Are credit card sign-up bonuses tax deductible?

No, credit card sign-up bonuses are not tax deductible. In general, your sign-up bonus is not taxable if you have to spend money to earn it. However, the bonus could be considered taxable income if there isn’t a defined spending requirement.

What credit card bonuses are the easiest to get?

A variety of cards with sign-up bonuses require minimal effort to qualify, including some cash back cards and travel rewards cards. On average, no-annual-fee cash back credit cards tend to offer the lowest spending requirement for a welcome bonus. Some require only $500 to $1,000 in spending to earn a decent bonus (typically a $200 value). Some co-branded cards and other less-traditional cards may provide bonuses upon approval, but these offers may be taxable in some cases.

Can you open multiple cards at once to get more sign-up bonuses?

You could try to open several cards at once to get the sign-up bonuses, but this could be seen as “card churning” and could have negative consequences. Some card issuers have strict eligibility rules for welcome offers, and in the process, you could temporarily damage your credit with multiple credit applications. For example, the Chase 5/24 rule rule states that if you’ve opened five credit cards in the past 24 months, you will likely not be eligible to open a new Chase credit card. The issuer intends to use the rule to limit the number of “churners” who sign up for credit cards with the sole intention of earning a sign-up bonus.

Best credit card bonuses for January 2025

Compare Bankrate's top credit card bonus offers

Card	Welcome offer	Annual fee	Bankrate review score
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Intro Offer: Earn 75,000 miles 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening	$95	4.9 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Intro Offer: Earn 80,000 points Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.	$695	4.8 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Intro Offer: 60,000 bonus points Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	$95	4.8 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on Chase's secure site
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	Intro Offer: Earn 75,000 miles Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel	$395	5.0 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	Intro Offer: Earn $250 Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.	4.4 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card	Intro Offer: $200 cash rewards Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months	$0	4.3 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on Wells Fargo's secure site See Rates & Fees
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card	Intro Offer: Earn $200 Cash Back $200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening	$0	5.0 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on Capital One's secure site See Rates & Fees
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card	Intro Offer: $200 $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.	$0	4.3 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on Bank of America's secure site
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card	Intro Offer: Earn 50,000 bonus points. Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	$69	4.3 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on Chase's secure site
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	Intro Offer: Earn 130,000 points Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.	$150	4.6 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card for Students	Intro Offer: 25,000 points 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.	$0	3.9 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on Bank of America's secure site
American Express® Business Gold Card	Intro Offer: Earn 100,000 points Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*	$375	5.0 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on American Express's secure site See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	Intro Offer: Earn $750 bonus cash back Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	$0	4.2 / 5 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. (Read card review) Apply now on Chase's secure site
Chase Freedom Flex®	Intro Offer: $200 Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening	$0

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Researching the best sign-up bonus credit cards

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We thoroughly rate and research the best cards with sign-up bonuses based on key criteria to help you make confident decisions when choosing your next credit card. Learn more about our methodology below.

What is a credit card bonus?

A credit card bonus — whether it’s called a sign-up bonus, intro bonus or welcome offer — is an incentive for new cardholders. In most cases, you’ll need to spend a certain amount on purchases with your new card within a specified time period (usually three to six months) to earn these bonuses. They are mostly offered as a lump sum in the form of cash back, points or travel miles. However, bonus offers can also include limited-time reward rates and categories, one-time discounts (like a free hotel stay) or gift cards (as with some student and co-branded cards).

Credit card bonuses can offer great value if the spending requirement falls within your regular spending habits, but a high return isn’t always guaranteed. If you’re comparing bonus offers, consider whether they offer a good return on your spending (at least 20 percent for a consumer card).

Types of credit card bonuses

Credit card bonuses are typically distributed as additional cash back, points or miles. However, several types of welcome offers can be just as valuable — if not more so — than traditional, straightforward offers.

These offers are the most straightforward to earn and most commonly available on credit cards. They’re great if you want to earn a lump sum payment for short-term spending. These bonuses can come in points, miles or cash back, depending on the card.

No-annual-fee cards usually offer a $200 value for spending $500 to $1,000 within the first three months, and premium card bonuses often go up to $500 to $800 for $4,000 to $6,000 spent in the first three to six months. Business cards sometimes offer an even more valuable bonus with a higher spending requirement.

Co-branded airline or hotel credit cards often offer perks like airfare companion passes or free night awards for meeting bonus spending requirements. One example is the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card, which includes Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ as part of its limited-time welcome offer.

Depending on how you use them, award nights and airfare companion passes can be some of the most valuable bonus offers on the market: Hotel nights could be worth hundreds of dollars based on factors like the property, room and reservation date, and you may be able to squeeze thousands in value from some airfare companion passes if you use them for several flights.

Cards can sometimes offer boosted rewards rates in special bonus categories — or even on general spending — when you first open the card. These limited-time bonus categories usually expire after you reach a spending cap and/or after a certain time (like after the first three months, six months or year). For example, we’ve seen some cards provide a temporary 3 percent to 5 percent back on additional categories like travel, dining or groceries.

Limited-time rewards rates can sometimes carry even more rewards potential than the typical bonus offer, depending on your spending habits and the intro rate’s spending limitations. For example, an extra 1.5 percent back on up to $20,000 in spending in your first year could be worth up to $300 in cash back (but if you don’t spend much, such an offer could be worth less than the typical $200 welcome bonus).

This type of welcome offer doesn’t hold a set value. It’s based instead on your spending. These offers typically match the rewards you earn within a set period and can be especially valuable for big spenders. The best example is the Cashback Match® with Discover’s rewards cards.

A credit card may offer an upfront bonus the moment you’re approved instead of setting a spending requirement. This offer is more common among store credit cards, which sometimes a gift card worth around $50 to $150 when you’re approved for the card, such as the Amazon gift card that comes with opening the Prime Visa card.

Our data: Ranking credit card bonuses

Our points and miles valuations play a vital role when we’re evaluating and comparing credit card bonuses. After all, the number of points or miles that come with a bonus don’t mean much if their redemption value is low. We can only get a clear sense of the true value of a card bonus by estimating the average redemption value of points and miles.

Many of the top rewards cards offer bonuses worth several hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but most have a far lower value.

Here’s a look at the top bonus offers currently available on this page, sorted by their estimated redemption value. You can also see the spending required to earn each bonus, as well as where its value ranks compared to the bonuses of other cards in the same

Best credit card bonuses for January 2025

+ Show Summary

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card for Students

American Express® Business Gold Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Chase Freedom Flex®

Compare Bankrate's top credit card bonus offers

Researching the best sign-up bonus credit cards

What is a credit card bonus?

Types of credit card bonuses

Our data: Ranking credit card bonuses