Travel Credit Card Annual Fee Calculator
The annual fee on a travel card only pays for itself if you spend enough. Enter the fee, your rewards rate, and the perks you would actually use to find the exact yearly spend where the card breaks even — everything below that is paying for the privilege.
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How to use this calculator
Enter the card's annual fee, the rewards rate you earn on your spending, and the dollar value of perks you would genuinely use. The calculator shows the yearly spend needed for the rewards to cover the fee.
Example: a $95 fee at 2% back needs $4,750 in yearly spend — about $396 a month — to break even.
How it works
Break-even yearly spend = (annual fee − usable perks) ÷ rewards rate. Monthly spend is simply the yearly figure divided by 12.
Only perks you would pay for anyway count toward the offset; a $300 travel credit you never use is worth $0 here. This is an estimate of the ongoing yearly math — one-time sign-up bonuses are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
How is break-even calculated?
Annual fee divided by rewards rate: a $95 fee at 2% back needs $4,750 in yearly spend.
Do perks count?
Yes - subtract perks you'd actually use (lounge access, travel credits) from the fee first.
What if I don't spend enough?
A no-annual-fee card likely beats it; the fee only pays when rewards exceed it.
Does this include sign-up bonuses?
No - those are one-time; this covers the ongoing yearly math.