Image source: Getty Images

Picture it: You’re relaxing in an airport lounge ahead of a long international flight. You’re sipping a free drink, and feeling happy that you were able to check your suitcase for free (and you have insurance coverage in case it doesn’t turn up at baggage claim at your destination).

How’d you get so lucky? It’s all thanks to your travel rewards card. But wait! This scenario is but a fantasy, because you’re not actually the right candidate for this kind of credit card at all. Here’s how you can tell.

1. You’re not a traveler

Sure, you might love the idea of free drinks and comfortable seating in an airport lounge, and free checked suitcases — but despite this, you really don’t travel much at all. If you’re not the kind of person who will take advantage of the special benefits that come with many of the best travel rewards cards, then you’re probably not the best candidate for them.

Thankfully, there is a rainbow of card options out there with perks that benefit different kinds of travelers. For example, maybe you’re not a frequent flyer, but you enjoy road trips and hotel stays — there are cards that’ll suit your life. Ditto if you frequently rent cars — you can even find cards that come with primary rental car insurance, which will save you a pretty penny if something goes wrong with a rental car.

But if you’re a homebody who can’t remember the last time you were excited for a vacation, give travel cards a miss.

2. You’ll need to carry a balance

Carrying a balance on a credit card is an expensive prospect in many cases, and this is especially true if that balance is revolving on a travel credit card. Most travel cards don’t come with a 0% APR intro period you can use to pay off an existing balance or finance a big purchase — this is a more common feature among other types of cards (more on those below).

I took a peek at the interest rates for some of Motley Fool Money’s favorite travel rewards cards, and found APRs ranging from 19.99% to 29.49% — ouch. A rate that high will make your balance that much more expensive to carry from month to month. If you’re hoping to finance a purchase, transfer a balance, or even just not pay in full for credit card purchases every month, travel cards aren’t the right fit for you.

3. You don’t want to pay an annual fee

Free options for travel rewards cards tend to be less impressive than their fee-bearing counterparts. You won’t get that airport lounge access, TSA PreCheck credit, or comprehensive lost luggage insurance with a travel card that costs $0 per year — sorry, that’s just a fact of life.

While there are a few decent free travel cards out there, you’ll have to spend at least $95 per year to gain access to the kind of perks that can measurably improve a vacation. This isn’t a bad thing, in my estimation — I pay $95 for one of my travel cards and I easily get more than enough value from it to justify the cost. But if the idea of paying a credit card company to use its products doesn’t thrill you, travel cards probably aren’t a good match.

Luckily, you have other options

Take travel credit cards out of the mix, and you might assume your options are limited for cards with flashy perks. Not so!

Rewards credit cards offer great benefits and high earn rates on different types of spending, and many of them even come without annual fees. Take groceries, for example — this tends to be a big spending category for Americans. According to data amassed by Motley Fool Money, we spent an average of $832 a month on food last year.

But you could earn as much as 6% cash back at the grocery store with the right card! Click here to check out our favorite picks for grocery rewards cards.

Another perk of rewards and cash back cards? Intro APR offers. If you need to transfer a balance, you can target a balance transfer card specifically — these might not have the best rewards programs, but their biggest advantage is giving you a long period of time to pay off your balance with no interest.

But if you need to make a big purchase and pay it off over time, take a gander at the best 0% APR credit cards — you could get as long as 21 months of 0% APR.

Even if a travel rewards card isn’t the best fit for your life, it doesn’t mean there isn’t another card option you should consider. Focus on cash back and rewards cards instead, and you’re likely to find one with benefits you can use and enjoy.

Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR into 2026

This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee!

Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from Motley Fool Money is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.