With the busy summer travel season approaching, it’s an excellent time to boost your points, miles, and cash back balances by opening a new credit card. There are dozens of lucrative offers currently available — including increased bonuses and even brand-new cards from major card issuers. Many are record-high welcome bonuses of 100,000 points or more — but some are only available for a limited time.
Credit card news this week
It’s your last chance to apply for the huge offer on the much-loved Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Until June 1, 2022, you can earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $800 in cash back, $1,000 in travel booked through Chase, or $1,440 or more when you transfer points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners for award travel.
Southwest flyers have new welcome bonus offers to consider on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card — and they’re among the highest we’ve ever seen. Through July 11, 2022, all three cards are offering 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (worth around $1,050 in flights, based on Insider’s valuations). These bonuses and points earned from spending on the cards also count toward the Southwest Companion Pass, which can get you nearly 2-for-1 travel once you qualify for it.
New offers are landing constantly, which makes for an excellent opportunity to take advantage of an increased credit card bonus to set you up with rewards you can use for travel or to offset your everyday expenses..
Here are some of the best credit card offers to consider this week.
Flexible rewards credit card bonuses
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent
- Long list of travel benefits, including airport lounge access and complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott (enrollment required)
- Annual statement credits with Saks and Uber
- Bonus categories leave something to be desired
- One of the highest annual fees among premium travel cards
Read Our Review
- Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. And if you fly, you can receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year after you select a qualifying airline and incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups are excluded.
- American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. There are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $25 back each month on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. CLEAR® is available at select airports and stadiums.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
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:
- Transferring points to airline and hotel partners
- Redeeming points directly for travel at a fixed rate
- Turning points into cash back or statement credits
- Cashing in points for gift cards, merchandise, and more
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has long been one of the most popular travel rewards cards, and right now it’s got a bonus that’s 20,000 points higher than the usual offer. New cardholders can earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening — an excellent value for a modest $95 annual fee.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with outstanding travel and purchase protections, along with useful perks that include up to $50 in annual credits toward hotels booked through Chase and a 10% points bonus on your account anniversary. Here’s our full Chase Sapphire Preferred review for all the details.
If you missed out on the 100,000-mile Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card bonus that ended recently, there’s still good reason to consider the card. The new offer to earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening is worth $750 in travel when you redeem miles at a rate of 1 cent each to erase eligible travel bookings. But you could potentially get even more value when you transfer Capital One miles to airline and hotel partners for award travel.
Our favorite under-the-radar card is the Citi Premier® Card. It offers excellent earnings in categories that fit well whether you’re sticking close to home or on the road — 3x points on air travel, gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
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 — here’s our Amex Platinum card review to learn more.
Small-business credit card bonuses
Regular APR
16.24%–21.24% variable APR
Recommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- With Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoring
- With Zero Liability you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more – your points don’t expire as long as your account is open
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
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.
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 six-figure bonuses after meeting minimum spending requirements, and, depending on how you redeem them, you could get a value of $2,160 for the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and $1,800 for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Cash-back credit card bonuses
Annual Fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Regular APR
14.74% – 24.74% Variable
Recommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent
- 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
- 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
Read Our Review
- Earn a $300 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months after account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
- Low intro APR: 0% for 12 months on purchases from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 14.74% to 24.74%
- 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.
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
- Terms Apply.
Our top pick for the best cash-back credit card overall, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (Rates & Fees), is a good pick if you prefer a strong 2% cash rewards rate on your purchases. Other excellent options, like the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, and the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, aren’t exclusively cash-back cards (though they’re marketed that way) — and they, too, are worth considering.
But right now, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an elevated welcome bonus offer that can help you offset some of your upcoming expenses. New cardholders can earn a $300 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months.
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
16.74% – 23.74% Variable
Recommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent
- Limited-time offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
- 6,000 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
- Earn 2X points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming.
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
- All points earned count towards Companion Pass®.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Be sure to check out the new intro offer on the three personal Southwest cards. For a limited time, you can earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. If you’re trying to earn the Southwest Companion Pass in 2022, these welcome bonus offers can get you halfway to the 125,000 points you’ll need to qualify.
The United℠ Explorer Card and its elevated welcome bonus offer are a great deal for casual and frequent United travelers. This card comes with a free checked bag on United flights (when you use the card to pay for your ticket), priority boarding, two one-time United Club passes each year, and excellent travel and purchase protections.
The new Aeroplan® Credit Card isn’t just for Air Canada flyers — along with a hefty welcome bonus offer, it comes with great bonus categories, spending bonuses, and will soon offer the unique ability to redeem up to 50,000 Aeroplan points per year at a rate of 1.25 cents apiece toward any travel purchase through Chase Pay Yourself Back.
Hotel credit card bonuses
Regular APR
16.49% – 25.49% Variable
Recommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent
- Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, you can earn up to $100 in Statement Credits on eligible purchases made on the Card at any of the Hilton family hotels in the first 12 months of Membership.
- Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
- No Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Now is a good time to consider a Hilton credit card, especially if you have paid Hilton stays coming up. For a limited time, three Hilton cards come with elevated bonuses that include statement credits toward purchases at Hilton hotels:
- Hilton Honors American Express Card — 100,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in purchases on the card in the first 3 months of card membership, and up to $100 in statement credits on eligible Hilton family hotel purchases in the first 12 months
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
— 130,000 points after spending $2,000 in eligible purchases on the card in the first 3 months of card membership, and up to $130 in statement credits on eligible Hilton family hotel purchases in the first 12 months - The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card — 130,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in purchases on the card in the first 3 months of card membership, and up to $130 in statement credits on eligible Hilton family hotel purchases in the first 12 months (offer expires 7/6/22)
IHG fans now have three co-branded credit cards to choose from, and they’re all offering excellent bonuses:
- IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card — 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card — 120,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening (all-time-high offer)
- IHG® Rewards Premier Business Credit Card — 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (new card)
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card currently offers a welcome bonus offer of 3 free nights (each worth up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Insider estimates that Marriott points are worth 0.7 cents each, making this bonus potentially worth $1,050. Plus, now that Marriott allows members to top-up reward certificates with up to 15,000 points, these certificates are much more versatile — and therefore valuable.
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. Additionally, Hilton permanently extended its points expiration window to 24 months (from 15 months).
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