The value of a credit card comes from a combination of its benefits, reward-earning rates, and signup bonus. Much of this website is dedicated to letting you know about credit cards which are valuable to get, use, and hold onto.
However, the list below only takes into consideration the value of the credit card's signup bonus. While some of these cards may have benefits that might make them interesting additions to your core credit card collection—all of them are worth getting, even if it is only to receive the signup bonus.
There are some basic guidelines for evaluating signup bonuses.
These are all the credit cards with a net signup value of around $450 or higher.
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CNB Crystal Infinite With maximized credits More typical value
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$2,425 $975
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.50/$ .20/$
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| Promotional offer of 75,000 Crystal Infinite points, valued at $940 ($5,000 initial spend). $400 annual fee. This card comes with a $250 airline incidental credit, that you can use twice during your initial year. What makes this card unique is that you can add 3 authorized cardholders for free, and each cardholder gets their own airline credit. Because the credit can be hard to use, our "normal" net value only includes half the face value, and assumes you can take advantage of the credit for a total of two people.
If you work to get full value from the credit, and maximize the number of authorized cardholders, you can earn up to $2,000 in airline credits during the first year. Combined with the points, this is the most valuable signup bonus of any card. Unfortunately, this card can be difficult to get.
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| Chase Ink Preferred (Business Card Only)
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$1,560
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.31/$
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| Promotional offer of 100,000 Ultimate Reward points, valued at $1700. ($5,000 initial spend). $95 annual fee. Affected by the Chase 5/24 rule.
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| Amex Hilton Aspire
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$1,150
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.29
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| Promotional offer of 150,000 Hilton points, valued at $680 ($4,000 initial spend). You also get a free weekend night certificate good at any Hilton hotel, which we value at $300. In addition, you get a $250 Hilton resort credit, and up to two $250 airline incidental credits, during your initial year. Because both of these credits can be hard to use, we value them at half their face value, or $375.
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Amex Platinum (Multiple Versions Available) Promotional offers Normal offer
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$1,350 $750
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.27/$ .15/$
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| The Platinum card's normal signup bonus of 60,000 points is very generous. At 1.5 cents per point, the points are worth $900. But, you can get offers as high as 100,000 through targeted mailings, the "card match" tool, and private browsing. The card's annual fee is $550, but it comes with a $200 airline incidental credit, that you can receive twice during your initial year. You can also receive $200 worth of Uber credits each year. But, because both types of credits can be hard to use, we only value them at half their face value, or $300 total.
You can earn signup bonuses from multiple different versions of the Platinum card, although only the "regular" version typically has higher-than-normal signup offers.
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| BOA Amtrak
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$1,100
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1.09/$
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| Promotional offer of 30,000 Amtrak points, worth 2.9 cents each towards Amtrak travel ($1,000 initial spend). You also get a companion ticket, upgrade certificate, and single-visit lounge pass, which we value at a total of $200. If you apply during "checkout", you can usually get a $100 statement credit as well. $79 annual fee.
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Amex Business Gold Rewards Promotional offer Normal offer
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$1,020 $700
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.10/$ .14/$
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| Promotional offer of 50,000 Membership Reward points ($5,000 initial spend) is often available, just by calling in and asking. Normal offer is 25,000 points. Annual fee is waived the first year.
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Amex Business Platinum Promotional offer 50,000 point offer Targeted offer max
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$1,000 $400 $1,750
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.04/$ .04/$ .07/$
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| Promotional offer of 100,000 Membership Reward points ($20,000 spend), valued at $1500. You'll get 50,000 points if you spend $10,000, and an additional 50,000 points if you spend a total of $25,000 in the first three months. Targeted offers can be available for up to 150,000 points. $450 annual fee. But, comes with a $200 airline incidental credit that you can use twice during your first year. Our calculation values it at half of its potential $400 value.
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| Chase Hyatt
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$960
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.16/$
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| 60,000 Hyatt points ($6,000 initial spend). Plus an additional 5,000 points if you add an authorized cardholder. $95 annual fee. The signup offer of two free nights is no longer available. NOT affected by the Chase 5/24 rule
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Chase British Airways Full bonus With $3,000 spend
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$840 $470
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.04/$ .16/$
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| Promotional offer of 100,000 Avios. You'll earn the first 50,000 points for $3,000 initial spend, another 25,000 points if you spend a total of $10,000 in your first year, and a final 25,000 points if your first year spend hits $20,000. Points can be used for flights on Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and may other programs. And British Airways distance-based award chart often requires fewer miles than other frequent flyer programs. $95 annual fee. NOT affected by the Chase 5/24 rule.
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| Chase Iberia
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| Same offer as the British Airways and Aer Lingus cards. Points are interchangeable. Choose whichever card provides the most useful companion pass and airline benefits.
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| Chase Aer Lingus
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| Same offer as the British Airways and Iberia cards. Points are interchangeable. Choose whichever card provides the most useful companion pass and airline benefits.
