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With such a large variety of travel credit cards, it can be confusing trying to decide which card to use for particular circumstances. Whether you're booking a domestic flight or your dream award redemption, you might be wondering: Which credit card should I use to pay award ticket taxes and fees?
There isn't a straightforward answer. Some cards offer the most comprehensive travel protections out there, while other cards will provide a higher return on your purchase. While the earning rate isn't important when paying $5.60 for a one-way domestic flight award, it is much more relevant when paying taxes and fees upwards of several hundred dollars.
Here's everything you need to know about the top credit cards to use to pay award taxes and fees.
Page Contents
Credit Cards Offering the Highest Earning Rate on Award Taxes and Fees
If you want to earn the most points per dollar spent on your award redemptions taxes and fees, these cards are a great place to start.
American Express Platinum Card®
The American Express Platinum Card® is an obvious choice to pay your award taxes and fees with, especially if those taxes and fees reach into the hundreds. As a cardholder, you'll earn:
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
(Terms apply)
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges.* As of 07/2025.
- $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
- $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® to make eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you.
- $209 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
- $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- $895 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
Let's see what this looks like in practice. British Airways, an American Express transfer partner, is known for charging expensive taxes and fees on award redemptions. A one-way business class flight from New York (JFK) to London (LHR) might cost 88,000 Avios for an off-peak award. The taxes and fees on this award ring in at $408.50.
If you used a card that earned just 1 point per $1 spent, you'd earn 408 points. However, if you used your Platinum Card® to pay the taxes, you'd earn 2,042 Membership Rewards points.
Although it might not seem like a huge difference, if you regularly book award flights, these earnings can quickly add up. AwardWallet users typically get a value of 1.99¢ per Membership Rewards point, so your earnings from the taxes and fees on this redemption could be worth around $40.
Travel protections on the American Express Platinum Card®
Although American Express doesn't offer coverage as comprehensive as some of the cards we list below, you do still receive some benefits.
According to Platinum Card® guide to benefits, the language for coverage for things like trip delay and trip cancellation and interruption is as follows:
“You must charge the full amount of a Covered Trip to your Eligible Card or in combination with your Eligible Card and accumulated points on your Eligible Card or redeemable certificates, vouchers, coupons, or discounts awarded from a frequent flyer program or similar program.”
Note that you can only receive coverage for round-trip travel.
Meanwhile, the language for the baggage insurance plan:
“Yes, purchases on Eligible Cards that are combined with American Express Loyalty Programs, such as Membership Rewards® points or Pay with Points, would qualify for benefits. However, other Loyalty Programs (i.e. Non-American Express) DO NOT qualify on purchases redeemed in part or full towards the fare or pre-arranged travel cost. An example would be Common Carrier Frequent Flyer Miles point redemption.”
In other words, you won't receive baggage insurance coverage if you pay for award taxes and fees using your card. However, if you book travel through the American Express Travel® portal using your points, you would be covered.
Related: Platinum Card® Full Review
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card(Rates & Fees) is an underrated credit card. Although Wells Fargo's current list of transfer partners isn't as extensive as others, it includes some valuable partners.
For a card with a $95 annual fee, the earning potential is impressive:
- 5X points per $1 spent with hotels
- 4X points per $1 spent with airlines
- 3X points per $1 spent on other travel and restaurants
- 1X points per $1 spent on other purchases
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's $600 toward your next trip.
- Earn unlimited 5X points with hotels, 4X points with airlines, 3X points on restaurants and other travel, and 1X points on other purchases.
- $95 annual fee.
- Book your travel with the Autograph Journey Card and enjoy Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Baggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.
- Earn a $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.
- Up to $1,000 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- 5X points per $1 spent with hotels
- 4X points per $1 spent with airlines
- 3X points per $1 spent on other travel and restaurants
- 1X points per $1 spent on other purchases
Like British Airways, Virgin Atlantic is a transfer partner that is known for expensive taxes and fees on award redemptions, even when booking one of Virgin Atlantic's many sweet spots.
