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A credit card sign-up bonus - sometimes called a welcome or intro bonus - is an incentive offered to new cardholders. Often a sum of cash back, points or miles, sign-up bonuses are typically awarded only after you meet a spending requirement within a specified time period. The best credit card sign-up bonuses can help you earn thousands of travel miles, hundreds of dollars in cash back and more. Check out the best bonuses available from our partners and get Bankrate’s expert advice on making the most of yours.
The information about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed by the card issuer.
| Card | Sign-up bonus | Spending requirement | Bankrate review score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | 60,000 points (worth $750 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards) | $4,000 within first 3 months | 4.3 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Citi Rewards+ Card | 20,000 points | $1,500 within first 3 months | 3.2 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited | worth up to $300 cash back | Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) | 4.6 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card | $200 online cash rewards bonus | $1,000 within first 90 days | 4.0 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Chase Freedom Flex | $200 cash bonus | $500 within first 3 months | 4.3 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card | $750 | $7,500 within first 3 months | 3.9 / 5 (Read full card review) |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card | 40,000 points | $1,000 within first 3 months | 3.8 / 5 (Read full card review) |
Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Citi Rewards Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Chase Freedom Unlimited review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Chase Freedom Flex review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
Read our Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card review.
Jump back to offer details.
A credit card sign-up bonus is an incentive that credit card issuers offer new customers to entice them to sign up for new credit cards. These bonuses often come to customers in the form of cash back or points, and typically require that the cardholder spend a certain dollar amount in a fixed time period—usually three months from account opening.
Like anything involving credit cards, you should consider a card holistically—not just the sign-up bonus—when determining if it’s right for you.
There are several types of credit card sign-up bonuses. They include cash back, rewards points, travel miles and, in some cases, merchandise. Anything a credit card issuer offers new cardholders to incentivize them to sign up could be considered a part of a sign-up bonus, but the most common types of sign-up bonuses are:
Sign-up bonus restrictions are arguably one of the most confusing parts of credit card welcome offers. Sign-up bonuses often require cardholders to go beyond a basic understanding of a card’s features and dig into issuer restrictions and limits. When choosing a credit card based on its sign-up bonus keep the following in mind:
Credit card churning is when consumers frequently open new credit cards to qualify for sign-up bonuses without the intent to use the card over the long term. In order to prevent credit card churning, many of the major credit card issuers set limits on how often people can sign up for cards and earn sign-up bonuses. Most of these restrictions include limits on how many cards you can have with one issuer and how often you can receive sign-up bonuses if you’ve claimed them in the past. For example, the Chase 5/24 rule states that cardholders can’t get a new Chase credit card if there are five or more credit card inquires on their credit report in the past 24 months, and you can only earn a sign-up bonus once every 24 to 48 months.
Most everyday purchases should bring you closer to meeting the spending requirement for a sign-up bonus. On the other hand, credit card issuers make exceptions for certain transactions that don’t qualify. Ineligible purchases and transactions typically include:
In many cases, these purchases don’t earn rewards either.
Check the terms and conditions of any credit card you’re interested in to get a better understanding of what counts as an eligible purchase in relation to a sign-up bonus, as well as other important information about using the card.
A sign-up bonus can be a great addition to all the perks that come with a credit card. But it’s important to remember that a sign-up bonus is just that, a bonus. A credit card should fit in with your existing habits and financial goals. Be sure to evaluate all facets of a credit card before you sign up for one.
A credit card with a great sign-up bonus might be right for you if you fall into certain categories:
A generous sign-up bonus, sometimes called a welcome offer, is one of the marks of a high-quality credit card. Sometimes, the biggest bonuses might require the most spending and a smaller bonus could turn out to be more economical.
Finding the best credit card bonus offers for new cardholders can require a little research. We’ve compared several cards highlighted on this page to see how much bang for the buck each one offers. The spending/bonus ratio measures the estimated maximum value* of the sign-up bonus (which may vary depending on which redemption option you choose) versus the spending requirement. By this calculation, the higher the ratio, the better.
| Card | Category | Bonus | Spending requirement | Bonus/spending ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Travel | 60,000 bonus points | $4,000 in first 3 months | 0.25 |
| Chase Freedom Flex | Cash back | $200 cash bonus | $500 in first 3 months | 0.40 |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited | Cash back | worth up to $300 cash back | Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) | 0.40 |
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® | Airline | 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles | $2,500 in first 3 months | 0.28 |
*Estimated mile/point values are from The Points Guy monthly valuations.
However, don’t make a decision on a credit card based solely on the sign-up bonus. Other factors to consider include:
Once you’ve decided which sign-up bonus offer suits you best, there are a few steps you can take to make the most of the opportunity. Knowing your card’s rewards structure, staying current on additional special offers and understanding your redemption options can turbo-charge your sign-up bonus.
Keep track of any additional special offers while looking for the best credit card sign-up bonus. Some of these limited-time offers and extras can sweeten the pot quite a bit, like:
Redeeming your sign-up bonus for something valuable is every bit as important as the size of the bonus itself. It’s important to know the ways your credit card’s rewards program allows your sign-up bonus to be redeemed, such as:
When you’re exploring your card’s redemption options, pay close attention to the fine print since your bonus might gain value when redeemed through certain channels. You might see this boost for redeeming toward travel especially.
Sign-up bonuses can be a great addition to the overall benefits provided by a credit card. Some of the best sign-up bonuses are worth $1,000 or more. While a deal that has that level of rewards can initially seem like a no-brainer, it’s important to consider how a card can impact your finances before you choose one.
In some ways, judging the best sign-up bonus involves the Goldilocks strategy—finding the one that’s just right. To that end, don’t impulsively apply for a credit card based solely on an attractive bonus. Make sure it’s worth your while before deciding.
Here’s a list of steps on how to choose the right card with the right bonus for you.
Bankrate uses a 5-star scoring system to evaluate the credit cards available from our partners. To select the cards featured on this page, we further refined the criteria to focus on factors we think make these the best credit card sign-up bonuses, including:
The bonus, whether cash back, travel rewards or multi-purpose points, should be well worth the time and effort of applying for the card. The bonus value should also compare favorably with the card's cost of ownership (annual fees, etc.).
Two important factors to consider when deciding on a card with a sign-up bonus are the minimum required spend to earn the bonus and the timeframe in which you have to spend that amount of money. The spending requirement to qualify for the bonus should be proportional to its value.
Features outside of the bonus itself, such as annual fees, rewards rates and redemption options are also important to evaluate. Once the sign-up bonus requirements are met, you’ll need to gauge the ongoing value of the card and how it will best suit your lifestyle.
For more information, read our expert reviews for individual cards and check out more resources from Bankrate.com:
Have more questions for our credit cards editors? Feel free to send us an email, find us on Facebook, or Tweet us @Bankrate
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.
