Best Credit Card Signup Bonus Offers
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The signup bonus — one of the most valuable and coveted credit card features, with the potential to put a huge dent in your spending or help you score free flights and hotel stays. Many rewards cards come with signup bonuses, also known as introductory bonuses or welcome bonuses. These bonus offers can provide a surprising amount of value, with returns on spending ranging from around 20% on average to more than 50% in some cases.
By Brendan Harkness
Our Selection Criteria
Signup bonuses are pretty easy to evaluate. Spend some money, get some rewards. But not all bonuses are created equal.
- What kind of rewards are being offered? The most common bonus reward types are cash back, points, and statement credits:
- Cash back is usually just what it seems to be, although there may be several redemption options like statement credits, direct bank deposits, gift cards, etc.
- Points may have different values depending on how you redeem them, and they can be the most valuable reward type if you’re willing to put in the effort to find good deals.
- Statement credits are the easiest to grok, because their values are simply deducted from your card balance.
- Can I make good use of the rewards? Cash back and statement credit bonuses are simple, basically like big discounts on your spending, and these may be perfect for some people. But if you care more about maximizing rewards, particularly for travel, you may want bonus points that you can transfer for frequent flyer miles or hotel points (look at Chase, Amex, Capital One, and Citi for that).
- What’s the return on spend? Calculate how much value you get for the required spending (we’ve done this for you in many cases). Is the spending requirement reasonable? 75,000 points may sound like a lot, for example, but if they take $7,500 in purchases to get, you might not be getting a lot for your spending.
- Will I have enough time to meet the spending requirement? Most card issuers give you three months or 90 days to reach a spending requirement (“three months” translates to about 90 days in most cases, too). You may see 4-, 6-, or even 12-month offers. Some rare cards might only give two months. Be sure to keep track of how much time you have, starting as soon as your card account was approved and opened.
- Does it make sense for me to have this credit card? Consider all the card features except the intro bonus. Would you use the card without the bonus? Does it fit into your spending habits, or have benefits you’ll find useful over time? Don’t let a great bonus blind you to an otherwise lackluster credit card.
By Brendan Harkness
Is a Signup Bonus Card Right for You?
Do you like money for free? If so, a signup bonus credit card might be right for you.
It’s not really free money, because you need to spend with credit cards in the first place, and if you’re not responsible you could wind up with fees. But it’s about as close to free money (or travel) as you can get.
A signup bonus is a reward that usually takes the form of bonus points or cash back, which you receive for reaching a certain spending threshold in a certain amount of time — think 40,000 bonus points for spending $3,000 in 3 months, for example.
You should never spend money just to get a signup bonus, of course. You should only use credit cards to buy things you would normally buy. Pay off the statement balance by the due date or you’ll be charged interest, cutting into your rewards (unless you have a 0% intro APR). And we don’t recommend opening new cards purely for the bonuses.
But if a card fits in with your spending habits and offers a great bonus too, why not go for it? Follow the simple rules above and credit card bonuses can be effectively free. You won’t need excellent credit scores to nab a sweet bonus, but cards for better credit tend to have better bonuses.
Here are some situations where welcome bonuses can make big differences.
- Everyday spending: Many cards with bonus categories for everyday purchases, like groceries and gas, have intro bonus offers; you may be able to hit spending requirements with nothing more than a few months of your usual errands.
- Travel: If you’re going on a trip you could use a bonus to get a flight or two for free, or stay an extra night at a nice hotel. Planning ahead will be crucial here to make sure you have the card you need in time.
- Large expenses on the horizon: When you know there’s a big purchase or two coming up, like furniture, a TV, or even a car, you could use a credit card bonus to help lighten the load on your bank account. Or you could use that as an opportunity to bank points for a vacation.
- Rent: Rent is a fairly large monthly expense, making it a good target for intro bonus spending — if you can pay with a credit card, that is. If your landlord doesn’t accept credit card payments, you can look into a payment service like Plastiq or RadPad.
- Tax season: Depending on how much you owe, you may be able to reach spending requirements by paying your taxes. There’s a fee to pay by credit card, but the bonus should offset that by far.
