Credit Card Signup Bonuses as High as $1,500
If you’re not using a rewards credit card, now might be the time to get one. Banks and credit card issuers often try to attract new customers by offering cash-back or travel award promotions for opening a new credit card account. These offers can be quite lucrative for consumers, if they meet the specific requirements for each account.
In fact, a recent study by CreditCards.com found that sign-up bonuses as high as $1,500 are currently available to consumers. A list of the top promotions being offered right now can be found below. To see the full study results, go to: http://www.creditcards.com/
- Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
Sign-up bonus value: $1,500
Sign-up bonus: 100,000 points if you spend $4,000 in first 3 months
- Chase – British Airways Visa Signature® Card
Sign-up bonus value: $1,145
Sign-up bonus: 50,000 points if you spend $3000 in first 3 months
- The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card
Sign-up bonus value: $1,080
Sign-up bonus: 3 complimentary nights at a tier 1-4 Ritz-Carlton hotel, if you spend $5,000 in first 3 months
- Chase – Fairmont Visa Signature Card
Sign-up bonus value: $1,000
Sign-up bonus: 2 free nights if you spend $3,000 in first 3 months
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ MasterCard®
Sign-up bonus value: $1,000
Sign-up bonus: 50,000 points if you spend $5,000 in first 3 months
Want an extra grand? Six credit cards currently offer sign-up bonuses worth $1,000 or more, according to a new CreditCards.com survey of cards’ upfront benefits.
“It’s historically the best time ever to be a credit card consumer, especially if you’re somebody who pays off your balance and doesn’t pay interest,” says Tim Kolk, president of TRK Advisors, which works with credit card issuers. The lucrative incentives spring from fierce competition among banks, he says.
Credit card sign-up bonuses have created a buzz in recent months as card issuers compete to outdo one another by dangling six-digit point offers.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card, introduced in late August, offered a 100,000 point sign-up bonus. It was matched by the American Express Business Platinum in September. Those two cards, each of which carry a hefty $450 annual fee, have sign-up bonuses worth the most in the survey, according to CreditCards.com’s calculations. (See chart, “Compare the value of sign-up bonuses.”) The Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s bonus clocked in at $1,500, and the American Express Business Platinum’s bonus is worth $1,190.
For the survey, we looked at all cards available to the general public in the United States, so it excludes a few ultraluxe, invitation-only cards.
Credit Card Signup Bonuses – We narrowed our list down to those cards offering a sign-up bonus of:
- More than 50,000 points, or
- A value greater than $600.
We wanted to keep the analysis as objective as possible, so we did not attempt to include the value of “soft” perks such airport lounge access. They can vary by personal taste and the way you use the card. (See methodology.)
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It’s historically the best time ever to be a credit card consumer, especially if you’re somebody who pays off your balance and doesn’t pay interest. |
| — Tim Kolk TRK Advisors |
Of the 21 cards with generous sign-up bonuses, all offer travel rewards, and most are affiliated with a major airline or hotel.
See full study here
