Most top rewards credit cards come with a welcome offer, which is a one-time bonus for spending a certain amount with your new card within a specified amount of time. The bonus could help grow your savings or help fund your next vacation.
It’s important not to overspend to reach these bonuses, however. Any extra spending you do to reach the bonus will cut into any value you get from the rewards. Try to reach the bonus through normal spending to get the most out of it.
Consider choosing one of these credit cards to earn a great welcome bonus with.
Best credit card welcome bonuses
The Chase Freedom Flex* has the simplest, most accessible welcome bonus. You earn a $200 cash bonus by spending $500 in the first three months of opening your account. While there are a handful of credit cards with no annual fee that offer a welcome bonus equivalent to $200, they often require you to spend $750 or $1,000 to earn it. Similarly, other credit cards might offer nominally higher welcome bonuses, but they may require several thousands of dollars of spending over a few months’ time. As far as the ratio of spending threshold to bonus goes, the Chase Freedom Flex is a great welcome bonus.
For more details, see our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 29.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Chase Freedom Flex* has the simplest, most accessible welcome bonus. You earn a $200 cash bonus by spending $500 in the first three months of opening your account. While there are a handful of credit cards with no annual fee that offer a welcome bonus equivalent to $200, they often require you to spend $750 or $1,000 to earn it. Similarly, other credit cards might offer nominally higher welcome bonuses, but they may require several thousands of dollars of spending over a few months’ time. As far as the ratio of spending threshold to bonus goes, the Chase Freedom Flex is a great welcome bonus.
For more details, see our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 20.49% – 29.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Discover it® Cash Back* card offers a unique proposition: The sign-on bonus is an unlimited cash-back match for the first year the account is open. Not only do you earn 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories upon activation (on up to $1,500 in quarterly purchases, then 1%) and 1% on all other purchases, but at the end of your first year Discover will match -- dollar for dollar -- all the cash you’ve earned back in the previous 12 months. Because there is no cap or limit on this promotion, you can potentially earn more cash back than with other credit cards, depending on your spending. All Discover credit cards offer some sort of variation of this welcome bonus.
Check out our full review of the Discover it Cash Back for more details.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 17.24% – 28.24% Variable APR
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
The Discover it® Cash Back* card offers a unique proposition: The sign-on bonus is an unlimited cash-back match for the first year the account is open. Not only do you earn 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories upon activation (on up to $1,500 in quarterly purchases, then 1%) and 1% on all other purchases, but at the end of your first year Discover will match -- dollar for dollar -- all the cash you’ve earned back in the previous 12 months. Because there is no cap or limit on this promotion, you can potentially earn more cash back than with other credit cards, depending on your spending. All Discover credit cards offer some sort of variation of this welcome bonus.
Check out our full review of the Discover it Cash Back for more details.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 17.24% – 28.24% Variable APR
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
If you like travel and good food -- whether at restaurants or home cooking -- you should consider the American Express® Gold Card. In addition to its 4X Membership Rewards points rate at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in U.S. supermarket purchases each calendar year, then 1x), cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 on eligible purchases within six months of account opening.
Amex membership point valuations will change depending on how they’re redeemed. If you use your points for statement credits, for example, they’ll only be worth 0.6 cent. If you redeem for travel through Amex Travel or for gift cards, your points will be worth up to 1 cent each. That means the welcome offer here could be worth up to $600 depending on how you redeem.
Learn more in our American Express Gold Card review.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- See Pay Over Time APR
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
If you like travel and good food -- whether at restaurants or home cooking -- you should consider the American Express® Gold Card. In addition to its 4X Membership Rewards points rate at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in U.S. supermarket purchases each calendar year, then 1x), cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 on eligible purchases within six months of account opening.
Amex membership point valuations will change depending on how they’re redeemed. If you use your points for statement credits, for example, they’ll only be worth 0.6 cent. If you redeem for travel through Amex Travel or for gift cards, your points will be worth up to 1 cent each. That means the welcome offer here could be worth up to $600 depending on how you redeem.
Learn more in our American Express Gold Card review.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- See Pay Over Time APR
- Balance Transfer Fee
- N/A
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is one of the strongest flat-rate cash-back cards to choose thanks to its rewards, intro APR offer, welcome bonus and extra card perks.
While its unlimited 2% cash-rewards rate is comparable to other flat-rate credit cards without an annual fee, the Active Cash’s additional benefits give it an edge. There’s a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases within the first 3 months, an intro APR offer and a few additional perks like cell phone insurance.
You can learn more in our Wells Fargo Active Cash Card review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening
- Regular APR
- 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR
- Balance Transfer Fee
- up to 5%; min: $5
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is one of the strongest flat-rate cash-back cards to choose thanks to its rewards, intro APR offer, welcome bonus and extra card perks.
