To start, it’s helpful to identify the cards in my wallet and what purchases I typically make with them. I have the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees), one of the best travel credit cards, and I enter my everyday purchases that don’t fall into the bonus categories of my other cards. With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, I earn 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 purchases at Capital One Entertainment through 12/31/25, and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booked through Capital One Travel, which is an easy way to quickly rack up a decent amount of points.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
I also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which pairs well with the Venture X. It’s one of the most popular travel credit cards on the market and probably 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 warrant a spot in my wallet. It offers a number of solid 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 and fees) is the newest addition to my wallet. I applied for it in April and have since received the previous welcome offer of 155,000 points. I’ve been staying at hotels more and more and enjoying Gold Elite status, among other benefits. It also earns me 6 Marriott Bonvoy® points per dollar of eligible purchases at Marriott Bonvoy-participating hotels, 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (up to $15,000 in total purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2 points thereafter), and 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases, so I use it whenever I eat out.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
I spend about 11 months of the year outside the U.S., so a card that offers benefits tailored specifically to the U.S. isn’t always valuable to me. However, I’m a Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Cardholder (terms apply, see fares and fees) because I like flying Delta on flights originating in the U.S. I find their flight experience to be far superior to other U.S. airlines, and I like the perks I get as a cardholder, like 15% off Delta award flights and a free first checked bag on Delta flights.
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 wanted to take advantage of the welcome offer when the Venture X came out. 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 often than I do.
Apple Card*
Last but not least, I have the Apple Card*. While it’s not technically a travel card, I think it’s one of the best credit cards for digital nomads, especially those who are loyal to Apple. My MacBook Air and iPhone 14 Pro are two things I take with me on every trip. With the Apple Card, I can get 3% back on eligible Apple purchases, including at the Apple Store, apple.com, the App Store, and iTunes, 2% on purchases when using Apple Pay, and 1% on all other purchases. Plus, I can take advantage of 0% financing on select Apple products. For example, when I bought my MacBook Air, I paid it off interest-free for 12 months, which made it much easier for me to afford a $1,100 laptop.
Knowing what cards are in my wallet helps me better understand how their benefits impact my lifestyle.
