September 27, 2023
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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers the best overall sign-up bonus, because Ultimate Rewards points are so valuable and flexible.You’ll receive a 25% boost in rewards value when you redeem points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus, you can transfer points at a rate of 1:1 to 11 airline partners and three hotel partners.
A credit card sign-up bonus is one of the best incentives when it comes to opening a credit card. It allows you to earn a substantial amount of rewards in a short period of time, which come in the form of cash back, points or miles. Travel credit cards offer larger sign-up bonuses but usually come with an annual fee and higher spending requirement. Cash back credit cards offer easy-to-earn sign-up bonuses typically valued around $200. To decide which sign-up bonus is best for you, look at the value of the sign-up bonus, the annual fee, the spending requirement to get the sign-up bonus and what benefits and rewards the card will offer long term.
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Earn 60,000 points (worth at least $750 in travel)
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers one of the most valuable and flexible sign-up bonuses currently available. It’s worth at least $750 toward travel when used in the Chase travel portal, or possibly even more by transferring it to Chase’s travel partners.
Points can be redeemed for a variety of travel needs, including airfare, hotels, rental cars and more. The card does come with a $95 annual fee, though the value of the sign-up bonus more than makes up for the annual fee in the first year.
Who’s eligible:
Applicants who are not currently cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card and who have not received a new cardmember bonus on any Sapphire card within the last 48 months. You’ll also need to be under Chase 5/24. $95
Earn 80,000 points (worth at least $400)
The Hilton Honors American Express Card is a great option if you’re looking for a valuable welcome offer without the annual fee. The value of the offer starts at around $400, earning you at least one free night.
This card also offers a great earning rate for a no-annual-fee card. You’ll earn points for hotel-related spending and on purchases made at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations.
Who’s eligible:
You’ll be eligible for this offer if you have not owned this card or other versions of this card previously.
To see rates & fees for Hilton Honors American Express Card please click here.
Apply Now
Earn 75,000 miles (worth at least $750 in travel)
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card‘s sign-up bonus runs a close second to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It offers a larger number of miles, but it doesn’t have quite as robust a set of airline and hotel partners, making it a little less valuable. Still, it offers valuable flexible rewards that you can redeem for Capital One miles to pay for travel, be reimbursed for past travel or transfer them to more than 15 hotel and airline and hotel loyalty programs. If you prefer this card’s benefits and rewards program, it’s a great alternative to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Who’s eligible:
Existing or previous accountholders may not be eligible for this offer. Also, those who have applied for two or more Capital One cards within the past 30 days may not qualify.
3 free nights awards worth up to 150,000 points (worth around $1,350)
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is offering a very large sign-up bonus for a $95-annual-fee card. You get free night certificates worth up to 150,000 points, or around $1,350 in hotels stays by our estimates. While not as flexible as a points-based offer, you can still get a long weekend at higher end Marriott properties, for a reasonable annual fee.
In fact, this card is a great option for travelers who are frequent Marriott travelers. Earning Marriott Bonvoy points, getting extra elite nights and free night certificates can supercharge your next vacation.
Who’s eligible:
You’re eligible for the bonus on this card if you’re not a current cardmember of the Marriott Bonvoy® Premier, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Bold cards, and also haven’t received a new cardmember bonus on any of those cards in the past 24 months. You’ll also need to be under Chase 5/24.
Apply Now
Matches your cash back in the first year (worth around $340 for the average cardholder)
The Discover it® Cash Back card provides a unique introductory offer for new cardholders that gets better and better the more that you spend on the card. Discover will match the cash back you earn in the first year for new cardholders. This means that if you earn $100 in cash back in the first year, you will earn an additional $100.
We estimate that the average cardholder who spends around $20,000 on the card could earn around $340 from the cash back match. For savvy spenders, the card could be even more rewarding. If you max out the card’s quarterly rotating categories, you could earn an extra $300 in cash back for those categories alone.
