Thursday, December 26, 2024
HomeTravelPlaying cards at present providing sign-up bonuses of 100,000 factors or extra

Playing cards at present providing sign-up bonuses of 100,000 factors or extra


Credit card welcome offers are the fastest way to increase your points and miles stash. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of seeing a massive bonus post to your loyalty account. From there, you can start dreaming about using your travel rewards to explore the world.

Some of the best travel rewards cards on the market are offering bonuses of at least 100,000 points or miles — in some cases, even more.

Beyond the introductory bonus, though, now can be a great time to add one of these cards to your wallet to take advantage of the valuable, ongoing perks they offer. Let’s look at the cards, the value of their sign-up bonuses and then what they offer beyond this.

Methodology

All cards listed below have welcome offers of 100,000 points or more. However, not all points are worth the same amount. That’s why TPG has designated valuations, updated monthly, for each loyalty currency. For instance, a Marriott Bonvoy point doesn’t have the same value as a Hilton Honors point.

Therefore, the “total bonus value” is the bonus points multiplied by our current TPG valuation of what the currency is worth to us. Additionally, any welcome offer/sign-up bonus statement credits are also included within this bonus value column.

With all that in mind, here’s a rundown of every offer worth 100,000 points or more — along with our take on which ones should top your list and why.

Cards offering welcome bonuses of 100,000 points or more

These are sorted by the total value of the welcome offer, according to TPG’s latest valuations.

Card Annual fee Welcome offer Welcome offer value*
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express $695 (see rates and fees). Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards®points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of cardmembership. $2,400.
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card $95. 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. $2,000.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Credit Card $650 (see rates and fees). Earn up to 200,000 points: 150,000 points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in your first six months from your account opening; plus, 50,000 points after you stay six eligible paid nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends 8/9/23 $1,680.
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Credit Card $250 (see rates and fees). Earn up to 175,000 points: 125,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first six months from your account opening; plus, 50,000 points after you stay six eligible paid nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends 8/9/23 $1,470.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card $95. Earn up to 125,000 points: 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first six months from your account opening; plus, 50,000 points after you stay six eligible paid nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. $1,050.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card $450 (see rates and fees). Earn 150,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. $900.
Hilton Honors American Express Business Card $95 (see rates and fees). Earn 150,000 bonus points plus a free night award after you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first three months of cardmembership. $900.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card $0. Earn up to 100,000 points: 50,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in your first six months from your account opening; plus, 50,000 points after you stay six eligible paid nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. $840.
IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card $99. Earn 165,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. $825.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card $95 (see rates and fees). Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases in the first three months of card membership. $780.
IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card $99. Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. $700.

* Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer.

The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

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The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

RYAN PATTERSON/THE POINTS GUY

This card has more than $1,000 in new statement credits annually, and the card is an easy decision for many businesses:

  • Up to $200 more in Dell statement credits for U.S. purchases per calendar year (now up to $400 total).
  • Up to $360 in annual statement credit on Indeed hiring and recruiting products and services.
  • Up to $150 in annual statement credit on select purchases from Adobe (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud, Acrobat Pro DC, etc.).
  • Up to $120 in annual statement credits for purchases made directly from U.S. wireless telephone providers (maximum of $10 per month).
  • Annual $189 statement credit for a Clear Plus membership.

Enrollment is required for some benefits; terms apply.

Additionally, the card earns points at the following rates:

  • 5 points per dollar when you purchase airfare and prepaid hotel rooms with American Express Travel (including Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts).
  • 1.5 points per dollar on up to $2 million in eligible purchases in the U.S. per calendar year at electronics goods retailers, software and cloud service providers, construction material and hardware suppliers, and shipping providers; and all purchases of $5,000 or more.
  • 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

The card also offers shopping and travel protections.

Between a high minimum spending requirement and several business-focused perks, this card certainly won’t suit every small business, but it should be great for some.

Read our full Amex Business Platinum review.


Official application link: The Business Platinum Card from American Express with 120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of cardmembership.


Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

JOHN GRIBBEN/THE POINTS GUY

TPG values Chase points at 2 cents each, making the 100,000-point bonus alone worth $2,000 when you take advantage of Chase’s excellent collection of airline and hotel transfer partners.

Of course, you can also redeem points through the Chase travel portal for 1.25 cents each, which gives you a minimum bonus value of $1,250. That isn’t even including the points you’ll rack up by hitting the spending requirement. Depending on which categories you spend in, you could earn anywhere from 15,000 to 45,000 additional points, giving you $300 to $900 more in value.

On an ongoing basis, the 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 the first $150,000 spent in combined bonus category spending each cardmember year, then 1 point per dollar).
  • 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

The current sign-up bonus isn’t the only thing to love about this card. It’s simply a great all-around option for small-business owners thanks to its bonus spending categories and cellphone protection, primary rental car coverage (when renting for business purposes) and other travel and purchase protections. You can also add employee cards to your account for free.

Read our full review of the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.


Official application link: Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card with 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the card within the first three months of account opening.


Marriott Bonvoy credit cards

JOHN GRIBBEN/THE POINTS GUY

For a limited time, four cobranded Marriott cards are offering, in addition to standard welcome bonuses, an additional 50,000 points after cardholders stay six eligible paid nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold is offering a total of 100,000 points; the Bonvoy Boundless, 125,000 points; the Bonvoy Bevy, 175,000 points; and the Bonvoy Brilliant, 200,000 points.

