It’s now Southwest Companion Pass hunting season and so I’ve added a seasonal new section to this post with details about how to secure two years of a Companion Pass with just two new cards. Additionally, in my top 5 consumer card list, the Aspire 180K offer is in and the Amex Platinum card is out. In my top 5 business card list, the targeted 150K Business Gold offer is in and the Ink Business Preferred 100K offer is out.
Background
Our Best Credit Card Offers page always shows the best offers sorted overall and within each card issuer by estimated first year value. This is a great non-biased way to compare credit card offers, but it misses nuances such as whether or not the rewards are easy to use, whether or not the card is worth keeping long term, etc. With this monthly series, I list my top 5 consumer offers and top 5 business offers, but with a small dash of analysis for each.
Additionally, November, December, and January are great months in which to secure a Southwest Companion Pass for nearly 2 years and so I’ve added a section below titled “Southwest Companion Pass Season.”
Southwest Companion Pass Season
| Card Offer |
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75K points ⓘ Affiliate 75K points after $3K spend in the first 3 months. Offer ends 12/11/23.$69 Annual Fee This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). |
60K points ⓘ Affiliate 60K points after $3K spend in first 3 months $99 Annual Fee This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). |
80K points ⓘ Affiliate 80K after $5K spend in first 3 months$199 Annual Fee This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). |
75K points ⓘ Affiliate 75K points after $3K spend in the first 3 months. Offer ends 12/11/23.$99 Annual Fee This card is known to be subject to Chase's 5/24 rule. |
75K points ⓘ Affiliate 75K points after $3K spend in the first 3 months. Offer ends 12/11/23.$149 Annual Fee This card is known to be subject to Chase's 5/24 rule. |
All three Chase Southwest consumer cards are now offering 75K welcome bonuses, and the business cards remain at 60K and 80K. If you want to earn a Southwest Companion pass, this is a great time to go for it. Once you earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year, Southwest offers a Companion Pass which is good for an unlimited number of flights (award flights or paid flights) for the rest of that calendar year and all of the next. And it just so happens that points earned from Southwest credit cards, including the welcome bonus, count towards the Companion Pass.
Signing up for two of these cards (one personal + one business or two business cards) will get you more than enough points to earn a Companion Pass. Plus, if you time your minimum spend right, you’ll earn the points in the beginning of 2024 so that you’ll have the Companion Pass for 2 years (the rest of 2024 and all of 2025).
Timing your application: NOW is the time to sign up for two cards (one personal + one business; or two business)! Make sure to wait until January 1st to complete your minimum spend. You do not want to earn a welcome bonus in 2023. By waiting until January to complete your minimum spend, you’ll earn the bonuses in January 2024 and the Companion Pass will be good for the rest of 2024 and all of 2025.
See also: Southwest Airlines Companion Pass Complete Guide
Top 5 Consumer Card Offers
Capital One Venture X: 90K
| Card Offer |
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90k miles after $4k spend within first 3 months. This offer is not currently available through frequentmiler.com. To find a friend who can share this offer with you, please visit this Frequent Miler Insiders post. If you're not yet a Frequent Miler Insiders group member, you can join for free here.$395 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: Expired 3/14/22: 100K after $10K spend in 6 months + $200 credit for vacation rental spend in first year |
This is fantastic welcome bonus for an excellent card. This is an excellent card to get and to keep. The $395 annual fee is justified by its annual $300 travel credits and 10K bonus “miles” each anniversary. Then, the rest of the card’s features are gravy: earn 2x transferable points everywhere, free authorized users, Priority Pass membership with free guests for you and your authorized users (but unfortunately without Priority Pass restaurants or experiences), cell phone insurance, access to Capital One lounges, etc.
See also: Everything you want to know about Capital One and the Venture X
Amex Gold: 90K
| Card Offer |
|---|
75K Points + 20% back on dining ⓘ Non-Affiliate 75K points after $6K in purchases in the first 6 months + 20% back on dining for 12months ($250 maximum total cashback). Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$250 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: 90K after $4K in the first 6 months + 20% back at restaurants for the first 12 months up to $250 back [Expired 6/8/22] |
The Amex Gold Card has been a favorite of ours since it debuted with its 4X dining and grocery categories (see above for details). Now, with this offer, it’s a great time to sign up.
See also: Amex Membership Rewards Points Complete Guide
Marriott Bonvoy: Five 50K Free Nights
| Card Offer |
|---|
5 x 50K Free Night Certificates ⓘ Non-Affiliate Earn five 50K free night certifcates after $5K spend in 3 months$95 Annual Fee This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). Recent better offer: None. This matches the best ever. |
This is an excellent offer for this card. If you’re interested in staying in high tier, but not necessarily top of the line luxury, Marriott hotels, you should be able to do very well with these certificates. Keep in mind, though, that five 50K certs are not worth nearly as much as 250K points for several reasons:
- Fifth Night Free Awards don’t work with certificates. Marriott’s “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” awards only work with points-awards.
