We are in midst of a “golden moment” for points and miles credit cards. Signup bonuses are at all-time highs, points earning opportunities have multiplied, special offers abound and benefits have been expanded to include statement credits for dining, home improvements and a host of other freebies. If you’re ready to start playing The Points & Miles Game or looking to add a card or two, now is the time to do it. We’re not sure how long this golden moment will last (some signup bonuses are expiring at the end of April), so our advice is to move quickly if you’re interested. And, as you’ll see, we’re here to help.
There is so much happening in credit card world right now that it’s hard to keep track. This post is our attempt to give you an accurate picture of what’s available and to offer a little advice on how to proceed. First, here are twelve juicy signup bonus offers currently available. Highlights of each card are bolded.
- From American Express:
- The Platinum Card- 75,000 Membership Rewards points after $5k spend in the first six months. There are some special targeted bonus offers out there for as much as 100k points. Annual fee is currently $550. 10X points on US grocery store and gas station purchases for the first six months, up to $15k spend.
- Gold Card- 60k points/$4k spend/6 months. Possible special targeted bonus up to 75k points. Annual fee $250. 4X points on restaurant spending worldwide.
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card- 125k Marriott Bonvoy points/$5k spend/3 months. Annual fee $450. $200 back in statement credits for US restaurant purchases in first six months. 2X points on all purchases, additional 7500 points for each $7500 charged to the card.
- Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card- 90k Delta miles/$3k spend/3 months. Annual fee $250. Note that this offer ends on 4/28/21.
- Delta SkyMiles Gold Card- 70k Delta miles/$2k spend/3 months. Annual fee $99, waived in first year. Offer ends 4/28/21.
- Hilton Honors Surpass Card- 130k Hilton Honors points/$2k spend/3 months. Annual fee $95.
- Hilton Honors Aspire Card- 150k Hilton Honors points/$4k spend/3 months. Annual fee $450.
- From Capital One:
- Venture Rewards Card- 100k miles/$20k spend/12 months (or 50k miles/$3k spend/3 months). Annual fee $95. 2X miles on all purchases.
- From Chase (note that if you apply for a Chase card at a Chase branch, the annual fee for the first year is usually waived):
- Sapphire Preferred Card- 80k Ultimate Rewards points/$4k spend/3 months. Annual fee $95. $50 in statement credits for grocery store purchases in first year.
- United Quest Card (NEW!)– 100k United MileagePlus miles/$10k spend/6 months (or 80k miles/$5k spend/3 months). Annual fee $250. $125 annual United credit.
- IHG Rewards Club Premier Card- 125k IHG Rewards Club points plus a free night award (up to 40k points)/$3k spend/3 months. Annual fee $89.
- From Citi:
- Premier Card- 60k ThankYou points/$4k spend/3 months. Annual fee $95. $100 annual hotel credit.
The Dirty Dozen. Photo credit Warner Bros. Yes, I know there are only nine guys in the picture. Not sure where the other three guys went. Things were different in 1967.
There you have it: The first ever ET (Not so) Dirty Dozen Spectacular Credit Card Signup Bonuses. We value these bonuses for each card at somewhere between $1000 and $2000. This is unprecedented, and it reflects a lot of competition between the credit card issuers. Note that there are business versions of a lot of these cards, plus other business credit cards, that offer even higher signup bonuses, albeit with higher spend requirements. If you have a business, even a small side hustle, you probably qualify for a business credit card.
If you decide to apply for one of these cards, PLEASE use one of the following links, so that either ET or one of our online friends will get a referral bonus or commission:
- Apply for any American Express Card with this link. We can both get rewarded if you’re approved! http://refer.amex.us/PHILIRPL9Z?XLINK=MYCP Good through 5/5/21.
- For Capital One, use this link: https://www.creditcards.com/travel/?aid=a8f8c52a&tid=f02c69e164044eb39b0fb54dda7d709f
- For Chase Sapphire Preferred: https://www.referyourchasecard.com/6a/FCBRRJIDH8
- For all other Chase cards: https://milevalue.com/top-offers-gbt/
- For all Citi cards: https://milevalue.com/top-offers-gbt/
We would appreciate it if you used these links. Thanks!
As a reminder, if you’re going to play The Game, make sure you pay off all of your credit card balances in full by their due date. If you carry a balance on any card, the interest charges will usually exceed the value of any points you earn. Plus, your credit score will decrease, making it more difficult to apply for additional cards.
Now that you know the signup bonus deals, what’s the next move? The answer to that will be different for every ET. We suggest you work backwards (see our post about this approach here) by determining where you want to go, how you’ll get there, and where you’ll stay. If you’re not sure about your destination, focus on the unique currency cards like the Amex Platinum and Gold cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Citi Premier card. We made the decision this year to do just that, and those are the cards we’ve signed up for. By the middle of this year, we should have about 250,000 American Express Membership Rewards points, 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points and 70,000 Citi ThankYou points. These points can all be used with multiple airlines and hotels (see our post about travel partners here), so we have a lot of flexibility. We’ll probably use our stash of points for airfare, since that is usually the highest value proposition. For example, by transferring some of the Membership Rewards points to ANA, the Japanese airline, we could book a round-the-world trip!
Now for our special offer to ET subscribers: We can help you decide which card or cards make sense for you. Leave a comment in the comments section below or send us an email at phil@theexceptionaltraveler.com. We’ll respond asap with our thoughts on how you should proceed. There’s only one catch: You need to forward our email or send one of your own with a link to https://theexceptionaltraveler.com/blog/ to at least three people you think would like to subscribe. That’s it; we’re happy to show you how to play The Game!
Photo by Stephen Phillips – Hostreviews.co.uk on Unsplash