Who’s eligible:
The offer is available exclusively for new cardmembers.
Earn 100,000 points (worth at least $1,250 in travel)
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers one of the largest sign-up bonuses available, as well as great rewards for spending in common business categories – all for a reasonable annual fee.
The points you earn from the sign-up bonus can be used in a variety of ways to suit your business’s unique spending. For example, if you and your employees travel often, you can increase the value of your points by 25% by redeeming them for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. That means points are worth 1.25 cents each instead of 1 cent each. Or, if you often make purchases from Amazon.com, points can conveniently be redeemed to cover all or part of your eligible Amazon.com order — including tax and shipping. You can also redeem points for cash back or gift cards to help incentivize employees.
Who’s eligible:
You’ll need to be under Chase 5/24 to be approved for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. You’ll also need to have an eligible small business to apply. However, freelancers and independent contractors may qualify as small businesses.
Earn 60,000 miles (worth around $780)
The United℠ Explorer Card offers one of the most valuable welcome offers in the airline category worth around $780. This card is packed with airline benefits like free checked bags, priority boarding, Global Entry and TSA PreCheck credits valued at $20 a year, 2 United Club passes each year valued at $118 and primary rental car insurance.
This card also includes excellent travel protections including baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance and trip delay reimbursement.
If you fly United Airlines you’ll also appreciate the miles you can earn on dining, hotels and United purchases. Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United® purchases. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. United miles are worth about 1.3 cents.
Who’s eligible:
You’ll be eligible for this offer if you have not owned this card previously and pass Chase’s 5/24 rule, which means that you have not been approved for five or more personal credit cards from any issuer within the last 24 months.
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offers 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases. After that, a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies. Plus, 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers. After, a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies. With a long intro APR, you will not have to pay interest on purchases or balance transfers for more than a year.
This card also offers a valuable sign-up bonus with a low spending requirement: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. Similar cards do not offer as valuable of a sign-up bonus, especially cards with a flat-rate cash back structure.
Who’s eligible:
You are eligible for this card’s sign-up bonus if you have not opened an additional Wells Fargo card in the last six months.
Earn 50,000 bonus miles (worth around $600)
The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® offers one of the easiest sign-up bonuses to earn. This card does not have a spending requirement to earn the sign-up bonus. You’ll just have to make a purchase using the card and pay the annual fee. This sign-up bonus is also extremely valuable for American Airlines loyalists. The sign-up bonus will cover at least one free flight and you’ll receive a number of other American Airlines benefits.
Who’s eligible:
Anyone who is approved for the card is eligible for this offer as long as you have not previously had an account within the AAdvantage program.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Annual Fee | Estimated offer value minus annual fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
|
Hotel
|
Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening. | $95 | $1,255 | |
|
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
|
Business
|
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $95 | $1,250 | |
|
United℠ Explorer Card
|
Airline
|
Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | $0 Intro for the First Year, then $95 | $780 | |
|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
|
Winner
|
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. | $95 | $750 | |
|
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
Travel
|
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel | $95 | $750 |
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
Review Coming Soon
|
Easy-to-earn
|
Earn 50,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. | $99 | $600 | Review Coming Soon |
Hilton Honors American Express Card
|
No annual fee
|
Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership. | $0 | $400 | |
|
Discover it® Cash Back
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
Cash back
|
Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300. | $0 | $340 |
Apply Now
on Discover's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Review Coming Soon
|
0% APR
|
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months | $0 | $200 | Review Coming Soon |
A sign-up bonus is an incentive offered by credit card issuers to persuade consumers to apply for a credit card. It may also be called a welcome offer or welcome bonus. When you are approved for a credit card, you will often see a welcome offer connected to a minimum spending requirement. Typically, you must hit this spending threshold in the first few months of card ownership to earn the sign-up bonus. Sign-up bonuses usually come in the form of cash, points or miles depending on the credit card.