For instance, you can book a saver fare in Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class from Atlanta (ATL) to London (LHR) this August for just 57,500 miles each way. However, you'll pay a whopping $581 in taxes and fees.
If you charged those taxes and fees to your Autograph Journey, you'd earn 2,324 points. AwardWallet users typically redeem Wells Fargo rewards for 2.38¢ per point, which means your earnings from this redemption are worth roughly $55.
Travel protections on the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card
The Autograph Journey offers travel coverage like travel accident insurance of up to $1,000,000, lost baggage reimbursement of up to $3,000, and trip cancellation and interruption protection of up to $15,000. The language for these benefits is as follows:
“Common carrier fare must be purchased entirely with your Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Credit Card account and/or rewards program associated with your covered account.”
So, it appears that you can receive coverage, even on award redemptions.
Related: Autograph Journey Full Review
Citi Strata Premier® Card
Your final option for elevated earnings on award taxes and fees is the Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees). You'll earn 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com; 3X points per $1 spent on air travel and other hotel purchases; and 3X points at gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants, and supermarkets. Plus, you'll be able to access all of Citi's 21 transfer partners at the best transfer ratios. With an annual fee of just $95, it's easy to justify a spot in your wallet for the Citi Strata Premier.
- Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
- Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases.
- 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
- 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
- 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
You could transfer your Citi ThankYou® Points to Emirates (at a 5:4 ratio) to book a flight from Melbourne (MEL) to Dubai (DXB) for 50,000 miles, plus $345.41 AUD (~$225 USD). You'd earn 3 points per dollar on that redemption.
AwardWallet users typically redeem Citi ThankYou Points for 2.29¢ apiece, so your earnings from this redemption would be worth roughly $15. Again, not much, but every little bit helps.
Travel protections on the Citi Strata Premier® Card
As a cardholder, you'll receive a few travel insurances:
- Trip Delay Protection
- Enhanced Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Protection
- Lost or Damaged Luggage
Here's the language for these benefits:
“You must charge the full amount of a covered trip to your covered card or in combination with your covered card and accumulated points on your eligible account or redeemable certificates, vouchers, coupons, or discounts awarded from frequent flyer program or similar program.”
So, you should be covered, even if you only use your card to pay award taxes and fees.
Related: Citi Strata Premier Full Review
Credit Cards That Have the Best Protections
Equal parts art and science, searching for award bookings with low taxes and fees is one of the most time-consuming activities when redeeming points and miles. It can require hours of searching different routing over multiple carriers, figuring out how to get points from program A to program B — and occasionally on to program C — without losing any value.
And who wants to suddenly be in the cold if their trip is derailed? Using the right credit card to pay your award taxes and fees can be critical if you want to ensure you have the most comprehensive travel protections available.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) offers some of the best travel insurance benefits of any credit card available today.
Luckily, Chase allows you to pay for the taxes and fees for award travel using frequent flyer miles or rewards points from any program to receive the card's travel insurance coverages. As long as you use your Sapphire Reserve to pay a portion of the ticket (in this case, the fees and taxes), all the travel insurance and benefits of the card apply.
- Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music - all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 - a value of $250 annually
- Member FDIC
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
A covered trip under trip cancellation/interruption insurance for the Sapphire Reserve is defined as:
“The Covered Traveler is covered when You charge all or a portion of the cost of the Common Carrier fare to Your Covered Card and/or use redeemable Rewards. Covered Travelers do not need to be traveling with You for benefits to apply.”
Language like this is common to travel protections. All protections where only a portion of the trip needs to be charged to the card in order to be eligible are:
- Baggage Delay Insurance
- Emergency Evacuation and Transportation
- Emergency Medical and Dental
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement
- Travel Accident Insurance
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
- Trip Delay Reimbursement
Digging deeper into the details reveals that even if you pay for part of a trip with only rewards from a program associated with Chase Ultimate Rewards, you're covered.
