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The best credit card welcome bonuses of August 2021:
Card
Welcome bonus
Platinum Card® from American Express
60,000 points after your spend at least $5,000 in your first 3 months of account opening (elevated offer)
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
75,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 within your first 3 months of account opening (elevated offer)
American Express® Gold Card
60,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 6 months of account opening (elevated offer)
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (elevated offer)
American Express® Business Gold Card
American Express® Business Gold Card (elevated offer)
Citi Premier® Card
60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening (elevated offer)
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening (elevated offer)
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase Sapphire Reserve® after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening (elevated offer)
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
100,000 points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (elevated offer)
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
$750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (elevated offer)
Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Freedom Flex℠
$200 after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening
5% back (5x points) at grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 in spending during the first year of account opening (then 1x) (elevated offer)
New United Quest℠ Card, United℠ Explorer Card, United Club℠ Infinite Card, United℠ Business Card, United Gateway℠ Card
Increased welcome bonuses (elevated offers)
Hilton Honors American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening (elevated offer)
British Airways Visa Signature® Card, Iberia Visa Signature® Card, Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card
British Airways Visa Signature® Card (elevated offer)
If you want to earn lots of points, miles, or cash back quickly, the best strategy is to apply for a rewards credit card and earn its welcome bonus. You’ll usually have to meet a minimum spending requirement in a specified time frame (typically a few months), and it’s well worth the effort to unlock a big bonus.
Even better, many top travel rewards cards are currently offering record-high welcome bonuses. Some of these offers are only available for a limited time, so you shouldn’t wait long to apply.
The best credit card welcome offers available now
Platinum Card® from American Express
American Express Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express is offering one of the most lucrative bonuses we’ve seen in recent months: The Platinum Card® from American Express.
The annual fee recently increased by $145, to $550. However, if you can put these new perks to use – and maximize the 10x categories of the welcome bonus in the first six months – you can get thousands of dollars worth of value from the Platinum Card.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Small-business owners have a big opportunity to earn a massive amount of points with the limited-time welcome bonus on The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. Like the personal Platinum Card, there’s a hefty annual fee – $595(See Review) – but it’s more than worth it if you can maximize the card’s perks.
Amex Business Platinum Card members get some of the same perks as personal cardholders, including airline fee credits, hotel elite status, and airport lounge access. You can also receive up to $200 in Dell statement credits** per year, and get a 35% points rebate when you redeem points for first- or business-class tickets, or for any fare with your selected airline, through Amex Travel (up to 500,000 points back per calendar year).
If you like earning cash back and spend a lot on groceries and streaming services, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is tough to beat. It’s now offering a Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, and earns 6% back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 in spending per calendar year (then 1%).
You’ll also earn 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis, rideshares, parking, tolls, trains, and buses), and 1% cash back on everything else (cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars). If you max out the $6,000 limit at U.S. supermarkets, you could earn $360 in cash back each year just from that category alone – that’s more than enough to offset the annual fee of Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American ExpressBlue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express – Rates & Fees.
American Express® Business Gold Card
American Express® Business Gold Card
The American Express® Business Gold Card normally offers 35,000 points after meeting minimum spending requirements, so this limited-time bonus is double the usual points. If you can maximize the credits you’ll do even better, because they can more than offset the card’s American Express® Business Gold Card annual fee American Express® Business Gold Card – Rates & Fees .
One reason the card has remained popular with small-business owners is the ability to earn 4x Amex Membership Rewards points in the top two categories you spend the most in each month, on up to $150,000 in combined purchases each year (then 1x). These categories include airfare purchased directly from airlines, US gas stations, US restaurants, US shipping providers, US computer hardware, software, and cloud systems from select technology providers, and US purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio).
In addition to offering a record-high bonus of 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening, the Citi Premier Card stands out for its pandemic-friendly bonus categories, including 3 points per dollar at restaurants and supermarkets. This makes the card a great option for maximizing your everyday purchases – because everyone has to eat.
