 TITLE: When Is Getting A Travel Credit Card Worth It? CONTENT: When Should I Get a Travel Credit Card?\n---------------------------------------\nIf you think you might want to apply for a travel credit card, it pays to take advantage of good timing. Here are some indications the timing might be right.\n*   **There's a high introductory offer.** Many travel credit cards come with what is known as a sign-up bonus, intro bonus or welcome offer. This is usually tens of thousands of points or miles you can earn by opening a new card and using it to make a certain dollar amount of purchases within a set timeframe.  \n    For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is offering new cardholders 60,000 bonus points after they spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.\n    The thing is, introductory offers change all the time, so if you apply at the wrong time, you could be missing out on thousands of points or miles.\n*   **The annual fee is waived.** Sometimes, as part of the introductory package, travel credit cards offer to waive their annual fees for the first year. These types of offers tend to come and go, though, so pay careful attention to the terms and conditions of any credit card you apply for to make sure it is one that includes this kind of savings.\n*   **Your credit has improved.** Finally, and perhaps most important, many of the best travel credit cards are considered premium products and require applicants to have good to excellent credit. If you have been working to improve your credit score, now might just be the right time to finally apply for a new travel credit card.  \n    Before doing so, though, check your score (which you can do for free through Experian or even other credit cards you might already carry), and see if it is within the average range for a specific card. One of the ways you can better your credit is to pay off your bills in full and on time every month. That will also ensure you're not hit with late fees and interest payments that would wipe out the value of any points or miles you earn with your new card. END