The best credit card welcome bonuses of December 2024

With the holiday season upon us, now may be a great time to evaluate your credit card portfolio. Credit card sign-up bonuses and welcome offers are the quickest and easiest way to rake in lots of points and miles, so we regularly update the roundup of our favorite current offers in our best credit cards guide.

But to help you keep up with an ever-changing list of bonuses, we’ve also compiled a list of the best card offers currently available — especially the ones that are worth an extra look right now because they are at all-time highs or may end soon.

Since many issuers have restrictions on how often you can earn a bonus on a card, it’s important to time your application for when there’s a good offer. Also, higher bonuses don’t always stick around for long, so if you’re considering one of these offers, you’ll want to hop on it sooner rather than later.

Finally, if you’re not ready to add a higher-end credit card, consider these great starter cards or even one with a 0% introductory annual percentage rate offer.

*Welcome offer value is determined using TPG’s December 2024 valuations and is not provided by nor reviewed by the issuer.

This business card stands out for its simplicity, earning unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases and a best-ever welcome bonus.

Additionally, the $150 annual fee is refunded if you spend $150,000 or more per calendar year (see rates and fees).

This card is worth consideration if you’re a business owner and looking for a lucrative welcome offer and simple earnings.

Apply here: Capital One Spark Cash Plus with $2,000 cash back after spending $30,000 in the first three months. Plus, earn an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500,000 spent during the first year.

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This business card stands out not only for its extremely valuable welcome offer but also travel perks that can easily cover the card’s $695 annual fee (see rates and fees).

Cardholders enjoy automatic Gold status in both the Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programs, along with some of the best lounge access perks of any business card out there.

Cardholders also enjoy 5 points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked on American Express Travel, 1.5 points per dollar on eligible purchases in select business categories and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).

Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply.

Read our review of the American Express Business Platinum Card for more information.

Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express with 150,000 points after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases with the card within the first three months of card membership.

The Capital One Venture X Business is the business version of the popular Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Like its personal counterpart, it offers luxury travel perks at a reasonable annual fee and has a simple earning structure of at least 2 miles per dollar on all purchases.

This card is an excellent choice for small-business owners who prioritize simplicity. It offers benefits like airport lounge access and a valuable travel credit for a relatively affordable annual fee.

Read our review of the Venture X Business for more information.

Apply here: Capital One Venture X Business with 150,000 miles after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

American Express Business Gold

The Amex Business Gold is a fantastic card for business owners looking to maximize earnings from a single card.

It has 4-point-per-dollar earning categories that automatically reflect your highest spending areas each billing cycle (on the top two eligible spending categories each month; capped at $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).

Read our review of the Amex Business Gold Card for more information.

Apply here: American Express Business Gold Card with 100,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership.

According to TPG’s December 2024 valuations, this card’s welcome bonus alone is worth over $1,800 since you can take advantage of Chase’s excellent collection of airline and hotel transfer partners. Points redeemed through the Chase Travel℠ portal are worth 1.25 cents each, which isn’t bad, either.

This card earns 3 points per dollar on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable, and phone services, and advertising on social media sites and search engines on up to $150,000 in combined purchases (1 point per dollar thereafter).

Other benefits include cellphone protection, primary rental car coverage (when renting for business purposes), purchase protections and adding employee cards to your account for free.

Read our review of the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card for more information.

Apply here: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card with 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Often referred to as the king of the premium travel rewards cards, the Amex Platinum offers a slew of benefits — along with a $695 annual fee (see rates and fees). Cardholders enjoy perks like automatic elite status with both Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, plus some of the best airport lounge access of any card.

Cardholders also enjoy 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, and 1 point per dollar on other eligible purchases.

Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply.

And while the current welcome offer provides solid value, check the CardMatch Tool to see if you can receive an even higher one (offers are targeted and subject to change at any time).

Read our review of the American Express Platinum Card for more information.

Apply here: The Platinum Card from American Express with 80,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.

Aeroplan Card

The Aeroplan Credit Card is one of the best cobranded airline credit cards on the market, with redemption flexibility and valuable airline benefits.