- Certificates expire. Points don’t. As long as you have activity in your Marriott account at least once every 24 months, your points will never expire. These free night certificates, though, expire after a year. Yes, it’s still possible to extend certs by calling several times until you get a helpful rep, but that’s a hassle.
- Points are much more flexible. 50,000 points can be used to book one 50K night, two 25K nights, four 12.5K nights, etc. A 50K cert, meanwhile, can only be used to book a single night costing 50K points or less, or it can be topped off with points to book a single night costing up to 65K. Plus, the certificate has no residual value if you use it for a night that costs less than 50K points.
See also: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide
Hilton Aspire: 180K plus free night
| Card Offer |
|---|
180K Points + free night certificate ⓘ Friend-Referral 180K after $6K spend in first 6 months. Free night certificate every year - first certificate is awarded 8-12 weeks after approval. Terms apply. $550 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. |
In my opinion, this is one of the best cards on the market to get for the welcome bonus and to keep long term. The card offers up to $400 back per year in Hilton resort rebates plus up to $200 per year towards flights. Those rebates alone more than make up for the card’s annual fee and yet you still get an uncapped free night each year plus top-tier Hilton Diamond status.
See also: Big changes to Hilton Aspire and Surpass cards
Chase Freedom Unlimited: Double Points for a Year
| Card Offer |
|---|
Unlimited Double Cashback for One Year ⓘ Affiliate Unlimited, uncapped double cashback on all spending for first year of card membershipNo Annual Fee Alternate Offer: Low spenders may prefer a different intro offer with an initial spend bonus and additional bonuses for gas and grocery purchases. Details here. This card is likely subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). |
The Freedom Unlimited card has always been an excellent choice to supplement other Ultimate Rewards cards thanks to offering a minimum rate of 1.5x on all spend. Now, big spenders have a whole new reason to want this card: unlimited double earnings for a year. Wow! The Freedom Unlimited card offers 5x for travel booked through Chase, 3x at restaurants & drugstores, and 1.5x everywhere else. But with this offer, Chase will match all points earned after 1 year. That means that in your first year of card ownership, you will earn a total of 10x for travel booked through Chase, 6x at restaurants & drugstores, and 3x everywhere else. That’s amazing! Plus, keep in mind that points earned on this card can be moved to your Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred account so that you can then transfer points to airline and hotel partners for the possibility of outsized value.
See also: Chase Ultimate Rewards Complete Guide
More Great Consumer Card Offers
Here is an unfiltered list of all of the consumer rewards cards we track sorted by best estimated first year value (e.g. sorted with the best welcome bonuses on top):
| Card Offer Mini |
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 Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 180K Points + free night certificate ⓘ $1160 1st Yr Value Estimate |
 Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card 75K Miles + up to $200 in statement credits ⓘ $1089 1st Yr Value Estimate |
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 Emirates Skywards Rewards World Elite Mastercard 60K Miles + 1 Year Silver status ⓘ $630 1st Yr Value Estimate |
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 Emirates Skywards Premium World Elite Mastercard 70K Miles + 1 Year Gold status ⓘ $360 1st Yr Value Estimate |
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 Schwab Investor Card® from American Express $200 Cash Back as a statement credit ⓘ $185 1st Yr Value Estimate |
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 Discover it Miles - Double Miles your first year $100 + First Year Double ⓘ $100 1st Yr Value Estimate |
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Top 5 Business Card Offers
More:
You must have a business (but you probably do): In order to sign up for a business credit card, you must have a business. That said, it's common for people to have businesses without realizing it. If you sell items at a yard sale or on eBay, for example, then you have a business. Similar examples include: consulting, writing (e.g. blog authorship, planning your first novel, etc.), handyman services, owning rental property, renting on airbnb, driving for Uber or Lyft, etc. In any of these cases, your business is considered a Sole Proprietorship unless you form a corporation of some sort.When you apply for a business credit card as a sole proprietor, you can use your own name as your business name, use your own address and phone as the business' address and phone, and your social security number as the business' Tax ID / EIN. Alternatively, you can get a proper Tax ID / EIN from the IRS for free, in about a minute, through this website.
Is it OK to use business cards for personal expenses? Anecdotally, almost everyone I know uses business cards for personal expenses. That said, the terms in most business card applications state that you should use the card only for business use. Also, some consumer credit card protections do not apply to business cards. My advice: don't use the card for personal expenses if you're not comfortable doing so.