Despite their name, sign-up bonuses are not earned when you sign-up for the card. After you are approved for the card, you will usually have around three to six months – depending on the card issuer – to earn your sign-up bonus. The higher the bonus, the more you typically have to spend to earn the sign-up bonus. If you do not hit the spending requirement, you will not earn the bonus.
Discover is an exception with its sign-up bonuses. They offer a cash back match program where you’ll earn an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match on all cash back at the end of your first year.
Here are a few features to consider as you look to find the best credit card signup bonuses.
While it is easy to value cash back rewards, the value of hotel points or airline miles can vary based on how they are redeemed. Because of that, you should think about how you would redeem these rewards. Investigating some sample redemption options and comparing the dollar value to the number of points required should give you a better idea of how far a card’s sign-up bonus can take you.
Most credit cards require you to make a certain amount of purchases on the card within the first few months of having the card to get the sign-up bonus. For cards with high welcome offers, the spending threshold is also often quite high. Make sure that you can meet the spending requirement before you apply for a new card.
Depending on the type of rewards that your credit card earns, it may be easier or more difficult to redeem your points. Cash back rewards are always the easiest to redeem, and most bank points like Chase Ultimate Rewards® or American Express Membership Rewards points allow you to redeem in a variety of different ways. But if your card earns hotel points or airline miles, make sure you understand the different redemption options and how easy or difficult it is to get value for your points and miles.
While many credit cards have no annual fee, others do come with a fee that you have to pay each year. While most credit cards with annual fees are worth getting for at least the first year (due to the outsized value of the welcome bonus), make sure that you account for the annual fee when considering the value of a credit card’s sign-up bonus.
Most credit cards offer rewards or cash back with each purchase. Some credit cards give the same rewards rate for all purchases, while others offer different rewards rates depending on where you’re making the purchase. Consider your spending habits and look for a credit card that offers bonus rewards in the categories where you spend the most.
Many credit cards, especially hotel and airline credit cards, offer other credits and benefits. These might include free luggage, travel credits, free hotel night certificates or elite status. Look at the card’s ancillary benefits to see how much value they would provide to your specific situation.
In order to earn a sign-up bonus, you typically need to spend a certain amount over a specific period of time using that credit card. The details of the sign-up bonus can be found with the terms of the card.
Some cards require you to spend more than others to earn the sign-up bonus. When opening a new credit card, it is important to consider how the spending fits within your budget.
Sign-up bonuses may come with colossal spending requirements, which can tempt you to spend past your budget. There are many strategies to help you avoid putting yourself into debt:
With so many credit cards out there, it can be challenging to find the card that is the best option for you. Here are a few things that you’ll want to keep in mind when choosing the best credit card sign-up bonus:
First of all, look at the eligibility requirements of the cards that you are considering. Most credit cards will consider your income, credit score and overall financial situation when deciding whether to approve your application.
| FICO Score | Vantage Score |
|---|---|
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Deciding what kind of rewards you want to earn is another step toward choosing the best credit card sign-up bonus. Different cards offer different types of rewards, like cash back, airline miles, hotel points or bank points.
| What kind of rewards do you want? | Choose … |
|---|---|
| You want simple, straightforward rewards | Cash back |
| You want rewards you can use in a variety of ways to get the best value (including for travel) | Flexible points (ex.: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Freedom Unlimited®) |
| You want to earn rewards for a free flight | Airline miles (ex.: United℠ Explorer Card) or flexible points |
| You want to earn rewards for a free hotel stay | Hotel points (ex.: Hilton Honors American Express Card) or flexible points |
Tip: You should also check the redemption options in the program to make sure you can redeem points/miles for what you want. Also, check how many points or miles it will require. That will make sure you understand how close the card’s sign-up bonus will get you to where you want to go.Many issuers have additional restrictions besides just your credit score, income and financial situation. Even someone with perfect credit might open a card and meet a spending threshold just to learn that they weren’t qualified for the bonus. Major issuers typically put restrictions on earning sign-up bonuses to avoid credit card churning — the practice of repeatedly opening and closing credit cards with the intention of earning sign-up bonus rewards. Make sure that you always read the fine print of the offer before you apply.
