The best credit card deals and bonuses this week: December 11, 2020

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If you’re trying to decide on the best credit card for you, it’s important to consider the types of rewards you like to earn, your spending habits, and any preferences around banks or loyalty programs. Sometimes, the decision is made a lot easier when credit card issuers launch limited-time elevated offers — and right now we’re seeing several cards with all-time-high welcome bonuses. 

Some of these deals are ending very soon, like the increased offer on the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card, which expires December 14. Others, such as the huge bonuses on the Chase Ink Business cards, don’t have a specified end date yet, but won’t be around forever.

Beyond these big offers (some of which are 100,000 points or more), it’s a good time to apply for a credit card with the holiday shopping season in full swing. You can use your increased expenses on gifts, food, and travel this month to meet the minimum spending requirement for the bonus — then enjoy the rewards later as a belated holiday gift to yourself.

Capital One Venture card

You can Earn 60,000 bonus miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 Capital One miles are worth $600 in travel, but to unlock the full bonus you’ll need to spend $3,000 in 3 months.

Along with a big bonus, there are plenty of other reasons to consider the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card offer. If you prefer moving your miles to one of Capital One’s airline and hotel transfer partners, that’s an option too. 

United Explorer card: Earn up to 70,000 MileagePlus miles

You have a little more time to decide if the increased offer on the United℠ Explorer Card is a right fit for you. Until January 13, 2021, you can earn up to 70,000 United miles: 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open (plus, an additional 10k bonus miles after you spend $6,000 in the first 6 months).

Like Southwest, United miles don’t expire, so there’s no harm in building a stash of miles now to use for flights on United or its partners later. Keep in mind that both United and Southwest are Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners, so if you value flexibility you might be better off with cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

American Express Marriott cards: Earn up to 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Both Amex-issued Marriott Bonvoy credit cards have limited-time increased bonuses that are ending on January 13, 2021. 

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card‘s elevated bonus is double the usual offer: Earn up to 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn an additional 25,000 bonus points after your first anniversary of Card Membership. Offer Expires 1/13/2021. 

And for small-business owners, the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card also has a Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Earn up to $150 in statement credits within your first 6 months of Card Membership for all eligible purchases on your Card on U.S. Advertising in select Media. Plus receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status for one year (February 1, 2021-January 31, 2022). Offer ends 1/13/21.

Either of these cards would be a good pick if you like staying with Marriott brands and can use the automatic elite status each card provides. However, if you’re not up to traveling just yet, be aware that Marriott points do expire after  24 months have passed without qualifying activity in your account — but due to COVID, the chain has paused points expiration until August 1, 2021.

We didn’t see any new increased welcome bonuses this week, but a couple of interesting promotions popped up that are worth a look.

American Express Hilton Aspire: Gift free elite status for a year

This week, Hilton announced a new promotion and it’s an especially good deal for Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card holders. Starting next week through January 31, 2021, Diamond elite members  — including those who hold the status through an Amex Hilton card — can gift a year of free Gold elite status to a friend or family member. 

That’s a generous gift because Hilton Gold status comes with perks like free breakfast and room upgrades. It’s not the only path to complimentary Hilton status though — cards like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express also include Gold status as a benefit.

Amex Delta Platinum and Reserve: Get 25% more MQMs with Status Boost in 2021

Delta Air Lines has already made pandemic-related improvements to its SkyMiles loyalty program, including extending 2020 Medallion status through January 31, 2022, and rolling over all Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) earned in 2020 to 2021.

This week, Amex and Delta made another customer-friendly change. In 2021, Delta Platinum and Reserve cardholders will earn 25% more MQMs when they meet existing spending thresholds on the personal and small-business versions of these cards. For Delta flyers looking to qualify for elite status in 2021, this is a welcome boost.

Amex Platinum card: Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards points

The elevated welcome offer on The Platinum Card® from American Express continues to generate buzz, especially since it’s got a unique twist that can give you a real boost in rewards earned from holiday shopping. In addition to the intro bonus of 75,000 points after you spend at least $5,000 in your first 6 months of account opening, new cardholders can earn 10x points per dollar spent at US gas stations and US supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined spending (then 1x) in the first six months of account opening.

Even if you’re not traveling right now, the Amex Platinum 75k bonus is worth considering: Between up to $200 in Uber credits (including Uber Eats) and up to $100 in Saks credits each calendar year, plus the ability to use Membership Rewards points for a wide variety of redemptions, it’s easy to get a ton of value from Platinum Card.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Cash: Earn $750 cash back

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and Ink Business Cash® Credit Card increased welcome offers to earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening are still active this week.

Small-business owners who want to earn lots of rewards for end-of-year purchases can benefit from these all-time-high offers, especially during this busy holiday season. Keep in mind the Chase Ultimate Rewards points you’ll earn from these cards aren’t just good for cash back — you’ve got options to redeem for travel, and even more flexibility (like transferring to Chase airline and hotel partners) if you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card in your wallet.

American Express Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points

The increased welcome offer on the American Express® Gold Card has stuck around for a while, and it’s still worth a  look, especially since one of its key benefits is about to reset at the end of the year.

Along with 60,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 6 months of account opening, the American Express® Gold Card earns 4x Membership Rewards points on up to $25,000 spent at US supermarkets each calendar year (then 1x). This perk alone puts the card high on our list of top credit cards for buying groceries.

It’s also a good credit card for dining, because it earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery) with no cap. 

Chase Southwest personal cards: Earn up to 80,000 Rapid Rewards points

Last week brought increased welcome bonuses on the Chase Southwest personal cards, which are all offering up to 80,000 points (50,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months ,and an additional 30,000 points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 9 months). Because Southwest points are, on average, worth 1.5 cents each toward airfare, the bonus is worth about $1,200 in flights.

These are the highest bonuses ever offered on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card. Because Southwest points don’t expire, this is a terrific opportunity to stock up on Rapid Rewards points — and save them for when you’re ready to travel again. 

The timing of these elevated Southwest card bonuses is perfect if you have your eye on earning the Southwest Companion Pass in 2021. Between the bonus and points from meeting the minimum spending requirement, you’ll be just 35,000 points shy of the 125,000 points required in a calendar year to qualify for the Companion Pass. 

Jasmin Baron is an associate editor at Personal Finance Insider, where she helps readers maximize rewards and find the best credit cards to fit their lifestyles. 

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