Aeroplan points are an extremely valuable currency that allows you to book domestic flights on United or flights around the globe with Star Alliance Airlines and other partner carriers. Best of all, Aeroplan still utilizes an award chart for partner award flights.

With its strong earning rate and incentives to spend on the card beyond earning the welcome bonus, the Aeroplan credit card is worth considering for many points and miles enthusiasts — even those who don’t live in Canada.

Read our review of the Aeroplan card for more information.

Apply here: Aeroplan card with up to 100,000 bonus points — 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening plus 25,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months of account opening.

It earns a flat 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases worldwide, but you can earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel. The miles you earn with this card can be transferred to Capital One’s 15-plus airline and hotel partners or redeemed through the Capital One Travel portal.

The card stands out for offering an application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck; many other cards that offer this benefit have annual fees of $400 or more.

The Venture Rewards card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees), so you can use the card overseas without paying extra.

Read our review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Card for more information.

Apply here: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card with 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

The card offers a hefty welcome bonus worth about $1,388, according to our December 2024 valuations, and excellent airline and hotel transfer partners.

It also offers cardholders $300 in credits annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel, extensive lounge access, and 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary.

As for earning rates, the Venture X racks up 10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel, and an unlimited 2 miles per dollar on everything else.

Read our review of the Capital One Venture X card for more information.

Apply here: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card with 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The Citi Strata Premier is Citi’s mid-tier travel rewards card. The card offers a lucrative welcome offer worth $1,350 based on TPG’s December 2024 valuations and access to Citi’s solid lineup of transfer partners.

It offers great earnings rates in a wide variety of categories. It earns 10 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through the Citi Travel portal, 3 points per dollar on air travel, hotels, gas stations, electric vehicle charging stations, supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout) and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

The card also comes with valuable perks, such as travel protections, insurance and an annual $100 hotel credit after you spend $500 in the Citi Travel portal.

Read our review of the Citi Strata Premier for more information.

Apply here: Citi Strata Premier with 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is Marriott’s business card offering. It has a modest $125 annual fee (see rates and fees) and comes with solid perks like a free night award, automatic elite status, and a room rate discount.

Additionally, the card has good earnings rates across multiple categories. This card is worth considering for your business even if you don’t stay at Marriott properties frequently.

Read our review of the Marriott Bonvoy Business for more information.

Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Business with three free night awards (up to 50,000 points per night) after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases within six months of card membership. Resort fees and terms apply.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is a card with a reasonable annual fee, and it provides solid perks for both frequent and infrequent Marriott travelers. If you want a free night award and automatic elite status, this card can be a great addition to your wallet.

The $95 annual fee can easily be offset by the free night award and solid earnings on Marriott stays. This card is worth considering even if you don’t stay at Marriott properties frequently.

Read our review of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless for more information.

Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless with three free night awards (up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard has a solid welcome offer worth about $1,238, based on TPG’s December 2024 valuations.

With the first checked bag free and the ability to earn a companion pass, this card is worth considering for any American loyalist.

Additionally, the American AAdvantage loyalty program has excellent award flash sales and has great sweet spot awards on partner airlines in premium cabins, including Qatar Airways and Japan Airlines.

Apply here: Citi AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard with 75,000 bonus AAdvantage miles after spending $5,000 within the first five months of account opening.

Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the best and most cost-effective travel rewards credit cards on the market.

As for earning rates, the Sapphire Preferred racks up 5 miles per dollar on Lyft (through March 31, 2025) and travel purchased through Chase Travel and 2 points on other travel purchases.

These valuable points can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel.

Read our review of the Sapphire Preferred for more information.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred with 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the best rewards credit cards on the market and upgrades your travel lifestyle.

You’ll earn 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals through Chase Travel, racking up valuable Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to hotel and airline partners or redeemed directly for flights at a rate of 1.5 cents per point.

You’ll also get a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge access and a host of other great perks.

Read our review of the Sapphire Reserve card for more information.

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Reserve with 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

United Club Infinite

The United Club Infinite Card is the best card for United lounge access — bar none. If you’re a loyal United flyer who spends a significant amount of money with the airline each year, this card will make a great addition to your wallet.