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| Chase Ink Cash (Business Card Only)
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$830
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.28/$
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| Promotional offer of 50,000 Ultimate Reward points ($2,000 initial spend). No annual fee. Affected by the Chase 5/24 rule.
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| Chase Ink Unlimited (Business Card Only)
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$830
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.28/$
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| 50,000 Ultimate Reward points ($2,000 initial spend). No annual fee. This is probably a promotional offer, but because the card is new, we don't know for sure. Affected by the Chase 5/24 rule.
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| Chase Sapphire Preferred
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$820
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.20/$
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| From a strictly signup bonus perspective, the Sapphire Preferred is a better option than the Sapphire Reserve, and you can only have one of these cards at a time. But, if you are looking to hold onto one of these cards for its ongoing benefits, the Sapphire Reserve is usually the better of the two options. Annual fee is waived the first year. Affected by the Chase 5/24 rule.
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| Citi Premier
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$800
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.20/$
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| Promotional offer of 60,000 ThankYou points ($4,000 initial spend). Annual fee waived the first year.
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| Amex Gold
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$740
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.37/$
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| Promotional offer of 50,000 Membership Reward points ($2,000 initial spend) plus 20% off (capped at $100) on any US Restaurant spending in the first three months. Normal offer is 25,000 points. You also get up to two $100 airline incidental credit during your initial year, and $10/month credit at participating restaurants, bbut because these credits can be hard to use, we only value them at half their face value.
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Citi AAdvantage personal business
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$680 $790
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.23/$ .20/$
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| Promotional offer of 60,000 American Airlines miles ($3,000 initial spend) for the personal card or 70,000 miles ($4,000 initial spend) for the business card. For the personal card there is an alternative offer of 40,000 points and a $200 statement credit ($2,000 initial spend), that is worth slightly less. But, you can probably call in and get the offer matched to a 60,000 point offer, making it more valuable. Annual fee is waived the first year.
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| BOA Alaska Airlines (Personal and Business)
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$780
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.78/$
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| 30,000 Alaska Airlines miles ($1,000 initial spend). You also receive a companion certificate when you sign up. Unlike the normal certificates you get each year, the signup certificate, doesn't require a $99 fee. As a result, we value it at $350. If you apply during checkout on the Alaska website, you can usually get an additional $100 statement credit. $75 annual fee.
The signup bonus for the business version doesn't include the $100 statement credit, but is now giving you an extra 2,500 miles. So, it is worth about $66 less.
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| Chase Southwest Premier Business
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$770
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.26/$
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| 60,000 Southwest Airline miles ($3,000 initial spend). Southwest operates a fixed-value rewards program, where you can get around 1.2 - 1.6 cents per point, without having to worry about award availability. $99 annual fee. Affected by the Chase 5/24 rule
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| Amex Delta Gold (Personal and Business)
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$680
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.23/$
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| Promotional offer of 60,000 miles ($3,000 initial spend), but without the $50 travel credit. Annual fee waived for first year.
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| Chase Sapphire Reserve
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$670
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.17/$
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| The signup offer for the Sapphire Preferred version is better, and you can only have one of these two cards. However, the Sapphire Reserve card is a more interesting card for the long term. $450 annual fee. The $300 travel credit is valued at full value. Affected by the Chase 5/24 rule.
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| SPG Business Card
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$640
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.13/$
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| Promotional offer of 90,000 Marriott points ($5,000 initial spend), plus a $100 credit. The $95 annual fee is waived the first year.
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BOA Virgin Atlantic Full promotional offer With first purchase only
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$650 $210
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.05/$
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| The normal offer is 20,000 miles (upon first purchase), plus 5,000 miles for adding an authorized cardholder. But, you can get an additional 50,000 points, if you spend $12,000 during the first six months. $90 annual fee
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| U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve
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$630
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.14/$
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| 50,000 points, worth 1.5 cents each ($4,500 initial spend). $400 annual fee, but a $325 airfare credit brings the effective annual fee down to $75.
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| Barclay Aviator Card (Personal and Business)
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$625
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| Promotional offer of 60,000 American Airlines miles (on first purchase). $95 annual fee.
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| Wells Fargo Visa Signature
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$620
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.05/$
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| Earns 4x extra points, worth 1.5 cents each, on the first $12,500 of gas, grocery, and drugstore purchases, during the first six months you have the card. If you can maximize the bonus, probably via gift card purchases, you can earn 50,000 extra points. No annual fee.
The Wells Fargo Reward card has an identical bonus, but if you don't also have the Visa Signature, the points are only worth 1 cent each (rather than 1.5 cents).
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Chase United Explorer personal business)
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$600 $620
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.20/$ .21/$
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| Promotional offer has a promotional $100 credit ($3,000 initial spend). The Business card has a slighly more valuable promotional offer of an extra 10,000 miles ($3,000 initial spend). Annual fee is waived the first year. Affected by the Chase 5/24 rule.
