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Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, deta...
With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
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You don’t need a hotel or airline credit card with a high annual fee to enjoy benefits such as accelerated rewards earning, on-site hotel perks, and airline flight benefits.
You may be surprised to learn that regardless of your brand of choice, chances are there is a no-annual-fee card offering brand benefits that can save you money or make your trip more comfortable.
Our objective today is to focus on those hotel and airline-associated credit cards that do not charge an annual fee, yet still add potential value for the cardholder.
We’ll look closely at the earning potential and brand benefits offered with each of our featured cards. However, if you’re looking for even greater benefits and are willing to pay an annual fee, you may have interest in our picks for a likely alternative card that is sure to provide value with the associated hotel or airline brand.
Limited Time Offer! Earn up to 100,000 Bonus Points. 50,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening. Plus an additional 50,000 Bonus Points after you stay 6 eligible paid nights at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® through 1/31/24.
Annual fee of $0
Up to 14x points at hotels participating in the Marriot Bonvoy program
15 elite-qualifying night credits annually, more than enough for Marriott Bonvoy Silver elite status
Earn 80,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. Plus up to $50 in IHG® statement credits on purchases at IHG® Hotels and Resorts within the first 12 months
Annual fee of $0
Earn up to 17x points total when you stay at an IHG hotel
Earn 30,000 bonus points, enough for up to 4 free nights at participating properties, after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
Annual fee of $0
5x points at Wyndham and at gas stations
Complimentary Wyndham Rewards Gold elite status
Receive 7,500 points after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year
10% redemption discount on qualifying reward night purchases
Best Western Rewards® Mastercard®
40,000 points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 billing cycles after the account is opened
Annual fee of $0
Up to 13x points at Best Western (3x points for paying with the card, 10x points for being a member of Best Western Rewards)
Automatic Best Western Rewards Gold elite status
1. Hilton Honors American Express Card
It’s rare to find a no-annual-fee credit card that provides as much value with a top hotel brand as the Hilton Honors card. Not only will you experience accelerated earnings, but you’ll also enjoy complimentary elite status and on-site perks.
Here’s what you can expect with the Hilton Honors card:
Earnings
7x points at a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
5x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. supermarkets
3x points on all other purchases
Hilton Benefits
Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver elite status with the opportunity to earn Gold status after spending $20,000 in a calendar year on the card
Hilton Honors Silver status provides you with late checkout, 20% more earnings on Hilton stays, the fifth consecutive standard reward night free, no resort fees on award stays, elite rollover nights, and 2 bottles of water
Use your card abroad as the card does not charge foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)
Additional Card Option for Hilton Loyalists
Jumpstart your Hilton Honors points account with a generous welcome offer worth several free hotel nights, stellar earning levels, and other valuable benefits with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
Hilton-branded cards come packed with hotel perks, statement credits, and more. Find out which card may be a match by accessing our article on the best cards for Hilton loyalists.
2. Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
For a basic entry-level hotel-branded card, the Marriott Bold card surprises with excellent earning levels, elite benefits, and a faster path to higher elite status.
Earnings
Up to 14x points at hotels participating in the Marriot Bonvoy program
2x points on other travel purchases
1x points for all other purchases
Marriott Benefits
15 elite-qualifying night credits annually, more than enough for Marriott Bonvoy Silver elite status
Silver Elite status offers member-only hotel rates, fifth consecutive reward night free, late 2 p.m. checkout, free internet, 10% bonus points, and welcome points
Bottom Line: Hotel-branded credit cards can deliver a lot of value when you frequent a particular brand. One of the most valuable benefits of no-annual-fee hotel credit cards is accelerated earnings, which allow you to earn free nights faster.
3. IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
With an IHG property in nearly every major city, you’ll find it easy to reap the benefits of IHG One Rewards. IHG-branded cards also partner well with the IHG One Rewards program to offer a combination of earnings and benefits any IHG loyalist will value.
Here’s how the IHG Traveler card delivers that value:
Earnings
Earn up to 17x points total when you stay at an IHG hotel
3x points on purchases on monthly bills, gas stations, and restaurants.
2x points on all other purchases
IHG Benefits
20% discount on IHG One Rewards point purchases
Fourth consecutive award night free
Automatic Silver Elite status
Gold Elite status after spending $10,000 on the card in a calendar year
Additional Card Option for IHG Loyalists
If you frequent IHG hotels, there’s another card option to consider that provides even greater value. The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has a generous welcome offer worth several free hotel nights, a free annual hotel night certificate, and complimentary Platinum Elite level status.
Learn more about these card options, including additional benefits and the value of elite status in our article on the best cards for IHG loyalists.
4. Choice Privileges® Mastercard®
Choice hotel properties include 14 different brands that range from economy lodging options to downright luxury. Having the new Choice Privileges card (available for applicants beginning on May 1, 2023) will allow you to earn points quickly and score free hotel nights.
Earnings
5x points on stays at participating Choice hotels
3x points on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and phone plans
1x points on other purchases
Choice Benefits
Complimentary Gold elite status
Up to 15x points at Choice properties (5x points for paying with the card + 10x points per dollar for Choice program membership)
Gold status offers late checkout, early check-in (when available), complimentary reserved parking, member discounts, free amenities, and 10% bonus points when staying at Choice properties
Cell phone protection
5. Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Card
If you stay at Wyndham properties even a few times each year, you’ll appreciate the earning power of having a rewards-earning card.
Complimentary Gold elite status level with Wyndham Rewards
Gold status delivers benefits such as late checkout, member-only rates, free Wi-Fi, preferred rooms, and accelerated earning
Receive 7,500 points after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year
10% redemption discount on qualifying reward night purchases
Additional Card Options for Wyndham Loyalists
With the Wyndham Rewards® Earner Plus℠ Card, qualify for a generous welcome offer, earn 6x points for every dollar spent at Wyndham and on gas, 4x at grocery stores and on dining, complimentary Platinum level status, and 7,500 points after each card renewal.
We like that Best Western chooses to surprise us every time we cross the pond and stay at a Best Western property abroad. Sure, you’ll find budget properties, but you’ll also find boutique properties that are unique, comfortable, and affordable.
The Best Western Rewards card offers earnings and benefits that can help you earn free nights and make your stay more comfortable.
Earnings
3x points at Best Western
2x points for all other purchases
Best Western Benefits
Up to 13x points at Best Western (3x points for paying with the card, 10x points for being a member of Best Western Rewards)
Automatic Gold elite status that includes late checkout, early check-in, and 10% off room rates
Additional Card Options for Best Western Loyalists
Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® — Qualify for the generous welcome offer worth several hotel nights, receive bonus points at each card renewal, earn up to 20x points at Best Western properties, and enjoy onsite property perks just for having the card. The card also comes with Platinum elite status.
Bottom Line: Hotel credit cards that don’t charge an annual fee can provide minimal benefits such as accelerated earnings and in some cases, entry-level elite status. If you frequent a particular brand, however, you’ll find much greater value by moving to the next level rewards card where you may find better brand benefits, free hotel night certificates, greater earnings, and generous welcome offers.
The 5 Best Airline Credit Cards With No Annual Fee
While no-annual-fee airline credit cards might lack the equivalent perks that hotel-branded cards offer, you’ll still find the opportunity for increased earnings, inflight purchase discounts, and more.
Let’s look at what you can expect from no-annual-fee airline credit cards.
Earn 10,000 Bonus Points after spending at least $500 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Annual fee of $0
2x points on Spirit
25% rebate on inflight food and beverage purchases
Zone 2 shortcut boarding
Receive 5,000 bonus points each card anniversary after spending $10,000 each year on the card
Access to points pooling
1. American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®
The American Airlines MileUp card does not offer premium airline perks such as free checked bags or priority boarding, however, you will find several earning opportunities when using the card.
You’ll also want to carry the card with you on your American Airlines flights for inflight food/beverage savings.
Earnings
2x miles on American Airline purchases
2x miles at grocery stores (including grocery delivery services)
1x mile on all other purchases
Airline Benefits
25% discount on inflight food and beverage purchases
Accelerated earnings help you earn a free flight faster
Additional Card Option for American Airlines Frequent Flyers
With theCiti® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®, earn a generous welcome offer, a free checked bag (+ up to 4 companions), priority boarding, inflight food/beverage discounts, and 2x earnings on flights, gas stations, and dining.
American Airlines frequent flyers have several card choices. Learn about the full benefits of each card in our detailed article on the best American Airlines credit cards.
2. Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Credit Card
Additional Card Option for Delta Air Lines Frequent Flyers
If you’re a frequent Delta flyer, you may find value with a Delta-branded card that has greater benefits yet charges an annual fee. With free checked bags, priority boarding, companion flight certificates, lounge access, and more, the increased benefits may offset the annual fee.
With plenty of benefits and strong earning rates, you’ll quickly earn enough miles for a free flight with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card.
For greater detail on the expanded benefits of several cards offering Delta perks, check out our overview of the best cards for Delta frequent flyers.
3. United Gateway℠ Card
If you simply want to earn United miles and have expanded access to award availability, the United Gateway card will serve those purposes nicely.
Earnings
2x miles on United purchases, at gas stations and on local transit and commuting
You’ll have plenty of choices for earning United miles and enjoying flight benefits with any of the cards in this collection of the best cards for United frequent flyers.
