20 Best Credit Card Welcome Offers For Travel Rewards In September 2026

For those with access to credit cards in the United States, the single best way to rack up a lot of points quickly is by taking advantage of the best credit card welcome offers. The credit card industry in the United States is lucrative (for banks, airlines, hotel groups, etc.), and the idea is that they often offer large upfront welcome offers and bonuses to incentivize people to apply. So in this post, I’d like to share what I consider to be the best current credit card welcome offers for earning travel rewards, across a variety of categories. I’ll cover the best transferable points card offers, the best business card offers, the best hotel card offers, and the best airline card offers. The details of the best offers are always changing, so that’s why I think it’s useful to keep a current list with the best opportunities, which I try to constantly update to reflect offers. I’ll share what I consider the 20 best credit card offers right now to be, across four categories (business transferable points cards, personal transferable points cards, hotel cards, and airline cards). Before I do, let me just point out a few things: I’m including publicly available offers that are available online — in some cases people may have better targeted offers, but it’s hard to include those When I list the value of a welcome offer, that’s based on my published valuation of points The minimum spending requirements between these offers vary wildly, so everyone will have to factor that in based on their spending ability Why you should care about credit card welcome offersBest business travel card welcome offers & bonuses1. Sapphire Reserve for Business℠2. Capital One Venture X Business3. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card4. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express5. American Express® Business Gold CardBest personal travel card welcome offers & bonuses1. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card2. Capital One Venture Card3. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card4. American Express Platinum Card®5. American Express® Gold CardBest hotel credit card welcome offers & bonuses1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card2. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card3. Hilton Honors American Express Business Card4. World of Hyatt Business Card5. Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® CardBest airline credit card welcome offers & bonuses1. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card2. Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard®3. United℠ Business Card4. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card5. Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit CardDoes applying for credit cards hurt your credit score?Credit card welcome offer FAQsBottom line Why you should care about credit card welcome 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 your wallet. After all, doesn’t this… Etihad’s A350 business class …look better than this? Etihad’s A350 economy class When applying for a credit card, consider three main points: The welcome offer or 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 & ongoing benefits — some cards offer perks that more than justify the annual fee, even if you don’t spend money on the card There are so many credit cards worth having 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. Best business travel card welcome offers & bonuses Business credit cards tend to have among the most lucrative welcome offers of any cards out there, so if you’re eligible to apply for them, there are some incredible opportunities. Admittedly these cards often have large minimum spending requirements, but if you can unlock them, these cards can earn you an incredible amount of travel. Below are what I consider to be the five best welcome offers on business cards that earn travel rewards. Specifically, these are focused on transferable points currencies, which give you the most flexibility (I’ll cover some airline and hotel business cards below, in separate sections). Credit cardWelcome offerMinimum spendSapphire Reserve for Business℠200,000 Ultimate Rewards points$30,000 in six monthsCapital One Venture X Business150,000 Capital One miles$30,000 in three monthsInk Business Preferred® Credit Card100,000 Ultimate Rewards points$8,000 in three monthsThe Business Platinum Card® from American ExpressAs high as 300,000 Membership Rewards points (Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer)$20,000 in three monthsAmerican Express® Business Gold CardAs high as 200,000 Membership Rewards points (Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer)$15,000 in three months 1. Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ Current Sapphire Reserve Business welcome offer: Limited time offer of 200,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $30,000 within the first six months Sapphire Reserve Business welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Chase card, card generally follows Chase 5/24 rule Sapphire Reserve Business welcome offer value: I value Ultimate Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $3,400 Sapphire Reserve Business annual fee: $795 Why the Sapphire Reserve Business is worth it: The Sapphire Reserve Business has a steep annual fee, but offers valuable perks, like a $300 annual travel credit, a Priority Pass™ membership, Chase Sapphire Lounge access, and more Sapphire Reserve Business links: Read my Sapphire Reserve Business review, learn more about the Sapphire Reserve Business Access Chase Sapphire Lounges with the Sapphire Reserve Business 2. Capital One Venture X Business Current Venture X Business welcome offer: 150,000 Capital One bonus miles after spending $30,000 within the first three months Venture X Business welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Capital One card, with the exception of the Spark Cash Plus Venture X Business welcome offer value: I value Capital One miles at 1.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $2,550 Venture X Business annual fee: $395 Why the Venture X Business is worth it: The Venture X Business is easy to justify thanks to the $300 annual travel credit, 10,000 bonus anniversary miles, and access to participating Priority Pass™ lounges, access to Capital One Lounges and Capital One Landings, and more Venture X Business links: Read my Venture X Business review, learn more about the Venture X Business Redeem Capital One miles for Turkish business class 3. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Current Ink Business Preferred welcome offer: 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 within the first three months Ink Business Preferred welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Chase card Ink Business Preferred welcome offer value: I value Ultimate Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $1,700 Ink Business Preferred annual fee: $95 Why the Ink Business Preferred is worth it: The Ink Business Preferred is one of the most well rounded business cards, given its reasonable annual fee, plus great rewards structure, as you earn 3x points on the first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year in combined purchases on travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines Ink Business Preferred links: Read my Ink Business Preferred review, learn more about the Ink Business Preferred Redeem Chase points for travel in Singapore Airlines Suites 4. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Current Amex Business Platinum welcome offer: You may be eligible for a welcome offer as high as 300,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after spending $20,000 within three months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Find out your offer. Amex Business Platinum welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Amex card Amex Business Platinum welcome offer value: I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth up to $5,100 Amex Business Platinum annual fee: $895 (Rates & Fees) Why the Amex Business Platinum is worth it: The Amex Business Platinum has a steep annual fee, but the perks potentially add up, between an up to $600 annual hotel credit, plus valuable lounge access, including to Amex Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, and more. Amex Business Platinum links: Read my Amex Business Platinum review, learn more about the Amex Business Platinum Access Amex Centurion Lounges with the Amex Business Platinum 5. American Express® Business Gold Card Current Amex Business Gold welcome offer: You may be eligible for a welcome offer as high as 200,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 within three months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Find out your offer. Amex Business Gold welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Amex card Amex Business Gold welcome offer value: I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth up to $3,400 Amex Business Gold annual fee: $375 (Rates & Fees) Why the Amex Business Gold is worth it: The Amex Business Gold is one of the best cards for earning Membership Rewards points, as the card has lucrative 4x points categories, and offers credit that can help offset the annual fee Amex Business Gold links: Read my Amex Business Gold review, learn more about the Amex Business Gold Redeem Amex points for ANA business class Best personal travel card welcome offers & bonuses Personal credit cards are of course the most popular for those looking to earn travel rewards for their credit card spending. These cards can be all over the place in terms of their annual fees and perks, but many are worth having. Below are what I consider to be the five best welcome offers on personal cards that earn travel rewards. Specifically, these are focused on transferable points currencies, which give you the most flexibility (I’ll cover some airline and hotel personal cards below, in separate sections). Credit cardWelcome offerMinimum spendChase Sapphire Reserve® Card100,000 Ultimate Rewards points$6,000 in three monthsCapital One Venture Card75,000 Capital One miles + $300 travel credit$4,000 in three monthsChase Sapphire Preferred® Card75,000 Ultimate Rewards points$5,000 in three monthsAmerican Express Platinum Card®As high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points (Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer)$12,000 in six monthsAmerican Express® Gold CardAs high as 100,000 Membership Rewards points (Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer)$8,000 in six months 1. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card Current Sapphire Reserve welcome offer: 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $6,000 within the first three months Sapphire Reserve welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Chase card, card generally follows Chase 5/24 rule Sapphire Reserve welcome offer value: I value Ultimate Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $1,700 Sapphire Reserve annual fee: $795 Why the Sapphire Reserve is worth it: The Sapphire Reserve isn’t cheap to hold onto, but offers worthwhile perks, like up to a $500 annual hotel credit, an up to $300 annual dining credit, a $300 annual travel credit, a Priority Pass™ membership, Chase Sapphire Lounge access, Air Canada Lounge access, and more Sapphire Reserve links: Read my Sapphire Reserve review, learn more about the Sapphire Reserve Access select Air Canada Lounges with the Sapphire Reserve 2. Capital One Venture Card Current Capital One Venture welcome offer: Limited time offer of 75,000 Capital One miles points after spending $4,000 within the first three months, plus $300 to use on hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year Capital One Venture welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Capital One card Capital One Venture welcome offer value: I value Capital One miles at 1.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $1,575, including factoring in the $300 credit Capital One Venture annual fee: $95 Why the Capital One Venture is worth it: The Capital One Venture is great for everyday spending, as it offers a straight 2x miles per dollar spent Capital One Venture links: Read my Capital One Venture review, learn more about the Capital One Venture Redeem Capital One miles for SWISS business class 3. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Current Sapphire Preferred welcome offer: 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 within the first three months Sapphire Preferred welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Chase card, card generally follows Chase 5/24 rule Sapphire Preferred welcome offer value: I value Ultimate Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $1,275 Sapphire Preferred annual fee: $95 Why the Sapphire Preferred is worth it: The Sapphire Preferred is one of the best starter travel rewards cards, between its excellent rewards structure, an up to $100 annual hotel credit, and more Sapphire Preferred links: Read my Sapphire Preferred review, learn more about the Sapphire Preferred Redeem Chase points for the Park Hyatt Maldives 4. American Express Platinum Card® Current Amex Platinum welcome offer: You may be eligible for a welcome offer as high as 175,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after spending $12,000 within six months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Find out your offer. Amex Platinum welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Amex card Amex Platinum welcome offer value: I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth up to $2,975 Amex Platinum annual fee: annual fee (Rates & Fees) Why the Amex Platinum is worth it: The Amex Platinum is the gold standard of premium cards, with a huge number of credits that can help justify the fee, ranging from an up to $600 annual hotel credit, to an up to $400 annual Resy credit, and much more Amex Platinum links: Read my Amex Platinum review, learn more about the Amex Platinum Access Plaza Premium Lounges with the Amex Platinum 5. American Express® Gold Card Current Amex Gold welcome offer: You may be eligible for a welcome offer as high as 100,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after spending $8,000 within six months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Find out your offer. Amex Gold welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, and you’re also not eligible for the welcome offer if you have or have had the Amex Platinum, so you’ll want to apply for the Amex Gold first Amex Gold welcome offer value: I value Membership Rewards points at 1.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth up to $1,700 Amex Gold annual fee: annual fee (Rates & Fees) Why the Amex Gold is worth it: The Amex Gold has a fairly high annual fee, but is one of the best cards for dining, thanks to its bonus categories, and it also offers some dining focused credits that help offset the fee Amex Gold links: Read my Amex Gold review, learn more about the Amex Gold The Amex Gold is unbeatable for dining Best hotel credit card welcome offers & bonuses I’m a huge fan of hotel credit cards, given the incredible value they can offer on an ongoing basis. Even if you don’t spend a lot on these cards, there’s potentially value to having them, thanks to their perks, like hotel elite status, free night awards, and more. Below are what I consider to be the five best welcome offers on hotel credit cards, including both personal and business cards. Credit cardWelcome offerMinimum spendMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card150,000 Bonvoy points + $250 statement credit$6,000 in six monthsHilton Honors American Express Aspire Card200,000 Hilton Honors points + annual free night award$6,000 in six monthsHilton Honors American Express Business Card150,000 Hilton Honors points + free night award$8,000 in six monthsWorld of Hyatt Business Card70,000 World of Hyatt points$7,000 in three monthsMarriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card100,000 Bonvoy points + free night award$8,000 in six months 1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card Current Bonvoy Brilliant welcome offer: For applications through September 30, 2026, limited time welcome offer of 150,000 Bonvoy bonus points plus a $250 statement credit after spending $6,000 within the first six months Bonvoy Brilliant welcome offer eligibility: Bonvoy credit cards have complicated eligibility requirements, so see here Bonvoy Brilliant welcome offer value: I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $1,350, including factoring in the $300 credit Bonvoy Brilliant annual fee: $650 (Rates & Fees) Why the Bonvoy Brilliant is worth it: The Bonvoy Brilliant is Marriott’s most premium card, and offers useful perks, including Bonvoy Brilliant Platinum status, an annual free night award, up to $300 in annual dining credits, and more Bonvoy Brilliant links: Read my Bonvoy Brilliant review, learn more about the Bonvoy Brilliant Earn an annual free night award with the Bonvoy Brilliant 2. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Current Hilton Aspire welcome offer: For applications through January 13, 2027, limited time welcome offer of 200,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $6,000 within the first six months, and the card also offers an annual free night award the first year every year, including the year where you open the card Hilton Aspire welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Amex card Hilton Aspire welcome offer value: I value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents each, making the points worth $1,000, not factoring in the free night award (which I conservatively value at $500), bringing the total offer value to $1,500 Hilton Aspire annual fee: $550 (Rates & Fees) Why the Hilton Aspire is worth it: The Hilton Aspire is my favorite hotel credit card, as it offers an impressive numbers of perks, ranging from Hilton Diamond status, to up to $400 in Hilton resort credits, to an annual free night award, and more Hilton Aspire links: Read my Hilton Aspire review, learn more about the Hilton Aspire Earn an annual free night award with the Hilton Aspire 3. Hilton Honors American Express Business Card Current Hilton Business welcome offer: For applications through January 13, 2027, limited time welcome offer of 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points plus a free night award (worth up to 250,000 points) after spending $8,000 within the first six months, and the card also offers an annual free night award the first year every year, including the year where you open the card Hilton Business welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Amex card Hilton Business welcome offer value: I value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents each, making the points worth $750, not factoring in the free night award (which I conservatively value at $500), bringing the total offer value to $1,250 Hilton Business annual fee: $195 (Rates & Fees) Why the Hilton Business is worth it: The Hilton Business offers perks like Hilton Gold status, up to $240 in Hilton credits per calendar year, and more Hilton Business links: Read my Hilton Business review, learn more about the Hilton Business Receive Hilton Gold status with the Hilton Business 4. World of Hyatt Business Card Current Hyatt Business welcome offer: 70,000 World of Hyatt points after spending $7,000 within the first three months Hyatt Business welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Chase or Hyatt card, card generally follows Chase 5/24 rule Hyatt Business welcome offer value: I value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $1,050 Hyatt Business annual fee: $199 Why the Hyatt Business is worth it: The Hyatt Business is the best card for spending your way toward World of Hyatt status, and offers up to a $100 annual Hyatt credit, World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as you have the card, and more Hyatt Business links: Read my Hyatt Business review, learn more about the Hyatt Business Redeem Hyatt points for the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur 5. Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Current Bonvoy Business welcome offer: For applications through November 4, 2026, limited time welcome offer of 100,000 Bonvoy bonus points plus a free night award after spending $8,000 within the first six months Bonvoy Business welcome offer eligibility: Bonvoy credit cards have complicated eligibility requirements, so see here Bonvoy Business welcome offer value: I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $1,050, including factoring in the free night award Bonvoy Business annual fee: $125 (Rates & Fees) Why the Bonvoy Business is worth it: The Bonvoy Business is the primary co-branded Marriott business card, and it offers perks like 15 elite nights toward status annually, an anniversary free night award worth up to 35,000 points, and more Bonvoy Business links: Read my Bonvoy Business review, learn more about the Bonvoy Business Redeem Bonvoy points at Bab Samhan Diriyah Best airline credit card welcome offers & bonuses There’s lots of merit to getting airline credit cards, given that they can offer priority perks and fee waivers for travel on airlines, and can also help you earn elite status. Below are what I consider to be the five best welcome offers on airline credit cards, including both personal and business cards. Credit cardWelcome offerMinimum spendDelta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card200,000 SkyMiles$20,000 in six monthsCiti® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard®125,000 AAdvantage miles$15,000 in five monthsUnited℠ Business Card100,000 MileagePlus miles + 2,000 PQPs$5,000 in three monthsDelta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express CardUp to 90,000 SkyMiles + $300 statement credit$4,000 in six monthsAtmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card70,000 Atmos Rewards points + 25,000-point Global Companion Award$3,000 in 90 days 1. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card Current Delta Reserve Business welcome offer: For applications through November 4, 2026, limited time welcome offer of 200,000 SkyMiles after spending $20,000 within the first six months Delta Reserve Business welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, eligibility unrelated to having any other Amex card Delta Reserve Business welcome offer value: I value SkyMiles at 1.1 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $2,200 Delta Reserve Business annual fee: $650 (Rates & Fees) Why the Delta Reserve Business is worth it: This is the best card for frequent Delta flyers, between the companion certificate benefit, priority travel services, lounge access, and more Delta Reserve Business links: Read my Delta Reserve Business review, learn more about the Delta Reserve Business Receive airport lounge access with the Delta Reserve 2. Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard® Current AAdvantage Executive welcome offer: Limited time welcome offer of 125,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $15,000 within the first five months AAdvantage Executive welcome offer eligibility: Follows standard Citi 48-month rule, so you’re not eligible for the offer if you’ve received a bonus on this exact card in the past 48 months AAdvantage Executive welcome offer value: I value AAdvantage miles at 1.5 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $1,875 AAdvantage Executive annual fee: $695 Why the AAdvantage Executive is worth it: Tons of useful perks, including an Admirals Club membership, up to 40,000 bonus Loyalty Points per year, and several credits and other benefits AAdvantage Executive links: Read my AAdvantage Executive review, learn more about the AAdvantage Executive Access Admirals Clubs with the AAdvantage Executive 3. United℠ Business Card Current United Business welcome offer: 100,000 MileagePlus bonus miles plus 2,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) after spending $5,000 within the first three months United Business welcome offer eligibility: You’re not eligible if you’ve received a bonus on this card in the past 24 months, card generally follows Chase 5/24 rule United Business welcome offer value: I value MileagePlus miles at 1.3 cents each, making the welcome offer worth $1,300 (not factoring in the PQPs) United Business annual fee: $150 Why the United Business is worth it: The United Business has a reasonable fee, and offers a bunch of credits and travel benefits that will justify the card for many, including access to better priced MileagePlus awards United Business links: Read my United Business review, learn more about the United Business Redeem MileagePlus miles for Polaris business class 4. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Current Delta Platinum welcome offer: For applications through November 4, 2026, llimited-timewelcome offer as high as 90,000 SkyMiles plus a $300 statement credit after spending $4,000 within the first six months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Find out your offer. Delta Platinum welcome offer eligibility: “Once in a lifetime” rule, and you’re also not eligible for the welcome offer if you have or have had the Delta Reserve Delta Platinum welcome offer value: I value SkyMiles at 1.1 cents each, so factoring in the statement credit, I value the welcome offer at $1,290 Delta Platinum annual fee: (Rates & Fees) Why the Delta Platinum is worth it: The Delta Platinum is the mid-range card in the Amex SkyMiles portfolio, and offers solid travel perks on Delta, which could justify the fee Delta Platinum links: Read my Delta Platinum review, learn more about the Delta Platinum Receive an award ticket discount with the Delta Platinum 5. Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Credit Card Current Atmos Summit welcome offer: 70,000 Atmos Rewards points plus a 25,000 point Global Companion Award after spending $3,000 within the first 90 days Atmos Summit welcome offer eligibility: Eligibility is unrelated to having any other Bank of America or Atmos Rewards credit card Atmos Summit welcome offer value: I value Atmos Rewards points at 1.5 cents each, so between the 70,000 points and the 25,000-point Global Companion Award, I value this at $1,425 Atmos Summit annual fee: $395 Why the Atmos Summit is worth it: The Atmos Summit is my favorite airline credit card, as it offers absolutely endless benefits, from Global Companion Awards, to free points sharing, to waived partner booking fees, to Alaska Lounge passes, and more Atmos Summit links: Read my Atmos Summit review, learn more about the Atmos Summit Receive a Global Companion Award with the Atmos Summit Does applying for credit cards hurt your credit score? 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. However, 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. Credit card welcome offer FAQs What are the best travel rewards credit card welcome offers? The best welcome offers depend on the type of rewards you’re looking to earn. Transferable points currencies give you the most flexibility in terms of the types of things you can redeem for. However, airline cards are potentially useful for earning airline elite status or getting perks with airlines, while hotel credit cards can offer free night awards and elite status. Does applying for a credit card affect my credit score? A credit card application can result in a hard inquiry, which may temporarily affect your credit score, and ding your score by some number of points. However, in the long run, having multiple credit cards and using them responsibly can actually help your credit score. What credit score do you need for a travel rewards credit card? There’s no set credit score you need to get approved for a travel reward credit card. I’d generally hope to have a score in the good to excellent range, so I’d aim for a score of 700+. However, people with lower scores have gotten approved, and people with higher scores have gotten denied. Do you need a business to get a business travel rewards credit card? Business credit cards are generally open to sole proprietorships as well as incorporated businesses. So while you do need some sort of business activity, you don’t need to have an incorporated business. What happens if you don't hit a credit card minimum spending requirement? If you apply for a credit card with a welcome offer but don’t reach the minimum spending requirement to unlock that offer, you unfortunately wouldn’t earn it. You’d still get to keep the card and would be on the hook for an annual fee, if applicable. So always make sure you apply for cards with welcome offers that you can actually reach. Can you apply for both business and personal credit cards? Yes, there’s merit to picking up both personal and business credit cards. This potentially makes you eligible for a lot more welcome offers, and the cards also often have different sets of perks. How do you know if you're eligible for a credit card welcome offer? To be sure you’re eligible for the welcome offer on a credit card, make sure you read the “offer terms,” which will tell you if you’re eligible based on which cards you currently have, or have had in the past. What happens if you cancel a credit card after a year? It’s generally fine to cancel a credit card after a year (when the next annual fee is due), assuming the card isn’t working out for you. However, if you make a repeated pattern of opening and closing cards, don’t be surprised if certain issues indicate that you’re no longer eligible for welcome offers. How many credit cards can you have at once? There’s no hard limit as to how many credit cards people can have, as it comes down to each person’s specific situation. For example, I have dozens of credit cards, and a nearly perfect credit score. What’s most important is that you make your payments on time, keep your credit utilization low, and take a “slow and steady” approach. Can you apply for multiple credit cards the same day? While each card issuer has different rules, it’s generally totally fine to apply for multiple cards the same day, especially if it’s from multiple issuers, a mix of personal and business cards, etc. However, I’d typically recommend not applying for multiple of the same types of cards from the same issuer in a particular day (for example, two Citi personal cards). Bottom line Taking advantage of big credit card welcome offers is the best and fastest way to rack up travel rewards, in order to book first and business class flights, stay at luxury hotels, etc. The best offers are always changing, so it’s worth understanding what the best deals at any given point are. Of course you’ll also want to consider picking cards that match your long term travel goals, as there’s lots of value to travel credit cards beyond just the welcome offers. 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), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), The Business Platinum® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees), American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (Rates & Fees).