Best Credit Card Sign Up Bonuses – January 2021

Table of Contents

• Travel Credit Cards
• Hotel Credit Cards
• Airline Credit Cards
• No Annual Fee Credit Cards
• Business Credit Cards

Travel Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card has a 60,000 point sign up bonus. You earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 within 3 months of opening your card.

The 60,000 points can be applied as a statement credit. Alternatively, they can be direct deposited into your bank account for $600 with each point being worth a penny.

If you use the rewards through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards program you can get $750 worth of value on travel. However, there are some even better ways to use your 60,000 point sign up bonus.

Advanced card users will likely transfer their points to another rewards program at a 1 point to 1 point value to some of these amazing rewards programs:

• Aer Lingus AerClub,
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards^®,
• Emirates Skyward^®,
• United MileagePlus^®,
• Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM,
• Iberia Plus,
• British Airways Executive Club,
• JetBlue TrueBlue,
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer,
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club,
• World of Hyatt,
• IHG^® Rewards Club,
• Marriott Bonvoy™

You earn 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining purchases and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

A couple of the other great benefits include no foreign transaction fees and the card has a chip for when you’re traveling internationally.

They even have a customer service number answered directly by real humans.

There is an annual fee of $95 for the Sapphire Preferred card. 

Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card today!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

My wife and I recently used two of these credit cards to completely pay for a 7 day Carnival Cruise! Essentially, you’ll earn 60,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months.

You can then use the 60,000 bonus miles plus 6,000 earned miles on purchases to redeem your miles against $660 of travel purchases charged on your Venture credit card.

You’ll earn two miles for every dollar in purchases you make no matter what category you make your purchases in, which essentially is 2% cash back when you redeem your miles for travel purchases. Your miles will never expire and there is no limit to how many reward miles you can earn with the card.

Just to clarify, Capital One considers the following as travel purchases: airlines, hotels, railroad tickets, cruise lines, taxi cabs, car rentals, limo services, bus lines, travel agents and time shares.

As an added benefit, you won’t have to pay foreign transaction fees and Capital One will provide you with your credit score monthly.

This card charges a $95 annual fee.

Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card

Bank of America decided to step up to the plate and launch a premium credit card to compete with other banks when they launched the Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card.

This card offers 50,000 bonus points after you make at least $3,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.

You can also get up to a $100 credit each year for airline incidental costs and an additional $100 for TSA Precheck or Global Entry once every four years.

You’ll earn 2 points per dollar for travel and dining purchases and 1.5 points per dollar of all other purchases. But it gets even better.

If you’re Preferred Rewards customer, you can get an additional 25%-75% rewards bonus on every purchase you make for up to 3.5 points per dollar on travel and dining and 2.62 points per dollar on all other purchases.

There are no limits on the number of points you can earn and the points never expire. This card also offers no foreign transaction fees and travel insurance protection.

There is a low $95 annual fee with this card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is currently offering 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points for spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.

Those points can be redeemed for $750 in travel credit through Chase Ultimate Rewards program.

In addition to the sign up bonus, you get $300 in travel credit for purchases such as hotels and airfare each account year you own the card.

You’ll earn 3 points per dollar spent on all travel and dining purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Additionally, there are no foreign transaction fees with this card.

Unfortunately, with all of these great benefits, there is a massive annual fee of $550 per year. You’ll definitely can earn that back with all of the benefits this card offers in the first year, though.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards credit card offers a $300 cash back bonus after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

While this card technically isn’t a travel credit card, it’s a great companion to take on your travel adventures.

This card is a diner’s dream by offering 4% cash back on dining and entertainment, two categories most people spend heavily in when they’re traveling.

Additionally, the card offers 2% cash back on groceries and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

There is no limit to the cash back you can earn and the cash back never expires for the life of the account.

Additionally, this card has no foreign transaction fees.

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards credit card charges a $95 annual fee.

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Hotel Credit Cards

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card

The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit card currently offers 140,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first three months after opening your account. 

After you spend $20,000 on purchases and make one additional purchase each account anniversary year, you’ll earn 10,000 additional bonus points.

