Greg’s top 10 picks (best of the best card offers)

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As usual, cards that earn transferable points dominate my best of the best offers list (because those are the best types of points!), but you’ll also find an American Airlines offer, a Hilton offer, and two similar Marriott Bonvoy offers (of the two, I prefer the business card offer, but they’re both good for those who know they can make good use of the free night certificates within a year).

Below you’ll find my picks and a dash of analysis for the top 5 6 consumer card offers and the top 5 business card offers.

Top Credit Card Offers

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.

Top 5 Consumer Card Offers

OK, yeah, I’m cheating with 6 offers…

Amex Platinum: 150K

Card Offer
150K points after $8K spend in 6 months. Terms apply.
$695 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: 150K after $6k spend (referral only, expired 10/23)

This is a great offer for an excellent card. The annual fee is extremely steep, but the card comes with many rebates and perks that can more than make up for the fee. Worst case: pay the first year annual fee in exchange for the big welcome bonus and then cancel when your second year fee comes due. If you spend a lot on dining, though, you may prefer apply through Resy. The Resy offer is for 100K points after $8K spend, plus earn 10x points at restaurants worldwide on up to $25K spend in your first 6 months.

See also: Amex Platinum Complete Guide

Amex Gold: 90K

Card Offer
90K Points + 20% back up to $50 ⓘ Friend-Referral
90K points after $6K in purchases in the first 6 months + 20% back on restaurant purchases worldwide for the first 3 months up to $50 back. 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). Note that the alternate 75K Resy offer is potentially even better for those who spend a lot on dining.

See also: Amex Membership Rewards Points Complete Guide

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant: 185K

Card Offer
Limited Time Offer - 185K Points ⓘ Affiliate
185k points after $6K spend within the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)
(Offer Expires 5/1/2024)
$650 Annual Fee
Recent better offer: None. this is the best that we've seen.

185K is a terrific offer for a Marriott card. Yes, this card has an outrageous $650 annual fee, but it also comes with Platinum Elite status and $300 in dining rebates ($25 monthly).  I don’t recommend this for everyone, but if you’re planning a vacation where Marriott would fit your needs and this bonus would get you enough points to cover your stay, then this could be a great way to pay for your lodging and have elite status during your stay.  Note though that not all Marriott properties give Platinum elites good benefits.  Free breakfast is especially questionable. See this post for details: Marriott Platinum Elite Free Breakfast Simplified.

If you have other Marriott Bonvoy cards (or have had them in the past), you might not qualify for this offer.  See this post for details: Are you eligible for a new Marriott card?

Marriott Bonvoy: Five 50K Free Nights

Card Offer
5 x 50K Free Night Certificates ⓘ Friend-Referral
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: 5 x 50K free night certificates after $5K in spend (expired 1/9/24)

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.
  • 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 fewer than 50K points.

See also: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide

Hilton Aspire: 160K plus free night

Card Offer
Limited Time Offer - 175K Points + free night certificate ⓘ Friend-Referral
175K after $6K spend in first 6 months. Free night certificate every year - first certificate is awarded 8-12 weeks after approval. Terms apply.
(Offer Expires 4/17/2024)
$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

Capital One Venture X: 75K

Card Offer
75K Miles ⓘ Affiliate
75k miles after $4k spend within first 3 months. (Rates & Fees)
$395 Annual Fee
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 a very good 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

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
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Limited Time Offer - 175K Points + free night certificate
ⓘ $1136 1st Yr Value Estimate
UBS Visa Infinite
Up to 100K points (call to apply)
ⓘ $825 1st Yr Value Estimate
Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard
45K Points + $100 Voucher + $100 Statement Credit
ⓘ $672 1st Yr Value Estimate
UBS Visa Signature
Up to 50K points (call to apply)
ⓘ $300 1st Yr Value Estimate
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
20K points + 5% on gas and groceries for a year
ⓘ $296 1st Yr Value Estimate
Chase Freedom Flex
20K points + 5% on gas and groceries for a year
ⓘ $293 1st Yr Value Estimate
Discover it®
$100 Back + First Year Double
ⓘ $100 1st Yr Value Estimate

Top 5 Business Card Offers

Applying for Business Credit Cards: You must have a business to apply, but even a simple sole proprietorship will work. It's likely that you have a business even if you don't realize it.
More:You must have a business (but you probably do): In order to apply 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.

