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 value.Unlimited 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, 2024.3 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
rates & fees |
 | 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 Travel.Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. | $95 |
 | Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card | 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 as long as your account remains open.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.If you're a Bank of America 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, 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.Choose 3% cash back on gas and EV charging station, online shopping/cable/internet/phone plan/streaming, dining, travel, drug store/pharmacy or home improvement/furnishing purchases.If you're a Bank of America 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.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. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel portal through 6/30/2025. | $0
rates & fees |
 | Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card | 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 as long as your account remains open.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 |
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