- There are so many different factors that consumers can use to select which credit card is right for them, from the size of the annual fee to what perks are offered to how well the card fits into the owner’s travel strategy. Meanwhile, there are plenty of credit card offers and deals that promise huge up-front welcome bonuses just for signing up.
- Here’s one thing that might help make the decision a little easier: There are plenty of cards on the market right now that offer up at least $1,000 in value — merely for signing up for one. That’s a result of a combination of perks, including the credit card welcome bonus, and in this post we’ll take a look at seven cards that offer this degree of value. The value being at least $1,000 per the latest card valuations from The Points Guy.
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One of the things that might strike the average person as odd when they come across a savvy credit card user — and we’re specifically referring to those with a robust card-based travel rewards strategy, not, say, profligate shoppers — is how they might have more than one card in their wallet. A handful or more, in fact.Questions that might be tempting to ask in such cases are things like, How does such a person pick which card to use for which purpose? And why do they even have that many in the first place? In this post, we’re going to talk about the answer to those questions — about how having even one or two extra credit cards, and specifically these cards, might make a huge difference in the out-of-pocket costs for your next vacation. Indeed, this is an incredible time to add a new card to your wallet, with multiple cards offering 100,000-point bonuses. Moreover, you can easily score at least $1,000 or more in value thanks to these cards with especially inviting welcome offers. Of course, the cards with the most perks often come with higher annual fees, so that’s a consideration, as well.
With all that said, let’s dive right into our roundup of the top cards right now that offer users at least $1,000 in value, starting with a solid offering from American Express.
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
$595
Welcome bonus: Earn up to 75,000 bonus points: 50,000 bonus points after you spend $10,000 and an extra 25,000 bonus points after you spend an additional $10,000 all on qualifying purchases within your first three months of card membership.
Perks: Airline-fee credit up to $200; annual Dell credits up to $200 ($100 semi-annually); access to Amex Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), Airspace and Escape lunges; Gold elite status with Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy.
Other details: The Business Platinum card’s $595 annual fee makes this one of the most expensive cards on the market. However, the current bonus of up to 75,000 points goes a long way toward compensation for that. And while $20,000 is certainly a lot of money to spend in three months, the $1,500 worth of points you earn can unlock some truly great redemptions.
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
$95
Sign-up bonus: 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months
Perks: Cellphone protection for you and employees listed on your phone bill; Also trip delay and cancellation insurance.
Other details: Chase’s Ink Business Preferred doesn’t have a ton of perks and it faces increasing competition from newer members of the Ink family. But it might offer the simplest and most immediate value of any of these cards. It has the highest sign-up bonus of any Ultimate Rewards-earning card, but the 80,000 points are worth $1,600 based on the latest valuations from The Points Guy, but you can potentially get even more value than that.
The Platinum Card From American Express
$550
Welcome bonus: 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you’ve spent $5,000 on purchases in the first three months.
Perks: Airline-fee credit of up to $200; up to $200 in annual Uber credits; up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits (up to $50 semiannually); access to Amex Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), along with Airspace and Escape lounges; Gold elite status with Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy.
Other details: The list of reasons why the Amex Platinum is worth the annual fee has definitely grown over the years, as Amex keeps adding new benefits to attract customers to its most premium card that’s publicly available. The standard welcome bonus of 60,000 Membership Rewards points is worth more than $1,000 on its own, and if you think you can use the annual airline and Uber credits of up to $200 each, the $550 annual fee is really only effectively $150 out of pocket each year.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
$95
Sign-up bonus: 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
Perks: Trip delay/interruption insurance, baggage insurance, primary car rental insurance.
Other details: With the Sapphire Preferred, cardholders have access to Chase’s 13 incredible hotel and airline transfer partners — and you’ll also get a sign-up bonus worth $1,200.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
$450
Welcome bonus: 100,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you make $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first three months of card ownership.
Perks: Up to $300 in statement credits each cardmember year toward Marriott purchases; anniversary award night (valid at hotels costing up to 50,000 points per night) every year after your account anniversary; also complimentary Marriott Gold Elite status.
Other details: Staying at Marriott properties only a few times each year can cut this card’s annual fee to just $150, and that’s not factoring in the complimentary Marriott Gold status you get as a cardholder or the 50k annual award night certificate. This unlocks perks like a 25% points bonus on paid stays and space-available room upgrades. The reason the stays each year make this card worth it is that they generate statement credits of up to $300 each cardmember year for Marriott purchases — and those purchases include room rates.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
$450
Welcome bonus: 150,000 Hilton points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
Perks: Annual airline credit of up to $250; annual Hilton resort credit of up to $250 at participating hotels; up to $100 credit on eligible stays of two nights or more at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels; automatic Hilton Diamond status.
Other details: The Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express is packed with credits and benefits that include a 150,000-point welcome bonus valued at $900 alone by The Points Guy. The card comes with a number of Hilton property credits that can negate the annual fee and make this card cash-flow-positive, and cardholders get one free weekend night after account approval and one at each account anniversary, to boot.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
$250
Welcome bonus: Up to 100,000 bonus miles. 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months and an additional 20,000 bonus miles after your first cardmember anniversary. (Note: This limited-time offer ends on April 1).
Perks: An annual companion certificate (every year you renew the card) valid for a domestic round-trip main-cabin ticket in fare classes L, U, T, X or V (you’ll need to pay the taxes and fees for the companion); plus one free checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight companions (save $60 round-trip per person); Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
Other details: This is Delta’s mid-tier business credit card, and it can be a good option for Delta loyalists who might otherwise fall short of earning Delta elite status because you can use this card to earn up to 20,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles per year as well as a Medallion Qualifying Dollars waiver. The annual companion certificate has the potential to be useful as well.
