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Black Friday and the holidays are just around the corner, so it's a good time to consider opening a new credit card to earn rewards on your upcoming purchases. Almost all of the major credit card issuers have recently launched huge offers and even brand-new cards, including some with record-high welcome bonuses of 100,000 points or more – but many are for a limited time.
These include an excellent offer on The Platinum Card® from American Express to earn The Platinum Card® from American Express. Amex raised the annual fee to The Platinum Card® from American Express The Platinum Card® from American Express – Rates & Fees, but also added numerous new benefits that can more than offset the fee bump – including the recent addition of statement credits for Walmart+ membership and SoulCycle at-home bike purchases.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express recently got a makeover, too, adding an elevated welcome bonus of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and new or improved statement credits for wireless, Indeed, Adobe, and Dell purchases.
Last week brought updates to the Southwest credit cards, including limited-time elevated bonuses of Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.
Read more: The best current credit card offers of October 2021
If you think you might be interested in applying for the upcoming new Air Canada Aeroplan credit card, be sure to join the waitlist. Chase has sweetened the deal by adding 10 eUpgrade credits to the existing 10,000 points you'll receive (in addition to the card's welcome bonus) if you successfully apply when it finally launches later this year.
Other improved offers to consider include record-high bonuses on the Marriott credit cards, new offers on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, rarely seen welcome bonuses on the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, new bonuses on three Amex Hilton cards, and a 5x grocery bonus on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
With new offers coming in nonstop, you've got a terrific opportunity to take advantage of an increased credit card bonus now, so you're set up with points you can use for flights, hotels, and more when you're finally ready to travel.
Here are some of the best credit card offers to consider this week.
Best credit card offers this week
Card | Bonus | Review | Read more |
The Platinum Card® from American Express |
The Platinum Card® from American Express | Amex Platinum card review | |
Citi Premier® Card | Citi Premier® Card | Citi Premier card review |
6 reasons the Citi Premier should be your go-to card for the pandemic – and beyond |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred card review |
How to earn, redeem, and maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards points |
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Capital One Venture Rewards card review | |
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express | The Business Platinum Card® from American Express | Amex Business Platinum card review |
9 Amex Business Platinum benefits that make it worth the annual fee |
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | Ink Business Preferred card review | |
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | Amex Blue Cash Preferred card review | |
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card |
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card | The best Southwest credit cards of 2021 | |
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card |
Elevated offers | ||
World of Hyatt Business Credit Card |
World of Hyatt Business Credit Card | ||
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card |
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card | ||
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card |
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card | ||
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card |
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card | ||
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card |
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card | ||
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card review | |
Hilton Honors American Express Card |
Hilton Honors American Express Card | Hilton Honors American Express card review |
3 Amex Hilton credit cards are again offering record-high welcome bonuses of up to 180,000 points |
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card |
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card | Hilton Honors American Express Business card review |
Flexible rewards credit card bonuses
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Transferable credit card points are best if you value flexibility because there are so many ways to redeem them. With programs like American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Rewards, you've got options that include:
- Transferring points to airline and hotel partners
- Redeeming points directly for travel at a fixed rate
- Turning points into cash back or statement credits
- Cashing in points for gift cards, merchandise, and more
Our favorite under-the-radar card – the Citi Premier® Card – is offering a record-high welcome bonus, and it offers excellent earnings in categories that fit well whether you're sticking close to home or on the road. You'll earn 3x points on air travel, gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Another excellent deal is one of the best cards with premium travel and shopping benefits, The Platinum Card® from American Express. You can currently earn The Platinum Card® from American Express – here's our Amex Platinum card review for all the details.
Small-business credit card bonuses
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
If you're a small-business owner, opening a small-business credit card can offer a lot of benefits. Keeping your business and personal expenses separate makes it easier to keep track of expenses, and many cards offer bonus points, miles, or cash back in popular business spending categories.
Read more: The best small-business credit cards of 2021
You don't have to own a full-time business or make millions to be eligible to apply – even if you're a freelancer or have a side gig, you could qualify for a small-business card. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card are both offering six-figure bonuses after meeting minimum spending requirements, and, depending on how you redeem them, you could get a value of $1,800 or more from these offers.
The recent annual-fee increase on the personal The Platinum Card® from American Express actually makes the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express a more compelling choice, since its annual fee is a full $100 less than the personal version The Business Platinum Card® from American Express – Rates & Fees – but it comes with many of the same benefits and credits.
Keep in mind, however, that the annual fee on the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express will increase to $695 on January 13, 2021, for new and existing cardholders.
Cash-back credit card bonuses
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Our top pick for the best cash-back credit card overall, the Citi® Double Cash Card, doesn't currently offer a welcome bonus. And other excellent options, like the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, and the new Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, aren't exclusively cash-back cards (though they're marketed that way).
Read more: The best cash back credit cards of 2021
Right now, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an elevated welcome bonus that can help you offset some of your holiday expenses. New cardholders can earn a Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.
You'll also earn 6% cash back on your first $6,000 in U.S. supermarket spending each year (then 1% back), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services, 3% back on U.S. gas stations and transit, and 1% back on all other eligible purchases (cash back is earned in the form of Rewards Dollars).
Airline credit card bonuses
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
If you're getting ready to fly Southwest again, the Southwest personal credit cards have launched record-high offers of up to 100,000 points – and the points you'll earn from the bonus and spending can help you qualify for the coveted Southwest Companion Pass.
Read more: The best airline credit cards of 2021
Amex is offering elevated bonuses on the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. These bonuses are at least double the usual offer, so if you've been on the fence about applying, now is an excellent time to do so.
Hotel credit card bonuses
IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card is a brand-new product that's ideal for small-business owners who like staying with Hyatt. Along with a hefty welcome bonus, it comes with up to $100 in annual Hyatt credits, automatic elite status (which you can gift to up to five other people), a 10% points rebate on redemptions when you meet a spending requirement, and elite night credits for reaching spending thresholds.
Several hotel credit cards are offering increased bonuses – including the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, Hilton Honors American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.
There are also increased offers on the Marriott credit cards, including the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card. The welcome bonus on that card is unprecedented: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card.
And if you're a small-business owner, be sure to check out the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, which is also offering an elevated bonus: Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card.
Read more: The best hotel credit cards of 2021
Keep in mind that most hotel chains, including Marriott and Hilton, have temporarily paused points expiration due to the pandemic, so there's no harm in earning points now for a vacation down the road.
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