6 Best Travel Credit Cards

Frequent travellers who are looking for the best travel credit cards available in South Africa, can consult the list below to evaluate different cards and their pros and cons. The purpose of a travel credit card is to bring your next trip closer each time that you use your credit card. Choose your quick section of our best Travel Credit Cards below.

Our 6 Best Handpicked Travel Credit Cards Revealed:

• ✔️Capitec Global One
• ✔️FNB Global
• ✔️Standard Bank World Citizen Credit Card
• Nedbank SAA Voyager Credit Card
• Nedbank Travel Card
• Al Baraka MasterCard “World Card”
• American Express Platinum Card
• Capital One VentureOne
• Chase Sapphire Reserve

Travel credit cards help users earn free travel, achieve elite member status with a variety of hotels as well as airlines, and enjoy a substantial number of travel-related benefits and perks. For this reason, the following list has been formulated, featuring some of the best travel credit cards to help a wide variety of readers choose one that is suited to their individual goals and needs.    

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Capitec Global One

Capitec is the fastest growing bank in South Africa, with more than 13 million clients, with new clients that register each month and with an average of 14 000 new credit card accounts registered in a month. The Capitec Credit Cards is made for individuals who have a sustainable source of income. To qualify for a credit card account, clients must be over 18, gainfully employed, and earn a minimum of 36 000 ZAR, or more, per annum. This card has a monthly service fee of 40 ZAR and with this credit card, clients can earn up to 2.25% per year on their positive credit card balance in addition to getting 55 days interest-free, a credit limit up to a maximum of 250 000 ZAR, and a personalised interest rate that starts at prime, from 7% per year.  

Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
The credit card offers free travel insurance	Basic insurance only covers medical and related expenses
Travel insurance is for the cardholder and their immediate family	Extra benefits such as trip cancellation, hijacking, wrongful detention, lost or stolen baggage, and legal expenses are not covered
	International travel insurance does not cover domestic travel

   

FNB Global

FNB may not specifically offer South Africans with travel credit cards, but they offer travellers with a Global Account that can be used. This account enables the user to save as well as transact in nine foreign currencies. The accompanying card is also the perfect travel companion as it provides travellers with access to more than 1 000 airport lounges around the globe through Lounge Key. The FNB Global Account charges a currency conversion rate of 2.75% per transaction and clients are provided with access to nine currencies at an annual fee of 20 US Dollars per card. The interest rate that clients can expect can be as high as 5.25%, depending on the currency held and the subsequent amount held.  

Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Supports frequent foreign currency transactions	High currency conversion rate charged per transaction
	High interest rate depending on the currency and amount thereof held in the account
	Only 9 currencies supported
	Travel benefits cannot be derived specifically
	Travel insurance is not offered

   

Standard Bank World Citizen Credit Card

With this credit card, clients can earn rewards as well as discounts towards travelling and lifestyle. The World Citizen Credit Card was specifically designed for individuals who love to travel and who simultaneously enjoy top of the range entertainment. The credit card has a dedicated private banker that comes with the package and works to assist the client with a variety of arrangements from flights to banking needs. Clients can also get various travel discounts when making hotel bookings and/or car rentals. There is travel insurance included with the credit card that covers medical emergencies, the loss of baggage, flight delays, and more. Clients also have the option for comprehensive travel insurance.   Other perks of the credit card include: Up to 35% off flights with Emirates when booking through Leisure Desk. Up to 10% off selected hotels. Access to more than 100 local and international lounges, and more.  

Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Clients can earn 4.50% per year when they have a positive balance	Standard Bank has not yet partnered with airlines; thus, travel miles cannot be earned yet
Variety of rewards and discounts available

   

Nedbank SAA Voyager Credit Card

With this Credit Card, clients can earn SAA Voyager miles on eligible spend. This, however, does not include cash withdrawals, casino chip and traveller’s cheque purchases, foreign exchange, fees, fuel purchases, internet transfers and/or payments, or finance charges. There are certain additional benefits that include free air tickets as well as bonus miles that can be earned when using the card. There are two different cards namely the Gold and the Premium card. To qualify, the client must be over 18 years of age, have a good credit rating, and earn more than 120 000 ZAR per year for the Gold card, and 300 000 ZAR per year for the Premium Card.  

Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Ability to earn bonus miles	Amidst the benefits, there are a lot of rewards that are excluded with this card
Free air tickets can be earned	High annual service fee on the premium card
	Only two different card types offered

   

Nedbank Travel Card

Features and benefits of using the Nedbank Travel Card include, but is not limited to: Up to 8 international currencies can be loaded with locked-in exchange rate. The card with automatically use the currency of the country where the card is being used. Users can be issued with a free back-up card. Emergency cash can be arranged should both cards be lost. Commission is not charged when the card is cashed out upon return from travel. Reloadable card which has a lifespan of 3 years. Accepted globally at more than 34 million ATMS as well as POS merchant locations.  

Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Accepted worldwide at a variety of POS and ATMS	Rewards and discounts cannot be earned from using this card
Back-up card offered along with emergency cash if cards are lost
Funds can be topped up remotely
Reloadable prepaid card that can be used for three years

   

Al Baraka MasterCard “World Card”

With this travel credit card, users can unlock a world of travel, lifestyle, and a variety of insurance benefits. Users can also enjoy the flexibility to explore places and pursuits that matter the most to the user while allowing them to enjoy exclusive access as well as peace of mind, regardless of whether they are travelling for business or pleasure.   Features of the card include: Access to 10 and more airport lounges in the UAE and Africa. Free enrolment in the Al Baraka Rewards Programme. Access to various spas, amazing travel offers, and some of the best restaurants and fine dining while travelling.  

Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Average monthly income requirement to apply	Limited access – restricted to UAE and Africa
Reasonable minimum limits

   

American Express Platinum Card

The American Express Platinum Card is one of the most exclusive travel credit cards in the world that offers five times on certain flights as well as hotel stays, thousands of rand in credit for travel as well as shopping, and a suite of perks to cater for high-end lifestyles.   The annual fee on this card is a whopping 8 100 ZAR, however, the following exclusive features are guaranteed: 75,000 membership reward points once spending exceeds 74 000 ZAR on purchases within the first 6 months of card membership. Earn ten times the points on eligible purchases on the new card at selected fuel stations and grocery stores and up to 150 000 ZAR in combined purchases during the first 6 months of membership.  

Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
High rewards rate in certain categories	Airline fee credit is limited
Luxury travel perks such as airline fee credit, lounge access, and numerous others	High annual fee
No fees charged on foreign transactions	Low rewards rate on most spending

   

Capital One VentureOne

Travellers can earn 1.25 miles per 15 ZAR on all purchases with this travel credit card, however, before committing, users must weigh the rewards against the offerings of other no-annual-fee cards. There is no annual fee when using the VentureOne and a bonus of 20,000 miles can be earned once 7 400 ZAR has been spent within three months from account opening, which is equal to 3 000 ZAR in travel. There is also the chance to earn an unlimited 1.25 times miles with every purchase, daily.  

Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Bonus 20,000 miles that can be earned	Other no-annual-fee cards offer an improved rewards rate
Flexible rewards redemption	Rewards value is reduced if you want a cashback
Foreign transaction fees are not charged
Initial qualifying spend is not as high as other cards
Intro APR period on purchases
No annual fee payable

   

Chase Sapphire Reserve

With the Sapphire Reserve travel credit card, users can earn three points per 15 ZAR that they spend either on travel and dining, allowing them to redeem points for travel, or the ability to transfer them to partner airlines as well as hotels. There are some other perks associated with this card, but it comes at a price. This card features a whopping 8 200 ZAR annual fee and has a regular APR of between 16.99% to 23.99%, requiring a credit score of between 720 to 850 to apply and get approval for this card. This card has a substantial sign-up bonus, the ability to earn triple points on travel and dining, thousands of rand in annual credit along with other perks, proving this card ideal for frequent travellers.   Other features include: The ability to earn 50,000 points after spending 60 000 ZAR on purchases within the first three months following account opening, which translates to 11 250 ZAR towards travel when redeeming through Chase Ultimate Rewards. There is also a 4 500 ZAR annual travel credit as reimbursement for purchases which are made on the card every anniversary year. Travellers can also earn three times the points on travel immediately after they have earned their 4 500 ZAR travel credit. In addition, three times the points can also be earned when dining at restaurants including eligible delivery services, takeout, and 1 point per 15 ZAR spent on all other purchases.  

Pros and Cons

PROS	CONS
Foreign transaction fees are not charged	Excellent credit score required to qualify
High rewards rate	High annual fee
High value benefits offered
Metal card instead of plastic
Substantial bonus offering

 

Pros and Cons of Travel Credit Cards

PROS	CONS
Many top-tier travel rewards cards offer large sign-up bonuses	The redemption of points for anything but travel can diminish the value of rewards
Many travel cards offer points, miles/kilometres on everyday spending	There are travel credit cards that charge foreign transaction fees – up to 3% of the purchase amount
Most cards offer comprehensive travel insurance	There is often a high annual fee associated with most cards
Some cards have valuable perks	There may be restrictions on how rewards can be redeemed
Some travel cards allow the transfer of points to travel partners
These points can be redeemed or can go towards saving towards future travel
Points can also be redeemed for gift cards, merchandise, or cashback on some cards

 

Are travel credit cards worth it?

Many people consider travel credit cards as it makes booking their next trip easier, especially when you already travel a lot for business. One of the largest benefits of these travel credit cards is that they take care of large items such as flights and hotel stays, which can be costly.   Most travel credit cards also offer perks such as: Access to airline lounges Access to golf courses Free bag check-ins Priority boarding The benefit that foreign transaction fees are not charged, and several others.  

Conclusion

Each traveller has their own unique priorities when it comes to travel and subsequently, travel rewards and benefits. In numerous countries, banks and airlines offer travel credit cards that have sign-in bonuses and a variety of cash rewards with each spend. Some do not offer rewards in cash but in miles while others have zero annual fees, 24/7 client fees, and more. There are travel credit cards for students, SMEs, and private as well as business individuals who spend a significant time on the road or in the air for both personal and business purposes.

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