The Citi Premier® Card also comes with a hotel savings benefit that can offset its entire $95 annual fee. This perk will save you $100 once per calendar year when you book a hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) through ThankYou.com.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
You can’t go wrong with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – it’s one of the best to start with if you’re new to credit card rewards (or if you don’t want to pay the Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual fee on its premium sibling, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®).
The more premium sibling of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is offering Chase Sapphire Reserve® after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening – an increase of 10,000 points over the usual offer. It also earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, allows transfers to Chase airline and hotel partners, and offers the same variety of options for points redemption as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a Chase Sapphire Reserve® annual fee – substantially higher than the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. However, if you can make use of the card’s additional benefits – especially if you’re traveling – the annual fee is certainly worth it.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers the highest welcome bonus among Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points: 100,000 points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Plus, it has generous bonus categories – you’ll earn 3 points per dollar in the first $150,000 in combined purchases you make on categories including travel, shipping, and advertising (and 1 point per dollar on everything else). This card has a Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card annual fee, and it offers benefits like primary rental car insurance when you’re renting a car for business purposes and cell phone protection.
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
If you’re looking for Chase small-business card but don’t want to meet the hefty spending requirement on the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, the no-annual-fee Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a great alternative. You’ll earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening – awarded as 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a good pick if you spend a lot in the card’s bonus categories: 5% cash back (5x points) on the first $25,000 spent (then 1x) in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services each account anniversary year, 2% back (2x points) on the first $25,000 spent (then 1x) in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year, and 1% back (1x points) on all other purchases with no cap.
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Some small-business owners don’t want to fuss with bonus categories or spending limits. If that’s your style, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is an easy pick – it earns 1.5% cash back (1.5x points) on all eligible purchases with no caps.
It’s also offering a bonus of $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) and has no annual fee. Although you won’t have the opportunity to earn bonus points in popular business categories, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a good fit if you value simplicity and straightforward earning.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is one of the best cash-back cards you can get, and it now offers one of the most generous intro bonuses, too. You can earn $200 after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening (20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points). New cardholders can also earn 5% back (5x points) at grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 in spending during the first year of account opening (then 1x).
You’ll earn 5% cash back (5x points) on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3% cash back (3x) on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% cash back (1.5x) on everything else. You can even pair the Chase Freedom Unlimited® with one of Chase’s travel cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and unlock the ability to transfer points to partners like Hyatt, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines.
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Chase Freedom Flex℠
The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex℠ has the same great welcome offer as the Chase Freedom Unlimited®: a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points). New cardholders can also earn 5% back (5x points) at grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 in spending during the first year of account opening (then 1x)
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns 5% cash back (5x points) on rotating quarterly bonus categories after activation (on up to $1,500 spent per quarter, then 1%), 5% back (5x) on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% back (3x) on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1% back (1x) on everything else.
New United Quest℠ Card
New United Quest℠ Card
The New United Quest℠ Card is the most recent addition to Chase’s lineup of United credit cards. With a United Quest Credit Card annual fee, the United Quest Credit Card falls in between the United℠ Explorer Card (annual fee of United℠ Explorer Card) and the premium United Club℠ Infinite Card (United Club℠ Infinite Card annual fee), and it comes with benefits that can make it well worth the yearly cost.
Cardholders receive up to $125 in annual credits toward United purchases, a 5,000-mile credit on award flights up to two times a year after your first cardmember anniversary, and a free first and second checked bag on United flights for themselves and one companion on the same reservation. The card also offers up to $100 credit for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, travel protections like primary car rental insurance, and complimentary upgrades on award tickets for Premier members.
United℠ Explorer Card
United℠ Explorer Card
The United℠ Explorer Card is the best all-around card for United flyers, because, on United flights, cardholders and a companion on the same reservation receive a free first checked bag when they pay with the card. You’ll also get priority boarding, a 25% discount on inflight food, beverage, and Wi-Fi purchases, and two one-time United Club passes each anniversary year (worth $59 apiece).
