The space in your wallet or purse is valuable, and it's essential to maximize its worth. By being discerning and strategic, you can discover offers exceeding $500 for a single credit card, all designed to encourage you to apply and experience the benefits. This can translate to thousands of dollars in additional income (over $5,000 in 2023 so far).
Below are the top 10 credit card offers that I would personally consider applying for now or have already applied to. Recent notable changes:
- Added Aeroplan 100k, IHG 140k+credit, Hawaiian 65k
- Removed Southwest 75k, Wyndham 75k, JetBlue 75k, AmEx Green 60k+200, Delta 65k, AA Red 70k, Citi Premier 75k
This list complements my Top 10 Best Business Card Offers. Generally, small business bonuses are higher on average than those on consumer cards.
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Chase Aeroplan Credit Card:
- Up to 100,000 points – 75,000 points after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, plus 25,000 points after $20,000 in purchases in the first 12 months. 100,000 points are worth $1,250 in travel value on ANY airline with Pay Yourself Back®.
- Free first checked bags on Air Canada flights for the primary cardmember and up to eight other travelers on the same itinerary.
- Aeroplan 25K Elite Status benefits for the remainder of the first calendar year, plus the following calendar year.
- $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit.
- $95 annual fee.
- Subject to the 5/24 rule.
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Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card:
- 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $750 towards travel or transferrable to miles/points) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
- $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards(R), 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
- $95 annual fee.
- Subject to the 5/24 rule.*
- Upgrade pick: Chase Sapphire Reserve Card. Higher travel perks, including airport lounge access, with a higher annual fee.
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The Platinum Card from American Express:
- 80,000 Membership Rewards(R) points after $8,000 in purchases in the first 6 months.
- Various annual credits including $200 Hotel Credits, $240 Streaming Credits, $200 Airline Fee Credits, $200 Uber Cash, $189 CLEAR Credit, $300 Equinox credit, $155 Walmart+ credit, and more.
- $100 Global Entry or $85 TSA PreCheck fee credit.
- Premium airport lounge access through the American Express Global Lounge Collection®.
- $695 annual fee.
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Capital One Venture X Rewards Card:
- 75,000 miles (worth $750 towards travel or transferrable to miles) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
- $300 annual travel credit. Get up to $300 in statement credits when booking through Capital One Travel.
- Additional 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary.
- Priority Pass + Capital One airport lounge access. Additional cardholders are free, and they also get their own Priority Pass!
- Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
- $395 annual fee.
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American Express® Gold Card:
- 60,000 Membership Rewards points after $4,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Limited-time offer.
- $120 in Uber Cash annually (usable for Uber Eats or Uber rides in the US).
- $120 in annual dining credit at Grubhub, Seamless, and more.
- 4X points at restaurants.
- 4X points at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 per year.
- $250 annual fee.
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IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card:
- 140,000 IHG Rewards club points after $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $100 in IHG® statement credits on purchases at IHG® Hotels and Resorts during the first 12 months.
- Free Night after each account anniversary year (valued up to 40,000 IHG points).
- $99 annual fee.
- Subject to the 5/24 rule.
- Don’t like annual fees? The no-annual fee Traveler version now offers 80,000 IHG bonus points + $50 IHG credit.
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British Airways Visa Signature Card:
- 75,000 Avios after $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
- 10% off British Airways flights starting in the US when you book through the provided website.
- Free Travel Together companion ticket when you spend $30,000 in the calendar year.
- $95 annual fee.
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Chase United Explorer Card:
- 60,000 miles after $3,000 in purchases within 3 months.
- Free first checked bag for both you and a companion when you use your Card to purchase your United ticket.
- Expanded award availability.
- $0 annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Subject to the 5/24 rule.
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Capital One Venture Rewards Card:
- 75,000 miles (worth $500 towards travel, or transferrable to miles) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
- 2% cash back on ALL purchases.
- Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
- $95 annual fee.
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Bank of America Premium Rewards Card:
- 60,000 points (worth $600) after $4,000 in purchases within the first 90 days.
- 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Eligible for a 25%-75% boost with Preferred Rewards status.
- $100 annual Airline Incidental Statement Credit.
- Up to $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
- $95 annual fee.
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Hawaiian Airlines MasterCard:
- 65,000 Hawaiian miles after any purchase within the first 90 days.
- Free first checked bag for the primary cardmember.
- One-time 50% off companion discount for roundtrip coach travel between Hawaii and The Mainland on Hawaiian Airlines.
- $99 annual fee.
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Alaska Airlines Visa Card (Bank of America):
- 60,000 bonus miles + Companion Fare voucher after $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days.
- Companion fare voucher is “Buy one ticket, get one from $122” ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from just $23).
- Free checked bag on Alaska flights for you and up to six other passengers on the same reservation.
- $95 annual fee.
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Citi Premier Card:
- 60,000 points (worth $600 in gift cards, or transferrable to miles/points) after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- 3X points for every $1 spent on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotels.
- Must not have gotten a bonus from or closed a Citi Rewards+, ThankYou Preferred, Premier, or Prestige card in the past 24 months.
- $95 annual fee.
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U.S. Bank Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card:
- 50,000 bonus points (worth $500 in statement credits) after $2,000 in purchases within 120 days.
- 4X points on travel and gas stations, 2X points on dining and grocery stores.
- Up to $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
- $30 annual streaming bonus.
- $0 annual fee for the first year, $95/year thereafter.
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Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard:
- Up to 75,000 American Airlines miles. 60,000 miles after any purchase and paying the annual fee in full within the first 90 days. Add an authorized user, make a purchase on the authorized user card within the first 90 days and earn an additional 15,000 miles.
- First checked bag free on domestic AA flights.
- $99 annual fee.
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JetBlue Plus Card:
- 50,000 bonus TrueBlue points – 50,000 bonus points after $1,000 on purchases and paying the $99 annual fee in full within the first 90 days.
- First checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to 3 companions when tickets are purchased with your JetBlue Plus Card.
- $99 annual fee.
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Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card:
- 50,000 Rapid Rewards points after $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Southwest still gives everyone two free checked bags.
- Great timing for Companion Pass if you can sign up for this one and perhaps also the small business version, and time the points to post in early 2024.
- $69 annual fee.
- Subject to the 5/24 rule.*
If you pay off your balances every month, you can join me and many others in funding a significant portion of your annual travel budget with cash credits, points, and miles. Focus on paying off credit card debt first if you have any, as the interest charges could offset most of the perks.
*Note: The 5/24 Rule is an unofficial rule with certain Chase cards, automatically denying approval if you have acquired 5 or more new credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months. This rule applies on a per-person basis. If you are new, consider starting with Chase cards.
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