“Trip – any pre-paid travel when a portion or the entire cost of a round trip or one way Common Carrier fare was paid using the Covered Card and/or redeemable Rewards”
One more thing to note: the fees and taxes on award bookings will be credited as travel spend. This automatically qualifies for a statement credit using the Sapphire Reserve $300 annual travel credit. You'll also earn 8x total points on purchases through Chase Travel℠, 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly, 3x on dining, and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. This rivals the earnings on some of the cards listed above.
Related: Sapphire Reserve Full Review
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
If you're looking for comparable travel protections at a significantly lower annual fee (just $95 per year), the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees) is a great place to start. It's one of the best beginner cards out there.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
The Sapphire Preferred offers the following travel protections:
- Trip Delay Reimbursement
- Baggage Delay Insurance
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement
- Travel Accident Insurance
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
Note that coverage amounts might differ between the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve. However, the language surrounding coverage is the same:
“The Covered Traveler is covered when You charge all or a portion of the cost of the Trip to Your Covered Card and/or use redeemable Rewards. Covered Travelers do not need to be traveling with You for benefits to apply.”
Unfortunately, the Sapphire Preferred has the lowest earning potential for award bookings of any card on this list. You'll earn 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases. Double points on travel isn't something to scoff at, but it's not as high as some of your other options.
Related: Sapphire Preferred Full Review
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
If you couldn't already tell, Chase is our favorite issuer when it comes to travel protections. If you are a small business owner, you can consider applying for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, which allows you to earn 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year.
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
The Ink Preferred offers many of the same protections as the Sapphire Preferred:
- Baggage Delay
- Lost Luggage
- Travel Accident Insurance
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
- Trip Delay Reimbursement
However, the language is slightly different for protections like Baggage Delay and Lost Luggage:
“It’s also travel on a Common Carrier when free flights have been awarded from frequent flier or Rewards programs, provided that all of the miles or Rewards points were accumulated from a Rewards program sponsored by Chase Bank USA, N.A. and/or its affiliates.”
For travel accident insurance:
“Coverage shall also be provided when free flights have been awarded from frequent flier or rewards programs provided that all of the miles or rewards points were accumulated from a rewards program sponsored by Chase Bank USA, N.A. and/or its affiliates.”
Although the language in the Guide to Benefits might be slightly different, the sentiment is the same: as long as you use your Ink Preferred to pay for your award taxes and fees, you'll be protected.
Related: Ink Preferred Full Review
Co-Branded Credit Cards for Airline Benefits
Most airline cards, like the United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), require you to use your card to receive benefits when you fly. These include things like a free checked bag or priority boarding, which are helpful when traveling. You can use your card to pay for the entire cost of your ticket or for the taxes and fees associated with an award booking.
In general, co-branded cards offer subpar travel protections. For instance, I always use my Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card when I book Delta flights, but when my bag was delayed by several days a few years ago, I wasn't covered for the expenses I incurred.
If I had paid for my award taxes and fees using my Sapphire Preferred, it would've been a different story. These are the tradeoffs you have to consider when deciding which card to use for award taxes and fees.
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150Rates & Fees
- 2X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United®
- 2X miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- 1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 2X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 2X miles per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1X miles on all other eligible purchases
$99, waived for first 12 months
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent at restaurants
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent at gas stations
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- Earn 1X mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases
Final Thoughts
As the saying goes, the devil's in the details for which card you use to pay award taxes and fees. When you start examining the wording of each policy, cards from Chase, Citi, and Amex each offer a way to cover your trip by paying the fees and taxes on an award ticket.
The most ideal option covers you when you use any portion of points from a respective program. Carefully review the language before deciding to use a particular card. But in general, know that you are covered if you use a card like the Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music - all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 - a value of $250 annually
- Member FDIC
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), and Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Rates & Fees)
