WalletHub, a financial tools platform with a penchant for data-driven studies, recently published two interesting studies.
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The first covers which credit card-related topics Americans are most focused on this summer. The second explores the best travel rewards credit cards for Americans to use during international vacations.
The first report offers an interesting peek into how Americans plan to travel this summer while minimizing spending and debt. The latter gives you a clear insight into which travel rewards credit cards are worth signing up for if you’re going to be visiting places like Rio de Janeiro, London, or Tokyo.
Let’s dig in.
WalletHub survey highlights American spending habits for vacations this summer
WalletHub released a ten-question survey to over 200 Americans. The survey includes questions like, ‘Is it worth going into debt for a good vacation?’ And, ‘Are high gas prices affecting your travel plans?’ (56% of those surveyed said no to the first; 59% said yes to the second.)
Here are a few other key insights that show how Americans are approaching travel this summer:
- 59% of Americans say high gas prices are influencing their plans
- 51% of Americans want to spend less this summer than they did last summer on travel
- Almost one-fourth of Americans (22%) said they’d rather skip a credit card payment than miss out on vacation this summer
- Over one-third of Americans (35%) surveyed said it’s worth going into debt for an amazing vacation
- Almost half of all Americans (48%) surveyed said they worry about credit card bills on vacation
WalletHub report lists the best travel rewards credit cards for international travelers
As a financial planning tool and financial resource, WalletHub excels when it comes to ranking and analyzing credit card reward programs for true value. (It’s a big part of the company’s mission.)
To finalize its list of the best travel rewards credit cards for international travelers in 2026, WalletHub studied travel benefits from personal credit cards from the country’s top ten issuers. (Student and co-branded cards weren’t counted.) They rank these according to three categories: fees, secondary benefits, and convenience services. The last category is the most important.
Here are the best credit cards for international travel:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- (Three-way tie) Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, and Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
