Average Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus in America Today

That’s what LendingTree found in reviewing the sign-up bonus offers for every credit card on the websites of 35 of the nation’s biggest credit card issuers. We reviewed 165 cards in total, including those issued by banks and credit unions and retail credit cards. After reviewing the offers, we included averages and medians for cash back cards and specific types of points and miles cards. We also compared offers from the nation’s biggest card issuers to those from smaller issuers.

Here’s what we found.

Average/median credit card sign-up bonuses

Cash back bonuses can be lucrative but aren’t always simple

The right credit card, used wisely, can make a real difference in your finances. Cash back cards are a perfect example, especially amid high prices and tight budgets. That 1% or 2% back on every purchase may not seem like much, but it can add up over time to something significant. Throw a sign-up bonus into the mix, and the value will ramp up in a big way.

People also like cash back cards for their simplicity. Points and miles valuations can be convoluted and tricky, while a dollar is a dollar. Most cash back bonuses are straightforward, too — spend a set amount during a given period and get back a specific dollar amount. Getting $200 for spending $1,000 on a card in 90 days is among the most common arrangements.

They’re not all that simple, though. The cash back sign-up bonus may:

• Come as a gift card, flight credit or companion voucher
• Come instantly on approval or after a specific number of purchases rather than a set amount of spending
• Require that some of the spending happen at a specific retailer rather than treating all spending equally
• Require you to meet the minimum spend in anywhere from one to six months

Sometimes you may even have to wait a year to get your bonus. For example, Discover famously offers to match 100% of the cash back you earn in the first year with a card, but that means you have to wait a full year to get it. In our review, it was the only issuer making that offer.

These criteria make it essential that you understand the offer’s details before applying. That’s true with any financial transaction. However, when the sign-up bonus is such a big reason when deciding to apply for the card, the last thing you want is to miss out on that bonus because you didn’t pay attention to the details.

Points and miles cards’ bonuses can vary widely, but bigger isn’t always better

While cash back cards tend to be the most popular rewards choice, points and miles cards are an absolute obsession for many Americans. They dream of jetting off to Paris or Bali with a free first-class ticket or maybe just being able to take the kids to Disney without taking on massive debt. Those things can be possible with points and miles cards, and sign-up bonuses are a big reason.

Our research found that the average points and miles credit card today comes with an average sign-up bonus of 52,105 and a median of 50,000. However, a deeper dive into the numbers clearly shows there’s often a big difference in bonus offers among different types of points and miles cards. For example, hotel-branded credit cards tend to offer the biggest rewards, with an average of 92,000 and a median of 85,000. That’s far more than what you’ll get with airline-branded cards (52,703 average, 50,000 median) or bank-issued points cards (42,639 average, 30,000 median).

However, it’s important to not be blinded by the size of the sign-up bonus. The value of reward points can vary widely depending on who is offering them, so that 100,000-point bonus may not go as far as you think. For example, hotel points traditionally lag behind airline miles and general purpose points and miles. We estimate Hilton Honors points to be worth about 0.5 cents per point, while Chase Ultimate Rewards points are generally worth 1 cent per point but can be worth significantly more depending on how they’re redeemed.

Bigger banks tend to offer bigger rewards

For many people, the bank or credit union that issues their rewards card is an afterthought at most. Many people probably don’t know which bank is associated with their Marriott or Hyatt hotel cards or their American Airlines or United Airlines cards. However, our research showed that the card’s issuer matters when it comes to sign-up bonus size, and — generally speaking — the bigger the financial institution, the bigger the bonus you’re likely to receive.

For example, we found a big difference in sign-up bonuses offered by the six biggest card issuers in America — Chase, Bank of America, American Express, Capital One, Discover and Citi — and those offered by smaller issuers.

Here’s what we found.

• Median cash back among the big six issuers: $200
• Among other issuers: $125
• Median points and miles offers among the big six issuers: 60,000
• Among other issuers: 30,000

Those medians for the big six issuers are the same as in November 2021. We don’t have historical data for the rest of the issuers — we dramatically expanded the universe of cards we reviewed this time — but I would expect this gap to remain going forward. The amount of revenue brought in by the largest credit card issuers is far bigger than what smaller issuers earn, and that extra revenue allows them the flexibility to offer bigger rewards. There’s no reason to think that paradigm will shift anytime soon.

How to choose the best sign-up bonus credit card for you

With so many options available, knowing which card is best for you can be tricky. However, with a little bit of forethought and introspection, you can find the card that best fits your lifestyle.

Here are some tips for finding the best sign-up bonus credit card for you:

• Remember that different points have different values. A 100,000-point bonus from one credit card likely isn’t worth the same as a 100,000-point bonus from a different card. It’s easy to get blinded by those big numbers, but your best move is to try to understand what those 100,000 points can get you from each company. Card issuer websites often give examples of the points’ value with the offer, whether in terms of dollar value or the number of hotel nights for which the points could be exchanged. Doing your homework to see which bonus gives you the most bang for your rewards can go a long way in ensuring you get the best card for you.
• Focus on your lifestyle and habits. The ideal card for you is the one that best fits your lifestyle. No matter how lucrative the sign-up bonus is, it won’t do you much good if it doesn’t fit with where you go, what you do and how you spend. For example, a 50,000-point sign-up bonus on your favorite airline’s or hotel’s credit card will likely be much more impactful than a 100,000-point bonus with an airline you never fly or a hotel chain you don’t enjoy. Or if you’re not interested in travel, no airline or hotel bonus will likely serve you as well as a simple cash back bonus.
• Don’t forget the interest rates and fees. It takes a little bit of math to figure out which card is the most valuable overall, and the interest rate and annual fee are vital parts of that equation. For example, a credit union rewards card could have significantly less lucrative rewards but a far lower APR. Also, a no-annual-fee credit card offering a 25,000-point bonus could theoretically be more valuable in the long run than a card with a 50,000-point bonus and a $50 annual fee. Or a card that earns 1.5% cash back with an annual fee may be less lucrative than one that gives 1% back with no annual fee. All these things make a difference, so be sure to factor them in.
• Take your time. People tend to make bad choices when they rush into things, and that is true with credit cards. Before you apply, always take the time to understand at least the basics associated with the card — interest rates, fees, rewards, earnings rates and spending requirements — because what you don’t know can cost you. That means that no matter how much you love those bonus miles that come with the card the flight attendant talked about on the plane, you shouldn’t jump right in until you’ve done your homework. The same applies to the cards you get offered at the retail checkout counter, airport or hotel. The more informed the decision you make, the better it’s likely to be.

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Methodology

LendingTree reviewed 165 consumer credit card offers on the public-facing websites of 35 credit card issuers — including bank-issued, credit union-issued and retail credit cards — on Nov. 7, 2024. The sign-up bonus offers were compiled, and then LendingTree calculated the average and median offers as shown above.

Though Discover’s cards were reviewed, Discover doesn’t offer sign-up bonus rewards of specific point values or dollar values. They only offer to match the cash back or points earned in the first year with the card. Since those totals would vary based on individual spending, Discover’s cards weren’t included in the averages in this report.