(If you see any errors or missing cards, please let me know. I try to keep a full list, but it’s a lot of information and I do make mistakes).
Time for the monthly edition of my Top 25 Credit Cards. Again, if you’re a newbie, make sure you read The Newbie Guide. Many of your questions will be answered there. Basic things like not applying for 3 Chase cards at the same time should be known before you continue. For people running out of cards, remember there’s often a Business card option. I listed a few here but not many, so it might be worth exploring more Business cards. Also, “churning” might be an option. The dates here were a guideline but things always tend to vary individually.
- Business Gold Rewards (Amex)
- Spend $5,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 points.
- This offer comes and goes all the time. Back for now.
- Possibly 75,000 points? That’s why it’s #1.
- A better 75,000-point method here?
- Premier Rewards Gold is up to 50,000 too.
- Amex Platinum Business card is still a 100,000-point possibility.
- Ink Plus (Chase)
- Spend $5,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 points.
- The points transfer to United, Southwest, British, Hyatt, etc.
- 5 times the points on purchases at office stores.
- Ink Cash at the same link is also 5X at office stores.
- Worth seeing if you can still get a 70,000-point offer in your local branch.
- Sapphire (Chase)
- Spend $4,000 in 3 months. Get 40,000 points.
- Still very valuable points. See Ink cards above.
- One of my favorite cards to use when I don’t have spends to meet.
- Starwood Preferred Guest aka SPG (American Express)
- Barclay Arrival (Barclays)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 40,000 miles.
- One of the best cards for actual spending, as discussed here.
- American Airlines cards (Citibank)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 miles.
- Better public offers with lower spend and lounge passes here.
- United Airlines (Chase)
- Southwest (Chase)
- Spend $2,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 points.
- Getting late in the year if you’re shooting for a companion pass.
- Plus version of this card is still possible too.
- 60,000-point Business version if you call 1-888-883-2721.
- Personal with $100 credit is here.
- Ritz Carlton (Chase)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 2 free nights.
- Big $395 annual fee. But a travel credit of $300 makes that much better.
- Mercedes Benz Platinum (American Express)
- Hilton Honors Reserve (Citibank)
- Spend $2,500 in 4 months. Get 2 weekend nights. Best Hilton card.
- Gold status while you have the card. Upgrades, breakfast, internet, etc.
- British Airways (Chase)
- Spend $2,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 points.
- If I were guessing, I’d say the 100,000-point offer will be back.
- Club Carlson Premier (US Bank)
- Spend $2,500 in 90 days. Get 85,000 points.
- Great hotel card and not from the usual issuers.
- InterContinental Hotel aka IHG aka Priority Club (Chase)
- Hyatt (Chase)
- Spend $1,000 in 3 months. Get 2 nights at any Hyatt.
- Even more valuable after the point devaluation.
- Offer with $50 statement credit may be available.
- Marriott (Chase)
- Fairmont Hotel (Chase)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 2 nights and breakfast at any Fairmont.
- Again, many of these hotels are very expensive.
- Delta (Amex)
- Alaska Airlines (Bank of America)
- Prestige (Citibank)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 50,000 points.
- Nice benefits including $200 credit, but huge $450 annual fee.
- There is also a 60,000-point offer possible if you go into your local branch. That would put this much higher on the list.
- A tool on Citibank’s site shows what cards you are prequalified for. You can also get a 50,000-point offer there.
- Premier Gold (Amex)
- Possible 50,000 points, rather than the usual 25,000.
- A bit of a pain, but you can see if you’re targeted.
- Some people are seeing 100,000-point offers.
- Here’s another link for 50,000 points after spending $1,000.
- Propel (Wells Fargo)
- Wyndham (Barclays)
- Spend $1. Get 30,000 miles.
- Offer just dropped from 45,000. But any hotel for 15,000 a night moves it up.
- Hawaiian Airlines (Barclays)
- Spend $1,000 in 3 months. Get 35,000 miles.
- Business version is here.
- FlexPerks (US Bank)
- Spend $3,500. Get 20,000 points.
- Many different card options for FlexPerks.
- Venture (Capital One)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 40,000 miles.
- Up from 20,000 miles.
- Thank You (Citibank)
- Weird offer. 20,000 points for spending $2,000 in 3 months. Then 30,000 more points for spending $3,000 in first 3 months of 2nd year.
- Bonuses on this card go up/down often.
- Another version is here.
