Getting a new credit and earning a huge welcome offer bonus is all about timing: You want to open a credit card when the bonus offer is at its highest. Right now, there are a handful of opportunities out there … but timing is absolutely critical: They won't be around much longer.
Whether you're looking to earn flexible points to redeem for all kinds of travel or miles specific to a single airline, these are some of the biggest bonuses we've ever seen.
Just remember: Credit cards are serious business. No matter how many points you earn through a welcome bonus, they’re not worth digging yourself into debt if you can’t afford to pay off every single charge you make.
Here's a look at the six best card offers that are currently available. Just remember: You'll want to act fast if you're interested.
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Current Offer
The *chase sapphire preferred* is currently offering a new, bigger offer: bonus_miles_full
Limited-time offers like this don't come around very often. If you've got a good use for a big Chase Ultimate Rewards bonus (and trust us, you do), don't delay: This offer ends on Thursday, June 13, at 7 a.m. ET!
Annual Fee: $95
Learn more about the *chase sapphire preferred*
Why This Offer Makes the List
While it's not the biggest bonus we've ever seen on this card, earning 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards is still a phenomenal offer – especially if you don't want to pay huge, $550-plus annual fees on premium travel cards. And the Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the best places to get started with points and miles, period.
Those 75,000 points are worth more than $900 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠, as every point is worth 1.25 cents apiece. But you can easily get double that value (or more) by using Chase transfer partners like United, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, or Hyatt. Not bad for a card with an annual fee of only $95, right?
You'll need to be aware of some restrictions before hitting “apply.”
First and foremost, there's the Chase 5/24 rule. If you have been approved for five or more cards from any bank (not just Chase) in the last 24 months, you will automatically be declined for any new Chase card. Additionally, you will not be eligible if you have earned a bonus on either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve in the past 48 months (four years).
Read more: Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is Best For Beginners
2. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card
Current Offer
The *chase sapphire reserve* matches the Sapphire Preferred with a brand new, elevated offer: bonus_miles_full
We haven't seen a limited-time offer like this on the Sapphire Reserve Card in years. But again, be sure to take advantage before it's gone. This offer ends on Thursday, June 13, at 7 a.m. ET!
Annual Fee: $550
Learn more about the *chase sapphire reserve*.
Why This Offer Makes the List
The Sapphire Reserve's higher annual fee unlocks a slew of premium travel benefits like an easy-to-use $300 annual travel credit that effectively cuts that annual fee by more than half. You also get airport lounge access to the excellent Chase Sapphire Lounges as well as the massive Priority Pass network, a credit of up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, top-notch travel insurance, car rental coverage, and much more.
The 75,000 points you earn from this card are even more valuable than what you would earn with the Sapphire Preferred because every point is worth 1.5 cents apiece when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. That means the 75,000 points earned on the Sapphire Reserve are worth a whopping $1,125 … at least. Of course, you could get even more outsized value by transferring your points to partner airlines.
Just keep in mind the 5/24 rule … and note that you cannot have both the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve at the same time.
Read more: A Full Review of Chase’s Top Travel Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve
3. AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
Current Offer
The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® is out with an excellent offer for new applicants to quickly earn up to 70,000 AAdvantage miles with a single purchase. With an annual fee under $100, these aren't just the easiest miles you'll ever earn – they're also some of the cheapest.
Whether you regularly fly with American Airlines or hardly at all, there are lots of great ways to use this big bonus, making it easily worth your attention.
AAdvantage World Elite Mastercard from Barclays
- Welcome Bonus Offer: Earn 70,000 AAdvantage miles after making your first purchase and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days. That's up from the standard 50,000-mile bonus that comes with the card.
- Annual Fee: $99
All information about the AAdvantage Aviator Mastercard has been collected independently by Thrifty Traveler and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
Learn more about the Barclays AAdvantage World Elite Mastercard (Full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
Why This Offer Makes the List
AAdvantage miles are perhaps some of the most valuable frequent flyer miles you can earn. And this bonus is easier to earn than virtually any other travel credit card.
While most credit cards require you to spend $3,000 or more in the first few months to unlock a big welcome bonus, that's not the case with the AA Barclay's card. Make one purchase – whether it's a pack of gum, a cup of coffee, a flight, or something else – and you can earn a quick and easy 70,000 miles. These are some of the easiest points and miles you will ever earn.
Put this together with the current bonus on the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and bam: You've got 120,000 American Airlines miles. That's an easier (and cheaper) path to pile up more than 120,000 miles than you'll find with almost any other airline. AAdvantage miles are great for flying domestically with AA or internationally on one of American Airline's many partner airlines.
This increased offer comes around every so often. It's unclear exactly when it will end … but it never seems to last long. Be sure to apply before it's gone!
Read More: How to Quickly Earn 120K American Airlines Miles (And Why You Should)
4. Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards
Current Offer
With the Southwest cards, it doesn't matter which one you choose: The offers are all the same. bonus_miles_full
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Annual Fee: $69, which is not waived for the first year of card membership.
Learn more about the *sw plus*.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Annual Fee: $99, which is not waived for the first year of card membership.
Learn more about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Annual Fee: $149, which is not waived for the first year of card membership.
Learn more about the *sw priority*.
Why These Offers Make the List
This is one of the biggest limited-time offers we've ever seen on Chase's portfolio of Southwest co-branded credit cards, ever.