It’s crucial to understand the value of an offer before you apply. While cash back bonuses are fairly straightforward, the value of points and miles can vary dramatically depending on how you redeem them. For example, with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, 50,000 miles is worth around $750 in airfare because Delta miles are worth around 1.5 cents. It’s therefore important to estimate the point value and the overall value of the bonus based on how YOU intend to redeem the rewards in order to properly compare.
Tip: It can be challenging to determine the value of a card’s points or miles. See our section below for steps on how to make this calculation.First, take the cash value of your target redemption option and divide it by the number of points or miles — be sure to subtract any taxes and fees that you have to pay in cash. This will give you the value per point or mile.
Point value = $ value of target redemption option (minus taxes/fees that you still have to pay) ÷ Number of pointsExample: $500 plane ticket – $11.20 taxes ÷ 50,000 points = ~$0.01
Then, take the point value and multiply it by the number of points in the sign-up bonus. That will give you an approximate cash value for that card’s welcome bonus.
Bonus value = $ value of points or miles x Number of points or milesExample: 80,000 miles x $0.01 (1 cent per point) = $800
Some hotel credit cards offer free night certificates that you can use at a variety of different hotels. These certificates often come with a lot of restrictions, so you should generally assume they’re worth less than their maximum point value. You might value them at 80% or 90% of their listed point value due to the restrictions.
Besides the sign-up bonus, you should also consider a card’s ongoing rewards — especially if you want to keep it. This includes benefits like travel credits, elite status perks or other benefits. Weigh these ongoing benefits against the annual fee to see if the card is worth keeping. Note that cards with annual fees often are more valuable than those without annual fees, especially in the first year.
Travel card comparison:
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome offer | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. | Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. |
| Point value | $0.01 | $0.015 |
| Value of bonus | $600 | $750 |
| Earning rate | Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more. | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
| Points earned on $20,000 in travel purchases | $1,000 | $600 |
| Value of rewards and benefits | $1,600 | $1,350 |
| Annual fee | $95 | $250 |
| Value minus annual fee | $1,505 | $1,100 |
| Other benefits | Hotel credit, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, travel and emergency assistance services, purchase protection, extended warranty protection | In-flight discount, annual companion certificate, discounted Delta Sky Club lounge rate, free checked bag for up to eight people in the same reservation, priority zone 1 boarding, baggage insurance, car rental loss and damage insurance, extended warranty, purchase protection |
To see rates & fees for Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card please click here.
Cash back card comparison:
| Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card | Chase Freedom Flex℠ | |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-up bonus | Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months | Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year. |
| Earning rate | Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases | 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter! Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. |
| Cash back earned on $20,000 | $400 | $200 - $1,000 |
| Value of rewards and benefits | $600 | $400 - $1,200 |
| Annual fee | $0 | $250 |
| Value minus annual fee | $600 | $400 - $1,200 |
| Other benefits | Cellphone protection, 24/7 concierge service, access to the Visa Signature Hotel Collection, zero liability protection | Auto rental collision damage waiver (secondary coverage), trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance, travel and emergency assistance services, extended warranty, purchase protection |
| Issuer | Credit card | Welcome offer | Estimated offer value minus annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Express | Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. | $600 - $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99. = $600 total value |
| Bank of America | Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card | 60,000 online bonus points - a $600 value - after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. | $600 - $95 annual fee = $505 total value |
| Capital One | Capital One Spark Cash Plus | Earn a one-time cash bonus of $1,200 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months. | $1,200 - $150 annual fee = $1,050 total value |
| Chase | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card | Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening. | $1,350 - $95 annual fee = $1,255 total value |
| Citi | Citi Premier® Card | Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening | $600 - $95 annual fee = $505 total value |
| Discover | Discover it® Cash Back | Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300. | Cashback match at the end of your first year |
| Wells Fargo | Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card | Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months | $200 total value |
To see rates & fees for Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card please click here.
