Writer: Ashley Fricker
Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro
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The best credit card signup bonuses, or welcome bonuses, can translate into major savings for the cardholder, whether you’re planning your next family vacation, friends weekend, or even your honeymoon.
And getting married is expensive. I know because I’m planning my own nuptials next spring. Between the obvious costs like venue and food, you don’t realize how many other less-obvious things there are to pay for, like guest favors and dress alterations, and it all adds up so quickly.
One expense we don’t have to worry about, however, is our hotel accommodations for the honeymoon because we took advantage of some great credit card signup bonuses.
I applied for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® when it was still offering the 100,000-point signup bonus, while my significant other applied for the old Marriott Rewards Premier card (no longer available), also offering a 100,000-point signup bonus at the time. Between the two cards, we earned over $2,000 in travel rewards for our honeymoon! Signup bonuses are always available — but the best ones aren’t around forever — and if you have an end goal in mind, as we did for our honeymoon, they’re easier to achieve when you select the right card.
Miles & Travel | Cash Back | Rewards | Business
Best “Miles & Travel” Card Welcome Bonuses
If you’re planning a trip and want help with the cost of flights and/or hotel accommodations, a travel rewards card is a safe bet to help you meet your objective.
Some cards, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, offer points that translate to both cash back or travel rewards, so you’ve got some added flexibility. Not to mention Chase maximizes rewards when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel (value varies by card), so you can get even more value that way, as I did with my Chase card.
Welcome bonuses and spending requirements for each card are detailed below.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
- UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. You could turn 35,000 Miles into 70,000 Miles.
- Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
- No annual fee.
- Turn Miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants, and more.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.49% to 26.49% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
- Terms and conditions apply.
+ See More Travel Rewards Cards
Best “Cash Back” Card Welcome Bonuses
Cash back is exactly what it sounds like — a percentage of your cash back on each qualifying purchase, generally between 1% and 5%. A cash back welcome bonus will award you a nice sum of money just for meeting the minimum spending requirements within the allotted time frame, usually three months after the account is opened.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Freedom Flex℠ was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
- INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Redeem cash back for any amount. No annual fee.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.49% to 26.49% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- Terms and conditions apply.
- Intro Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Freedom Unlimited® was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
Best “Rewards” Card Welcome Bonuses
Rewards cards award points that can be used for travel, cash back, merchandise, gift cards, and statement credit, allowing cardholders a lot of options for how to spend their rewards. If you’re in the market for a card with a generous welcome bonus, but don’t necessarily have a specific want or need for it, a generic rewards program offered through one of these cards is a good way to go.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Reserve® was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
- UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. You could turn 35,000 Miles into 70,000 Miles.
- Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
- No annual fee.
- Turn Miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants, and more.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.49% to 26.49% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
- Terms and conditions apply.
+ See More Rewards Points Cards
Best “Business” Card Signup Bonuses
A business card can provide perks and benefits that traditional consumer cards cannot, and this extends to the signup bonus. And you don’t have to have founded a large company with hundreds of employees to qualify — if you’re a freelancer, have an Etsy store, or even sell things on eBay, you can apply for a business credit card. Most of the time your Social Security number will suffice as business verification, as an EIN (employer identification number) is not always necessary.
You can quickly obtain your new business card’s signup bonus by using it to pay for office/creative supplies, travel expenses, advertising, and any other operational costs, and enjoy the additional benefits a business card can offer you.
This card is currently not available. Additional Disclosure: Information for this card not reviewed by or provided by Capital One.10. Capital One Spark Cash for Business
Earn Free Stuff from the Things You’re Already Buying
My fiancé and I signed a contract for our venue and were then put on a payment plan, so we knew we’d need a credit card on file for the automatic charges to come. Because we knew exactly how much was being withdrawn and when, putting the new card on file with our venue was a no-brainer to help us achieve our signup bonus.
Once we hit the spending minimum, the bonus was immediately credited to our account. We then started looking at hotels and getting an idea of where we could use our points, and there was no shortage of amazing options.
It’s so easy for anyone to take advantage of signup bonuses — just use the card to pay for things you’re already buying, like rent, utilities, groceries, or any upcoming large purchases, and you’ll be on your way to earning free money for travel, merchandise, statement credit, or cash in hand, and all it takes is applying for the right card.
Of course, it’s important to remember that only net new purchases will count toward the requirement for the signup bonus. Other transactions, such as balance transfers or cash advances, typically won’t qualify toward your required spend.
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