Despite credit card use being so prevalent in American society, there are plenty of people who are unaware of the added perks that come with travel credit cards. In an effort to acquire customers, certain credit companies offer bonuses that can be redeemed for airfare, hotels or even spending money!

 There are many cards to choose from, each with their own set of pros and cons, so there’s really no perfect travel reward card for everyone. Most have annual fees, and others have restrictions for redeeming travel points. Some cards have very high interest rates to deflect the cost of the points they offer and other cards offer sign-on bonuses only when you qualify by spending a certain amount of money in a set time frame. Definitely do your due diligence and read all of the fine print before signing up for a deal. But, if you love to travel and you’re in the market for a new credit card, travel rewards cards can’t be beat! If it’s still all a bit confusing for you, this breakdown of various travel credit cards is sure to make your day.

1.) Cards that offer “points”

Credit cards that offer point rewards are the most popular of the rewards cards, and for good reason. Most offer anywhere from 1-5 points for every dollar spent. You’ll want to try and find a card that offers at least 2 points per dollar on every purchase (and not just on travel or dining.) The Capital One Venture card is probably the best on the market right now as far as points are concerned. It boasts 2 points for every dollar spent, which can then be redeemed as a statement credit so there are no restrictions on your travel arrangements. It also doesn’t have an annual fee for the first year (it’s $59 afterwards.) The Venture card even offers a 40,000 points bonus (equivalent to a $400 statement credit) if you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months! Another contender for the best points card right now is the Chase Sapphire card which earns 2 points for every dollar spent on travel or dining and 1 point for all other spending.

2.) Cash-back offers

Cash back offers are great because there’s no hassle when it comes time to book your trip. You can just use whatever money you’ve earned as a statement credit towards your travel with zero restrictions. One of the best cash back cards out there right now is the new Citi Double Cash Card offers which offers up to 2% cash back: 1% on all purchases, with an additional 1% earned for every purchase when you pay your bill on time.

3.) Cards that provide travel miles

These cards can be a good bet for those that are brand-loyal, but they can also be quite convoluted. Beware of black-out dates and restrictions that may come into play when you’re trying to redeem your earned miles. If you fly Delta often, a fairly straight forward card is American Express’s Gold Delta Sky Miles. It offers 1 mile for every dollar spent, and an additional mile per dollar spent with Delta travel. It also offers a variety of benefits like priority boarding and 1 free checked bag per flight.

4.) Credit cards with sign-up bonuses

Many cards offer large bonus promotions when you sign up that can translate to hundreds of dollars of statement credits or even free flights. The Barclay Arrivals Plus card currently offers the best bonus of 50,000 points if you spend $3,000 within the first three months. The Chase Sapphire card also offers 50,000 free points, but you need to spend $4000 in three months and the annual fee is a bit heftier at $95 opposed to Barclay’s $85 annual charge. These bonuses can be a great way to jump start your vacation; just be prudent and read the fine print.

5.) Brand-loyal cards

These cards tend to be more strict than the other rewards cards, and often provide less of a return. But, they could be a good choice if you fly a few times a year with a specific brand or sail on the same cruise line often. Some good choices depending on your brand are: Gold Delta SkyMiles, Southwest Rapid Rewards, The JetBlue Card, British Airways Visa Signature Card and the United MileagePlus® Explorer Card. For frequent cruisers, these are the best options: Royal Caribbean Visa Card, Carnival Cruise MasterCard, Princess Cruises Rewards Visa & Norwegian Cruise Line Visa.