Best Travel Credit Cards for Seniors and Retirees
After decades in the workforce, retirees finally have free time to pursue personal interests. They can develop hobbies, visit relatives or friends, travel for pleasure, or enjoy fun activities. For most seniors, retirement is the ideal time to take on extended travel adventures, such as international trips, which may have been challenging to do during their working years. Improved technology on travel planning, booking, and connecting on the go has helped easing travel experience for retirees.
International travelers would inevitably learn that using credit cards for purchases abroad may incur foreign transaction fees, which is usually a surcharge of 3% on purchase prices. Such fees sting for everyone, especially for seniors who typically live on a fixed income. However, there are a few travel credit cards that waive foreign transaction fees. These credit cards are the best payment cards to use overseas. In addition, some credit cards offer lucrative travel rewards or bonus, such as 3% rewards, $500 travel bonus, extra travel credit to cover incidentals such as baggage fees, airport lounges, or expedited security screening, etc.
Here is a quick rundown of the top travel credit cards for seniors and retirees.
| Credit Card | Bonus and Rewards | Annual Fee |
|---|
 | Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card | 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption valueUnlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases | $0
rates & fees |
 | Citi Premier® Card | 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.60,000 ThankYou® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases | $95 |
 | Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card | 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.Unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire.If you're a Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases. | $0 |
 | Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card | $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.3% cash back in the category of your choice - now with expanded categories, automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and unlimited 1% on all other purchases.Newly expanded categories based on Bank of America customer feedback! 3% cash back on Gas (to now include Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) Stations) and Online Shopping (to now include Cable, Streaming, Internet and Phone Services).If you're a Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more cash back on every purchase. That means you could earn 3.75%-5.25% cash back on purchases in your choice category. | $0 |
 | Citi Custom Cash® Card | $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.No rotating bonus categories to sign up for - as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. | $0 |
 | Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card | NEW OFFER! Receive 60,000 online bonus points - a $600 value - after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.Unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and unlimited 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. No limit to the points you can earn and your points don't expire.If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means you could earn 2.5-3.5 points on travel and dining purchases and 1.87-2.62 points on all other purchases, for every $1 you spend. | $95 |
 | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more. | $95 |
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