You’ve probably seen an exciting article or two about people traveling to far-flung destinations using travel rewards points. As inspirational as these stories tend to be, they may seem out of reach for you — especially if you’re a low spender. After all, how do you earn points if you don’t have many expenses?

Happily, not all cards require you to splash out to cash in.

Let’s look at the best travel credit cards for low spenders and their benefits.

The best rewards credit cards for low spenders

AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®

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Do you have enough cash to cover a $99 annual fee? Can you afford to make a single transaction on a credit card? If so, the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® could be an excellent option for you.

The card's welcome bonus is as follows: Earn 60,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.

What will 60,000 AAdvantage miles get you? Well, from New York, it can get you a round-trip flight to Europe, eight flights across the country or two tickets to the Caribbean and back.

Not bad for a cup of coffee and an annual fee.

The card also has ongoing benefits as well, such as:

$25 in statement credits each year on American Airlines in-flight Wi-Fi purchases.

A free checked bag.

Priority boarding.

2 miles per dollar spent at American Airlines.

1 mile per dollar spent everywhere else.

Companion Certificate on your cardholder anniversary.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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One of our favorite travel credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers a whole host of benefits for its customers. Although it charges a $95 annual fee, you’ll receive $50 in statement credits toward hotel stays and a 10% bonus on earned points each anniversary in return.

It also offers a generous welcome bonus. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You could possibly get even more value according to our recent valuations.

The main draw for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, however, is the ability to earn elevated rewards on common categories:

5 points per dollar spent on all travel booked via the Chase travel portal.

2 points per dollar on all other travel.

3 points per dollar spent on restaurants, online grocery purchases and select streaming services.

1 point per dollar everywhere else.