What is a credit card sign-up bonus?

A credit card sign-up bonus is an introductory rewards offer for new cardholders. The most common type of sign-up bonus is a cash back or travel rewards bonus, such as a $250 cash bonus or 50,000 travel points. Store credit cards may offer a discount on the first purchase instead of bonus rewards.

How do you earn a sign-up bonus?

Earn a sign-up bonus by fulfilling all the card issuer's bonus requirements. With most credit cards, you earn the sign-up bonus by reaching a spending minimum within a certain time frame. For example, a credit card may offer a $200 bonus when you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months.

Which credit cards offer the biggest sign-up bonus?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points (a $1,250 value when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards) for spending $4,000 in the first three months. The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card has one of the easiest to earn and biggest sign-up bonuses on a no-annual-fee credit card. Earn $200 after spending $500 within three months.

12 Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus Offers for August 2021

Credit card sign-up bonuses are a popular perk. That's good news for consumers because these are some of the best deals you can find. The card issuer is essentially paying you to open a new card and meet its bonus requirements. Many credit cards have sign-up bonuses worth several hundred dollars to $1,000 in either cash back or travel rewards.

With all the offers available, it may seem hard to pick the best credit card sign-up bonus. This doesn't need to be a decision that takes a long time, though. We've put together a list of the most lucrative bonuses on the market. All you need to do is figure out which type of rewards you want to earn and then choose the credit card with the bonus offer you like the most.

A credit card sign-up bonus is a special offer available to new cardholders. Bonuses are usually a set amount of rewards, such as $300 cash back or 50,000 points. However, there are cards that offer different types of sign-up bonuses. For example, some store credit cards offer a large discount on your first purchase.

To earn a sign-up bonus, you just need to fulfill the bonus requirements. With most credit cards, the bonus requirement is reaching a spending minimum, such as $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new card within the first three months. After you do that, the card issuer will send you the bonus. This usually happens within one to two billing cycles.

Sign-up bonuses often have a few additional rules that can affect whether you qualify. You can find these on the credit card page or in its terms and conditions. Here are a few of the most common sign-up bonus rules to look for:

Certain types of purchases may not qualify for the spending requirement on a sign-up bonus. Some card issuers don't consider cash equivalents, such as gift cards or sending money through payment apps, to be eligible purchases.
You may not qualify for a sign-up bonus if you've recently gotten a bonus offer from the same card or a card in the same product line. For example, if you just got a United Airlines card and earned a bonus, you may not qualify for the bonus on another United Airlines card for a specific time period, such as 24 months.
A credit card may have multiple bonuses with separate requirements. You could find a card offering 50,000 points for spending $3,000 in three months, plus 50,000 more for spending $20,000 in the first year. In this case, you must qualify for each bonus separately by completing its requirements.

These rules vary depending on the card and the card issuer. That's why you should always review the rules for the card you want before applying.

The key to choosing the best sign-up bonus credit card is finding the one that fits you best. Here are the three steps that will help you pinpoint the perfect card:

Decide which types of rewards work for you. Rewards are only valuable if you can use them. A 50,000-mile bonus doesn't help you if those bonus miles are with an airline you don't use. That's why the first step is figuring out which types of rewards are best for you. Maybe you only want cash rewards bonuses, or you'd rather earn travel points. It's usually smart to stick to cash back cards and travel cards. Their bonuses tend to be much more valuable than the bonuses offered by store credit cards.
Look for realistic bonus requirements. Bonus amounts are what get your attention, but bonus requirements are more important. You should be able to spend enough to get the credit card bonus with your normal monthly bills. There are situations where you could shoot for a bonus with a bigger spending requirement, like if you have some sizable expenses coming up. But for the most part, it's best to avoid bonuses with hard-to-reach requirements.
Choose a card with a competitive bonus amount. At this point, you've narrowed it down to the best credit card offers with rewards you like and bonus requirements you can handle. This is when bonus amounts take center stage. The credit card you choose should offer a competitive amount of bonus rewards. You'll probably take other features into consideration, too, including the perks each card offers and its annual fee. But it makes sense to go with as big a bonus as possible.