BEST PICK FOR
Cash Back Rewards
securely on the issuer's website
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (Review) is an excellent pick for grocery shopping and buying gas, and it has a great introductory bonus too. Most people should be able to reach this bonus with just two or three months of normal shopping.
- $250 statement credit for spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
- Return on spend: 25%
- 6% cash back for:
- U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 spent annually)
- Select U.S. streaming services
- 3% cash back for:
- U.S. gas stations
- Transit
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Amex Offers: Find significant discounts at a changing selection of merchants and websites, like (at the time of publication) Best Buy, Pandora, and select meal kits.
- ShopRunner membership: ShopRunner provides free two-day shipping and returns at participating online retailers.
- Purchase APR: 0% for 12 months, then 13.99%-23.99% Variable (Rates & Fees)
- Annual fee: $95
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card
- $300 cash bonus for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- Return on spend: 10%
- 5% cash back with Uber Eats (through 1/31/21)
- 4% cash back on Dining and Entertainment
- 2% cash back at Grocery stores
- Annual fee: $95
Bank of America® Cash Rewards Credit Card
- $200 cash rewards bonus for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days after account opening
- Return on spend: 20%
- 3% cash back in one category of your choice: Gas, Online shopping, Dining, Travel, Drugstores, Home improvement/furnishings stores
- 2% cash back at Grocery stores and Wholesale clubs
- Spending limit: 3% and 2% rewards limited to the first $2,500 spent per quarter
- Annual fee: $0
Discover it® Cash Back
- Cashback Match: Double cash back in your first year, awarded at the end of the first year
- Return on spend: up to 10%
- 5% cash back in rotating categories, up to $1,500 spent per quarter
- Annual fee: $0
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months.
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
- Low intro APR: 0% for 12 months on purchases from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, currently 13.99% to 23.99%.
- Plan It® gives the option to select purchases of $100 or more to split up into monthly payments with a fixed fee and no interest.
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
- $95 Annual Fee
- Terms Apply.
American Express is a Credit Card Insider advertiser.
BEST PICK FOR
Point Rewards
securely on the issuer's website
You can use the American Express® Gold Card (Review) to earn quite a few Amex Membership Rewards points quickly, with a fairly low spending requirement that most people should have no trouble reaching.
There’s a sizable annual fee (Rates & Fees) with this card, however, so only get it if you’ll make good use of the rewards (focused on food and airfare) and benefits (focused on food and travel).
- 35,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Value: $350–$700 (assuming 1–2 cents per point)
- Return on spend: 8.75%–17.5%
- 4X Membership Rewards points per dollar at:
- U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X)
- Restaurants worldwide
- 3X Membership Rewards points per dollar on Flights booked directly through airlines or American Express Travel
- 1X Membership Rewards point per dollar on all other purchases
- $100 annual airline fee credit: Good for incidental airline fees, like baggage and in-flight food and drinks. Does not apply to flight tickets.
- $120 annual dining credit: Earn up to $10 in statement credits per month for purchases at eligible restaurants and food delivery services.
- Point transfer: To airline and hotel loyalty programs, like JetBlue, Southwest, Marriott, and Hyatt.
- The Hotel Collection: Provides up to $100 in credits for every eligible hotel stay of two nights or more.
- Amex Offers: Find discounts and extra point opportunities at a changing selection of merchants and websites, such as (at the time of publication) Staples, Macys.com, and Amazon.
- No foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
- Annual fee: $250
Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card
- 20,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
- Value: $200
- Return on spend: 20%
- 3X points on Dining, Gas, Travel, and Streaming services
- Annual fee: $0
Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
- 15,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
- Value: $150–$300 (assuming 1–2 cents per point)
- Return on spend: 15%–30%
- 3X points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 spent annually)
- 2X points at U.S. gas stations and American Express Travel
- 50% point bonus: By making 30 or more purchases per billing period
- Annual fee: $95
- Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points on Restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Airline Fee Credit: up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees at one selected qualifying airline.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
American Express is a Credit Card Insider advertiser.