While its unlimited 2% cash-rewards rate is comparable to other flat-rate credit cards without an annual fee, the Active Cash’s additional benefits give it an edge. There’s a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases within the first 3 months, an intro APR offer and a few additional perks like cell phone insurance.
You can learn more in our Wells Fargo Active Cash Card review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening
- Regular APR
- 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR
- Balance Transfer Fee
- up to 5%; min: $5
The Citi Premier® Card offers the best sign-on bonus value with respect to annual fee, points value and spending threshold. The sign-on bonus nets you 60,000 ThankYou® points when you spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening the account -- this can be redeemed for travel rewards or $600 in gift cards at Thankyou.com. Alternatively, these points are also valued at 1 cent per point for statement credits, and so are worth the same amount in the form of “cash back.” While advertised as a travel credit card, the Citi Premier offers strong rewards rates across multiple popular everyday spending categories, like restaurants, gas stations and supermarkets.
See our full review of the Citi Premier Card for more details and benefits.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
The Citi Premier® Card offers the best sign-on bonus value with respect to annual fee, points value and spending threshold. The sign-on bonus nets you 60,000 ThankYou® points when you spend $4,000 within the first three months of opening the account -- this can be redeemed for travel rewards or $600 in gift cards at Thankyou.com. Alternatively, these points are also valued at 1 cent per point for statement credits, and so are worth the same amount in the form of “cash back.” While advertised as a travel credit card, the Citi Premier offers strong rewards rates across multiple popular everyday spending categories, like restaurants, gas stations and supermarkets.
See our full review of the Citi Premier Card for more details and benefits.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card* offers a substantial welcome bonus redeemable for statement credits for travel or dining purchases. You have to make $1,000 worth of purchases within the first 90 days of account opening to secure this bonus, which will come in the form of 25,000 online bonus points posted to your account. While there are higher-value welcome bonuses available on premium travel cards, they generally also carry a hefty annual fee. For the traveler on a budget, this is the right card to maximize your welcome bonus value.
For more details, see our full review of the Bank of America Travel Rewards card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any BTs made in the first 60 days. A 3% fee applies.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
- Regular APR
- 18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% of the amount of each transaction
The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card* offers a substantial welcome bonus redeemable for statement credits for travel or dining purchases. You have to make $1,000 worth of purchases within the first 90 days of account opening to secure this bonus, which will come in the form of 25,000 online bonus points posted to your account. While there are higher-value welcome bonuses available on premium travel cards, they generally also carry a hefty annual fee. For the traveler on a budget, this is the right card to maximize your welcome bonus value.
For more details, see our full review of the Bank of America Travel Rewards card.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any BTs made in the first 60 days. A 3% fee applies.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
- Regular APR
- 18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% of the amount of each transaction
The Prime Visa is unique in that there is no minimum spending threshold to earn the bonus. Upon approval of your application, you’ll receive an Amazon gift card for $100 (or more) without ever even using the card. The catch is that a gift card isn’t redeemable for statement credits or travel like the bonus of many other rewards cards. It is simply a gift card for use on Amazon.com. Note that you must have an Amazon Prime account ($139 annually) to get this credit card.
See more details in our full review of the Prime Visa.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Prime Visa is unique in that there is no minimum spending threshold to earn the bonus. Upon approval of your application, you’ll receive an Amazon gift card for $100 (or more) without ever even using the card. The catch is that a gift card isn’t redeemable for statement credits or travel like the bonus of many other rewards cards. It is simply a gift card for use on Amazon.com. Note that you must have an Amazon Prime account ($139 annually) to get this credit card.
See more details in our full review of the Prime Visa.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 19.49% – 27.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card
With the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card, you can earn 5% cash back (on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter) on two categories you choose from the following: utilities, fast food, TV, internet and streaming, cell phone providers, department stores, electronic stores, sporting goods stores, movie theaters, gyms/fitness centers, furniture stores, ground transportation and select clothing stores. You’ll also earn 2% cash back on one “everyday” category, like groceries or gas.
The card offers a $200 bonus after spending $1,000 in the first 120 days of account opening, which shouldn’t be hard to meet if you use your card for utilities and groceries to take advantage of the elevated earn rate. Its 2% cash back “everyday” category has no spending cap, which means you can rake in the rewards even after your 5% rewards fall to 1%.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro APR Intro APR on balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro APR Intro APR on purchases for the first 15 billing cycles.
- Regular APR
- 19.74% – 29.74% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater.
With the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card, you can earn 5% cash back (on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter) on two categories you choose from the following: utilities, fast food, TV, internet and streaming, cell phone providers, department stores, electronic stores, sporting goods stores, movie theaters, gyms/fitness centers, furniture stores, ground transportation and select clothing stores. You’ll also earn 2% cash back on one “everyday” category, like groceries or gas.