Most of the credit cards with the best sign-up bonus offers are only available if you have a good credit score. That means a FICO® Score of 670 or above. If yours isn't that high yet, then you're probably better off looking for ways to increase your credit score first.

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How to maximize your sign-up bonus

Make the most of a sign-up bonus by planning in advance how you'll use it. If it's a travel rewards bonus, figure out how you can use it for a special trip. If it's a cash back bonus, consider using it to boost your savings, invest, or increase your emergency fund instead of just putting it in your checking account and spending it.

Here are the consumer credit cards that charge an annual fee and don't with the biggest sign-up bonuses right now:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points (a $1,250 value when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards) for spending $4,000 in the first three months.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: One of the easiest to earn and biggest sign-up bonuses on a no-annual-fee credit card. Earn $200 after spending $500 within three months.

Can I open multiple credit cards just for the sign-up bonus?

You can open multiple credit cards to earn more sign-up bonuses. Keep in mind, however, that you'll have more payments to manage and potentially more annual fees. For the typical consumer, it's best to look for one card to use often and take it slow when adding more.

Alternatives to consider

The best credit card sign-up bonus can provide quite a bit of value. But there are other types of credit cards that may be worth even more, depending on your situation. While you're comparing credit cards, see if any of the following could save you more money than a sign-up bonus.

0% intro APR credit cards

A 0% intro APR credit card offers zero interest on purchases for an introductory period. If you have any major expenses that you can't pay in full, then one of these cards can save you quite a bit of money in interest. Many 0% intro APR cards don't charge interest for the first year or longer. You could pay for big purchases upfront and then gradually pay them off before the 0% intro APR ends.

Balance transfer credit cards

A balance transfer credit card offers zero interest on balance transfers for an introductory period. This can be a great deal if you have high-interest debt you're paying off. All balance transfer credit cards let you transfer balances from other credit cards, making them perfect for saving money as you eliminate credit card debt. Some also let you transfer over other types of debt.

Rewards credit cards

Rewards cards cover any credit cards that earn purchase rewards. That includes cash back credit cards, travel credit cards, and store credit cards. You can find plenty of rewards credit cards with sign-up bonuses, but there are also rewards cards without this type of intro offer. It's a good idea to check out rewards cards both with and without sign-up bonuses. You could find a rewards card that still packs a lot of value despite not having a bonus.

FAQs

A credit card sign-up bonus is an introductory rewards offer for new cardholders. The most common type of sign-up bonus is a cash back or travel rewards bonus, such as a $250 cash bonus or 50,000 travel points. Store credit cards may offer a discount on the first purchase instead of bonus rewards.
Earn a sign-up bonus by fulfilling all the card issuer's bonus requirements. With most credit cards, you earn the sign-up bonus by reaching a spending minimum within a certain time frame. For example, a credit card may offer a $200 bonus when you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points (a $1,250 value when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards) for spending $4,000 in the first three months.
The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card has one of the easiest to earn and biggest sign-up bonuses on a no-annual-fee credit card. Earn $200 after spending $500 within three months.

The Picks
Card	Rating	Great For
Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card	Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00 stars	Great For: Easy-to-earn cash rewards bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00 stars	Great For: Travel and points transfers
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card	Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00 stars	Great For: Travel card with no annual fee
Citi Premier® Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Restaurants and supermarkets
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Premium travel
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Dining rewards
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card	Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars. 4.00 stars	Great For: Hotel rewards and benefits
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card	Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars. 4.00 stars	Great For: Unlimited cash back
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Hilton benefits
Chase Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Business travel
United℠ Explorer Card	Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00 stars	Great For: United flyers
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50 stars	Great For: Southwest flyers