Best credit card bonuses and deals this week: January 25, 2021

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With 2021 well underway, there’s no shortage of elevated welcome bonuses to consider if you’re looking to apply for a new credit card. Some issuers have even added new credit card benefits and limited-time spending bonuses to appeal to customers who are still staying close to home.

The best credit card for you depends on your spending and travel habits right now, and big introductory offers can certainly make your decision easier. Some, like the elevated offers on the Southwest personal cards, will only be around for a little while longer. Be sure to apply by February 8, 2021, to earn the highest bonuses ever offered on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.

These offers are even more lucrative now if you’re trying to qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass because the airline has made it much easier to earn in 2021. All Rapid Rewards members with active accounts as of December 31, 2020, will receive 25,000 out of the required 125,000 points (and 25 qualifying flights) automatically — effectively reducing the Companion Pass requirement to just 100,000 points or 75 flights this year.

American Express is still making waves with impressive offers on The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, and the American Express® Gold Card. None have been given an end date, but we know they won’t last forever. The same applies to the big Chase Ink Business card bonuses, which are still going strong after over two months.

Time is running out fast to apply for the elevated welcome bonuses on the Chase Southwest personal cards — you’ve got until February 8, 2021, to take advantage of these record-high offers:

Read more details on these offers below:

Chase Southwest personal cards: Earn up to 80,000 Rapid Rewards points

Chase has now assigned an end date of February 8, 2021, for the huge offers on the Southwest Rapid Rewards personal cards, which are all offering up to 80,000 points (50,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months ,and an additional 30,000 points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 9 months). Because Southwest points are, on average, worth 1.5 cents each toward airfare, the bonus is worth about $1,200 in flights.

These are the highest bonuses ever offered on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card. Because Southwest points don’t expire, this is a terrific opportunity to stock up on Rapid Rewards points — and save them for when you’re ready to travel again. 

The timing of these elevated Southwest card bonuses is perfect if you have your eye on earning the Southwest Companion Pass this year. Between the bonus and points from meeting the minimum spending requirement, you’ll earn at least 90,000 points — and that’s almost enough to unlock the Companion Pass in 2021.

Normally, you’d need to earn 125,000 qualifying points in a calendar year to earn the Companion Pass, but Southwest has effectively reduced that requirement to 100,000 points in 2021 by adding 25,000 qualifying points to Rapid Rewards accounts that were open as of December 31, 2020. 

Best new and ongoing increased credit card bonuses

These cards have improved welcome offers for a limited time, but we don’t yet know when they’ll end:

Read more details on these offers below:

Amex Business Platinum card: Earn 85,000 Membership Rewards points

The brand-new offer on the Amex Business Platinum Card is especially appealing to small-business owners who spend a lot in common categories. In addition to a welcome bonus of 85,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within your first 3 months of account opening, you can earn 5x points on eligible US purchases on shipping, wireless telephone services, advertising in select media, office supplies, and gas stations in the first three months of account opening, up to 80,000 bonus points per category.

The card also comes with a slew of valuable benefits, including up to $200 per calendar year in Dell credits, up to $200 per calendar year in airline incidental fee credits, and a 35{d54a1665abf9e9c0a672e4d38f9dfbddcef0b06673b320158dd31c640423e2e5} rebate when you redeem Amex Membership Rewards points for flights on your selected airline (or any business- or first-class ticket) through the Amex Travel Portal.

Many Amex Business Platinum Card perks can also be found on the personal Platinum Card. If you’re not sure which card is right for you, have a look at our comparison of the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum for a full breakdown.

Amex Platinum card: Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards points

The elevated welcome offer on The Platinum Card® from American Express is still active, but it won’t be around forever.  In addition to the welcome bonus of 75,000 points after you spend at least $5,000 in your first 6 months of account opening, new cardholders can earn 10 points per dollar spent at US gas stations and US supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined spending (then 1x) in the first six months of account opening.

Even if you’re not traveling right now, the Amex Platinum 75k bonus is worth considering: Between up to $200 in Uber credits (including Uber Eats) and up to $100 in Saks credits each calendar year, plus the ability to use Membership Rewards points for a wide variety of redemptions (including many that don’t involve travel), it’s easy to get a ton of value from Platinum Card. 

New for 2021, cardholders will also receive up to $30 per month in statement credits for PayPal purchases. Lots of popular retailers and services accept PayPal, so this is an incredibly easy way to get even more value from the card.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Cash: Earn $750 cash back

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and Ink Business Cash® Credit Card increased welcome offers to earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening are still active this week.

Small-business owners who want to earn lots of rewards in the new year can benefit from these all-time-high offers. Keep in mind the Chase Ultimate Rewards points you’ll earn from these cards aren’t just good for cash back — you’ve got options to redeem for travel, and even more flexibility (like transferring to Chase airline and hotel partners) if you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card in your wallet.

American Express Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points

The increased welcome offer on the American Express® Gold Card has stuck around for a while, and it’s still worth a  look, especially since one of its key benefits has just reset in the new year.

Along with 60,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 6 months of account opening, the American Express® Gold Card earns 4x Membership Rewards points on up to $25,000 spent at US supermarkets each calendar year (then 1x). This perk alone puts the card high on our list of top credit cards for buying groceries.

It’s also a good credit card for dining because it earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery) with no cap. 

Jasmin Baron is an associate editor at Personal Finance Insider, where she helps readers maximize rewards and find the best credit cards to fit their lifestyles.