BEST PICK FOR
General Travel Rewards
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Details
securely on the issuer's website
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Review) comes with a great intro bonus for travelers. It’s made even better because you can transfer those points to a variety of partner programs, turning them into airline miles or hotel points that could be worth 2 cents each or more.
- 80,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- 5X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on:
- Lyft rides (through 3/31/22)
- Select streaming services (up to $1,500 spent, through 9/30/20)
- 3X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on:
- Instacart (up to $3,000 spent, through 9/30/20)
- Gas (up to $1,500 spent, through 9/30/20)
- 2X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on:
- Travel
- Dining
- 1X Ultimate Rewards point per dollar everywhere else
- 25% point bonus: When redeeming for travel expenses through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Point transfer: Transfer points at a 1:1 rate to leading airline and hotel frequent travel programs, like Marriott Bonvoy and United MileagePlus.
- DoorDash membership: A free membership (DashPass) for at least a year, which provides free delivery and reduced service fees on orders over $12
- Luxury Hotel Collection: Book eligible rooms to get perks like daily breakfast for two, complimentary WiFi, room upgrades, early check-in, late checkout, and unique gifts.
- Visa Signature Concierge: Call to speak with your personal concierge any time, day or night.
- Premium Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Get primary coverage on eligible car rentals so you don’t have to pay for insurance and your premiums won’t go up after an accident.
- Shop through Chase/Chase Offers: Earn more points by shopping at participating retailers in the Shop through Chase and Chase Offers marketplaces.
- Annual fee: $95
Citi Premier℠ Card
- 60,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening
- Value: $600–$1,200 (assuming 1–2 cents per point)
- Return on spend: 15%–30%
- 3X points on:
- Air travel
- Hotels
- Gas stations
- Supermarkets
- Restaurants
- $100 annual hotel credit: Valid when you book a hotel stay of $500 or more through thankyou.com, once per calendar year
- Annual fee: $95
Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
- 50,000 bonus miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- 5X miles per dollar with Uber Eats (through 1/31/21)
- 2X miles per dollar for every other purchase
- Annual fee: $95
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Credit Card
- 50,000 bonus points for spending $3,000 in the first 90 days
- Value: $500
- Return on spend: 16.67%
- 2X points on Travel and Dining
- 1.5X points for all other purchases
- Annual fee: $95
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards(R).
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide, eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on orders over $12 for a minimum of one year on qualifying food purchases with DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
- Earn 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2022. That’s 3X points in addition to the 2X points you already earn on travel.
securely on the issuer's website
The Platinum Card® from American Express (Review) is one of the top premium travel cards, currently boasting the largest intro bonus (but not by too much). This card stands out for its best-in-class airport lounge access, along with valuable hotel statuses and travel credits.
- 60,000 bonus points for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Value: $600–$1,200 (assuming 1–2 cents per point)
- Return on spend: 12%–24%
- 5X Membership Rewards points per dollar on:
- Flights booked directly through airlines or through American Express Travel
- Prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel
- 2X Membership Rewards points per dollar on other eligible travel expenses booked through American Express Travel
- 1X Membership Rewards point per dollar on all other purchases
- Global Lounge Collection: Complimentary access to Priority Pass, Centurion, American Express International, Delta Sky Club, Escape, Airspace, Lufthansa, and Plaza Premium Lounges.
- Streaming & wireless telephone credit: Get up to $320 in statement credits when you use your card to purchase select streaming and wireless telephone services from U.S. providers (up to $20 per month each, until 12/31/20).
- $200 annual airline fee credit: Good for incidental costs like checked bags and in-flight food (not flight tickets) at your selected airline.
- $200 annual Uber credits: $15 in statement credits for Uber rides each month, except for December which gets $35.
- $100 annual Saks credits: Up to $100 in statement credits each year for Saks Fifth Avenue: $50 from January through June, and $50 from July through December.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit: A statement credit for the application fee of either Global Entry ($100 every four years) or TSA PreCheck ($85 once every four-and-a-half years).
- Complimentary elite hotel statuses: Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
- The Hotel Collection: A $100 hotel credit and room upgrades when available for every eligible two-night stay.
