Sign up bonus credit cards

Hear from our editors: The best credit card sign-up bonuses of May 2025

Updated April 30, 2025

This date may not reflect recent changes in individual terms.

Editorial Note: Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.

Written by: Eric Freeman

Here are our picks for the best credit card sign-up bonuses and welcome offers, which can be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

We found the best sign-up bonuses for travel rewards cards by calculating a dollar value for these offers using our estimated values for credit card points and miles for typical cardholders.

Read on for our picks.

• N/A: $1,390 estimated value
• The New United℠ Explorer Card: $1,136 estimated value
• Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card: $1,092 estimated value (and more)
• Platinum Card® from American Express: $1,016 estimated value
• N/A: $966 estimated value
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: $965 estimated value
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: $915 estimated value (and a travel credit)

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: $1,390 estimated value

Here’s why: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers a bonus worth an estimated $1,390, based on our estimated standard value of 1.39 cents per point.

• Sign-up bonus: 100,000 bonus points
• Spending requirement: $5,000 on purchases
• How long you have to earn it: 3 months after your account opens

Our standard value is based on a mix of redeeming points through Chase Travel and transferring points to one of Chase’s travel partners, where you might be able to get a higher redemption rate.

The card charges a $$95 annual fee, a relatively modest fee compared to some of the other flexible travel cards on our list.

Learn more about the N/A.

The New United℠ Explorer Card: $1,136 estimated value

Here’s why: The New United℠ Explorer Card currently includes a bonus that could be worth $1,136 when redeemed for flights, according to our estimated value.

• Sign-up bonus: 80,000 bonus miles
• Spending requirement: $3,000 in purchases
• How long you have to earn it: 3 months after your account opens

The card offers a number of perks with United Airlines, like a free first checked bag, for the annual fee of $0 intro, then $150 after first year.

Learn more about The New United℠ Explorer Card.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card: $1,092 estimated value (and more)

Here’s why: The Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card features a bonus that could be worth $1,092 when redeemed for flights, based on our estimated point values.

• Sign-up bonus: 60,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23)
• Spending requirement: $3,000 on purchases
• How long you have to earn it: 90 days after opening your account

For a limited time, you can also receive a 30% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new card, without needing to meet any spending requirement.

This card offers other perks to help you cover the $95 annual fee, including the ability to earn the same companion fare annually when you spend $6,000 or more in purchases within the prior anniversary year.

Learn more about the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card.

Platinum Card® from American Express: $1,016 estimated value

Here’s why: The Platinum Card® from American Express features a welcome offer that could be worth $1,016 when redeemed for travel, based on our estimated standard value of 1.27 cents.

• Welcome offer: 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
• Spending requirement: $8,000 on purchases
• How long you have to earn it: 6 months after your account opens

Plus, you could get more from your points by looking for a great deal and transferring your points to one of American Express’s travel partners.

While this card has a pricey $695 annual fee, it offers a number of valuable perks and credits to help offset the cost.

Learn more about the Platinum Card® from American Express.

N/A: $966 estimated value

Here’s why: The N/A comes with a sign-up bonus worth $966 when redeemed for travel, based on our estimated standard value of 1.61 cents.

• Sign-up bonus: N/A bonus points
• Spending requirement: $N/A on purchases
• How long you have to earn it: N/A months after your account opens

Plus, you could get an even higher value from your bonus by transferring your points to one of Chase’s travel partners and finding a great deal on a trip.

The card comes with a N/A annual fee, but there are several more useful perks to help offset the cost.

Learn more about the N/A.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: $965 estimated value

Here’s why: Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® currently has an offer that could be worth about $965 when redeemed for flights, according to our estimated point value of 1.93 cents.

• Sign-up bonus: 50,000 bonus miles
• Spending requirement: $2,500 in purchases
• How long you have to earn it: 3 months after account opening

This card features several other American Airlines benefits for the annual fee of $99, waived for first 12 months.

Learn more about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: $915 estimated value (and a travel credit)

Here’s why: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card comes with a sign-up bonus worth $915 when redeemed for travel, based on our estimated standard value of 1.22 cents.

• Sign-up bonus: 75,000 miles
• Spending requirement: $4,000 on purchases
• How long you have to earn it: 3 months after your account opens.

For a limited time, you’ll also get an additional $250 travel credit for use on Capital One Travel bookings, with no spending requirement to earn the credit. And you could maximize the value of your bonus miles by searching for a deal and transferring your miles to one of Capital One’s travel partners.

The card also charges a $95 annual fee.

Learn more about the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

How we picked the best credit card sign-up bonuses and welcome offers

Our picks for the best credit card sign-up bonuses and welcome offers are based on Credit Karma’s estimated point values. To assess the value of bonuses, we look at the amount of points or miles offered and multiply that number by our point value for that rewards program. For flexible travel programs, we use the estimated standard value and not the higher estimated optimizer value.

Once we have calculated these estimated bonus values, we assess that figure in the broader context of the card. Essentially, we want to highlight offers that come attached to cards that we think will offer strong and sustainable ongoing value.

In practice, that means we sometimes recommend a card with a $95 annual fee that offers the second-highest estimated value among an airline’s credit cards — simply because the highest-value bonus might be for a card with a $550 annual fee that isn’t right for the majority of our readers. In these cases, we make sure the card we pick has a competitive bonus that won’t force you to leave too much value on the table.

How to make the most of your credit sign-up bonus or welcome offer

To take advantage of a credit card’s sign-up bonus or welcome offer, it’s important that you have a plan for how to earn it before you apply for the card.

Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Don’t spend more than you can comfortably afford to pay back. If earning bonus points is important to you, make sure you apply only for credit cards that offer a sign-up bonus or welcome offer with a spending requirement you can afford as part of your regular spending habits.

Plan big purchases. If you have a big purchase coming up — one that you’d planned to make anyway — you may want to put it on your new credit card, so it can help you meet the requirements of the bonus-points offer.

Keep track of time. Be mindful of the time frame you have to earn the sign-up bonus or welcome offer. Most credit cards on this list give you about three months to hit the spending requirement.

Once you’ve earned it, the value of your sign-up bonus will depend on how you redeem your rewards. For example, you might not be able to achieve the value we list for an airline card bonus if you redeem your miles for a low-value flight, or even an alternate option like cash back.

Still, it’s not always worth waiting to use your rewards until there’s a can’t-miss deal. In the end, your rewards don’t have real value until you redeem them. In many cases, it can be best to use your rewards for a trip you really want to take, even if the redemption doesn’t match our estimated point value. Think of our estimates as a guide, not a set rule.