As a points beginner, you’ll probably want to start by applying for 1 to 2 credit cards. Dip your toes in the water before you jump in. Over time, as you get comfortable, you’ll want to apply for multiple cards because more cards means more sign-up bonuses, and that means more points and miles to see the world!

Your travel goals should directly influence which credit cards to apply for. For example, my first travel goal was an anniversary trip to Maui. Whatever your goal is, research what airlines fly to your destination from your home city. Next determine which hotel chain will serve your needs best during your stay.

There are several categories of credit cards to consider. There are Transferable Points cards, Airline-branded cards, Hotel-branded cards, No Annual Fee cards and Cash Back cards.

Transferable Points Cards

This category of cards is the one I recommend starting with, mainly due to its flexibility. While setting a travel goal is important, you never know what life may bring and having options is invaluable. These cards allow you to transfer points to various airline and hotel partners, as well as redeem at through the bank’s travel portal.

I decided to start with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It’s no risk since the annual fee is waived for the first year and only $95 each year thereafter.

You can apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card here.

There are, however, several good options to choose from. I’ve ranked the candidates in order below, focusing only on personal cards. If you own a business, however, there are even more options.

Card Card	Welcome Offer	Annual Fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred®	60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	$95, waived for the first year
American Express® Gold Card	60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 6 months	$250
Citi Premier® Card	60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	$95
Capital One® Venture® Rewards	50,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months	$95
The Platinum Card® from American Express	100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months	$550
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	$550; $75 for each authorized user

Airline Cards

With airline cards you earn miles in that airline’s loyalty program when you use the card. This can be a good option if you fly one airline a majority of the time. They often offer such other perks as priority boarding and free checked bags. Miles can be used to fly on that airline, of course, but can also be used to book award flights on partner airlines. There are three main airline alliances.

OneWorld Alliance

If you have AAdvantage® miles on American Airlines, you can use them to book travel on OneWorld partners British Airways, Air Berlin, Iberia, Japan Airlines and more. You can also do the reverse. For example, if you have British Airways Avios miles, you could redeem them to fly in the US on American.

Star Alliance

If you have MileagePlus® miles on United Airlines, you can use them to book travel on Star Alliance partners Air Canada, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and more. Just as above, if you have KrisFlyer miles from Singapore Airlines, you can redeem them to fly in the US on United.

SkyTeam Alliance

If you have SkyMiles® miles on Delta Airlines, you can use them to book travel on SkyTeam partners Aeromexico, Air France, KLM, and more. Again, these miles also work in reverse so if you have Flying Blue miles from Air France/KLM, you can redeem them to fly in the US on Delta.

Hotel Cards

Hotel cards are pretty straightforward – you earn points in that hotel’s loyalty program when you use the card. This may be a good choice if you stay at one hotel chain quite often. They often come with nice perks like transferring points to airline partners or gaining elite status.

No Fee Cards

Most travel credit cards come with some type of annual fee, usually between $50 and $550. Many cards waive the fee for the first year, and you can always downgrade to a no fee version or cancel the card outright prior to paying the fee in the second year.

If you think that you’d never want a card with an annual fee, look at the card benefits before you make your decision. Often times, the benefits or perks can outweigh the annual fee. Many hotel cards, for example, come with a free night and that alone can make up for the annual fee. Some other cards provide perks like credits for airline fees, credits towards TSA pre-check or elite status.

If you still want to begin with a no fee card, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited® are two great options. Plus you’ll never have to cancel these even if you move onto something else since you’ll never be charged a fee for owning them.

Cash-Back Cards

These cards can be great, but I would not recommend them if your goal is to travel on points. Cash back rewards are typically redeemable at a 1% rate, so 245,000 points would be worth $2,450. However, 245,000 points/miles could be redeemed for first class airfare worth much more.