- No foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
- Annual fee: $550
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- 50,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- Value: $500–$1,000 (assuming 1–2 cents per point)
- Return on spend: 12.5%–25%
- 10X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on:
- Lyft rides (through 3/31/22)
- Select streaming services (up to $1,500 spent, through 9/30/20)
- 5X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on:
- Instacart (up to $3,000 spent, through 9/30/20)
- Gas (up to $1,500 spent, through 9/30/20)
- 3X points per dollar for Travel (after the full travel credit is used) and Dining
- Annual fee: $550
Citi Prestige® Card
- 50,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- Value: $500–$1,000 (assuming 1–2 cents per point)
- Return on spend: 12.5%–25%
- 5X ThankYou points per dollar on Air travel and Restaurants
- 3X ThankYou points per dollar on Hotels and Cruise lines
- Annual fee: $495
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
- Enjoy VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status available to Basic Card Member only.
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel.
- 5X Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com.
- Enjoy access to the Global Lounge Collection, the only credit card airport lounge access program that includes proprietary lounge locations around the world.
- Receive complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts® program at over 1,000 properties. Learn More.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit, up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline.
- Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $550 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
American Express is a Credit Card Insider advertiser.
BEST PICK FOR
Co-Branded Hotel Rewards
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card
Details
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card (Review) provides a great bonus, with a very high potential return on spend. You’ll also receive a host of helpful benefits to enhance your time spent at Marriott Bonvoy properties.
- 100,000 Bonus points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- 17X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar at Marriott Bonvoy properties
- 6X Bonus points per dollar from the card
- 11X Base points per dollar for Silver Elite status
- 2X Marriott Bonvoy Bonus points on all other purchases
- Annual Free Night Award: Get one Free Night Award every year, beginning after your first account anniversary.
- Complimentary Silver Elite status: Includes a 10% point bonus, reservation guarantee, priority late checkout, and more
- Path to Gold Elite status: Spend $35,000 in an account year to earn Marriott Gold Elite status.
- 15 Elite Night Credits annually: Toward a higher member status
- Free in-room premium internet: At participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- Annual fee: $95
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
- 75,000 bonus points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- 6X Marriott Bonvoy Bonus points per dollar for eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- 3X Marriott Bonvoy Bonus points per dollar at U.S. restaurants and Flights booked directly with airlines
- Annual fee: $450
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
- 125,000 Hilton Honors Bonus points for spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
- 12X Hilton Honors Bonus points per dollar for eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
- 6X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- Annual fee: $95 (Rates & Fees)
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
- 125,000 bonus points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- 25X points per dollar at IHG hotels:
- 10X points from the IHG credit card
- 15X points for IHG Platinum Elite status
- 2X points per dollar at:
- Gas stations
- Grocery stoes
- Restaurants
- 1X point per dollar for all other purchases
- Annual fee: $89
BEST PICK FOR
Co-Branded Airline Rewards
AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red World Elite Mastercard®
Details
securely on the issuer's website
The AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red World Elite Mastercard® has (in our view) the best credit card intro offer for an airline, with bonus miles along with a companion fare credit — all for simply paying the annual fee and making a purchase, with no spending requirement.
That could cost you as little as $99.01! (But let’s call it $100 for simplicity here.) Most intro bonuses return a portion of what you spend, but in this case you can actually get many times more out of it than you put in.
The Companion Certificate is good for one guest at $99, plus taxes and fees. That’s hard to beat; you’ll find a similar offer for Alaska Airlines below, which has a spending requirement but is still a great deal.