Deciding if you should choose a card with a large sign-up bonus depends on how you plan to use the card long term. There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to sign-up bonuses. Large sign-up bonuses may feel enticing, but it’s important to consider how the benefits and rewards the card offers would fit into your spending habits after the sign-up bonus.
Also consider how much you would have to spend to get to a large sign-up bonus. Cards with larger sign-up bonuses often require higher spending, and you won’t want to start your new credit card off with a balance you can’t pay and avoid interest.
You should keep your credit card open after earning the sign-up bonus. It’s important to choose a card that fits best for your individual needs and spending habits so that you can keep it open after you have cashed out the sign-up bonus.
If you redeem the sign-up bonus and determine the card you have chosen is not right for you, many banks allow you to switch to another card. You may be able to switch – or downgrade – to a card without an annual fee, one with a lower annual fee or another card the issuer offers that better fits your spending habits.
It is also a red flag to issuers if you frequently open and close accounts. This could decrease approval odds when trying to open new cards down the line. You also may not receive a sign-up bonus at all if you have carried the card in the past or open and close cards within a short period of time.
Tip: If you are worried that opening a new credit card will affect your credit score, know that in the short term, your credit score will go down a little bit. But in the long term, a new credit card will have positive benefits for building your credit.Opening a new credit card puts a hard inquiry on your credit and decreases the average age of accounts which makes up 15% of your FICO score. However, a new credit card will significantly increase your credit score over time by improving your credit utilization ratio – your debt in relation to your total available credit – while reporting your account and payment history to the three major credit bureaus.
Generally, the following purchases and transactions won’t count toward the minimum spend amount required to earn a sign-up bonus: balance transfers, cash advances, ATM transactions, travelers checks, foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers or similar cash-like transactions, lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, race track wagers or similar betting transactions, interest, unauthorized or fraudulent charges and fees of any kind, including annual fees, returned payment fees, late fees and monthly fees.
Once you qualify for the sign-up bonus, the amount of time it takes to post to your account may vary depending on the issuer. For example, Chase states that cardholders should allow six to eight weeks for the bonus to post to your account, while Bank of America may take eight to 10 weeks.
Note, your account must be open and not in default at the time of fulfillment.
In most cases, you cannot earn more than one sign-up bonus offer from the same card. Plus, depending on the issuer, you may not be able to earn a sign-up bonus from more than one card in the same card family. However, if you close the card account and re-apply after a set amount of time, you may be able to receive a sign-up bonus from the new card.
For example, if you are a current cardholder of a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or if you are a previous cardholder of either card who received a new cardmember bonus within the past 48 months, you wouldn’t be eligible to receive the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card’s current new cardmember bonus.
Sign-up bonuses that require you to spend a certain amount to earn the bonus are considered rebates instead of income. Therefore, they are not taxable.
But if you receive a bonus without a spend requirement, it may be taxable. If this is the case, you will need to submit a Form 1099-INT or Form 1099-MISC to the IRS.
To select the best card for each of these categories, our credit card experts compared a broad range of credit cards on LendingTree.com and major issuer sites, including cash back cards, travel cards, business cards and more.
We chose our top picks based on a variety of factors:
Other factors that come into play when making our selection include the variety of benefits the card offers, including insurance protections and travel perks.
To see rates & fees for Hilton Honors American Express Card please click here.
To see rates & fees for Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card please click here.
To see rates & fees for Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card please click here.
The information related to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, United℠ Explorer Card, Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, Chase Freedom Flex℠, Capital One Spark Cash Plus and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The above offers and/or promotions may have since changed, expired, or is no longer available. Check the Issuers’ website for more details.