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| Barclay Hawaiian Airlines (personal and business)
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$620
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.21/$
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| Promotional offer of 50,000 Hawaiian miles ($3,000 initial spend). You also receive a half-priced companion ticket, that we value at $250, making this a pretty valuable signup offer, if you can use the companion certificate to fly to Hawaii. The business version of the card has the same promotional offer, but it is available on first purchase, making it about $45 more valuable.
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| Amex Delta Platinum (Personal and Business)
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$610
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.20/$
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| Promotional offer for the personal card of 70,000 Delta miles ($3,000 initial spend), but without the $100 travel credit. $195 annual fee.
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| Barclays Arrival+
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$610
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.12/$
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| Promotional offer of 60,000 Arrival points, valued at $630. $5,000 initial spending requirement, and an $89 annual fee, that is waived for the first year.
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Barclay JetBlue Personal Business
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$450 $590
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.45/$
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| 40,000 JetBlue points ($1,000 initial spend). The normal offer for the business card is only 30,000 points, but there is a 50,000 point promotional offer. $99 annual fee.
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| Barclay Miles & More (Lufthansa)
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$570
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.11/$
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| Promotional offer of 60,000 Miles & More points ($5,000 initial spend). $89 annual fee.
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| Avianca Vuela (Banco Popular)
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$570
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| Promotional offer of 60,000 Avianca miles (on first purchase). You can use these miles to book flights on United Airlines and other Star Alliance partners. Even better, Avianca is one of the few frequent flyer programs that never passes through fuel surcharges and that allows you to cheaply purchase additional miles. $149 annual fee.
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| IHG Premier
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$530
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.18/$
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| Promotional offer of 100,000 IHG points ($3,000 initial spend), plus a $50 statement credit, plus 5,000 points for adding an authorized cardholder. $89 annual fee.
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| Chase Southwest Airlines (Personal)
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$520
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.52/$
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| 40,000 Southwest points, valued up to $600. The Plus version of the card has a $69 fee, versus the Preferred version's $99 fee, making it a slightly better option. If possible, it might be worthwhile holding off, as there are frequent promotional offers of 50,000 and 60,000 points. But, because the cards are affected by the Chase 5/24 rule, you may need to get them before it is too late.
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| SPG Personal Card
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$500
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.17/$
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| Promotional offer of 65,000 Marriott points ($3,000 initial spend), plus a $100 credit. The $95 annual fee is waived the first year.
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| SPG Luxury Card
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$460
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.09/$
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| 100,000 Marriott points ($5,000 initial spend). You also get a $300 credit good for any Marriott program charges, but it has a $450 annual fee.
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| Bank of America Premium Rewards
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$460
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.15/$
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| 50,000 points, worth 1 cent each ($3,000 initial spend). $95 annual fee. You can receive the card's $100 airline incidental credit twice during your initial year. But, we only valued the credit at half of the potential $200 value. If you have $100,000 in combined assets with Bank of America and Merrill Lynch, you'll earn 2.625% on every purchase, so there is no opportunity cost for using the card to qualify for the bonus. $95 annual fee
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| Capital One Savor Rewards
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$455
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.15/$
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| $500 ($3,000 initial spend). $95 annual fee, waived the first year. You can take advantage of 4% bonus rewards on entertainment, during the first year.
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| Cathay Pacific (Synchrony Bank)
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$450
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.23/$
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| Promotional offer of 40,000 miles ($2,000 initial spend). $95 annual fee.
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| Chase Marriott (Personal and Business)
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$440
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.15/$
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| Personal card is 75,000 Marriott points ($3,000 initial spend), plus an additional 7,500 points for adding an authorized cardholder $85 annual fee. Business version doesn't have authorized user bonus and has $99 annual fee, making it less valuable. But, unlike the personal version, the Business version is not affected by the Chase 5/24 rule.
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| Navy Federal Flagship Reward
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$440
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.11/%
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| 50,000 points, worth 1 cent each ($4,000 initial spend). $49 annual fee, waived first year. Only available to military and veterans.
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| Amex Hilton Ascend
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$430
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.22/$
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| Promotional offer of 125,000 Hilton points ($2,000 initial spend). $95 annual fee.
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| Wells Fargo Propel
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$420
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.14/$
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| 30,000 GoFar points ($3,000 initial purchase). As long as you also have the Wells Fargo Visa Signature card, points are worth 1.5 cents each, when used to purchase airfare through Wells Fargo, making the signup bonus worth $450.
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The following offers are all worth at least $350, and don't have a high initial spending requirement. In many cases, you'll qualify for the signup bonus after making your first purchase. In other cases, you may need to spend $500-1000.
Banks occasionally offer higher-than-normal signup bonuses for their cards. Sometimes, these promotional offers are available to everyone. Sometimes, they are only available to specific people who have been targeted by the bank.
The “net sign-up value” for each of these cards is determined by calculating the value of the signup offer, and then subtracting the costs involved with earning the bonus. If you are interested, you can see our calculation details at the end of this article.