- 60,000 bonus miles and a Companion Certificate after paying the annual fee and making a purchase in the first 90 days
- Value (miles): $600–$1,200 (assuming 1–2 cents per point)
- Return on spend (miles): Up to 600%–1,200%
- 7X AAdvantage miles per dollar for American Airlines purchases
- 2X AAdvantage miles per dollar from the card
- 5X AAdvantage miles per dollar from AA member status
- 1X AAdvantage mile per dollar spent everywhere else
- 25% in-flight discount: A 25% discount for in-flight purchases on AA-operated flights (awarded as statement credits)
- Annual $25 in-flight WiFi credit: For in-flight purchases on AA-operated flights
- Preferred boarding: Group 5 boarding for the cardholder and up to four companions, on AA-operated flights
- Anniversary Companion Certificate: Spend $20,000 in a calendar year to earn a Companion Certificate, good for one guest at $99 plus taxes and fees.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Annual fee: $99
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Credit Card
- 40,000 bonus miles and a Companion Fare after spending $2,000 in the first 90 days after account opening
- Value (miles): $600–$800 (assuming 1.5–2 cents per point)
- Return on spend (miles): 30%–40%
- 5X miles at select Restaurants
- 3X miles for Alaska Airlines purchases
- Annual fee: $75
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- 60,000 bonus miles and 5,000 MQMs for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- 3X SkyMiles per dollar spent for:
- Purchases made directly with Delta
- Hotels
- 2X SkyMiles per dollar at:
- Restaurants
- U.S. Supermarkets
- Annual fee: $250 (Rates & Fees)
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
- 40,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
- 2X points at Southwest Airlines and Rapid Rewards partners
- Annual fee: $149
JetBlue Plus Card
- 40,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days after account opening
- Value: $400–$600 (assuming 1–1.5 cents per point)
- Return on spend: 40%–60%
- 12X points for JetBlue purchases (6X from the card, 6X or more from flight status)
- 2X points at Restaurants and Grocery stores
- Annual fee: $99
- 60,000 bonus miles after making a purchase in the first 90 days and paying the annual fee
- Introductory Companion Certificate good for 1 guest at $99 (plus taxes and fees) after your first card purchase in the first 90 days, and paying the annual fee
- Anniversary Companion Certificate for spending $20,000 on purchases in a year, and keeping your account open for 45 days after your anniversary date
- Double miles on eligible American Airlines purchases
- One mile per dollar spent elsewhere
- There is no limit to the amount of rewards you can earn
- First eligible checked bag free for you and up to 4 traveling companions on American Airlines
- 10% back on redeemed miles, up to 10,000 miles each year
- 25% savings on eligible in-flight purchases
- Preferred boarding lets you and up to 4 companions board after Priority boarding but before economy, in group 5 for American Airlines
- 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 15 months, then 18.24%, 22.24% or 27.24% variable
- $99 annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- Chip-enabled technology to increase security and convenience
BEST PICK FOR
Business Rewards
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Details
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Review) has perhaps the best welcome bonus currently available when it comes to cards that aren’t co-branded with airlines and hotels. It’s made all the better because you can transfer those points to airline and hotel loyalty programs, where they could be worth 2 cents each or more.
The downside is a fairly high spending requirement, but many businesses probably won’t have too much trouble reaching it.
You could also opt for a more modest redemption bonus of 25%, for 1.25 cents per point, by redeeming through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- 100,000 bonus points for spending $15,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- 5X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on Lyft rides
- 3X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on:
- Travel
- Shipping purchases
- Internet, cable, and phone services
- Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
- 1X Ultimate Rewards point per dollar everywhere else
- 25% point bonus: When redeeming for travel expenses through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Point transfer: Transfer points at a 1:1 rate to leading airline and hotel frequent traveler programs, like World of Hyatt or JetBlue TrueBlue.
- Luxury Hotel Collection: Book eligible rooms to get perks like daily breakfast for two, complimentary WiFi, room upgrades, early check-in, late checkout, and unique gifts.
- Shop through Chase/Chase Offers: Earn more points by shopping at participating retailers with the Shop through Chase and Chase Offers marketplaces.
- Free employee cards: Get up to 70 free employee cards to help track spending and earn more rewards.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Annual fee: $95
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
- 75,000 bonus points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Value: $750–$1,500 (assuming 1–2 cents per point)
- Return on spend: 25%–50%
- 6X Marriott Bonvoy Bonus points per dollar for eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Marriott Bonvoy Portfolio
- 4X Marriott Bonvoy Bonus points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, U.S. wireless service providers, U.S. shipping purchases
- Annual fee: $125 (Rates & Fees)
Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card
For the two Chase Ink cards without annual fees, if you have another Chase card that allows point transfers (like the Ink Business Preferred) you can move your rewards to the card with the better redemption options to get more value. A $500 bonus could be worth $1,000 or more with a savvy point transfer.
