We currently have over 15 cards open, which is a lot! This is partially because we always keep cards open for a year, so sometimes they sit in a drawer unused for most of that time. However, we have a few cards that we use regularly- specifically, three cards that I think everyone should have in their wallet.

Let’s say you decide that you don’t want to open a bunch of cards all the time (which is fine, to each their own), these are the three cards that are absolute must-haves.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is my number one favorite travel card! It’s the card I recommend first to absolutely everyone! The points are easy to use and so flexible.

Chase has excellent transfer partners– 14 of them to be exact. Some of my favorites are Hyatt, IHG, United, Southwest, and Flying Blue (Air France/KLM). There are a lot of other cards that earn Ultimate Rewards®, but this card is the gateway that opens up all of those awesome transfer partners.

We’ve used these points to stay at dozens of Hyatt hotels. It’s always our first choice with our Ultimate Rewards. We’ve stayed at Hyatts in Mexico, Paris, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, San Diego… so many amazing trips all thanks to our Sapphire Preferred.

Not only are the points flexible and easy to use, but the card also has a low annual fee ($95), comes with a $50 hotel credit when booked through Chase Travel™, has no foreign transaction fees, and covers you for things like lost luggage or delayed flights. If I could choose one single card to have forever, it would be this one!

<All information about Chase Sapphire Preferred has been collected independently by The Traveling Hansens. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.>

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

My next must-have is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. This is a premium card with a $395 annual fee. Before you let that scare you off, let me explain why I think it’s more than worth it.

First of all, it’s the lowest annual fee of any premium card- the other cards have significantly higher fees. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a $550 annual fee and The Platinum Card® from American Express has a $695 annual fee (rates and fees)! Yikes! So right off the bat, the Venture X wins.

But the many, many benefits are what truly make this card shine (and stand out from its competitors). Chief among those benefits is the $300 annual travel credit. This can be used for any travel purchases in the Capital One Travel portal. This includes flights, hotels, and rental cars. I love using it for rental cars since that cost is harder to offset with other points.

Another major benefit is airport lounge access for our family of six. No other card offers that! Other cards offer lounge access for the cardholder or the cardholder plus a guest. But with the Venture X, we get access for the cardholder plus two guests AND we can add an authorized user for free (so we added one of our kids), and that person gets access for themself plus two guests. You can add up to four authorized users for free, so you can get 15 people free lounge access with just one Venture X!

Other benefits include Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, 10,000 anniversary miles, no foreign transaction fees, and travel and purchase insurances. So many benefits that easily make up for the larger annual fee.

The card earns 2X on all purchases, so it’s our go-to if we’re not working on other sign-up bonuses. Those points add up quickly. Capital One has great transfer partners, plus you can use miles to cover travel purchases (basically a statement credit for anything that codes on your statement as travel). So we’ve done this to help cover costs for things like Disney tickets and cruises.

Ok, I’ll stop raving about it, but like I said- must have!

Related: Compare the Capital One Venture and Venture X Rewards Credit Cards

 ➡️ Check out the best travel rewards cards

Co-Branded Hotel Card

Finally, you need a hotel card for your favorite chain! These cards come with free night certificates, automatic elite status, and other perks depending on the card. All of them have annual fees of $150 or less, which is easily made up for with that free night certificate earned on each card anniversary. It’s basically like getting a hotel night for $150 (or under). Can’t beat that! And throw in the other benefits- chef’s kiss.

Having more than one hotel card is not a bad idea, but definitely start with the one that you already stay at the most.

 ➡️ Check out the best hotel cards

Wrapping Up

Having each of these three cards is an excellent way to ensure that you’re getting great benefits and can use your points in a variety of ways. The cards hold up year after year, and you won’t regret keeping each of them open long-term.

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For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.