Right now is a perfect time for jumping on a number of different credit card offers. That’s because there’s a hand full of credit cards offering their highest offers in recent memory and many of these cards are extremely valuable. Below is my list of what I consider to be 7 of the best credit card offers right now and some insight on why I’m such a fan of these cards.
Update: Some offers are no longer available — click here for the latest deals!
1. Chase Sapphire Reserve
- 100,000 Ultimate Rewards after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $550 (not waived first year)
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is still king for the time being, even though it’s 100,000 Ultimate Rewards offer is only available in-branch and through March 11, 2017. 100,000 Ultimate Rewards is a lot and there’s not many cards that can even compete with the Reserve’s complete package: sign-up bonus, benefits, bonus categories of 3X on dining and travel. You might be turned off by the $550 annual fee, but with its $300 travel credit and easy bonus category earning potential, this card can easily turn you a profit in credit card earnings.
2. Chase Ink Preferred
- 80,000 Ultimate Rewards after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $95 (not waived first year)
The Chase Ink Preferred another solid offer that I think people should consider. 80,000 is a lot of Ultimate Rewards but the bonus categories for the Ink Preferred are strong as well, with the 3X per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on:
- Travel
- Shipping purchases
- Internet, cable and phone services, and
- Advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines
If you’re any kind of entrepreneur who spends a lot on advertising, this could be one of the best credit cards for you. The same is especially true for so-called “digital nomads.”
*You may want to hold off on applying for this card because there are rumors that this sign-up bonus might be increasing to 100K!
Read more about the Chase Ink Preferred here.
3. Citi AAdvantage Platinum
- 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select is back at 50,000 miles with the annual fee waived. What’s more, many people have luck matching the 50,000 miles bonus to 60,000 miles! And finally, what makes this card so valuable right now is that you can use the link below to submit an application that doesn’t contain 24 month language (thanks to Rossbolton87)! This is a huge benefit for many. You may not be guaranteed the bonus, but I’ve seen enough positive data points out there that I would take my chances.
Application link without 24 month language.Offer no longer valid.
4. United MileagePlus Explorer
- 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months
- 70,000 miles after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months [Targeted]
- Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
The United MileagePlus Explorer card is offering 50,000 mile offers along with targeted offers for 70,000 miles. Some of these targeted offers also come with a $50 statement credit. The 70,000 miles offer with a $50 statement credit is one of the top offers for any co-branded airline credit card I’ve ever seen. Thus, if I were targeted and under 5/24, I would pick this card up in a heartbeat. Read more about the offer from my article here and see if you’re targeted.
5. American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card
- Earn 25,000 bonus Starpoints after you make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months and an extra 10,000 bonus Starpoints after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months
- Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
The all-time highest offer is back for the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest card. I value this card a lot because you can can use SPG points for free nights at SPG properties, transfer them at a 1:3 ratio to Marriott, transfer them out to over 30 airlines at a 1:1.25 ratio when transferring 20,000 points or more, and utilize them in a number of other different ways, such as SPG Moments.
There’s a good chance that this could be the last time we see this offer for this card since Marriott acquired Starwood. Thus, if you’re on the fence about this card, you may want to act sooner rather than later.
Read more about this offer and the similar offer for the business version here.
6. Barclaycard Arrival Plus
- 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $95 (waived first year)
The Barclaycard Arrival Plus offers you maximum flexibility when redeeming your “miles” since they effectively act as a travel credit that can be used on any purchase that codes as travel. Factoring in the purchases needed to meet the minimum spend requirement, you’ll be left with $560 worth of travel credit with this card. Having the flexibility to use your miles on any travel purchase makes it a lot easier to purchase airfare and hotels and put your itinerary together.
While I would normally recommend applying for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card since it has lower redemption minimums, the extra Arrival Plus has the extra $100 in travel attached to its sign-up bonus right now so I’d have to give it the nod.
Read more about my comparison between the Capital One Venture Card versus the Barclaycard Arrival Plus.
7. Southwest Premier Business Credit Card
- 60,000 Rapid Rewards after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months
- Annual fee: $95 (not waived first year)
You have to earn 110,000 Rapid Rewards in one calendar year in order to earn the Southwest Companion Pass. Typically, the best offers are for 50,000 Rapid Rewards so even when you get approved for two of the best Southwest cards and meet their minimum spend requirements (usually $2,000), you still have to spend an additional $6,000 if you’re relying on credit card spend to earn the bonus.
But with this rare business credit card offer plus a 50,000 personal Southwest credit card, you’ll hit the Companion Pass threshold with the sign-up bonuses alone! So for a lot of people, this business credit card makes it a lot more practical to obtain the Companion Pass and that’s why it’s one of my top cards.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