You will earn 10 points per dollar spent when you stay at IHG hotels, 2 points per dollar spent on gas station, grocery store and restaurant purchases and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

The IHG hotel collection includes the following popular brands:

• Intercontinental
• Holiday Inn
• Holiday Inn Express
• Staybridge Suites
• Candlewood Suites
• Hotel Indigo
• Hualuxe
• Crowne Plaza and more.

Another amazing benefit is the free anniversary night, earned each anniversary, which can be used at hotels with a point redemption level of 40,000 points or less. You’ll also automatically earn Platinum Elite Status.

You’ll also get a fourth reward night for free when you redeem points for any stay of 4 or more nights.

The annual fee for this card is $89 per year, but it is waived the first year.

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Airline Credit Cards

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus and Premier Credit Cards from Chase

If you fly on Southwest these cards offer some tremendous sign up bonus values!

Both credit cards, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus and Premier, are currently offering up to 80,000 bonus points. 

You earn 50,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months. Then, earn an additional 30,000 bonus points after spending $10,0000 on purchases in the first 9 months from account opening.

The 80,000 points can be redeemed for roughly $1,200 in Wanna Get Away?^® fares which can be redeemed for a few round-trip flights.

In addition to the sign up bonus you earn a base rate of 2 points for every dollar spent on Southwest Airlines^® when you book directly with the airlines and 2 points for every dollar you spend on Southwest Rapid Rewards Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases.

All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar spent.

Both versions of the Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card have anniversary bonuses. The Plus credit card has a 3,000 point anniversary bonus and the Premier credit card has a 6,000 point anniversary bonus.

The Premier version boasts no foreign transaction fees which can save you a ton of money if you commonly use credit cards in foreign countries.

Unfortunately, both credit cards have annual fees. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus annual fee is $69 and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier annual fee is $99.

If you use all of your points each year, the extra $30 for 3,000 extra anniversary bonus points is actually worth $40+ in Wanna Get Away?^® fares so it might be worth it to splurge for the Premier card.

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No Annual Fee Credit Cards

Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

The Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card currently offers $200 credit card sign up bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from opening your account.

Another part of the sign-up bonus allows you to earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases of up to $12,000 spent in the first year.

You’ll earn 5% cash back on travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards as well as 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases.

The Chase Freedom credit card allows you to earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other qualifying purchases, too.

This card has no annual fee.

Click here to apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card today!

Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card

The Chase Freedom Flex credit card sign-up bonus awards you $200 bonus cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months of cardmembership.

You can also earn 5% cash back on up to $12,000 of grocery store purchases in the first year. 

Overall, this card is very similar to the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card.

Just like the Chase Freedom Unlimited, you earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ulitmate Rewards plus 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases.

It differs in a couple of key ways. First, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter in categories that rotate. You must activate this bonus cash back to earn it.

Second, rather than offering unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases, you only earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Like the Chase Freedom Unlimited card, the Chase Freedom Flex card has no annual fee.

Click here to apply for the Chase Freedom Flex credit card today!

Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card

The Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card is a great basic rewards credit card with no annual fee.

Simply spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of card membership and you’ll earn 25,000 points worth $250 in travel credits.

You’ll also earn 1.5 points per dollar in purchases. That means you’ll have 21,500 points after you complete your sign up bonus spending.

You can use your points for the following travel purchase categories: airfare, car rentals, hotels, airline baggage fees, campgrounds, cruise lines, tourist attractions, zoos, amusement parks and exhibits.

You won’t have to pay any foreign transaction fees on this card and the points that you earn never expire.

If you have a Bank of America checking or savings account, you’ll even get a bonus 10% extra points. If you’re a preferred rewards customer, you could earn a points bonus of 25% to 75%.

Points must be redeemed in 2,500 point increments for a $25 statement credit against travel costs.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One VentureOne rewards credit card is a great option for those looking for a great sign up bonus and rewards card with no annual fee.

This credit card will reward you with 20,000 miles, redeemable for $200 in travel credits, for spending $1,000 in purchases within the first three months.

