-mile bonus and no first-year annual fee, this remains one of the strongest traditional airline-card offers available.

The only reason I wouldn't blindly click through is the unusual cached-offer situation. Confirm the 80K offer on the Citi application page before submitting.

Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard

Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year; $99 thereafter.

Welcome Bonus: Earn 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles after spending $4,000 within the first four months of account opening.

View the Citi AAdvantage Business Offer

The previous 75,000-mile business offer has ended, and the card is currently back to its standard 65,000-mile bonus.

Business owners can essentially repeat the American Airlines opportunity with the Citi AAdvantage Business card.

Benefits

• First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for the cardholder and up to four companions on the same reservation.
• Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights.
• 2X miles on eligible American Airlines purchases.
• 2X miles at gas stations and eligible car rental merchants.
• 2X miles on telecommunications, cable, and satellite providers.
• 25% savings on eligible American Airlines inflight food, beverage, and Wi-Fi purchases.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Opportunity to earn an American Airlines Companion Certificate after meeting the annual spending requirement and renewing the card.

If you qualify for both the personal and business cards, the current welcome bonuses provide the opportunity to earn:

80,000 + 65,000 = 145,000 AAdvantage miles

before considering the additional miles earned from completing the required spending.

Chase United Explorer Card

Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year; $150 thereafter.

Current Welcome Offer: Earn up to 60,000 United MileagePlus miles:

• 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 within the first three months.
• 10,000 additional miles after adding an authorized user within the first three months.

View the United Explorer Offer

Benefits

• Free first checked bag for the primary cardholder and one companion traveling on the same reservation, subject to United's payment and reservation requirements.
• Two United Club one-time passes each year.
• Priority boarding.
• Access to discounted United award flights available to eligible cardmembers.
• Up to $120 toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS every four years.
• 25% back on eligible United inflight food, beverages, and Wi-Fi purchases.
• Additional travel and lifestyle credits.

The Explorer isn't offering the huge bonuses we've occasionally seen in the past, but the combination of 60,000 potential miles and a waived first-year annual fee makes it an excellent way to try the card's benefits without paying upfront.

If you can use the checked-bag benefit and United Club passes, the first-year value can be particularly good.

United Gateway Card

Annual Fee: $0

Welcome Offer: Earn up to 40,000 United MileagePlus miles:

• 30,000 miles after spending $1,000 within the first three months.
• 10,000 additional miles after adding an authorized user within the first three months.

View the United Gateway Offer

Important: No Automatic Free Checked Bag

The United Gateway card does not include the automatic free checked-bag benefit offered by the United Explorer card.

Instead, cardholders can earn checked-bag certificates after meeting qualifying annual spending requirements.

Additional Benefits

• 2X miles on eligible United purchases.
• 2X miles at gas stations.
• 2X miles on local transit and commuting.
• 25% back on eligible United inflight purchases.
• No foreign transaction fees.

The Gateway remains attractive because you can potentially earn 40,000 United miles without ever paying an annual fee.

For someone who doesn't need the Explorer's checked-bag and lounge benefits, that can make Gateway an excellent long-term card to keep open.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card

Annual Fee: $0

Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 45,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $1,000 within the first three months of account opening.

View the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Offer

The previous elevated offers have ended, but the Bold remains useful for travelers who want to keep a Marriott credit card without paying an annual fee.

Pay Yourself Back

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold offers access to Chase's Pay Yourself Back feature for qualifying travel purchases made directly with airlines and participating Marriott hotels.

Points can be redeemed at $100 for every 12,500 Marriott points, which works out to:

0.8 cents per point

You can redeem up to $750 per year through this benefit.

That provides a useful floor for Marriott points when hotel redemptions aren't particularly attractive.

Additional Benefits

• 3X Marriott points on eligible Marriott hotel purchases.
• 2X points at grocery stores.
• 2X points on rideshare and select food-delivery purchases.
• 2X points on select streaming, internet, cable, and phone services.
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status.
• Five Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
• No foreign transaction fees.

Marriott Silver isn't terribly exciting, but the five elite nights and Pay Yourself Back feature add real value to a card with no annual fee.

