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Whether you’re looking to maximize your rewards on a fall road trip or planning ahead for a winter vacation, it’s a great time to open a new credit card — because the points, miles, and cash back you earn now could help pay for a trip when you’re ready to travel.
Nearly all of the big credit card issuers have recently launched massive offers and even brand-new cards, including some with record-high welcome bonuses of 100,000 points or more — but many are for a limited time.
These include one of the most compelling offers we’ve ever seen — a record-high bonus of 100,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of opening the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
There’s also a terrific offer on The Platinum Card® from American Express
to earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership, plus 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of card membership. Amex recently raised the annual fee to $695 (See Rates), but also added numerous new benefits that can more than offset the fee bump.
Read more: The best current credit card offers of August 2021
Other improved offers to consider include rarely seen welcome bonuses on the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, new bonuses on three Amex Hilton cards, and a 5x grocery bonus on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
If you need to boost your stash of airline miles, it’s worth looking at the six-figure bonuses on Chase’s Avios-earning cards, and increased offers for the United℠ Explorer Card, United Gateway℠ Card, and United℠ Business Card.
With new offers constantly popping up, you’ve got an excellent opportunity to take advantage of an increased credit card bonus now, so you’re set up with points you can use for flights, hotels, and more when you’re finally ready to hit the road.
Here are some of the best credit card offers to consider this week.
Best credit card offers this week
Flexible rewards credit card bonuses
Regular APR
15.99% – 23.99% Variable
Credit Score
Good to Excellent
Featured Reward
80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Pros
- Strong sign-up bonus
- Generous bonus categories
Cons
- Doesn’t offer much in the way of statement credits or other perks
- Citi ThankYou Rewards may not be as convenient as other points for US-based travelers
- Earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Transferable credit card points are best if you value flexibility because there are so many ways to redeem them. With programs like American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Rewards, you’ve got options that include:
Our favorite under-the-radar card — the Citi Premier® Card — is offering a record-high welcome bonus, and it offers excellent earnings in categories that fit well whether you’re sticking close to home or on the road. You’ll earn 3x points on air travel, gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
If you’ve been on the fence about applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — one of the very best rewards credit cards, especially if you’re new to travel points and miles — now is the time to pull the trigger. The card offers a staggering 100,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Read more: Chase Sapphire Preferred card review
That’s worth $1,000 in cash back, $1,250 in travel booked through Chase or for statement credits toward eligible purchases through Pay Yourself back, and potentially much more if you transfer to Chase’s airline and hotel partners for award travel.
Another excellent deal is one of the best cards with premium travel and shopping benefits, The Platinum Card® from American Express. You can currently earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership, plus 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of card membership — here’s our Amex Platinum card review for all the details.
Read more: Amex and Chase points are the two most valuable types of credit card rewards — here are their biggest differences
Small-business credit card bonuses
Regular APR
14.24 – 22.24 Variable
Credit Score
Good to Excellent
Featured Reward
100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within your first 3 months of card membership
Pros
- More travel benefits than you’ll find on any other business credit card
- Generous airport lounge access options, from American Express Centurion Lounges to Priority Pass (enrollment required)
- Complimentary hotel elite status (enrollment required)
- Access to Amex concierge services
Cons
- Very high annual fee
- Limited opportunities to earn bonus points
- Annual statement credits won’t be useful for everyone
- Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
- Get 50% more Membership Rewards® points. That’s an extra half point per dollar, on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more. You can get up to 1 million additional points per year.
- 35% Airline Bonus: Use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points for all or part of a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 35% of the points back, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year when you book on amextravel.com.
- Breeze through security with CLEAR® where available and get up to $179 back per year on your membership when you use your Card.
- Enroll to get up to $200 in statement credits annually by getting up to $100 semi-annually for U.S. purchases with Dell. Terms apply.
- Pay Over Time Option: A flexible payment option to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more.
- Terms Apply.
Read Our Review
If you’re a small-business owner, opening a small-business credit card can offer a lot of benefits. Keeping your business and personal expenses separate makes it easier to keep track of expenses, and many cards offer bonus points, miles, or cash back in popular business spending categories.
Read more: The best small-business credit cards of 2021
You don’t have to own a full-time business or make millions to be eligible to apply — even if you’re a freelancer or have a side gig, you could qualify for a small-business card. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card are both offering 100,000 points after meeting minimum spending requirements, and, depending on how you redeem them, you could get a value of $1,800 or more from these bonuses.
The recent annual-fee increase on the personal Platinum Card actually makes the Amex Business Platinum Card a more compelling choice, since its annual fee is a full $100 less than the personal version (See Rates) — but it comes with many of the same benefits and credits.