Normally, the bonus on the United℠ Explorer Card is 40,000 miles after meeting minimum spending requirements, but the new offer is United℠ Explorer Card. The annual fee is United℠ Explorer Card, and you’ll also get up to $100 in statement credit for the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years.
United Club℠ Infinite Card
United Club℠ Infinite Card
If you fly United frequently and enjoy airport lounge access, you should consider the United Club℠ Infinite Card, with a new bonus of United Club℠ Infinite Card. There’s a United Club℠ Infinite Card annual fee, but in return, cardholders receive a full United Club airport lounge membership. Normally, a membership costs $650, so this is a better deal compared to paying directly for this privilege.
Cardholders receive up to two free checked bags for the cardholder and one companion on United flights, Premier Access (priority check-in, security screening, boarding, and baggage handling when flying United), and a 25% discount on inflight food, beverages, and Wi-Fi aboard United-operated flights. If you have United Premier elite status and are traveling on an award ticket, you’ll also eligible for complimentary Premier upgrades on United-operated flights, subject to availability.
United℠ Business Card
United℠ Business Card
Small-business owners should consider the increased bonus on the United℠ Business Card, which is offering United℠ Business Card. The annual fee is United℠ Business Card, which is very reasonable, especially considering the normal bonus on the card is just 60,000 miles.
Along with many of the same benefits as the personal United℠ Explorer Card (free checked bag, priority boarding, two one-time United Club passes each anniversary year, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit), the United℠ Business Card throws in some additional perks.
If you make seven or more United flight travel-related purchases of at least $100 in an account anniversary year with your United℠ Business Card, you will receive a $100 statement credit. And if you also have a personal Chase United card (like the United℠ Explorer Card or United Gateway℠ Card), you’ll receive a “better-together anniversary bonus” of 5,000 United miles each anniversary of your United℠ Business Card.
United Gateway℠ Card
United Gateway℠ Card
TheUnited Gateway℠ Card isn’t as flashy as other United cards, and it usually only offers a welcome bonus of 10,000 miles after meeting minimum spending requirements. But right now, the bonus has been bumped up to United Gateway℠ Card – not a bad deal for a card with no annual fee.
The Hilton Honors American Express Card is offering a new welcome bonus: Hilton Honors American Express Card. That’s a great deal for a card with no annual fee Hilton Honors American Express Card – Rates and Fees.
Cardholders receive perks including automatic Hilton Silver elite status, 7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels, 5 points per dollar at eligible U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and 3 points per eligible dollar everywhere else.
Plus, if you spend $20,000 or more on eligible purchases with the card in a calendar year, you’ll get an upgrade to Hilton Gold status, which gets you a better chance at upgrades and more benefits, like free breakfast.
The Hilton Honors American Express Card is one of only a handful of no-annual-fee travel cards without foreign transaction feesHilton Honors American Express Card – Rates and Fees, so it’s a good pick for international purchases.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
There’s also a new offer on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. You can earn a bonus of Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has a $95 annual fee Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card – Rates & Fees.
Normally, the annual fee isn’t waived for the first year, so this is a good opportunity to try out the card and its perks at no cost for the first 12 months to see if they’re a good fit for your spending and travel habits.
Along with earning lots of Hilton points, the card comes with automatic Hilton Gold elite status, which comes with perks like room upgrades, bonus earning on stays, and complimentary breakfast (currently awarded as a food and beverage credit). You’ll also receive a free weekend night (valid at almost any Hilton hotel) if you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year.
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
If you’re a small-business owner (even if you don’t own a full-time business – freelance and side-gig work can qualify you, too), the new offer on the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is worth a look.
You can earn The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.
The card earns 12x points at Hilton hotels and 6x points on a wide variety of eligible purchases: U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchases directly from U.S. service providers, U.S. purchases for shipping, U.S. restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel, and car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies. All other eligible purchases earn 3 points per dollar.
Like the Surpass, the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card comes with a free weekend night if you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year. Cardholders are eligible for a second free weekend night if they spend a total of $60,000 on the card in a calendar year.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card is offering an elevated welcome bonus of Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card.
