How Issuers Define Travel: What Is Considered A Travel Purchase?

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Some credit card issuers offer the same rewards and benefits for every purchase you make, but travel rewards cards often offer bonus rewards for travel purchases or even statement credits that apply to travel-related spending.

Therefore, it’s important to account for the variability in what purchases actually count as travel from one credit card issuer to the next. For example, booking stays and flights directly with hotels and airlines should reliably be considered travel. But things aren’t as clear when you get into less obvious travel-related purchases like boat leases, parking garages, campgrounds and timeshares.

If you’re counting on your cards to deliver travel-related perks, you need to know how your issuers classify purchases so you can plan accordingly. Here, we’ll go over the definition of travel according to various card issuers, as well as the steps you can take to ensure you’re getting the rewards and perks you expect when using your cards for travel purchases.

How do issuers define travel purchases on a credit card?

Issuers define travel — and award the rewards and benefits related to it — with the help of merchant category codes (MCCs). 

Networks, that is the companies, such as Visa or Mastercard, that process your transactions, decide how purchases code through their MCCs. MCCs are assigned by payment processors based on the typical products and services the merchant sells.

Depending on the payment processor in question, merchants may also be able to request specific or secondary MCCs. These categories can be quite specific; for instance, individual airlines each have a code, but “campgrounds and trailer parks” could be grouped under a single code.

From the assigned MCC issuers can decide which to count among travel purchases. Some are obvious — a Hilton coded purchase, for instance — but there are others that aren’t as intuitive, such as:

• Lodging–Hotels, Motels, Resorts–not elsewhere classified (MCC 7011) — some card networks only list hotels as travel-related purchases, but motels also tend to count as travel the majority of the time.
• Real estate agents (MCC 6513) — you may be surprised to see this MCC come up, but this category often includes popular vacation rental booking sites like Vacasa and VRBO.com
• Travel agencies and tour operators (MCC 4722) — where travel agencies used to operate out of brick and mortar offices or individual homes, this category now includes online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia.com and Priceline.

These three fall under “miscellaneous purchases” in a list of category codes, but are likely to be considered travel by most card issuers.

Examples of travel purchases

Our chart offers general information about specific cards from each issuer, though it’s not a comprehensive list. Read over the terms and conditions of your specific credit cards to know which purchases will register as travel.

Issuer-specific travel requirements

American Express

Many American Express Membership Rewards-earning cards offer points on specific travel-related purchases. For instance, The Platinum Card® from American Express awards 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel.

Only the American Express Green Card®* awards bonus points in a more general “travel” category. In that case, airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, vacation rentals, travel purchases on third-party travel websites, and travel purchases on amextravel.com” qualify.

Bank of America

Bank of America is very transparent when it comes to purchases that code as travel with each of their cards.

With the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card, for example, the following purchases count as travel and earn bonus rewards as a result: “airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, trailer parks, motorhome and recreational vehicle rentals, campgrounds, car rental agencies, truck and trailer rental, cruise lines, travel agencies, tour operators and real estate agents, operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, boat rentals, parking lots and garages, tolls and bridge fees, tourist attractions and exhibits like art galleries, amusement parks, carnivals, circuses, aquariums [and] zoos.”

Capital One

Capital One doesn’t have any credit cards that offer bonus rewards on travel purchases booked anywhere, although it does have cards that offer bonus miles on eligible travel purchases booked through Capital One Travel.

However, Capital One miles can famously be redeemed as statement credit to cover qualifying travel purchases made on your card. Therefore, it’s important to understand what purchases will qualify if you plan to offset that purchase with your rewards.

Capital One defines travel as “airlines, hotels, rail lines, car rental agencies, limousine services, bus lines, cruise lines, taxi cabs, travel agents and timeshares.”

Chase

Not only does Chase offer several cards that reward general travel spending, one of its cards — the Chase Sapphire Reserve® — offers a $300 annual travel credit. Knowing which purchases qualify for these perks will ensure you’re able to capitalize on their value.

Fortunately, Chase is also transparent when it comes to what each of its bonus rewards categories include. In particular, Chase defines the following purchases as travel: “airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.”

Citi

Citi lists a range of travel purchases that count as travel for the purpose of earning rewards. With the Citi Custom Cash® Card*, for example, the following purchases qualify as travel: “airline, hotel, cruise line and travel agency purchases.”

The issuer also specifically notes that “timeshares, boat leases and rentals, campgrounds and trailer parks, and real estate agencies” are excluded from the select travel category to earn top rewards with Custom Cash.

Discover

Finally, Discover also lays out clearly which purchases count as travel with its selection of rewards credit cards. With the Discover it® Miles card, for example, the following purchases qualify: “airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, travel agents, online travel sites, commuter transportation, restaurants and gas stations.”

The bottom line

Knowing which types of purchases count as travel with your rewards credit cards ensures you’re able to earn the highest possible rewards for your travel spend. It can also ensure eligible purchases you make trigger any statement credit offers associated with your accounts.

Unfortunately, you may occasionally encounter travel-related purchases that don’t code as travel, based on the merchant’s MCC. While not earning rewards is disappointing, there’s nothing you can do to change the situation after the fact. All you can do is count it as a lesson learned and make future rewards-based spending decisions accordingly.

*Information about the American Express® Green Card and Citi Custom Cash® Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.