Cash-back credit card bonuses
Annual Fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Regular APR
13.99% to 23.99% variable APR
Featured Reward
20% back on Amazon.com purchases (up to $200 back) in your first 6 months of Card Membership, plus $150 back as a statement credit after you spend $3,000 on the Card within the first 6 months
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening
Pros
- Generous bonus rewards, especially at U.S. supermarkets
- One of a small handful of credit cards that offer bonus rewards on select streaming services
- Intro APR offer
Cons
- Unlike many other cash-back cards, it charges an annual fee
- If you spend more than $6,000 at US supermarkets each year, you’ll want to use another card once you reach that cap
- Earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $200 back.
- Plus, earn $150 back after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. You will receive cash back in the form of statement credits.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- 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, 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.
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
- Terms Apply.
Read Our Review
Our top pick for the best cash-back credit card overall, the Citi® Double Cash Card, doesn’t currently offer a welcome bonus. And other excellent options, like the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, and the new Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, aren’t exclusively cash-back cards (though they’re marketed that way).
Read more: The best cash back credit cards of 2021
You’ll also earn 6% cash back on your first $6,000 in U.S. supermarket spending each year (then 1% back), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services, 3% back on U.S. gas stations and transit, and 1% back on all other eligible purchases (cash back is earned in the form of Rewards Dollars).
Airline credit card bonuses
Regular APR
16.49% – 23.49% Variable
Credit Score
Good to Excellent
Featured Reward
80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open, plus an additional 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $10,000 in the first 6 months
Pros
- Substantial sign-up bonus of up to 100,000 miles
- A free first and second checked bag can save you and a companion up to $320 round-trip
- Up to $125 in annual credits toward United purchases can offset half the annual fee
- 5,000-mile award flight credit can help you stretch your United miles
Cons
- High $250 annual fee
- Card doesn’t offer United Club lounge access or passes
- Earn 80k bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, an additional 20k bonus miles after you spend $10,000 in the first 6 months
- $250 Annual Fee
- Earn 3X miles on United® purchases, 2X miles at restaurants, on select streaming services & all other travel, 1X on all other purchases
- Earn 3X miles on United Airlines purchases
- Earn 2X miles at restaurants and on select streaming services
- Earn 2X miles on all other travel
- Earn 1X mile on all other purchases
- Each year, receive a $125 credit on United® purchases and two 5k-mile anniversary award flight credits. Terms apply.
If you’re a United Airlines flyer, you’re spoiled for choice right now with a whopping five Chase United credit cards with increased bonuses to pick from. Because United miles don’t expire, it’s a great time to earn more United MileagePlus miles for a trip when you’re ready to travel again.
Read more: The best airline credit cards of 2021
This includes the new New United Quest℠ Card, which is a great option if you check luggage on United flights frequently — it offers two free checked bags for yourself and a companion when you use the card to pay for your ticket (or the taxes and fees on an award ticket).
Hotel credit card bonuses
Annual Fee
$89 (waived the first year)
Regular APR
15.99% – 22.99% Variable
Credit Score
Good to Excellent
Featured Reward
150,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening
Pros
- Anniversary reward night can be worth more than the annual fee
Cons
- Could offer better rewards on non-IHG purchases
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening
- Enjoy a Reward Night after each account anniversary year at eligible IHG hotels worldwide. Plus, enjoy a reward night when you redeem points for any stay of 4 or more nights
- Earn up to 25 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier card member
- Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Fee Credit of up to $100 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- IHG Rewards Club Bonus points are redeemable at hotels such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
Read Our Review
Several hotel credit cards are offering increased bonuses — including the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, Hilton Honors American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.
There’s also a unique elevated offer on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card. New cardholders can earn 3 Free Nights (valued up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10x total points per $1 spent on up to $2,500 in combined purchases in select categories within your first 6 months.
Marriott points are worth, on average, 0.7 cents each according to Insider’s points and miles valuations, so you can expect to get around $1,225 in value if you redeem your free nights at 50,000-point hotels and max out the 10x grocery, gas, and dining bonus.
Read more: The best hotel credit cards of 2021
Keep in mind that most hotel chains, including Marriott and Hilton, have temporarily paused points expiration due to the pandemic, so there’s no harm in earning points now for a vacation down the road.
100,000 points
Good to Excellent
Featured Reward
3 Free Nights (valued up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10x total points per $1 spent on up to $2,500 in combined purchases in select categories within your first 6 months
Credit Needed
Good to Excellent
Featured Reward
$200 after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Credit Needed
Good to Excellent