Its $525 annual fee sounds high until you factor in the United Club membership included with the card. Membership normally costs $650 per year for non-elite members.

Read our review of the United Club Infinite for more information.

Apply here: United Club Infinite with 90,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The Amex Gold card was refreshed in July and is a favorite of many TPG staffers, largely thanks to its terrific earning rates on dining and groceries.

It earns 4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants (first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and at U.S. supermarkets (first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).

The card also offers multiple dining statement credits to help offset the manageable annual fee of $325 (see rates and fees).

Enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply.

Read our review of the American Express Gold Card for more information.

Apply here: American Express Gold Card with 60,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first six months of card membership.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card sports a valuable welcome bonus worth $1,120, based on TPG’s December 2024 valuations. The Rapid Rewards Performance Business card is Southwest’s most premium card offering and includes perks like four upgraded boardings per year, inflight Wi-Fi credits, anniversary points and a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit.

Many travelers love Southwest Airlines, and this love only grows if you have one of the best Southwest Airlines credit cards in your wallet. The airline has a unique value proposition, including no change fees and two free checked bags for all passengers.

When you pair those perks with a strong route network — including international destinations and Hawaii — and the easy-to-use Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program, it’s easy to see why Southwest has created a loyal customer base.

Learn more about Southwest’s card offerings.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card with 80,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The Hilton Honors Business has a moderate annual fee (see rates and fees), and it provides solid perks for Hilton travelers.

Even if you don’t stay at Hilton properties frequently, this card is worth considering. You’ll get complimentary Gold status and a pathway to Diamond status via spending on the card.

Read our review of the Hilton Business Amex for more information.

Apply here: Hilton Honors Amex Business with 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends ends Jan 8.

World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card is one of the best cobranded hotel cards on the market due to its automatic elite status, generous earnings rate and anniversary free night award.

Hyatt may not have the biggest footprint, but it has some outstanding hotels worldwide. Additionally, Hyatt is one of the few hotel programs that still utilizes a fixed award chart with peak and off-peak pricing, which allows you to get outstanding value for your points.

With its generous earnings rate, elite status and a solid welcome offer, this card is strongly worth considering even if you don’t stay at Hyatt hotels often.

Read our review of the World of Hyatt credit card.

Apply here: World of Hyatt Credit Card with up to 60,000 bonus points: 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months, plus up to an additional 30,000 bonus points by earning 2 bonus points total per $1 spent in the first six months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent.

World of Hyatt Business credit card

Like its personal counterpart, the World of Hyatt Business credit card offers solid benefits for businesses that frequent Hyatt properties often.

The card comes with perks like discounted room rates through a complimentary Hyatt Leverage membership, annual statement credits, automatic elite status with the ability to spend your way to higher tiers and a 10% points rebate. Unfortunately, unlike the personal card, the business version does not have a free night certificate and has more than double the annual fee.

Read our full review of the World of Hyatt Business credit card.

Apply here: World of Hyatt Business credit card with 60,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Alaska Airlines Visa

The Alaska Airlines Visa is a solid option for earning valuable Alaska miles. Per TPG’s December 2024 valuations, the card’s current 70,000-mile welcome offer is worth $1,015.

Plus, you can earn the airline’s well-known companion fare ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23), which can net some serious savings on a second traveler with you fly with Alaska.

Read our review of the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card.

Apply here: Alaska Airlines Visa with 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000 within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Ink Business Premier

The Ink Business Premier is one of Chase’s business card offerings with simple cash back earnings rates.

Cardholders earn 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel and Lyft rides (Lyft through March 2025), 2.5% back on all purchases over $5,000 and 2% back on all other purchases.

This card also includes other benefits like cellphone protection, primary rental car coverage (when renting for business purposes), purchase and extended warranty protections and free employee cards.

Read our review of the Ink Business Premier Credit Card.

Apply here: Ink Business Premier with $1,000 cash back after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Remember that Chase’s 5/24 rule means that it’s often best to apply for Chase cards before other issuers’ products. And here’s some help on how to choose the best credit card for you.

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex Business, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business, click here.