In the interest of full disclosure, OMAAT earns a referral bonus for anyone that’s approved through some of the below links. These are the best publicly available offers (terms apply) that we have found for each product or service. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airline, hotel chain, or product manufacturer/service provider, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Please check out our advertiser policy for further details about our partners, and thanks for your support!
Every month I make a post with what I consider to be the best credit card offers at the time, with a particular focus on the best travel credit cards. It’s always a great time to start getting your points strategy in order, so you’re ready to plan your dream trip when the time is right.
While there are several excellent long-standing credit card offers, the specifics of the top offers are constantly changing (be it the annual fee, minimum spending requirement, or even amount of the welcome bonus).
If you read my blog on a daily basis then by all means skip this post, but for me it’s a useful, “current” place to refer people who ask about which cards they should apply for, a question I get on a daily basis.
Simply put, most people want to travel better, but don’t know how. One of the best ways to improve your travel experience is to pick up an excellent credit card that can add value to you.
After all, doesn’t this…
…look better than this?
When applying for a credit card, consider three main points:
In this post I’m focusing primarily on the welcome bonuses, which can be one of the best ways to get rewarded quickly. Often a good credit card bonus will be enough to earn you an international ticket in first or business class, which many would otherwise assume is off limits.
Let’s look at some of the best credit card welcome bonuses that are available this month. Here are what I consider the 15 best to be:
Current offer: 150,000 Venture miles after spending $30,000 within three months
Annual fee: $395 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: Not only does the Venture X Business offer an excellent welcome bonus, but it’s also incredibly lucrative. The card offers a variety of perks, including a $300 annual travel credit, 10K bonus anniversary miles, a Priority Pass membership, access to Capital One Lounges, and more.
This is a well-rounded card for the welcome bonus, the perks, and the return on everyday spending. While the spending requirement is significant, I value the welcome bonus on this card at $2,550.
Current offer: 90,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 within three months
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: The Ink cards have extremely generous category bonuses that help sole proprietorships and small businesses maximize points on everyday credit card spending. This card offers 3x points on the first $150,000 spent annually in combined purchases on travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines, each account anniversary year. The card’s bonus is also in line with the best publicly available offer we’ve seen on the card.
This is a card that’s good for both for the welcome bonus and for everyday spending. I value the welcome bonus on this card at $1,530.
Current offer: A two-part bonus:
Annual fee: $150 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: This card is offering a huge bonus of $2,000 cash back after meeting the $30,000 spend requirement in 3 months, but also offers a further $2,000 cash bonus for every $500k spent during the first year. This is an all around great card, as it ordinarily offers 2% cash back with no caps and no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees). Best of all, rewards can even be converted into Capital One miles at the rate of one cent per mile, making this even more lucrative. This is a card that’s good for both for the welcome bonus and for everyday spending.
Current offer: 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $6,000 within six months
Annual fee: $650 annual fee (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: There are lots of reasons to get Marriott’s most premium card, including that it offers Platinum status for as long as you have the card, up to $300 in annual dining credits, an annual free night reward, and more. I value Marriott Bonvoy points at ~0.7 cents each, so I value the welcome bonus at $1,295.
Current offer: The Ink Unlimited is offering 90,000 points after spending $6,000 within six months, while the Ink Cash is offering 35,000 points after spending $3,000 within three months, plus another 40,000 points after spending a total of $6,000 within six months
Annual fee: no annual fee
Why it’s a great offer: While these are two different cards, they have excellent welcome bonuses and both don’t have an annual fee, so I’ll cover them in the same section here. The Ink Cash offers 5x points in useful categories (on the first $25,000 spent per cardmember year on office supply stores, internet, cable TV, mobile phones, and landlines), and the Ink Unlimited offers 1.5x points on all purchases.
For both cards, points can be pooled with the Ultimate Rewards points earned on cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Assuming you have one of these Ink cards in conjunction with one accruing premium Ultimate Rewards points, I value the welcome bonuses on these cards at $1,275 for the Ink Cash and $1,530 for the Ink Unlimited.
Current offer: The Capital One Venture Card is now offering a two-part welcome bonus:
Annual fee: $95 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: This card has an excellent welcome bonus. This is a rewarding card, and offers 2x Capital One miles on all purchases, plus several great perks. You won’t find a better mid-range credit card for everyday spending. I value the welcome bonus on this card at $1,525.