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Annual Fee: $0

Welcome Bonus: Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $2,000 within the first six months of Card Membership.

View the Hilton Honors American Express Offer

Benefits

• 7X Hilton Honors points on eligible purchases directly with Hilton hotels and resorts.
• 5X points at U.S. restaurants.
• 5X points at U.S. supermarkets.
• 5X points at U.S. gas stations.
• 3X points on other eligible purchases.
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status.
• Fifth Night Free on eligible standard-room award stays as a Hilton elite member.
• Ability to earn Hilton Honors Gold status after meeting qualifying annual spending requirements.
• No foreign transaction fees.

Hilton points aren't worth as much individually as many airline miles or transferable currencies, but 80,000 points for a card with no annual fee remains a respectable offer.

The six-month spending window also makes the bonus exceptionally easy to manage.

IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card

Annual Fee: $0

Current Welcome Offer: Earn up to 90,000 IHG One Rewards points:

• 80,000 points after spending $2,000 within the first three months.
• 10,000 additional points after adding an authorized user within the first three months.

View the IHG One Rewards Traveler Offer

Fourth Reward Night Free

One of the card's best benefits is the Fourth Reward Night Free.

When you redeem IHG points for a consecutive four-night award stay, you pay points for only three nights.

That can effectively provide a 25% discount on a four-night award stay.

Additional Benefits

• Automatic IHG One Rewards Silver Elite status.
• Up to 17X total points at IHG properties when combining card earnings with normal IHG member and elite-status earnings.
• 3X points at gas stations.
• 3X points on dining.
• 3X points on utilities and select streaming services.
• 2X points on other eligible purchases.
• 10,000 additional bonus points after spending $10,000 during a calendar year.
• No foreign transaction fees.

For a no-annual-fee hotel card, the fourth-night-free benefit is outstanding and can make the card worth keeping even after the signup bonus is long gone.

Wyndham Rewards Earner Card

Annual Fee: $0

Limited-Time Welcome Offer: Earn up to 75,000 Wyndham Rewards points:

• Earn 30,000 points after spending $1,000 within the first 90 days.
• Earn an additional 45,000 points after spending $500 at Hotels by Wyndham within the first 180 days.

View the Wyndham Rewards Earner Offer

There is an important distinction with this offer: the first 30,000 points can be earned through normal everyday spending, but the additional 45,000 points require $500 of actual spending at Hotels by Wyndham.

If you already have a Wyndham stay planned, that's an outstanding additional bonus.

I wouldn't manufacture $500 in hotel spending solely to earn it.

Benefits

• 5X points at Hotels by Wyndham.
• 3X points on eligible dining, grocery, gas and EV-charging purchases.
• Automatic Wyndham Rewards Gold status.
• Cardholder booking discounts at participating Wyndham properties.
• 10% discount on Wyndham Free Night award redemptions.
• Anniversary bonus opportunity after meeting qualifying annual spending requirements.
• No foreign transaction fees.

Wyndham Award Pricing Changes September 15

Wyndham is about to make an important change to its award chart.

Through September 14, 2026, Free Night awards use Wyndham's existing tiers:

• 7,500 points
• 15,000 points
• 30,000 points

Beginning September 15, 2026, Wyndham will move to four fixed award tiers:

• 5,000 points
• 15,000 points
• 30,000 points
• 45,000 points

This isn't a move to dynamic award pricing. Wyndham is retaining fixed redemption tiers, but some hotels will move up or down when the new chart takes effect.

The new 5,000-point level is good news at the inexpensive end, while the new 45,000-point tier introduces a significantly higher price for some premium Wyndham properties.

Wyndham says the vast majority of properties will remain within the three lower 5,000-, 15,000-, and 30,000-point tiers.

Bookings made before September 15 will retain their existing award price. Wyndham also says that if a previously booked award subsequently drops in price under the new chart, the points difference will automatically be returned.

Earner Cardholder Discount

The Wyndham Earner card provides a 10% discount on eligible Free Night award redemptions.