Amex Business Gold 150K
| Card Name w Details & Review (no offer) |
|---|
FM Mini Review: This card may be a keeper for those who use the monthly credits, but keep only if you also make good use of one or two 4X categories. $295 Annual Fee (Annual fee will be $375 for applications received on or after 2/1/24) Earning rate: Earn 4X in combined eligible purchases in the two categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle (capped at $150K spend per calendar year, then 1x): Electronic goods retailers or software and cloud system providers in the U.S. ✦ Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S. ✦ U.S. purchases for advertising in select media ✦ U.S. purchases at gas stations ✦ Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways. ✦ 3x on eligible purchases through AmexTravel.com ✦ 1x on all other purchases. Terms apply. Base: 1X (1.55%) Travel: 3X (4.65%) Dine: 4X (6.2%) Gas: 4X (6.2%) Shop: 4X (6.2%) Phone: 4X (6.2%) Biz: 4X (6.2%) Card Info: Amex Pay Over Time Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Noteworthy perks: Earn up to $20 in statement credits each month for eligible purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and office supply stores. Enrollment required. ✦ Monthly Walmart+ Membership credit when you use the card to pay for monthly Walmart+ membership ✦ 25% Airline Bonus: Get 25% points back after you Pay With Points for flights with your selected airline (or premium cabin with any airline) [Note that this rebate ends 2/1/24]. Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
This is a fantastic offer for anyone who can find this targeted offer and can meet the $10K in 3 months spend requirement. As a bonus, if you apply before 2/1/24, you’ll lock in one year with a $295 annual fee (after that, the fee increases to $375). Additionally, the card’s $20 per month rebate on eligible purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and office supply stores (where you can buy things like gift cards) help to cushion the annual fee.
Details about how to find the 150K offer are here: Amex Business Gold: 150k offer available online and by phone (targeted).
See also: Major changes to the American Express Business Gold card: here’s what’s happening
Ink Business Cash: 90K + great 5X categories
| Card Offer |
|---|
90K points ⓘ Affiliate 90K after $6K spend in 3 monthsNo Annual Fee Alternate Offer: If you have a household member with an Ink card, you may prefer the referral offer whereby the referrer can earn 40,000 points and the new account holder can earn 75,000 points after $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months since it will yield more total points. |
This fee-free card belongs in every point collector’s wallet. It offers 5X for office supplies and 5X for phone service, cable TV, and internet (on up to $25,000 in total purchases in 5X categories annually). Many families would do well to setup their phone, TV, and internet bills to autopay from the Ink Business Cash card in order to earn 5X rewards without any effort whatsoever. Those willing to do a little bit of work will find that stores like Staples and Office Depot sell lots of gift cards in-store; and Staples.com sells them online. In both cases, you’ll earn 5X buying gift cards so that you can ultimately buy what you really want.
See also: How to sign up for Chase Ink cards
Ink Business Unlimited: 90K + 1.5X everywhere
| Card Offer |
|---|
90K points ⓘ Affiliate 90K after $6K spend in 3 monthsNo Annual Fee Alternate Offer: If you have a household member with an Ink card, you may prefer the referral offer whereby the referrer can earn 40,000 points and the new account holder can earn 75,000 points after $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months since it will yield more total points. Recent better offer: 90K after $6K in 3 months [Expired 3-20-23] |
This isn’t as much of a “must have” card as the Ink Cash, but the welcome bonus is similarly awesome. It is possible to get both cards even if you have only one business
See also: How to sign up for Chase Ink cards
Amex Business Platinum: 200K by phone
This is a fantastic offer for the Business Platinum card! It’s no longer available online, but it is still available via phone for those who haven’t had a business Platinum card before. See this post for details.
See also: Amex Platinum Complete Guide
Capital One Venture X Business Card: 150K
| Card Offer |
|---|
150K Miles ⓘ Friend-Referral Earn 150K miles after $30K spend in the first 3 months$395 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: Expired 3/31/23: 250K Miles after $50K in spend. |
The Venture X Business card is almost identical to the consumer Venture X, but it is a business charge card. One big difference between this card and its consumer card twin is that the business version doesn’t offer Priority Pass for employee cards (the consumer version offers free Priority Pass for each free authorized user card), but the business version does let you use Priority Pass at restaurants and for experiences while the consumer card’s Priority Pass can only be used for airport lounges.
See also: Capital One “Miles” Complete Guide.
More Great Business Card Offers
Here is an unfiltered list of all of the business rewards cards we track sorted by best estimated first year value (e.g. sorted with the best welcome bonuses on top):
| Card Offer Mini |
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 Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card 3 x 50K Free NIght Certificates ⓘ $751 1st Yr Value Estimate |
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 Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card $500 statement credit ⓘ $425 1st Yr Value Estimate |
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 The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express 15K points + 0% APR for 12 months ⓘ $236 1st Yr Value Estimate |
 The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card $250 back + 0% APR for 12 months ⓘ $220 1st Yr Value Estimate |
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![](http://cdn.nextinsure.com/imaging/opt/d6b52c08-6d50-4277-9bc2-e52385122fee.png?w=300" alt="American Express® Business Gold Card" />){kind=small}
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