Current offer: 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 within three months
Annual fee: $375 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: In addition to a great welcome bonus, this is also one of the best Amex business cards for earning Membership Rewards points, given the 4x points categories. I value the welcome bonus at $1,700.
Current offer: 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 within six months
Annual fee: $695 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: The Amex Platinum is a perks-rich card, offering an up to $300 in statement credits each year on a digital or club membership at Equinox, $240 annual digital entertainment credit, $200 annual airline fee credit, $200 annual Uber credit, $200 annual hotel credit (min 2-night stay required for Hotel Collection, 1 night for Fine Hotels & Resorts), up to $199 annual CLEAR credit, $100 annual Saks credit, lounge access, and so much more. (Enrollment is required for select benefits)
Current offer: For a limited time, get a $0 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) and 50,000 bonus miles after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: This card has a nice welcome offer, and features lots of valuable perks. You can receive an Alaska companion fare from $122 when you spend $6,000 on the card annually, priority boarding, a first checked bag free, 20% savings on inflight purchases, and more. I value the welcome bonus at $750, not including the companion fare.
Current offer: 70,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $7,000 within three months
Annual fee: $595 annual fee
Why it’s a great offer: A solid welcome offer, and lots of benefits from a full Admirals Club membership, to the ability to earn up to 20,000 Loyalty Points per year, to all kinds of travel perks on American. I value the welcome bonus on this card at $1,050.
Current offer: 70,000 ThankYou points after spending $4,000 within three months
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: This is an often-overlooked mid-range transferable points card, which has a solid bonus. It has excellent bonus categories, as it offers 3x points on gas, EV charging, dining, groceries, air travel, and hotels, and the card also offers up to a $100 annual hotel credit. I value Citi ThankYou points at 1.7 cents each, so to me the welcome bonus on this card is worth $1,190.
Current offer: 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within three months
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: This card has a solid welcome bonus, and offers bonus points on dining and travel, great travel protection, and more. Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to Singapore KrisFlyer, United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt, and many other programs. See this post to understand eligibility for the Chase Sapphire Preferred. I value Ultimate Rewards points at ~1.7 cents each, so to me the welcome bonus is worth $1,020.
Current offer: 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 and receive 20% back on restaurant spending worldwide, up to $100, both within the first six months of card membership
Annual fee: $325 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: The Amex Gold was refreshed in 2021, and has a solid bonus of 60K points. Not only does it offer 4x Membership Rewards points on dining (on up to the first $50,000 each calendar year and then 1x) and 4x points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases (then 1x), but the card also offers up to $424 in additional dining-related benefits. I value the welcome bonus at $1,120.
Current offer: 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 within three months.
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: While these are three different cards, they all have the same solid welcome bonuses, and points are transferrable between the various Avios programs. Each card has different perks tailored to the specific airline, and you can find a comparison of them here. I value Avios at 1.3 cents each, so to me the welcome bonus on these cards are worth $975.
Current offer: Limited Time through 9/26/24: Up to 75,000 World of Hyatt points — the offer is in two parts:
Annual fee: $199
Why it’s a great offer: There are lots of reasons to consider Hyatt’s business card, including the excellent bonus being offered. The card offers up to $100 in Hyatt statement credits every year, you receive Discoverist status for you and up to five employees, and spending on the card can help you earn World of Hyatt elite nights. I value World of Hyatt points at ~1.5 cents each, so I value the welcome bonus at $1,125.
Before applying for cards, makes sure you’re aware of the rules each bank has for credit card applications.
One of the common misconceptions people have is that they think applying for credit cards will hurt their credit. The opposite is largely true, actually. Assuming you use your credit responsibly (and make payments on time, don’t utilize too much of your credit, etc.), applying for credit cards can actually help your credit.
Lastly, if you are going to apply for credit cards, make sure you do so responsibly — only apply for them if you have self-control and won’t end up in debt, and try to pay your balance in full every month, or else the interest charges will negate any rewards earned.
The above are just some of the best credit card offers right now, though there are so many others to choose from.
If you’re already into miles & points but don’t have some of the above cards, consider applying. If you’re new to miles & points, now is the time to get started (and I think something like the Capital One Venture X (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred, Citi Strata Premier, or American Express Gold, are great options to start).
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees), American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees).