Under the new September 15 award chart, the standard tiers would therefore effectively become:

• 5,000 → 4,500 points
• 15,000 → 13,500 points
• 30,000 → 27,000 points
• 45,000 → 40,500 points

That means the full 75,000-point welcome offer can still stretch surprisingly far at lower-priced Wyndham properties.

Which Offers Are Best?

If I were ranking these opportunities today based on the combination of welcome-bonus value, spending requirement, and zero first-year annual fee, several stand out.

Best Overall Value: Bank of America Travel Rewards Through Rakuten

The Bank of America Travel Rewards/Rakuten combination may now be the headline opportunity.

Even if you completely ignore points valuations, you're getting:

$375 Rakuten + $250 Bank of America = $625

after only $1,000 in spending.

For Bilt Silver, Gold and Platinum members, the Rakuten portion can potentially become 37,500 Bilt points instead. At my approximate 2.2-cent valuation, that pushes the combined estimated travel value to approximately $1,075.

That's exceptional for a card with no annual fee.

Best Airline-Miles Bonus: Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select

The 80,000-mile Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select offer is probably the strongest traditional airline-card bonus on the list.

The caveat is important: Citi's regular public page is showing a lower offer, while the 80K offer remains available through a cached application link.

Make absolutely sure the application page shows the 80,000-mile offer before submitting.

Best Long-Term No-Fee Travel Benefits: Altitude Connect

The U.S. Bank Altitude Connect doesn't have the largest signup bonus, but it may have the most impressive collection of permanent benefits for a card that never charges an annual fee.

Four Priority Pass visits and a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit on a $0-annual-fee card are difficult to beat.

Best Hotel Bonus With Planned Spend: Wyndham Earner

The Wyndham Rewards Earner remains extremely attractive if you already have $500 in Wyndham hotel spending planned because the total bonus reaches 75,000 points.

Just keep the September 15 award-chart changes in mind if you're planning a redemption.

Best Airline Card to Try Free for a Year: United Explorer

The United Explorer remains an excellent first-year proposition for United flyers because the annual fee is waived while you still receive United Club passes, a checked-bag benefit, priority boarding and a Trusted Traveler Program credit.

Best Keeper Hotel Card: IHG Traveler

The IHG One Rewards Traveler is particularly interesting as a long-term keeper because the Fourth Reward Night Free can produce meaningful recurring value without an annual fee.

The best card therefore depends on your goal.

If you're chasing maximum immediate value, BofA Travel Rewards through Rakuten currently stands out.

If you want airline miles, the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select 80K offer is extremely strong.

If you're looking for a card to hold indefinitely without paying an annual fee, Altitude Connect and IHG Traveler are two of my favorites.

Conclusion

Credit card sign-up bonuses remain one of the easiest ways to dramatically reduce the cost of travel.

By strategically opening cards with no annual fee or a waived first-year annual fee, meeting the required spending through purchases you would have made anyway, and paying the balance in full, you can accumulate large quantities of airline miles and hotel points without immediately paying hundreds of dollars in annual fees.

The current Bank of America/Rakuten promotion also illustrates why it's worth checking shopping portals before applying for a credit card directly.

A portal bonus can sometimes add hundreds of dollars—or tens of thousands of transferable points—to an offer.

In the case of Bank of America Travel Rewards, a $250 credit card welcome bonus becomes a $625 combined opportunity simply by starting the application through the correct Rakuten link.

That's far too much value to leave on the table.

Remember that award flights generally still require you to pay government taxes and fees, and hotel awards can occasionally have resort fees or other charges that aren't covered with points.

Also, don't open cards simply because the bonuses look attractive. Pay attention to issuer application restrictions, your credit profile, and whether you can comfortably meet the minimum spending requirement without carrying a balance.

Paying credit card interest defeats the entire purpose of earning free travel.

Finally, I highly recommend using the Travel Freely app to keep track of your credit card applications, minimum-spending deadlines, and annual-fee dates.

My sanity is somewhat dependent on this application.

Offers change frequently, so always verify the welcome bonus and terms displayed on the actual application page before applying.