Best Credit Card Sign Up Bonuses for Your Buck
March 31, 2020

While everyone wants to land a great rewards rate, a big draw for new credit cardholders is the sign up bonus. If you’re looking for quick rewards to help you pay for a big expense or an upcoming trip, evaluating a card’s sign up bonus is a helpful way to set your top choices apart from the rest. Find the one with the incentive that best meets your needs, whether that’s a ton of cash back or bonus miles.
Best sign up bonus: Travel rewards
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Why it’s the best
Thanks to the flexibility of Chase Ultimate Rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best travel rewards credit cards on the market — and it comes with a fantastic sign up bonus. You’ll earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on your Sapphire Preferred within the first three months. You can use your points for travel purchases, transfer them to the loyalty programs of Chase’s travel partners, redeem for cash back or get gift cards.
Bonus points:
Best sign up bonus: Premium travel perks
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Why it’s the best
With an annual fee of $550, the Platinum Card® from American Express is expensive but packed with perks and bonuses. This premium travel rewards card earns 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months. You can use your points to either book travel directly through American Express or transfer to one of Amex’s 22 travel partners.
Bonus points:
Best sign up bonus: Airline miles
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Card from American Express
Why it’s the best
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Card from American Express features one of the best sign up bonuses for co-branded airline credit cards. You’ll earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 within the first three months plus an additional 10,000 bonus miles after your first cardmember anniversary. When you pair that great perks like getting your first checked bag for free, you’ll be set for your next Delta excursion.
Bonus points:
Best sign up bonus: Free hotel nights
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card
Why it’s the best
If you’re looking for a credit card to earn free hotel nights, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card is where you need to be. Based on Marriott Bonvoy’s redemption chart, you’ll score up to 10 free nights at standard-rate category 1 hotels with the sign up bonus of 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 within the first three months.
Bonus points:
Best sign up bonus: Cash back rewards
Savor Rewards from Capital One
Why it’s the best
Savor Rewards from Capital One is a cash back card designed for people who love eating out, but it also features an incredible sign up bonus. You’ll enjoy a $300 bonus when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. Savor also earns 4% cash back on dining and entertainment purchases. If you spend a substantial amount in those two categories, you should definitely consider this card.
Bonus points:
Best sign up bonus: No annual fee
Discover it® Cash Back
Why it’s the best
It’s hard to go wrong with any of the cards in the Discover it® family because they all feature no annual fee and the potential for an incredible sign up bonus after your first year. The cash back card features revolving 5% bonus categories that you can use to supercharge your rewards. At the end of your first year, Discover will match all the cash back you earned throughout the year for one great bonus. If you’re looking for an everyday card that you can use for a long time, this is the one for you.
Bonus points:
Best sign up bonus: Travel rewards for small businesses
Chase Ink Business Preferred
Why it’s the best
If you’re a small business owner looking to boost your travel rewards, the Chase Ink Business Preferred is the card for you. This card earns a sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 in purchases within your first three months. If you use your points for travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards, those 80,000 points are worth $1,000.
Bonus points:
Best sign up bonus: Cash back for small businesses
Spark Cash from Capital One
Why it’s the best
Spark Cash from Capital One rewards you with a $500 bonus when you spend $4,500 within the first three months. Combined with no annual fee first the first year ($95 each year after that), this card is a great value for your small business. If you need a no-frills cash back card to use for your everyday business expenses, this is the card for you.