The card offers a $200 bonus after spending $1,000 in the first 120 days of account opening, which shouldn’t be hard to meet if you use your card for utilities and groceries to take advantage of the elevated earn rate. Its 2% cash back “everyday” category has no spending cap, which means you can rake in the rewards even after your 5% rewards fall to 1%.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro APR Intro APR on balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles.
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro APR Intro APR on purchases for the first 15 billing cycles.
- Regular APR
- 19.74% – 29.74% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either 3% of the amount of each transfer or $5 minimum, whichever is greater.
With the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*, you could earn 3 Free Night Awards (each valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first three months.
If you stay with Marriott Bonvoy often, the Boundless could be your ticket to more stays. The points you earn for Marriott Bonvoy purchases can be used for free nights at Marriott hotels. In addition to its welcome offer, cardholders also get an annual free night award and complimentary Silver Status. Silver Elite status provides amenities like late checkout and a 10% point-earning bonus.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
With the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*, you could earn 3 Free Night Awards (each valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first three months.
If you stay with Marriott Bonvoy often, the Boundless could be your ticket to more stays. The points you earn for Marriott Bonvoy purchases can be used for free nights at Marriott hotels. In addition to its welcome offer, cardholders also get an annual free night award and complimentary Silver Status. Silver Elite status provides amenities like late checkout and a 10% point-earning bonus.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- N/A
- Intro Purchase APR
- N/A
- Regular APR
- 21.49% – 28.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer Fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card* offers one of the best value-to-spending ratios for a welcome bonus. Cardholders can earn $200 for spending $500 within three months of account opening.
That’s one of the lowest spending requirements available for a good return, tied with the Chase Freedom Flex. While the Quicksilver’s 1.5% cash-back rate isn’t as high as other flat-rate cards without an annual fee -- like the Wells Fargo Active Cash or Citi® Double Cash Card– it still offers good ongoing rewards paired with a competitive sign up bonus with a low spending requirement.
The card also has no foreign transaction fees, a rarity among no-annual-fee cards, making it a good choice for frequent international travelers who don’t want to splurge on a dedicated travel credit card with a hefty annual fee.
You can find more details in our Capital One Quicksilver review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro on purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for the first 15 months or at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time. No fee for amounts transferred at the Transfer APR
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card* offers one of the best value-to-spending ratios for a welcome bonus. Cardholders can earn $200 for spending $500 within three months of account opening.
That’s one of the lowest spending requirements available for a good return, tied with the Chase Freedom Flex. While the Quicksilver’s 1.5% cash-back rate isn’t as high as other flat-rate cards without an annual fee -- like the Wells Fargo Active Cash or Citi® Double Cash Card– it still offers good ongoing rewards paired with a competitive sign up bonus with a low spending requirement.
The card also has no foreign transaction fees, a rarity among no-annual-fee cards, making it a good choice for frequent international travelers who don’t want to splurge on a dedicated travel credit card with a hefty annual fee.
You can find more details in our Capital One Quicksilver review.
- Intro Balance Transfer APR
- 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% intro on purchases for 15 months
- Regular APR
- 19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee
- 3% for the first 15 months or at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time. No fee for amounts transferred at the Transfer APR
How do credit card bonuses work?
Credit card welcome bonuses, welcome offers or sign-up bonuses were created to incentivize you to sign up for and spend with your new credit card. Once you spend a certain amount on your card, you’ll get a bonus added to your account. Welcome bonus spending requirements vary depending on the card and how large the bonus is. Depending on the card, the bonus may be paid out in the form of rewards points with multiple redemption options, miles or direct cash back.
Although bonuses are intended to get you to spend, don’t spend in ways you normally wouldn’t for the sake of a bonus. If you need to spend outside your means to reach it, it’s no longer a bonus, especially if you can’t pay off the full balance and rack up interest charges. Try to reach the welcome bonus through normal spending to bolster your finances without taking away from them.
How to find the best credit card welcome bonus for you
Choosing the best credit card sign-up bonus comes down to a handful of different factors -- how high the spending requirement is, how you’re able to redeem it and whether you need to pay an annual fee to get it.
Spending requirement
One of the most important aspects of a welcome bonus is how much you need to spend in order to qualify for it. You’ll want to make sure you can reach the spending threshold without overspending or making purchases you normally wouldn’t have. While welcome bonuses are meant to incentivize you to spend more on your card, any spending you do outside of your normal budget will offset the value you get from the bonus.
Type of rewards
What you can do with the bonus after you’ve earned it will depend on the type of rewards your card earns. Some cash back credit cards will pay out their bonuses as direct cash back or statement credits to lower your account balance.
