27-02-2025
Best credit card sign-up bonuses for 2025
A credit card sign-up bonus can help you quickly earn valuable rewards as a qualified new cardholder, whether you prefer cash back, points, or miles. Your bonus could be worth up to $750 or more, depending on the offer.
These limited-time credit card offers provide better deals than the standard offers, but they're only here for a limited time, so act quickly if one meets your needs.
Why we like it: The Amex Blue Cash Preferred has one of the most rewarding cash-back rates available for common expenses, making it easy to earn cash-back rewards on purchases you already make. If you want an everyday rewards earner, this could be your we like it: The Capital One Quicksilver makes sense if you want a straightforward, no-frills cash-back card. With no annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or bonus categories to worry about, this can be the only card you need in your we like it: The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a heavy-hitter rewards earner and 0% intro APR card, all with no annual cost. Even better, you have flexibility with your redemption options, with complete control over redeeming your rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards, and we like it: The Capital One Savor has an excellent 0% intro APR offer for new cardmembers, and it also checks multiple other boxes to ensure it provides lasting value. It has no foreign transaction fees, no annual fee, and one of the best rewards rates available for earning unlimited cash back on everyday we like it: The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best cards for travelers because it earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points and has a low annual fee. You also have flexibility with your redemption options, including redeeming points for airfare, hotel stays, rental cars, transfer partners, and we like it: If you want a straightforward card for earning travel rewards on all your eligible purchases, look no further than the Capital One Venture Rewards. This card doesn't have confusing spend categories, making it the perfect addition to your wallet if you want one card for we like it: The Discover it Student Cash Back is a dual threat, allowing you to earn valuable rewards while building a positive credit history. If you compare this card with the non-student version, you'll find you don't lose out on its high rewards rate or generous welcome we like it: The IHG One Rewards Premier is one of our favorite hotel cards because you get a free anniversary night each year and automatic elite status. The free night benefit alone can offset the annual fee, so any other value you get from rewards and benefits is just icing on the cake.
Why we like it: The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex makes sense if you frequently fly Delta and want premium travel benefits, such as access to Delta Sky Clubs and up to $240 annual Resy credit (up to $20 back per month on eligible Resy purchases). It's also an excellent way to boost your Medallion Status yearly, as it boosts Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) we like it: The Amex Gold Card is excellent for earning points in the Membership Rewards program on everyday shopping and dining trips. It's also one of our favorite cards for foodies because of its multiple dining-related perks where you can receive statement credits to more than cover the annual membership we like it: The Capital One Venture X is our pick for a premium travel credit card with a reasonable annual fee. You still get the airport lounge access benefits and an annual $300 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, but you don't have to pay as much as you would with certain competitor cards.A credit card sign-up bonus is a reward you can earn as a new cardholder on a rewards credit card. You usually must meet a spending requirement to earn a welcome bonus, often rewarded as cash back, points, or miles. For example, earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months after account opening.
The requirements can vary by the welcome offer, credit card issuer, and credit card, but you typically have to spend a certain amount of money on your card within a specific period to earn a bonus.
It's common for welcome offer spending requirements to give you a three-month period to earn the bonus, but some periods can last for six months or more. The amount of money you must spend for the bonus can vary, but often ranges from $500 to $4,000.
Many business credit card card welcome offers have higher spending requirements, sometimes reaching $15,000 or more in the same amount of time.
You won't earn the welcome bonus if you don't meet the spending requirements within the given timeframe. One thing to be aware of is that having any of your expenses credited back because of canceled or returned purchases could affect whether you qualify for a bonus.
The most common types of credit card sign-up bonuses include rewards in the form of:
Cash back
Points
Miles
Cash-back credit cards reward cash back, while travel credit cards reward you with points or miles.
Credit card sign-up bonus requirements can include:
Approval: You must apply and be approved for a card to qualify for its welcome offer. This could include having a sufficient credit score to be eligible for approval.
Previous bonus requirements: You might not qualify for a bonus offer if you've earned a similar offer recently, such as within the last 24 or 48 months.
Similar card requirements: You might not qualify for a bonus offer if you have or have had the same or a similar credit card.
Spending requirements: To earn a welcome bonus, you must spend a certain amount on your card within a specific timeframe.
Consider these factors when reviewing credit card sign-up bonuses:
Type of reward: Cash back, points, and miles are the most common reward types. If you're interested in travel, consider points or miles. Otherwise, cash back is the recommended option.
Rewards value: Not all rewards currencies are the same, so it's worth researching the estimated value of a currency when researching different welcome offers. For example, 100,000 points on one card could equal $1,000, but the same number of points on another card might be worth $1,500 toward travel on another card.
Your monthly budget: Going beyond your usual spending habits to earn a welcome offer doesn't make sense in most situations. For this reason, you should calculate your everyday expenses, such as buying groceries and filling up at gas stations, to see if your typical budget can help you meet the spending requirements for a bonus.
It's worth looking into the best sign-up bonuses if you have large upcoming purchases. This strategy lets you earn valuable rewards without overspending. However, it's also worth considering a card's other perks and benefits to see if they can bring you long-term value.
You typically aren't taxed for earning a credit card welcome bonus. You might incur taxes if you earned a bonus without spending money or earned rewards in other ways, such as referral bonuses, without spending anything.
These credit cards provide bonus rewards to qualifying new cardmembers:
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Capital One Quicksilver Rewards Credit Card
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Multiple credit cards provide welcome bonuses that could be worth at least $750, including:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Citi Strata Premier® Card
We researched nearly all available rewards credit cards with sign-up bonuses from major card issuers to find the best sign-up bonuses. We did not research every available credit card from every credit card company or include business cards in our research.
We added over 100 credit cards to a rubric to compare current welcome offers, including their bonus values and spending requirements. We also included card types for each card, such as 'cash back,' 'travel,' and more.
We determined which cards had the best sign-up bonuses according to the amount of value you could receive from them, as well as the best sign-up bonuses according to card type. Our final list is based on our rubric, research, and expert opinion.
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank's website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
