How My Travel Credit Cards Support My Digital Nomad Lifestyle

To start, it’s helpful to determine the cards in my wallet and which purchases I tend to make on them. I have the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees), one of the best travel credit cards, and what I put my day-to-day purchases that fall outside any bonus earning categories of my other cards. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earns 2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases, 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel, which is an easy way to quickly accumulate a decent number of points.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

I also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which pairs nicely with the Venture X. It’s one of the most popular travel credit cards on the market and likely one of the best travel and cash-back credit cards.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is an underrated card but offers enough to keep a place in my wallet. It has a solid set of benefits, like an annual hotel credit, decent earning potential and valuable transfer partners.

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees) is the most recent addition to my wallet. I applied for it in April and have since earned the previous 155,000-point welcome offer. I find myself staying at hotels more frequently and enjoy having gold elite status, among other perks. It also earns 6 Marriott Bonvoy® points per dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2 points) and 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases, so I always use it when I go out to eat.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

I spend around 11 months out of the year outside of the U.S., so a card that offers U.S.-specific benefits isn’t always valuable to me. However, I hold the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees) because I love flying Delta on flights originating in the U.S. I think their inflight experience is far superior to other U.S. airlines, and I like the perks I get as a cardholder, like 15% off Delta flight award redemptions and a free first checked bag when flying Delta.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

My Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) is a card I rarely take out of my wallet. I previously had the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees), but I wanted to take advantage of the welcome offer when the Venture X was released. Instead of requesting an upgrade, I applied for the Venture X and downgraded my Venture to the VentureOne. It’s a decent cash back card, so I should use it more frequently than I do.

Apple Card*

Last but not least, I have the Apple Card*. Although it’s not technically a travel card, I think it is one of the best credit cards for digital nomads, especially those loyal to Apple. My MacBook Air and iPhone 14 Pro are two items that I take with me on every trip. The Apple Card gives me the ability to earn 3% back on eligible purchases from Apple including the Apple Store, apple.com, the App Store and iTunes, 2% back on purchases when using Apple Pay and 1% back on all other purchases, and allows me to access 0% financing on select Apple products. For instance, when I purchased my MacBook Air, I made payments interest-free over 12 months, making it much easier to afford a $1,100 laptop.

Understanding which cards are in my wallet helps emphasize how their benefits support my lifestyle.