Signing up for credit cards and earning the sign-up bonuses is the fastest way to travel more often and more cheaply using miles and points.
Cards are offered by all the major banks, each with their own rules. Some banks make it easier to sign up than others. The oft-discussed 5/24 rule by Chase bank is perhaps the best example (Chase will only grant 5 credit card applications within a 24 month period so choose wisely). Most miles and points chasers spread their card applications across banks with each sign-up cycle, believing this makes application acceptances more likely.
Before you sign up for a new credit card (or several) please read the Just Carrying On Miles and Points Beginner’s Guide. This is a four part guide to the miles and points world designed to introduce you to the hobby. Also be sure to read the disclaimers at the bottom of this post for important background before signing up.
Chase (the largest credit card issuer)
| Credit Card | The Numbers | The Benefits |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve
Note: this card has a high annual fee but the benefits are worth far more than this fee, if you use them) |
Sign-up Bonus: 50,000-100,000 points
Total Estimated Sign-up Value: $1500 Minimum Spend: $4,000 in the first 3 months Annual Fee: $450 (NOT waived the first year) |
|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred
|
Sign-up Bonus: 50,000-100,000 points
Minimum Spend: $4,000 in the first 3 months Annual Fee: $95 (waived the first year) |
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| Chase Ink Business Preferred
Note: this is a business card, intended for small business owners |
Sign-up Bonus: 80,000 points
Minimum Spend Requirement: $5,000 in the first 3 months Annual Fee: $95 (NOT waived the first year) |
|
Citibank
| Credit Card | The Numbers | The Benefits |
| Citi Prestige
Note: this card has a high annual fee but the benefits are worth far more than this fee, if you use them)
|
Sign-up Bonus: 50,000 points
Minimum Spend: $5,000 in the first 3 months Annual Fee: $450 (NOT waived the first year) |
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| Citi Premier
|
Sign-up Bonus: 30,000 points
Minimum Spend: $3,000 in the first 3 months Annual Fee: $95 (NOT waived the first year) |
|
American Express
| Credit Card | The Numbers | The Benefits |
| AMEX Starwood Preferred Guest
|
Sign-up Bonus: 25,000-35,000 points
Minimum Spend: $3,000 in the first 3 months Annual Fee: $95 (waived the first year) |
|
Barclay
| Credit Card | The Numbers | The Benefits |
| Barclaycard Arrival Plus
|
Sign-up Bonus: 50,000 miles
Minimum Spend: $3,000 in the first 90 days Annual Fee: $89 (waived the first year) |
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Bank of America
| Credit Card | The Numbers | The Benefits |
| Bank of America Alaska Airlines Signature Card
Click here for other good airline cards |
Sign-up Bonus: 30,000 miles
Minimum Spend: $1,000 in the first 90 days Annual Fee: $75 (NOT waived the first year) |
Note: the actual card you receive when you apply depends on various factors (Platinum Plus card is also an option) |
US Bank (generally weak credit card issuer)
| Credit Card | The Numbers | The Benefits |
| Club Carlson Premier Rewards Card
Click here for other good hotel-based cards |
Sign-up Bonus: 85,000 points
Minimum Spend: $2,500 in the first 90 days Annual Fee: $95 (NOT waived the first year) |
Note: this sign-up bonus appears big but Club Carlson points are not worth very much. Redemptions are expensive. While this card is featured here, it is not among the best credit cards available. AMEX SPG, Chase Marriott, and the Hilton cards are better overall. |
Disclaimer #1: This list is not exhaustive. There are many other lists of top travel credit cards (click here and here and here), sometimes featuring links to sign-up that are better than those otherwise publicly available. While those sites often earn referral bonuses from their links (so use them!), this list is not influenced by financial kickbacks.
Disclaimer #2: There are different categories of credit cards, including small business, premium travel, and airline cards. These cards are covered extensively on other sites, for those interested in wading deeper into the hobby. The cards above are the top cards by bank, helpful when trying to spread out card sign-ups among card issuers.
Disclaimer #3: Credit card sign-up bonuses (the number one consideration when applying) change frequently. Banks are aggressively competing for your business. Sign-up for the cards when their bonuses are highest and if possible, wait if they are at their baseline levels. Many web-sites compile top credit card lists on a monthly basis that take into consideration these limited time increased bonuses. The list above does not, although I’ve listed the historical ranges for the sign-up bonuses in the chart for your reference.