4. The JetBlue Card
A no-annual-fee airline card ensures you’ll be earning rewards much faster. The JetBlue card serves that purpose perfectly with elevated earnings on JetBlue, and also at restaurants and grocery stores.
Earnings
3x points on JetBlue
2x points at restaurants and grocery stores
1x point on all other purchases
Airline Benefits
Up to 6x points on JetBlue (3x points for using your card + 3x points for being a JetBlue TrueBlue member)
50% savings on inflight food, beverage, and movie purchases
No foreign transaction fees
Additional Card Option for JetBlue Frequent Flyers
With a free checked bag for you and up to 3 traveling companions, 5,000 rewards points at card anniversary, the ability to earn TrueBlue Mosaic elite status through spending, and a 10% rebate when redeeming points for flights, The JetBlue Plus Card could be worth the $99 annual fee if you fly JetBlue frequently.
Learn more about these 2 popular JetBlue cards and the business card version in our article reviewing the best cards for JetBlue flyers.
5. Free Spirit® Travel Mastercard®
This basic card Free Spirit card provides some modest earning power, inflight savings, and priority boarding — not bad for a no-annual-fee card.
Earnings
2x points on Spirit
1x points on all other purchases
Airline Benefits
25% rebate on inflight food and beverage purchases
Zone 2 shortcut boarding
Receive 5,000 bonus points each card anniversary after spending $10,000 each year on the card
Access to points pooling
Additional Card Option for Spirit Frequent Flyers
It doesn’t cost much to kick it up a notch and enjoy the associated benefits of a World Elite Mastercard.
With a generous welcome offer, a $100 companion flight voucher, 3x earnings on Spirit, and 2x earnings at grocery stores and restaurants, you could find enough value to offset the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard®‘s $79 annual fee. You’ll also save by having award redemption fees waived.
Final Thoughts
Hotel and airline-branded cards that do not charge an annual offer few benefits compared to cards that do charge an annual fee. It’s wise if you frequent a particular hotel or airline to consider a card with an annual fee if you will use the associated benefits.
For example, if you value airport lounge access, free checked bags, priority boarding, an upgraded seat advantage, and an annual companion flight certificate, paying the large annual fee on the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card may make good economic sense. Lounge access alone can exceed $550 each year.
Even an airline card with a $95 annual fee that offers free checked bags could save you plenty if you travel frequently.
Additionally, paying the annual fee on a card such as the Hilton Honors Surpass card that offers a generous welcome offer worth several free hotel nights, Hilton Honors elite status, 10 Priority Pass lounge passes, and an annual free night certificate, might work well for you if Hilton is your brand of choice.
You’ll want to weigh the amount of the annual fee with the benefits you’ll actually use of course, including any travel/shopping benefits and protections. Travel insurance benefits and protections can provide tremendous value. And don’t forget to look for shopping protections such as purchase protection and extended warranty.
And even if you’re loyal to a specific brand, it’s still possible to fare better with the right travel rewards credit card in addition to, or instead of, a hotel or airline-branded card.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Choice Privileges® Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Best Western Rewards® Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Plus Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Best Western Rewards® Premium Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding The JetBlue Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Free Spirit® Travel Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the JetBlue Plus Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Free Spirit® Travel More World Elite Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding The World of Hyatt Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here. For rates and fees of Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here.
Featured Image Credit: Marriott
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you will use the associated benefits. A no-annual-fee hotel credit card can provide accelerated earnings that help you earn free nights faster and may even include complimentary elite status that can provide even greater benefits.
Selecting a hotel credit card that charges an annual fee may provide better value, however, if the benefits provided are ones you can utilize.
Yes, if you value the benefit of earning more miles/points with the associated airline. An airline card that doesn’t charge an annual fee offers fee airline associated benefits, however.
You may need to pay an annual fee to secure a card that offers free checked bags, priority boarding, lounge access, and other associated airline-related benefits.
Generally no. If you have an airline-branded credit card, miles/points earned on the card are transferred to your frequent flyer account with the associated airline each month when your credit card statement closes.
Any miles/points that have not been transferred when your card is canceled, however, could be lost.
Additionally, your miles/points that are held in your frequent flyer account would be subject to the terms of that account and could expire without activity.
The amount of points you will need for a free hotel night varies depending on the hotel loyalty program and whether the booking will be for peak, normal, or off-peak periods.
The hotel loyalty program website may have an award chart depicting the range of points necessary to book a free hotel night. Some programs do not publish an award chart and have variable pricing.
You may also receive special rate offers if you are a member, so be sure to join the loyalty program of your hotel brand of choice.
The World of Hyatt does not offer a no-annual-fee credit card, however, the World of Hyatt Credit Card has a lower annual fee of $95 and provides several Hyatt benefits, including accelerated earnings at Hyatt, an annual free hotel night, and complimentary elite status.
Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
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