- $500 cash bonus for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Return on spend: 16.67%
- 5% cash back on Lyft rides
- 1.5% cash back for every other purchase you make
- Annual fee: $0
Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card
- $500 cash bonus for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
- Return on spend: 16.67%
- 5% cash back on Lyft rides
- 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent each year at Office supply stores and on Internet, cable, and phone services
- 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent each year at Gas stations and Restaurants
- Annual fee: $0
Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
- 50,000 bonus miles for spending $4,500 in the first 3 months
- 5X miles for:
- Hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles for every other purchase
- Annual fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business
- $500 cash bonus for spending $4,500 in the first 3 months
- 2% cash back for every purchase
- Annual fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
What Credit Card Has the Best Signup Bonus?
Most reward credit cards (including cash back cards) have an introductory bonus of some kind. The most valuable offers include:
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (Review): $250 statement credit for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Review): 80,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- The Platinum Card® from American Express (Review): 60,000 bonus points for spending $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card (Review): 100,000 Bonus points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red World Elite Mastercard®: 60,000 AAdvantage bonus miles and a Companion Certificate for 1 guest at $99 (plus taxes and fees) after making a purchase in the first 90 days and paying the annual fee
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Review): 100,000 bonus points for spending $15,000 in the first 3 months after account opening
What Is a Signup Bonus?
A signup bonus, often known as an introductory bonus, an intro bonus, or a welcome bonus, is a special offer created to spur credit card spending.
Signup bonuses are usually awarded in the form of points, cash back, or a statement credit after the cardholder spends a set amount of money within a given timeframe after the account is opened. The intro bonus for a given card may change quite frequently.
Here’s an example of a typical signup bonus: Spend $1,000 in the first three months to earn $250 in cash back.
Learn much more about signup bonuses here, including ideas for reaching spending requirements without spending more than you usually would.
To give you an idea of how these offers look, here’s the signup bonus that was available for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Review) at the time of publishing (the current offer may be different):
Bonus offer for the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Less commonly, credit card issuers will change it up. Other types of signup bonuses include travel rewards like free hotel stays, or offers like Discover’s Cashback Match, which doubles the cash back earned during your first year as a cardholder.
All spending to secure your signup bonus must be done within the allotted time, and in most cases only purchases count — your annual fee won’t help you earn a welcome bonus, nor will balances transferred from another account.
How Long Do I Have to Earn the Signup Bonus?
In most cases, you’ll get either three months or 90 days to meet the spending requirement to earn the bonus. The countdown begins the moment you’re approved for your credit card and the account is opened — not when you get the card in the mail or activate it.
Some offers are different, however. You may only get two months in some cases, while other introductory bonuses give you six months or even a year.
Be sure to take note of your specific offer when you apply for a card — signup bonus offers change fairly often, so if you check the issuer’s website later on, you may see a different offer. If you lost track of your offer details, contact your card issuer to ask.
Intro bonuses aren’t too complicated, but there may be more to them than you realize; read all about signup bonus offers here.
What Are Public Bonus Offers and Private Bonus Offers?
There are both public signup bonuses and private signup bonuses. Public offers are open to anyone, and private offers are only available to select groups of targeted consumers.
Private offers are typically better than public, perhaps offering $250 or $300 cash back instead of $200. The spending requirement may remain the same or it could change.
You may get private credit card offers online, by email, or by postal mail. Consider checking if you’re pre-approved for any credit cards, which may show you private offers that you’re eligible for (although it won’t always show you every available private offer).
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, please click here.
Credit Card Insider receives compensation from advertisers whose products may be mentioned on this page. Advertiser relationships do not affect card evaluations. Advertising partners do not edit or endorse our editorial content. Content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when it's published. Learn more in our Editorial Guidelines.
The information related to Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card, Discover it® Cash Back, Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card, Citi Premier℠ Card, Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card, Citi Prestige® Card, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business, and Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business have been collected by Credit Card Insider and have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of these products.
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