Credit card for travel

J59258

Hi
I could do with some advice on which is the best credit card to use when booking a holiday.
We are going to America next year and already have the money saved so will be paying the credit card off as soon as it is booked but I'm not sure which to apply for, are there any which are better in terms of benefits or points...?
I've not had a credit card before so am a bit confused by the whole thing!
Thanks
Jenny

daydream_believer_2

I have just come back from a holiday in USA, we used my Nationwide credit card. We got the business rate, which is better than tourist rate, and there were no extra charges for using it abroad, which I believe some credit cards (and most debit card ) do! Taking a credit card to the US is the best way to pay, as you can use it everywhere, but always carry photo ID too, as a lot of places ask for that when you pay. I just used my UK driving licence.

bearcat16

If you mean the best card to actually pay for your holiday (not for use abroad) so as to benefit from s75 protection and also earn some points or cash back, well there are plenty to choose from, it really depends what reward you want.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/best-credit-card-rewards

Many people (myself included) would say that American Express cards generally offer the most generous rewards, but Amex is not accepted as widely as Visa and MasterCard, so it's worth checking with whoever your holiday is booked with to see if they accept Amex before you apply.

The card that I use is the British Airways Amex premium plus card:

https://m.americanexpress.com/uk/content/ba-premium-plus-credit-card/

You get 25,000 avios for signing up, plus 1.5 avios for every £1 you spend.

It does have an annual fee of £150 BUT if you spend over £10,000 per year on it you get 'companion voucher' which is basically a 2 for 1 flight voucher. (To me this worth more than £150)

But that's just my choice, you can also get cards that reward with nectar points, star points etc.

guesswho2000

bearcat16 wrote: »

If you mean the best card to actually pay for your holiday (not for use abroad) so as to benefit from s75 protection and also earn some points or cash back, well there are plenty to choose from, it really depends what reward you want.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/best-credit-card-rewards

Many people (myself included) would say that American Express cards generally offer the most generous rewards, but Amex is not accepted as widely as Visa and MasterCard, so it's worth checking with whoever your holiday is booked with to see if they accept Amex before you apply.

The card that I use is the British Airways Amex premium plus card:

https://m.americanexpress.com/uk/content/ba-premium-plus-credit-card/

You get 25,000 avios for signing up, plus 1.5 avios for every £1 you spend.

It does have an annual fee of £150 BUT if you spend over £10,000 per year on it you get 'companion voucher' which is basically a 2 for 1 flight voucher. (To me this worth more than £150)

But that's just my choice, you can also get cards that reward with nectar points, star points etc.

Almost, you get 25k Avios for signing up and spending £3k within 3 months of account opening

Agree with the general principle though, Amex are the way to go - they offer cards which pay Cashback too, if you're unlikely to use the various points options, although Amex membership rewards points, on the various charge cards, can be spent on many things - the Gold charge card offers 20k points if you spend £2k within three months and no annual fee in the first year, along with 2x free airport lounge access passes, amongst other things.

Should be noted that you don't get s75 protection with charge cards, but Amex offer their own protection, which should see you largely protected in the event of issues (their Cashback and other credit cards do, of course, offer s75 protection in addition to that Amex offer off their own back).

You get higher sign up bonuses for the various Amex cards if you're referred by an existing cardholder - I'm happy to prove referrals for the various charge cards (Green, Gold, Platinum), BA cards or Starwood cards, and I'm sure there's someone on here who could refer you for the Cashback card too

grumbler

J59258 wrote: »

Credit card for travel
...which is the best credit card to use when booking a holiday.

So, is it for travel or for booking through a UK company? If the latter, what difference can it make that your booking is travel-related?

dj1471

It's worth noting that a lot of travel companies charge extra for paying by credit card, so check before you apply for one specially.

nickcc

We took out the Post Office credit card for our USA trip a few years ago, following the advice of MSE.