14 Best Credit Card Offers July 2021
Let’s look at some of the best credit card welcome bonuses that are available this month. Here’s what I consider the 12 best to be:
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: This is the best-ever bonus on the card, and arguably the best sign-up bonus we’ve ever seen on a credit card, between the big welcome bonus, the low annual fee, and the reasonable spending requirement. On top of that, this is a genuinely awesome card, as it offers bonus points on travel, great travel protection, and more. Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to Singapore KrisFlyer, United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt, and many other programs. The card is also great for everyday spending given that it offers double points on dining and travel. I value the welcome bonus on this card at $1,605 after subtracting the annual fee.
Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
2. UnitedSM Business Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $99
Why it’s a great offer: This card is offering an incredible bonus, which is one of the biggest publicly available bonuses we’ve ever seen. On top of that the card offers some great perks for holding onto it, like two United Club passes annually, a free first checked bag, priority boarding, savings on inflight purchases, and more. I value United MileagePlus miles at 1.4 cents each, so to me the welcome bonus on this card is worth $2,001 after subtracting the annual fee.
Learn more about the United Business Card.
3. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: The Ink cards have extremely generous category bonuses that help sole proprietorships and small businesses maximize points on everyday credit card spending. This card offers 3x points on the first $150,000 spent annually in combined purchases on travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year.
This is a card that’s good for both for the welcome bonus and for everyday spending. I value Ultimate Rewards points at ~1.7 cents each, so to me, the welcome bonus is worth $1,605 after subtracting the annual fee.
Learn more about the Ink Business Preferred.
4. Citi Premier® Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: This is an often-overlooked mid-range transferable points card that’s currently offering its best-ever welcome bonus. It has excellent bonus categories, as it offers 3x points on gas, dining, groceries, air travel, and hotels, and the card also offers up to a $100 annual hotel credit. I value Citi ThankYou points at 1.7 cents each, so to me the welcome bonus on this card is worth $1,360.
Learn more about the Citi Premier Card.
5. Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card, British Airways Visa Signature® Card, & Iberia Visa Signature® Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: While these are three different cards, they all have the same excellent welcome bonuses, and points are transferrable between the various Avios programs. Each card has different perks tailored to the specific airline, and you can find a comparison of them here.
Learn more about the Aer Lingus Visa, learn more about the British Airways Visa, learn more about the Iberia Visa.
6. New United Quest℠ Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $250
Why it’s a great offer: This is a new card with a phenomenal value proposition. In addition to a huge welcome bonus, the card offers valuable perks like a $125 annual United credit, up to 10,000 MileagePlus miles back annually when you redeem miles, and all kinds of perks when flying United. I value United MileagePlus miles at 1.4 cents each, so to me the bonus miles on this card are worth up to $1,400.
Learn more about the United Quest Card.
7. The Platinum Card® from American Express
Current offer: Annual fee: $695 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: The Amex Platinum was recently refreshed, and while it has a higher annual fee, it also has lots of great new perks. Not only can you earn 100,000 points, but you can also earn 10x points in popular categories, which I value at an incredible 17% return on spending. The Amex Platinum is a perks-rich card, offering a $200 annual airline fee credit, $200 annual Uber credit, $179 annual CLEAR credit, $100 annual Saks credit, lounge access, and so much more.
Learn more about the Amex Platinum Card.
8. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card & Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Current offer: Annual fee: no annual fee
Why it’s a great offer: While these are two different cards, they have the same elevated sign-up bonuses and both don’t have an annual fee, so I’ll cover them in the same section here. The Ink Cash offers 5x points in useful categories (on the first $25,000 spent per cardmember year on office supply stores, internet, cable TV, mobile phones, and landlines), and the Ink Unlimited offers 1.5x points on all purchases.
For both cards, points can be pooled with the Ultimate Rewards points earned on cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Assuming you have one of these cards in conjunction with one accruing premium Ultimate Rewards points, I value the welcome bonuses on these cards at $1,275 each.
Learn more about the Ink Business Cash, learn more about the Ink Business Unlimited.
9. American Express® Business Gold Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $295 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: In addition to a great welcome bonus, this is also one of the best Amex business cards for earning Membership Rewards points, given the 4x points categories. I value the welcome bonus at up to $895, factoring in the points and deducting the annual fee.
Learn more about the Amex Business Gold.
10. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $95
Why it’s a great offer: The Capital One Venture Card is offering a big limited time bonus, which is among the best we’ve seen on the card. This is one of the most straightforward and rewarding travel credit cards out there, and it offers some great perks as well. Capital One miles even recently became more valuable. I value Capital One Venture miles at 1.1 cents each, so to me the welcome bonus on this card is worth $1,100.
Learn more about the Capital One Venture Card.
11. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $199
Why it’s a great offer: The Southwest Performance Card has a huge welcome bonus with a fairly reasonable spending requirement. This card offers lots of fantastic long term perks, including anniversary bonus points, free Wi-Fi on Southwest, upgraded boardings, and more. I value Southwest Rapid Rewards points at 1.3 cents each, so to me the welcome bonus on this card is worth $841.
Learn more about the Southwest Performance Business Card.
12. Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $99 annual fee that’s waived for the first 12 months (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: Delta Amex cards are all currently offering increased welcome bonuses, which can represent a great deal. The Delta Gold Amex offers the combination of a great welcome bonus and an annual fee that’s waived the first year. Furthermore, if you fly Delta with any frequency, the card offers lots of great perks that make it worth keeping long term.
Learn more about the Gold Delta Amex.
13. American Express® Gold Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $250 (Rates & Fees)
Why it’s a great offer: The Amex Gold was recently refreshed and has a bonus of 60K points, which is among the best offers we’ve seen on the card. Not only does it offer 4x Membership Rewards points on dining and 4x points U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases (then 1x), but the card also offers up to a $120 annual dining credit, and Uber Cash & Uber Eats benefits.
Learn more about the Amex Gold Card.
14. IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
Current offer: Annual fee: $89 annual fee, waived the first year
Why it’s a great offer: This card is offering an exceptional new welcome bonus, and there are so many perks that make this card worth holding onto long term. The card offers an anniversary free night certificate, fourth night free on award redemptions, IHG Platinum status for as long as you have the card, and so much more. I value IHG points at 0.5 cents each, so to me this bonus is worth $750.
Learn more about the IHG Premier Card.
Rules Of Applying For Credit Cards
Before applying for cards, makes sure you’re aware of the rules each bank has for credit card applications.
One of the common misconceptions people have is that they think applying for credit cards will hurt their credit. The opposite is largely true, actually. Assuming you use your credit responsibly (and make payments on time, don’t utilize too much of your credit, etc.), applying for credit cards can actually help your credit.
Lastly, if you are going to apply for credit cards, make sure you do so responsibly — only apply for them if you have self-control and won’t end up in debt, and try to pay your balance in full every month, or else the finance charges will negate any rewards earned.
Best Credit Cards Summary
The above are just some of the best credit card offers out there right now, though there are so many others to choose from.
If you’re already into miles & points but don’t have some of the above cards, consider applying. If you’re new to miles & points, now is the time to get started (and I think something like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Citi Premier® Card, or American Express® Gold Card, are great options to start).
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees), American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees).