Every month I make a post with what I consider to be the best credit card offers at the time, with a particular focus on the best travel credit cards.
It’s always a great time to start getting your points strategy in order, so you’re ready to plan your dream trip when the time is right. That’s especially true when you consider that we’re currently seeing some of the best credit card welcome bonuses that we’ve ever seen.
While there are several excellent long-standing credit card offers, the specifics of the top offers are constantly changing (be it the annual fee, minimum spending requirement, or even amount of the welcome bonus).
If you read my blog on a daily basis then by all means skip this post, but for me it’s a useful, “current” place to refer people who ask about which cards they should apply for, a question I get on a daily basis.
Why you should care about credit card offers
Simply put, most people want to travel better, but don’t know how. One of the best ways to improve your travel experience is to pick up an excellent credit card that can add value to you.
After all, doesn’t this…
…look better than this?
This is more true in the coronavirus era than ever before, given that more space has become the ultimate luxury.
When applying for a credit card, consider three main points:
- The bonus — how many points can you earn for signing up for the card and completing some amount of spending; this typically ranges from a single purchase to several thousand dollars
- The rewards structure — pick a credit card that offers bonus points in the categories you spend the most on, whether that’s dining or groceries or gas or airfare
- The perks — some cards offer perks that more than justify the annual fee, even if you don’t spend money on the card; for example, there are hotel credit cards with sub-$100 annual fees that offer annual free night certificates that can be redeemed at hotels that cost $300+ per night
In this post I’m focusing primarily on the welcome bonuses, which can be one of the best ways to get rewarded quickly. Often a good credit card bonus will be enough to earn you an international ticket in first or business class, which many would otherwise assume is off limits.
17 best credit card offers January 2023
Let’s look at some of the best credit card welcome bonuses that are available this month. Here are what I consider the 17 best to be:
1. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Current offer: 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $15,000 within three months
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: The Ink cards have extremely generous category bonuses that help sole proprietorships and small businesses maximize points on everyday credit card spending. This card offers 3x points on the first $150,000 spent annually in combined purchases on travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines, each account anniversary year.
This is a card that’s good for both for the welcome bonus and for everyday spending. I value the welcome bonus on this card at $1,700.
Learn more about the Ink Business Preferred (apply for the Ink Business Preferred).
2. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card & Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Current offer: 90,000 points after spending $6,000 within three months
Annual fee: no annual fee
Why it’s a great offer: While these are two different cards, they have the same best-ever sign-up bonuses and both don’t have an annual fee, so I’ll cover them in the same section here. The Ink Cash offers 5x points in useful categories (on the first $25,000 spent per cardmember year on office supply stores, internet, cable TV, mobile phones, and landlines), and the Ink Unlimited offers 1.5x points on all purchases.
For both cards, points can be pooled with the Ultimate Rewards points earned on cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Assuming you have one of these cards in conjunction with one accruing premium Ultimate Rewards points, I value the welcome bonuses on these cards at $1,530 each.
Learn more about the Ink Business Cash (apply for the Ink Business Cash), learn more about the Ink Business Unlimited (apply for the Ink Business Unlimited).
3. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Current offer: 75,000 Venture miles after spending $4,000 within three months
Annual fee: $395
Why it’s a great offer: This is one of the hottest credit cards in the market. Not only is this one of the best cards for everyday spending, but the card offers so many amazing perks, including a $300 annual travel credit, 10K bonus anniversary miles, a Priority Pass membership, access to Plaza Premium Lounges, access to Capital One Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle status, valuable authorized user perks, and more. Furthermore, reports indicate a lot of people are having success getting approved for the card.
This is an incredibly well-rounded card for the welcome bonus, the perks, and the return on everyday spending. I value the welcome bonus on this card at $1,275.
Learn more about the Capital One Venture X (apply for the Capital One Venture X).
4. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Current offer: 75,000 Venture miles after spending $4,000 within three months
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: This card has an excellent welcome bonus. This is a rewarding card, and offers 2x Venture miles on all purchases, plus several great perks. You won’t find a better mid-range credit card for everyday spending. I value the welcome bonus on this card at $1,275.
Learn more about the Capital One Venture (apply for the Capital One Venture).
5. Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card
Current offer: 70,000 Mileage Plan miles plus an Alaska companion fare from $122 after spending $3,000 within 90 days
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: This card was recently refreshed, and features lots of valuable perks. In addition to the excellent bonus, you can receive an Alaska companion fare from $122 when you spend $6,000 on the card annually, priority boarding, a first checked bag free, 20% savings on inflight purchases, and more. I value the welcome bonus at $1,190, not including the companion fare.
Learn more about the Alaska Visa (apply for the Alaska Visa).
6. American Express® Business Gold Card
Current offer: 70,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $10,000 within three months
Annual fee: $295 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: In addition to a great welcome bonus, this is also one of the best Amex business cards for earning Membership Rewards points, given the 4x points categories. I value the welcome bonus at $1,190.
Learn more about the Amex Business Gold (apply for the Amex Business Gold).
7. The Platinum Card® from American Express
Current offer: 80,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 within six months
Annual fee: $695 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: The Amex Platinum is a perks-rich card, offering an up to $300 in statement credits each year on a digital or club membership at Equinox (enrollment required), $240 annual digital entertainment credit, $200 annual airline fee credit, $200 annual Uber credit, $200 annual hotel credit, $189 annual CLEAR credit, $100 annual Saks credit, lounge access, and so much more. Enrollment is required for some of these perks.
Learn more about the Amex Platinum (apply for the Amex Platinum).
8. Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card, British Airways Visa Signature® Card, & Iberia Visa Signature® Card
Current offer: Up to 100,000 Avios — 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 within three months, and a further 25,000 Avios after spending a total of $20,000 within 12 months
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: While these are three different cards, they all have the same excellent welcome bonuses, and points are transferrable between the various Avios programs. Each card has different perks tailored to the specific airline, and you can find a comparison of them here. I value Avios at 1.3 cents each, so to me the full welcome bonus on these cards are worth $1,300, though the spending requirement is massive to unlock the full bonuses.
Learn more about the Aer Lingus Visa (apply for the Aer Lingus Visa), learn more about the British Airways Visa (apply for the British Airways Visa), learn more about the Iberia Visa (apply for the Iberia Visa).
9. Aeroplan® Credit Card
Current offer: 70,000 Aeroplan points after spending $3,000 within three months
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: This card is fantastically rewarding, both in terms of the return on spending, as well as for the perks just for being a cardmember. The card even has a new welcome offer. Aeroplan is also an incredibly useful program, thanks to Aeroplan having more airline partners than any other frequent flyer program, plus the ability to have stopovers on one-ways for just 5,000 points. I value Aeroplan points at 1.5 cents each, so to me this bonus is worth $1,050.
Learn more about the Aeroplan Card (apply for the Aeroplan Card).
10. United Club℠ Infinite Card
Current offer: 80,000 MileagePlus miles after spending $5,000 within three months
Annual fee: $525
Why it’s a great offer: This card has a solid welcome bonus. This is also United’s most premium card, and offers plenty of perks, like United Club access, a first and second checked bag free, Premier Access travel services, and more. I value United MileagePlus miles at 1.3 cents each, so to me, the welcome bonus on this card is worth $1,040.
Learn more about the United Club Infinite Card (apply for the United Club Infinite Card).
11. Citi Premier® Card
Current offer: 60,000 ThankYou points after spending $4,000 within three months
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: This is an often-overlooked mid-range transferable points card, which has a solid bonus. It has excellent bonus categories, as it offers 3x points on gas, dining, groceries, air travel, and hotels, and the card also offers up to a $100 annual hotel credit. I value Citi ThankYou points at 1.7 cents each, so to me the welcome bonus on this card is worth $1,020.
Learn more about the Citi Premier (apply for the Citi Premier).
12. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Current offer: 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within three months
Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: This card underwent some positive changes in 2021, making it more lucrative than ever before. The card offers bonus points on dining and travel, great travel protection, and more. Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to Singapore KrisFlyer, United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt, and many other programs. See this post to understand eligibility for the Chase Sapphire Preferred. I value Ultimate Rewards points at ~1.7 cents each, so to me the welcome bonus is worth $1,020.
Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred (apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred).
13. American Express® Gold Card
Current offer: 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $4,000 within six months
Annual fee: $250 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: The Amex Gold was refreshed in 2021, and has a bonus of 60K points, which is among the best offers we’ve seen on the card. Not only does it offer 4x Membership Rewards points on dining and 4x points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases (then 1x), but the card also offers up to a $120 annual dining credit, and Uber Cash & Uber Eats benefits. I value the welcome bonus at $1,020.
Learn more about the Amex Gold (apply for the Amex Gold).
14. Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Current offer: Up to $1,000 cash back — earn $500 cash back after spending $5,000 within three months, plus an additional $500 cash back after spending a total of $50,000 within the first six months
Annual fee: $150
Why it’s a great offer: This is a solid offer of up to $1,000 cash back. This is an all around great card, as it ordinarily offers 2% cash back with no caps and no foreign transaction fees. Best of all, rewards can even be converted into Capital One miles at the rate of one cent per mile, making this even more lucrative. This is a card that’s good for both for the welcome bonus and for everyday spending.
Learn more about the Spark Cash Plus (apply for the Spark Cash Plus).
15. Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Current offer: 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $5,000 within three months
Annual fee: $199
Why it’s a great offer: The Southwest Performance Card has a huge welcome bonus with a fairly reasonable spending requirement. This card offers lots of fantastic long term perks, including anniversary bonus points, free Wi-Fi on Southwest, upgraded boardings, and more. I value Southwest Rapid Rewards points at 1.2 cents each, so to me the welcome bonus on this card is worth $960.
Learn more about the Southwest Performance Business (apply for the Southwest Performance Business).
16. World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
Current offer: 60,000 World of Hyatt points after spending $5,000 within three months
Annual fee: $199
Why it’s a great offer: There are lots of reasons to consider Hyatt’s business card. The card offers up to $100 in Hyatt statement credits every year, you receive Discoverist status for you and up to five employees, and spending on the card can help you earn World of Hyatt elite nights. I value World of Hyatt points at ~1.5 cents each, so the bonus points on this card are worth $900.
Learn more about the World of Hyatt Business Card (apply for the World of Hyatt Business Card).
17. IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card
Current offer: 175,000 IHG One Rewards points after spending $3,000 within three months
Annual fee: $99
Why it’s a great offer: This card has its biggest points offer ever. In addition to the huge bonus, there are several reasons to consider getting the card, including an anniversary free night award, IHG One Rewards Platinum status, a fourth night free on award redemptions, and much more. I value IHG One Rewards points at ~0.5 cents each, so the bonus points on this card are worth $875.
Learn more about the IHG Premier (apply for the IHG Premier).
Rules of applying for credit cards
Before applying for cards, makes sure you’re aware of the rules each bank has for credit card applications.
One of the common misconceptions people have is that they think applying for credit cards will hurt their credit. The opposite is largely true, actually. Assuming you use your credit responsibly (and make payments on time, don’t utilize too much of your credit, etc.), applying for credit cards can actually help your credit.
Lastly, if you are going to apply for credit cards, make sure you do so responsibly — only apply for them if you have self-control and won’t end up in debt, and try to pay your balance in full every month, or else the interest charges will negate any rewards earned.
Bottom line
The above are just some of the best credit card offers right now, though there are so many others to choose from.
If you’re already into miles & points but don’t have some of the above cards, consider applying. If you’re new to miles & points, now is the time to get started (and I think something like the Capital One Venture X, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Citi Premier, or American Express Gold, are great options to start).
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees), American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), and The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees).