Some rewards cards may offer the bonus as points, however, which gives you a bit more flexibility when you redeem. Points can typically be redeemed for statement credits, cash deposited directly into your bank account, redeemed for gift cards, used with specific merchants at check-out, used for merchandise through the issuer’s shopping portal or used to book travel through an issuer’s travel portal.
Generally, you can redeem points for cash back or statement credits at a standard 1 point:1 cent ratio. Gift card, pay with points and travel or merchandise portal redemptions may have different values depending on the specifics of your redemption.
Travel credit cards will likely earn their bonus as points or miles, which can then be redeemed for airfare, hotel stays, rental cars through the issuer’s travel portal (if there is one) or transferred to the issuer’s hotel or airline partners to be used for airfare or hotel stays. Transferring points is often the most lucrative redemption method, but the cards with the best transfer partners tend to be dedicated travel credit cards with an annual fee.
For credit cards tied to a specific hotel or airline -- such as the Hilton Honors American Express Card or the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® -- you’ll typically earn your bonus in the form of points or miles on the company’s own rewards program, offering less flexibility than transferable points from a credit card issuer like Chase or Capital One.
Annual fee
Cards that offer the most lucrative welcome bonuses also tend to carry an annual fee. These cards, many of them premium travel cards, typically come with benefits that make the annual fee worthwhile -- anything from special promotions to travel insurance to free airport lounge access.
As long as you can meet the spending threshold naturally and use the card’s benefits, an annual-fee card can be a good pick, especially if the value of a card’s sign up bonus is greater than the fee. But after you’ve collected the bonus, whether you should keep the card past the second year -- when there’s still a fee but no more bonus -- depends on how much you value the card’s features and ongoing rewards. Otherwise, consider downgrading to a no-annual-fee card.
Credit card issuer
Before you sign up for a card, you’ll want to make sure you can qualify for the welcome bonus. Some issuers, including Chase, American Express, Citi and Bank of America have special rules around opening cards and earning welcome bonuses.
American Express has a “once per lifetime per person per card” rule on welcome bonuses. That means you can’t earn a welcome bonus on a card if you’ve previously earned a bonus on the same card, even if you’ve closed your card and are applying for it again.
Capital One has a two-card rule, which means you can only have one consumer Capital One card at a time. Capital One will also only approve you for a card once every six months.
Chase has a 5/24 rule, which means it likely won’t approve you for any cards if you’ve applied for five credit cards -- no matter the issuer -- within 24 months.
Personal or business
Whether you’re using a business credit card or personal credit card will also play a role. Business cards can offer more lucrative sign up bonuses, they tend to also have higher spending thresholds than personal cards.
You must have a business to apply for a business credit card, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a full-fledged brick-and-mortar business -- side hustlers and freelancers can also qualify.
When does applying for a credit card with a welcome bonus make sense?
While welcome bonuses are enticing, you shouldn’t strive to earn one if it leads to overspending. Typically, you need to spend a certain amount during a set period of time to earn a welcome bonus -- though occasionally a credit card might offer an instant bonus when you’re approved for the card. If you can’t comfortably meet this spending requirement, look for a card with a lower requirement. Otherwise, the interest you accrue is likely to eat into the bonus value.
You also shouldn’t apply for a credit card just to earn the welcome bonus. You’ll want to research the card’s other features and costs to ensure it fits nicely into your typical spending habits. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying a steep annual fee for a card that doesn’t complement your lifestyle.
FAQs
This is a risky and time-consuming gambit that could adversely affect your credit. Though a welcome bonus is worth considering, we recommend taking a comprehensive look at the overall value of a credit card and choosing one that fits your spending habits and financial situation.
Credit card sign-up bonus can go up or down at the credit card issuer’s discretion. If the issuer wants to promote a certain card, they may offer a limited-time bonus. Or, the bonus on a credit card may go down if a special offer has expired.
In most cases, the IRS does not consider credit card rewards as taxable income. If you had to make purchases to reach a welcome bonus, it won’t be taxed.
However, if you earn a credit card bonus without spending money -- such as a referral bonus when your friend signs up for the card -- it may be taxable. Always check with a tax professional if you have questions about taxes.
In our view, a good welcome bonus is one that doesn’t require you to contort your existing spending habits and offers a return that’s higher than the card’s annual fee. Many rewards credit cards offer a welcome bonus of $200, so anything higher than that is noteworthy.
We also prefer cards with bonuses that feature other perks or multiple rewards tiers, increasing the usefulness of the card beyond the bonus.
For rates and fees of the American Express Gold Card, click here.
*All information about the Discover it Cash Back, Chase Freedom Flex, Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card, and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