- JetBlue (American Express)
- Spend $1,000 in 3 months. Get 20,000 points.
- Get the points before it switches to Barclays. Then get them again.
- Thanks to reader Adam.
- Korean (US Bank)
- Spend $1. Get 15,000 miles.
- Down from 30,000-mile offer.
- Business card is here.
- Hilton Honors (American Express)
- Spend $750 in 3 months. Get 40,000 points (60,000 temporarily).
- Go to Hilton.com, begin making a reservation, and you can also see a 50,000-point offer on the payment page.
- Hilton points are definitely not what they used to be.
- Hilton Honors Surpass (American Express)
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months. Get 60,000 points (80,000 temporarily).
- Get the previous card, and you’ll get tons of offers to upgrade to this one.
- Back up to 80,000 points for now.
- Hilton Honors (Citibank)
- Spend $1,000 in 4 months. Get 40,000 points.
- 60,000 points right now.
- Diners Club Elite (BMO Harris Bank)
- 3x points at gas station, grocery stores, and pharmacies.
- Killer way to pick up Starwood points.
- Big annual fee.
- Aeroplan (TD Bank)
- Spend $1,000 in 3 billing statements. Get 25,000 miles.
- Not spectacular, but low spend and not the usual issuer.
- Virgin America (Comenity)
- 2 different card offers I discussed here.
- Issued by Comenity Bank, which is the best thing about these cards.
- Oh, and flights to Hawaii now!
- Freedom (Chase)
- Worth having in your collection for the 5% quarterly bonuses.
- No reason to close this one.
- Another semi-decent quarterly bonus cards is Discover It.
- Here’s the old Amazon link for the Discover.
- LAN (US Bank)
- 20,000 miles after first use. Was 25,000 before March 1.
- 30,000 temporarily here.
- Down from a 40,000-mile offer.
- Frontier Airlines (Barclays)
- Spend $500 in 3 months. Get 40,000 miles.
- Moved way down. These miles suck. Expire after 6 months of no activity.
- Interesting use for the miles here.
- Expedia (Citibank)
- Spend $2,000 in 3 months. Get 25,000 points.
- Also a 15,000-point version with no annual fee.
- Virgin Atlantic (Bank of America)
- Skip this 25,000-mile offer and wait for 50,000 to return.
- Again, Bank of America is more churnable than most.
- Global Entry credit might still be working if you’re looking to save the TSA PreCheck fee.
- Big 90,000 miles available here but a huge amount of spending needed.
- Everyday (Amex)
- Spend $1,000 in 3 months. Get 10,000 Membership Rewards points.
- No annual fee. Preferred has a 15,000-point bonus with a $95 fee.
- Free Amazon Prime for a year.
- Sun Country (First National Bank of Omaha)
- Spend $500 in 3 billing cycles. Get 40,000 points.
- Not the most popular airline in the world.
- NFL (Barclays)
- Spend $500 in 90 days. Get $100 credit.
- Offer has been higher in the past.
- Choice Hotel (Barclays)
- Get the card and stay a night. Earn 4 free stays.
- I keep this as the last card mostly out of tradition.
Recently Dropped:
- Amtrak (Chase) – Great flexible currency. Card should be back soon.
- Asiana (B of A) – Down from 25,000.
- Business Platinum (Amex) – Was #1 on the list with old 100,000 point deal.
- Lufthansa (Barclays) – Just dropped from 50,000 again. Should be back soon.
- LifeMiles (US Bank) – Dropped from 40,000 to 20,000 miles.
- AirTran (Chase) – This one is gone for good.
- Best Western (Barclays) – Again, who really cares?
Beyond this mile/point list, the following are some great cashback cards:
- Amex SimplyCash – 3% cashback in chosen category. 5% at office stores.
- JCB Marukai – 3% cashback after $3,000 spending/year. Limited states.
- TD Easy Rewards – 5% cashback select categories for 6 months.
- Wells Fargo – 5% cashback select categories for 6 months.
- Fidelity – 2% cashback. $50 bonus available for now.
- Citi Double Cash – 2% cashback.
- BB&T Spectrum – 3% cashback for 90 days, plus bonuses. Limited states.
- B of A Americard Cash Rewards – 2% grocery and 3% gas.
- Capital One Quicksilver – 1.5% cashback.
- Capital One Spark Business – 2% cashback.
- Barclays Sallie Mae – 5% gas and grocery. On first $750 per month.