Cardholders earn up to 17 points per dollar at Marriott Bonvoy hotels (6x points from the card, up to 10x points from being a Marriott Bonvoy member, and 1x point from the Silver status that comes with the card), and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card annual fee is more than worth it if you can make the most of the card’s annual free night benefit. Each year on your card anniversary, you’ll receive a free night certificate – valid at Marriott hotels that cost 35,000 points or less – and if you redeem it at higher-category hotels, you can get a value that far exceeds the annual cost to keep the card.
Cardholders also get automatic Marriott Silver status, travel protections including baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip delay reimbursement, and purchase protection.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is offering Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.
The IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card comes with a welcome bonus of 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening, which is enough for up to 15 award nights at the lowest-priced IHG hotels (redemptions start at 10,000 points per night).
The IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card comes with an $89 (waived the first year) annual fee, but each year cardholders receive an anniversary award night valid at IHG hotels that cost up to 40,000 points. It’s easy to get a value that more than exceeds the annual fee from this perk alone.
British Airways Visa Signature® Card
British Airways Visa Signature® Card
All of Chase’s Avios-earning cards are currently offering the same elevated welcome bonus: British Airways Visa Signature® Card. New cardholders can also earn 5x Avios on flight purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL, and 3x Avios on accommodations booked directly with hotels (after the first year, you’ll earn 3x and 2x in these categories, respectively). The cards earn 1x Avios on all other purchases.
The British Airways Visa Signature® Card is ideal if you like to collect British Airways Avios points – and they’re not just good for flights to Europe.
British Airways is a Oneworld alliance member, which means you can redeem Avios from its program for flights on partner airlines, including American Airlines. Because British Airways has a distance-based award chart, shorter flights cost fewer Avios – for example, you’ll spend just 13,000 Avios each way in economy class for flights from the US West Coast to Hawaii on American or Alaska Airlines.
In addition, if you spend $30,000 or more on your British Airways Visa Signature® Card in a calendar year, you’ll receive a Travel Together Ticket, which gets you a second seat for a companion when you book a British Airways award flight originating in and returning to the US. You won’t have to pay any additional Avios for your companion, but you’ll be responsible for any taxes and fees (which can be quite hefty).
Iberia Visa Signature® Card
Iberia Visa Signature® Card
The Iberia Visa Signature® Card is also offering Iberia Visa Signature® Card and the same spending bonuses as the British Airways version.
Instead of a Travel Together Ticket, Iberia Visa Signature® Card cardholders will receive a $1,000 discount voucher when they spend $30,000 or more in a calendar year. It’s valid for use on the purchase of two paid tickets on the same itinerary, and you must book your tickets through Chase’s Iberia site to get the discount.
Iberia also uses a distance-based award chart and is a Oneworld member, so you can redeem Avios for partner flights, just with slightly different rules and pricing.
Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card
Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card
Like the British Airways and Iberia versions, the Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card is offering Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card.
Aer Lingus Avios aren’t quite as flexible as those attached to a British Airways or Iberia account, because the airline isn’t a Oneworld member so doesn’t have the range of partners available to book. That said, it’s easy to transfer Avios between your British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus accounts, so you can move your points to the program that best suits your needs whenever you’re ready to book an award flight.
You’ll receive a Companion Ticket after you spend $30,000 or more in a calendar year, but this one is a little different from the British Airways version. It’s only valid between the US and Ireland, on round-trip award flights originating in and returning to the US. However, your companion will fly completely free – there are no taxes, fees, or surcharges added to the second ticket – so this could represent a much better deal than the British Airways Travel Together Ticket.
Why earn credit card rewards in the middle of a pandemic?
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.
Frequently asked questions
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 few 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 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 Citi® Double Cash Card is one of our favorite cash-back credit cards, but it doesn’t offer a sign-up bonus. It could be worth forgoing an intro bonus if that card’s 2% cash back (1% back when you make a purchase, and another 1% back when you pay your bill) appeals to you.