Ink Business Preferred: 100K

Card Offer
100K after $8K spend in 3 months
$95 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: 80K after $5K spend. Many preferred the 80K offer due to the much lower spend requirement

In addition to its awesome welcome bonus, this is a great card to keep thanks to its 3x travel earnings and its ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to airline and hotel partners. One awesome thing about Ink Business cards is that there is no built-in limit to how many times you can earn the welcome bonuses even if you already have the same card open (of course, eventually Chase will stop approving applications for new cards if you do too many too often).

See also: How to sign up for Chase Ink cards

Amex Business Gold 130K

Card Offer
130K points after $10K spend in 3 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)
$375 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 2/1/24) 130K referral offer after $10K in spend

This is a great offer for anyone can meet the big spend requirement. Additionally, the card’s $20 per month rebate on eligible purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and office supply stores help to cushion the annual fee.

Note: You may be able to find an even better offer. See this post: Amex Business Gold: 150k offer available online and by phone (targeted).

See also: American Express Business Gold Credit Card Review

Capital One Venture X Business Card: 150K

Card Offer
Earn a one-time bonus of 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. Both cards offer excellent perks and basically pay for themselves with their annual point bonuses and travel credits. 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.

Even though the full offer here is for up to 300K points, I listed this as 150K because the spend requirement for earning the second 150,000 points is ridiculously high.

See also: Capital One “Miles” Complete Guide.

Ink Business Cash: 75K + great 5X categories

Card Offer
75K after $6K spend in 3 months
No 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.
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 $6K spend in 6 monthd (expired 1/17/24

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

Marriott Bonvoy: Five 50K Free Nights

Card Offer
Limited Time Offer: Earn 5 Free Night Awards - Valued at up to 50K points each, up to 250K points total. ⓘ Affiliate
Earn five 50k free night certificates after $8K spend in the first 6 months. Redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy(R) points for each bonus Free Night Award, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy(R). Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)
(Offer Expires 3/20/2024)
$125 Annual Fee
Recent better offer: None. this is the best that we've seen.

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.
  • 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 fewer than 50K points.

I like this offer better than the similar offer for the consumer Marriott Boundless card for several reasons:

  1. There are fewer restrictions to getting this card if you have other Marriott cards (see: Are you eligible for a new Marriott card?)
  2. You can get this card even if you are over 5/24.
  3. This business card won’t add to your 5/24 count.
  4. For those interested in Marriott elite status, this is the only card you can get new that offers elite nights that stack with elite nights offered by Marriott consumer cards. So, for example, if you have one or more Marriott consumer cards you get a maximum of 15 elite nights per year (or 25 with the Bonvoy Brilliant card). If you add this Bonvoy Business card, you get 15 more elite nights for a total of 30 (or 40 with the Bonvoy Brilliant card) each year. These elite nights contribute both to your hunt for annual elite status as well as lifetime status.

See also: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide

Targeted Amex Business Platinum: 200K

a close up of a card

This is a fantastic offer for the Business Platinum card! There are two ways to see if you’re targeted:

  1. Try the online link: There is a targeted 200K offer that pops up for some when they log into their Amex account and view offers (this seems to happen more often in the Amex app than in the browser). The great thing about this offer is that it seems to work even for people who have had the Business Platinum card in the past. If you can’t get the offer to show up automatically, try logging into your Amex account and then clicking the link found in this post: New targeted 200K Business Platinum offers without lifetime language [YMMV]
  2. Call Amex: Many have had luck calling Amex to ask for the best available Business Platinum card offer. In the past, this has been limited to people who have not had this card before. See this post for details.

If you can find a great targeted offer, check out the best current public offer here.

See alsoAmex Platinum 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
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Limited Time Offer: Earn 5 Free Night Awards - Valued at up to 50K points each, up to 250K points total.
ⓘ $1391 1st Yr Value Estimate
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