This article is brought to you by the Personal Finance Insider team. It has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the issuers listed. Some of the offers you see on the page are from our partners like Citi and American Express, but our coverage is always independent. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page.
The best credit card welcome offers available now:
American Express® Gold Card :60,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 6 months of account opening (Elevated offer)Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card : up to 100k Capital One miles — 50k miles after you spend $3k in the first 3 months of account opening and another 50k miles after you spend $20k in the first 12 months (Elevated offer)Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card :60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account openingChase Freedom Unlimited® : 5x rewards at grocery stores for your first account year as a cardholder (on up to $12,000 spent) and$200 after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening (Elevated offer)Chase Freedom Flex℠ : 5x rewards at grocery stores for your first account year as a cardholder (on up to $12,000 spent) and $200 back after you spend $500 in the first 3 months of account opening (Elevated offer)United℠ Explorer Card :60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open (plus, an additional 10k bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months) (Elevated offer)Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express :$300 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months from account opening United Club℠ Infinite Card : 100k United miles after you spend $5k in the first 3 months of account opening (Elevated offer)Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card : Earn up to 100k points after meeting tiered minimum spend requirements (Elevated offer)IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card : Earn140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening Platinum Card® from American Express :60,000 points after your spend at least $5,000 in your first 3 months of account opening Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card : 100k points after you spend $15k in the first 3 months of account openingCiti Premier® Card :60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
If you want to earn points, miles, or cash back, the quickest option is signing up for a rewards credit card and earning its intro bonus. This typically requires meeting a minimum spending requirement in the first three months or 90 days, and it’s well worth it — you’ll be rewarded with thousands of points or miles to put toward your next trip, or with a sizeable amount of cash back.
There’s more good news: Several of our favorite travel cards are offering record-high welcome bonuses, so it’s a great time to apply.
Amex Gold Card
The
The card hasn’t always offered a standout welcome bonus (previously it was just 35,000 Amex Membership Rewards points after new cardholders spend $4,000 in the first three months), but it’s recently increased the intro offer to
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
Welcome offer: Up to 100 miles — 50,000 miles after you spend $3,000 in the first three months from account opening, and another 100,000 miles after you spend $20,000 or more in the first 12 months from account opening
The
This card offers a strong lineup of benefits considering the reasonable $95 annual fee. You get an application fee credit of up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and earn 2x miles on all purchases.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
If you want a rewards credit card with points that can be used with a variety of travel partners, you can't go wrong with the
The card offers a sign-up bonus of
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The
That makes this card one of the best credit cards for grocery purchases — for those lucky enough to be able to take advantage of this offer. Outside of the grocery bonus, you'll earn 1.5% cash back on most purchase you make (the Freedom Unlimited also recently started offering bonus cash back on eligible travel, grocery, and drugstore purchases).
You can even pair the Freedom Unlimited with one of Chase's more premium cards, like the
Chase Freedom Flex
The
There are other reasons to consider this card, though. The
United℠ Explorer Card
The
Until January 13, 2021, new cardholders can get a sign-up bonus of
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
The
United Club℠ Infinite Card
The United Club Infinite was released earlier this year to replace the discontinued United Club Card. It offers full membership to United Club airport lounges, so both you and your eligible travel companions can have a comfortable place to relax before a flight.
Before this new 100,000-mile sign-up bonus launched, the card's $525 annual fee was being waived for the first year. But 100,000 miles can easily be worth more than $525, especially if you redeem them for a business- or first-class flight.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Southwest's premium business card is running an elevated bonus, and if you can earn the full 100,000 points, you'll have plenty of rewards for booking flights — and you'll earn the Southwest Companion Pass.
The Companion Pass gets you two-for-one travel (your companion only has to pay taxes and fees), and you need to earn 125,000 qualifying points in a year to earn it. You'll meet that requirement if you earn the full 100,000-point bonus (since you'll earn at least 1 point per dollar on the $25,000 in required spending), so this offer could potentially be a great deal.
The
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
The
The
Platinum Card® from American Express
If you travel frequently and can put its many, many benefits to use, the Amex Platinum can be an easy decision even with its annual fee. See how Business Insider's David Slotnick got more than $2,000 in value from the card in his first year for more info.
Of course, no one's traveling right now due to the coronavirus, but it could still be worth getting the
Some of the card's top perks include a 5x earning rate on airfare purchased directly from the airline, up to $200 in airline fee credits each calendar year, up to $200 in Uber credits each cardmember year, and up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits each calendar year. The card also stands out for its airport lounge access benefits. Note: Starting January 1, 2021, the 5X points will apply up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year
You can use the Amex Membership Rewards points you'll earn with this card to book travel with airlines like British Airways, Delta, and Emirates, and with hotel partners including Marriott.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The
This card has a $95 annual fee, and it offers benefits like primary rental car insurance when you're renting a car for business purposes.
Citi Premier Card
Welcome offer:
Annual fee:
In addition to offering a very solid sign-up bonus, the
The
Why earn credit card rewards in the middle of a pandemic?
With travel on hold due to the pandemic, now may seem like an odd time to open a travel rewards credit card, but earning a sign-up bonus now can put you in a great position to use points and miles for your next vacation, whenever that may be.
Plus, in addition to allowing extra time to earn a welcome bonus, issuers like American Express and Capital One are offering additional benefits tailored to life in quarantine, including new bonus categories for earning rewards and the option touse Capital One miles to cover food delivery and streaming services. And many issuers are extending the time you have to earn a welcome bonus — in most cases, from three to six months.
Before you apply for a new credit card, make sure you understand how credit card applications affect your credit score. Also make sure you treat your credit cards like debit cards, only spending what you can afford to pay back each month. If you carry a balance to earn rewards, you'll be putting yourself in a bad financial position — and the interest fees you'll rack up will easily outweigh any points or miles you earn.
FAQ
What is a sign-up bonus?
A sign-up bonus, also known as a welcome bonus or intro offer, is a reward of points, miles, or cash back for new cardholders who meet designated requirements. Usually, these requirements involve meeting a minimum spending threshold within the first three months after you open your new credit card account.
Do credit card sign-up bonuses change?
Some credit cards almost always have the exact same sign-up bonus, while others change frequently. If you're considering opening a new rewards credit card, do your research to see whether the card you want has previously offered a higher bonus. If it has, it could be worth waiting until that elevated offer returns, or you may even be able to find that higher offer through the credit card issuer's website.
What is the best credit card sign-up bonus?
There isn't one single best sign-up bonus, because even if one card offers more points, not all points and miles are valued equally. There are also different types of credit card rewards: points, miles, and cash back, so the best sign-up bonus for you depends on the rewards you value most.
How can I use a credit card sign-up bonus?
There are typically several options for using a credit card sign-up bonus.
If you earn a cash-back sign-up bonus, you could be able to use it toward a statement credit to reduce your credit card bill, or you could receive the money in check form. With a travel rewards card, you could use your points or miles to book an award trip, or you decide to cash them out for gift cards, money back, or merchandise.
The exact options depend on the credit card you have and its specific rewards program, but the bottom line is that there are several possibilities for using your sign-up bonus.
Is a credit card without a sign-up bonus still worth it?
The short answer is yes. A credit card sign-up bonus can be a great incentive to apply, especially if you're looking at a card that has an annual fee, but not every good credit card offers an intro bonus. For example, the