Better yet, the sign-up bonus from any of these cards will count toward the 135,000 points needed to qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass. What's the Southwest Companion Pass? Oh, just one of the best deals in all of travel – and the timing of these bigger bonuses is pretty solid to earn it for nearly two full years.
With the Southwest Companion Pass, you get to choose one person to fly free with you every time you buy a flight or redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards points. No blackout dates and no questions asked: If the flight is bookable, you can add your companion. Considering you get another 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points just for having a Southwest Card, you'd only need an additional 40,000 points to unlock BOGO flights with Southwest for a year and a half.
Beyond the bonus points and opportunity to get close to a coveted Companion Pass, these cards come with other benefits like anniversary bonus points, early bird check-ins, upgraded boardings, and a discount on in-flight purchases.
If adding one of these Southwest cards makes sense for you, don't wait long: These offers expire on Wednesday, June 26!
Read more: Huge! Earn an 85K Bonus with New Southwest Credit Card Offers
5. Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
- Welcome Bonus Offer: bonus_miles_full This offer ends on Wednesday, July 17.
- Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee – then $150 each year after that (see rates & fees)
Learn more about the card_name
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Welcome Bonus Offer: bonus_miles_full This offer ends on Wednesday, July 17.
- Annual Fee: $350 (see rates & fees)
Learn more about the card_name
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Welcome Bonus Offer: bonus_miles_full This offer ends on Wednesday, July 17.
- Annual Fee: $650 (see rates & fees)
Learn more about the card_name
Why These Offers Make the List
From the *delta skymiles gold* to the top-tier *delta skymiles reserve*, Amex has a SkyMiles credit card for nearly every type of Delta flyer. Amex and Delta recently rolled out bigger, limited-time offers of up to 95,000 SkyMiles. These aren't quite the biggest welcome offers we've seen on Delta SkyMiles cards, but they're close.
If you're already in the market for a Delta credit card, it's smart to earn a bigger bonus when you apply. But the real value for Delta fans and frequent flyers goes beyond the bonus: It's about the benefits.
With each of these cards, you're getting a free checked bag on every Delta flight – a savings of at least $70 on each roundtrip after Delta recently raised baggage fees, which can go a long way to offset even the cards' higher annual fees. With the Platinum and Reserve cards, you'll also get an annual companion ticket. With either companion ticket, you essentially get a once-a-year BOGO ticket after your first full year with the Platinum or the Reserve card.
With the Delta Reserve card, one of the top-selling points is that it gets you into Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta – but unlimited complimentary access will only last through January 2025. After that, you'll be limited to visiting Sky Club 15 days each year … unless you also spend $75,000 on your card throughout the calendar year. Even after these changes, you'll get four, one-time passes to the Sky Club so that you can also bring along a friend or family member when they're traveling with you.
Delta Sky Clubs aren't the only lounge you'll have access to with the Reserve Card, though. You'll also get complimentary access to American Express Centurion Lounges when you are flying Delta on a ticket purchased with your Reserve card. At these lounges, you can also bring up to two guests with you for a fee of $50 each.
Read more: New Offers: Earn Up To 95K SkyMiles on a Delta SkyMiles Credit Card!
6. Hilton Honors Credit Cards
Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Welcome Bonus Offer: bonus_miles_full
- Annual Fee: $0 (see rates & fees)
Learn more about the *Hilton Honors*.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
- Welcome Bonus Offer: bonus_miles_full
- Annual Fee: $150 (see rates & fees)
Learn more about the *Hilton Surpass*.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Welcome Bonus Offer: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first six months of card membership. Offer Ends 7/31/2024.
- Annual Fee: $550 (see rates & fees)
All information about the Hilton Aspire Card has been collected independently by Thrifty Traveler and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
We consider the Hilton Aspire Card the best hotel credit card, period – read our guide to see why!
Learn more about the Hilton Honors Aspire Card (for full disclosure, this is our personal referral link)
Why This Offer Makes the List
American Express is out with new limited-time welcome offers of up to 175,000 points and a free night reward on the suite of co-branded Hilton Honors American Express credit cards.
That's right: With these new bonus offers, even the no-annual-fee *Hilton Honors* comes with a free night certificate. That's an incredible deal for a card with no annual fee (see rates & fees).
Unlike other hotel chains that place caps on which tiers of properties you can book using certificates, there's no cap on how much a hotel night can cost with Hilton free night rewards. As long as there is standard room award availability at the property, you can use a free night certificate.
So while even mid-tier properties are often out of reach with other hotel chains' certificates, you can book some of the best Hilton properties in the world with the free night rewards from the current welcome offers.
Whether you're staying in Hiltons just once a year or every other week for work, there's sure to be a Hilton card for you. On top of the bonus points, these cards also come with other perks like automatic elite status, and annual resort credits, potentially making them worth keeping for the long haul.
Not only will you get a bunch of points to redeem for free hotel stays with Hilton, but you'll also get a free night certificate to use at any qualifying Hilton property as part of your welcome bonus offer. It really doesn't get better than this.
Read more: New Offer: Earn Points (& a Free Night Reward) With Hilton Cards!
Bottom Line
Getting the best welcome offer bonus on a new credit card is often about timing it right. Right now, these six card welcome bonus offers are out with some of the biggest bonuses we have ever seen.
But you'll need to act fast! Some of them are set to end soon … like in the next few hours, soon.