You’ll earn 1.25 miles for each dollar in purchases so you’ll actually have 21,250 points after completing the minimum spend required for the bonus on this card and your points don’t expire.

This Capital One credit card has no foreign transaction fees, so it is a great card to take when you’re traveling abroad.

As I mentioned above, there is no annual fee for this credit card. For that reason, it is great for people just getting started with credit card rewards.

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card

New cardmembers can earn a one time $150 cash back bonus when you spend $500 within the first 3 months of opening your account.

This card has no annual fee and offers a generous 1.5% cashback on all of your purchases.

You can redeem your cash back at any time for any amount and your cash back never expires.

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Business Credit Cards

Many people think they don’t qualify for business credit cards. However, if you run any type of business, such as selling things on eBay, rent out a property or freelance write on the internet, you can try to apply for a business credit card.

If you don’t have a business structured, chances are you would be classified as a sole proprietorship. In that case, you would use your social security number in place of an employer or taxpayer identification number.

Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

The Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card offers one of the largest attainable sign up bonuses I’m aware of at 100,000 sign up bonus points but it comes with a large spending requirement of $15,000 in the first 3 months from opening your account.

You can use those 100,000 points for $1,250 in travel rewards when redeeming through Chase Ultimate Rewards program.

This credit card offers 3 points per dollar spent on the first $150,000 in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, telecommunications purchases (internet, cable and phone), and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each anniversary year. You earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

It also offers no foreign transaction fees. There is an annual fee of $95.

Capital One Spark Cash for Business Credit Card

The Capital One Spark Cash for Business credit card offers a hefty $500 sign up bonus after spending $4,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of card membership.

This card also offers a great 2% cash back on every purchase you make.

Your rewards will never expire. There are no category limits and your cash back is unlimited. This card is really simple and offers great rewards for a business credit card.

Additionally, this card has no foreign transaction fees. You can even get free employee cards if you wish!

There is no annual fee the first year. That said, an annual fee of $95 per year kicks in after the first year.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Spark Miles or Business credit card offers 50,000 bonus miles, worth $500 in travel credits, if you spend $4,500 in purchases in the first 3 months of card membership.

This card is very similar to the Spark Cash card except it awards miles instead of points. Miles can be redeemed for travel purchases at a penny per point.

You’ll earn 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases regardless of what spending category they would fall in.

There are no foreign transactions fees on this card. Your points never expire. You can also get free employee cards which are all super convenient benefits for business owners.

The annual fee of $95 is waived the first year, but you’ll have to pay it each year after that.

Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card

The Chase Ink Business Cash credit card offers $750 bonus cash back after spending $7,500 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.

In addition to the bonus cash back, you’ll earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases at office supply stores and internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year.

You’ll earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year, too. Finally, you’ll earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.

There is no annual fee with this card.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card

The Chase Ink Business Unlimited credit card also offers $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months after opening an account.

This card offers a flat 1.5% cash back rate on all purchases which is nice if you don’t like confusing bonus categories.

There is no annual fee with this card.

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Keep These Thoughts In Mind When Considering The Best Credit Card Sign Up Bonuses

Credit cards can be great tools. They can make you a ton of money, if, and only if you play the game correctly. I ALWAYS pay my credit card off in full every month and you should too. If you can’t do this I would suggest against getting credit cards.

If you have a problem with debt and/or credit cards I would suggest you not sign up for new cards. The cash back benefits do not outweigh the interest charges you will pay.

Credit card interest rates are normally higher than most other loans. The interest can add up fast. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

What sign up bonus credit cards have you used in the past? Are there any other offers I should be aware of or add to my list? I’d love to hear your input below in the comments!

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on this page are mine alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain. These opinions have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

The information in the article is accurate to the best of my knowledge as of January 8th, 2021. It will be periodically updated as offers change. As with any offer, make sure to read all of the details on the application site. Those are the terms and conditions that will govern any credit card you sign up for. What you have read here is simply a summary and does not contain all terms and conditions.