Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses

What We Like: The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card gives $200 cash rewards to new cardholders who make $500 in purchases during the 3 months after opening an account.

Wells Fargo Active Cash also has a $0 annual fee, and cardholders earn ongoing rewards of 2% cash rewards on purchases.

What We Don’t Like: Carrying a balance from month to month when the regular APR is in effect will prove quite costly.

Who Should Get It: Apply for this card if you have a 700+ credit score and you want straightforward rewards without sacrificing value.

What We Like: The Discover it Secured Credit Card will match whatever rewards you earn the first year your account is open. That could provide quite a boost. You’ll just have to wait a little while to get it. Fortunately, there’s no annual fee.

What We Don’t Like: You have to place a refundable security deposit of $200+. The amount you put down becomes your spending limit.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for Discover it Secured Credit Card if you want to save money while repairing bad credit.

What We Like: The Capital One Savor Card pays you $300 for spending at least $3,000 within 3 months of opening an account. The rewards don’t stop there, either. You get unlimited 4% cash back on dining, entertainment purchases and popular streaming services, as well as 3% cash back at grocery stores and 1% back on everything else. 

What We Don’t Like: Capital One Savor has a $95 annual fee.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for Capital One Savor if you can comfortably meet the spending requirement for its initial bonus. It’s also best if you make recurring purchases categorized as dining or entertainment.

What We Like: The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card offers a $250 bonus for spending $2,000 in the first 120 days. Cardholders also get 1.5 - 6% cash back on purchases.

What We Don’t Like: The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card has a high regular APR and has a $95 annual fee starting the second year your account is open.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature® Card if you have excellent credit and you want to earn bonus rewards with your favorite retailers.

What We Like: The best credit card sign-up bonus is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card’s offer of 60,000 points, worth up to $750 in travel booked through Chase. New Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders get that sign-up bonus in return for spending $4,000 within 3 months of opening an account. Plus, all cardholders get 1 - 5 points per $1 spent on purchases and various other perks.

What We Don’t Like: Chase Sapphire Preferred's annual fee is $95.

Who Should Get It: Apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred if you have a credit score of 700+ and can comfortably afford to spend $4,000 in the 3 months after opening an account.

What We Like: The Citi Premier® Card offers an initial bonus of 60,000 points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months after opening an account. That bonus is worth $600 in gift cards or travel via thankyou.com. Citi Premier also gives 1 - 3 points per $1 spent on purchases.

What We Don’t Like: This card has a $95 annual fee.

Who Should Get It: Apply for Citi Premier if you have a credit score of 700+ and can comfortably afford to spend $4,000 in the 3 months after opening an account.

What We Like: Venture offers an initial bonus of 75,000 miles, which means you can now nab $750 in free travel just by spending $4,000 within 3 months of account opening. And that’s any type of travel, too. You don’t have to book through Capital One or with a particular travel partner. Rather, you can simply use miles to pay for any travel-related purchases that appear on your statement.

What We Don’t Like: Capital One Venture charges a $95 annual fee.

Who Should Get It: Apply for Capital One Venture if you have a credit score of 700+, like to travel and can comfortably afford to spend $4,000 in the 3 months after opening an account.

What We Like: Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers a high-value initial rewards bonus, giving 60,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. That’s worth $900 in travel booked through Chase Travel. It also offers a variety of valuable ongoing perks. Those benefits include 1 - 10 points per $1 spent on purchases and an annual travel credit of up to $300.

What We Don’t Like: This card charges an annual fee of $550.

Who Should Get It: Apply for Chase Sapphire Reserve if you have a 750+ credit score, travel frequently, and anticipate being able to get at least $550 in value per year from the card’s rewards and other assorted benefits.

What We Like: The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card offers a great sign-up bonus to applicants with excellent credit. New cardholders can earn 60,000 points for spending $4,000 in the first 90 days. The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card also offers 2 points per $1 spent on travel and dining, and 1.5 points per $1 on all other purchases.

What We Don’t Like: There’s an annual fee of $95 and a high APR.

Who Should Get It: Apply for the Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card if you have excellent credit and can comfortably afford to spend $4,000 in the 90 days after opening an account.
 

What We Like: The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card offers a great sign-up bonus as well as attractive ongoing rewards to applicants with excellent credit. New cardholders who spend $2,000 in the first 120 days get 50,000 points, worth $500. The card’s ongoing rewards are doled out at a rate of 1 - 5 points per $1 spent, depending on the purchase category.

What We Don’t Like: There’s an annual fee of $95 starting the second year your account is open.

Who Should Get It: Apply for U.S. Bank Altitude Connect if you have excellent credit and can comfortably afford to spend $2,000 in the 120 days after opening an account. It’s best if the ongoing bonus rewards categories complement your spending habits, too.

What We Like: The HSBC Premier World Credit Card gives 35,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Those bonus points are worth $400 in travel.

The HSBC Premier World Credit Card also rewards users with 1 - 2 points per $1 spent on purchases. Plus, there’s no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee.

What We Don’t Like: This card has a high regular APR.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for this card if you have a 750+ credit score and you’ll be able to qualify for the initial bonus without overspending.

What We Like: The Alaska Airlines Credit Card gives 70,000 miles plus a companion fare ticket after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days. Those miles are worth $1,155 in airfare, according to our calculations.

This card also provides plenty of other perks when you fly with Alaska Airlines, including a free checked bag for you and up to six other passengers on the same reservation, 20% back on inflight purchases, and priority boarding. Plus, you’ll earn 1 - 3 miles per $1 spent on purchases with this card.

What We Don’t Like: The Alaska Airlines Credit Card has an annual fee of $95. It also has a high regular APR.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for the Alaska Airlines Credit Card if you’re a frequent flyer with a 700+ credit score who can commit to Alaska Airlines.

What We Like: The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card gives 3 Free Night Awards for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after opening an account. You also get 1 free night after each account anniversary and 2 - 6 points per $1 spent on purchases with this card.

What We Don’t Like: This card charges an annual fee of and has a high APR.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for this card if you have good credit or better, you travel frequently, and you’re able to commit to staying at Marriott properties when you’re out of town. You should also make sure you’re able to qualify for the initial bonus.

What We Like: Spending $100+ within 3 months of opening an account will get you $50. Cardholders can also earn 1 - 8% cash back on purchases, and there is no annual fee.

What We Don’t Like: The card’s regular APR is pretty high, but this shortcoming can be avoided by paying your statement balance in full by the due date every month the regular rate is in effect.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for this card if you’re a student with limited credit and enough income to afford monthly bill payments.

What We Like: Chase Ink Preferred has long been one of the most rewarding business credit cards for travel, thanks in large part to its big sign-up bonus. New cardholders who charge $8,000 in purchases to the card within 3 months of opening an account get a whopping 100,000 bonus points. That bounty is redeemable for $1,250 in travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards or $1,000 cash back.

What We Don’t Like: Ink Preferred has a $95 annual fee.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for Chase Ink Preferred if you’re a small business owner with good credit or better personally who travels regularly for work.

What We Like: The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card gives new cardholders $1,000 for spending $10,000 in the first 3 months. It also offers 5% cash back on travel through Chase, 2.5% back on every purchase totaling at least $5,000, as well as 2% back on all other purchases.

What We Don’t Like: The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card has a $195 annual fee and a high APR.

Who Should Get It: Consider applying for Ink Business Premier if you have good credit personally and you want to earn bonus cash rewards on business purchases.