The promotion earning period runs from the date your new card opens through the end of January. In that time, you’ll have to stay six eligible paid nights at Marriott properties to qualify for the extra points. Those nights include, per the terms and conditions, “all paid stays, including pre-paid stays and bookings paid with Marriott eGiftCards that are booked using the eligible cardmember’s Marriott Bonvoy account.”

Notably, this offer does not factor in award redemption stays, free night awards, points redemptions or stays booked through third parties. Be sure to check the full terms and conditions before booking to make sure you cash in on this offer.

Read more about these offers here.


Official application link: Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card with up to 100,000 total bonus points.

Official application link: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card with up to 125,000 total bonus points.

Official application link: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Credit Card with up to 175,000 total bonus points.

Official application link: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Credit Card with up to 200,000 total bonus points.


Hilton Honors credit cards

ERIC HELGAS/THE POINTS GUY

The Aspire is a value-packed premium card with a hefty $450 annual fee (see rates and fees) to match. But in exchange, you’ll automatically receive top-tier Hilton Diamond status and one free weekend night when you open your card and another every year when you renew.

Cardholders earn points at the following rates on purchases:

  • 14 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio.
  • 7 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel.
  • 7 points per dollar on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies.
  • 7 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants.
  • 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Cardmembers can register for full Priority Pass membership for access with up to two guests to over 1,300 airport lounges around the world. They also receive several annual statement credits that can easily offset the high fee. These include up to $250 in annual airline fee credits, up to $250 in Hilton resort credits at participating hotels and up to $100 in property credits on eligible stays of two nights or more at Conrad and Waldorf Astoria hotels. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

And when you add in the various shopping and travel protections, the Aspire becomes one of the most compelling premium credit cards on the market – so much so that if you’re starting from scratch, this credit card alone might be reason enough to stay loyal to Hilton.

Read our full review of the Hilton Honors Aspire Card.

WYATT SMITH/THE POINTS GUY

If you’re not in the market for a premium card but still are a fan of the Hilton Honors program, you should consider one of Hilton’s two mid-tier credit cards: the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card or the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. When it comes to features, these two cards are also similar to one another.

Both will get you complimentary Hilton Gold status and the ability to upgrade to Diamond by spending $40,000 in a calendar year. Cardholders can earn a free night certificate good at practically any Hilton property for spending $15,000 in a calendar year, and they receive 10 complimentary Priority Pass visits annually. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

The Hilton business card has one extra feature that can be useful for high-spenders: the ability to earn a second free weekend night with $60,000 in total spending on the card in a calendar year. The cards also offer shopping and travel protections.

And while the current welcome offers provide a comparable number of points and statement credits, you’ll need to spend an extra $2,000 on the business card to earn it.

If you’re having trouble deciding between the mid-tier Surpass or the premium Aspire, check out our guide comparing them: Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Aspire: Which card is right for you?


Official application link: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card with 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.

Official application link: Hilton Honors American Express Business Card with 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.


IHG Rewards credit cards

THE POINTS GUY

Right now, the IHG Premier offers a sign-up bonus of 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. The IHG Premier Business offers 165,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

TPG only values IHG points at 0.5 cents each, meaning the IHG Premier bonus is worth up to $700 and the IHG Premier Business worth up to $825. While it’s not as valuable as others on this list, you could still get quite a few award nights out of it if you strategize smartly.

Both cards earn:

  • 10 points per dollar when you stay at an IHG hotel.
  • 5 points per dollar on travel, gas stations, and restaurants.
  • 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases.

The cards also have similar perks. With automatic Platinum elite status, you’ll get a 50% bonus on the base 10 points per dollar you get as an IHG Rewards member. The cards also confer several additional benefits, including an annual award night worth up to 40,000 points, a fourth night free on award stays and a 20% discount when you buy points. Cardholders can also get up to $100 in statement credits toward a Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck application fee paid for with their card once every four years.

The main difference involves earning on the IHG Business card, which includes the additional bonus category of 5 points per dollar on social media and search engine advertising and at office supply stores.

Read our full IHG Premier Card review and IHG Premier Business Card review.


Official application link: IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card with 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Official application link: IHG Rewards Premier Business Credit Card with 165,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.


Bonus: Use the CardMatch tool to find even better offers

As noted above, this list doesn’t include all 100,000-point bonuses. And if you’re lucky, you might find yourself targeted for a welcome offer of up to 150,000 points on another card in the CardMatch tool (note that targeted offers are subject to change at any time).

The site takes some simple personal information like your name, address and part of your Social Security number and matches you with personalized card offers for which you might be eligible — without a hard inquiry on your credit report. These offers can be higher — sometimes much higher — than those available through other public channels.

Bottom line

The above offers are all very enticing, but remember that each issuer has its own set of application rules. Make sure you’re always getting the top offer when you apply for a credit card because you might only get one shot at the bonus on that card.

These cards offering 100,000-point bonuses (and more) could definitely be worth considering if you’re looking to boost your rewards balance in a specific airline, hotel or issuer loyalty program.

Additional reporting by Ryan Wilcox, Ryan Smith, Madison Blancaflor, Jordyn Fields, Joseph Hostetler and Eric Rosen.

For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Business Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card, click here.

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