Best Credit Card Deals and Bonuses This Week: October 11, 2021
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With
Black Friday
and holiday shopping season just around the corner, it’s a good time to think about opening a new credit card. Almost all of the major credit card issuers have recently launched huge offers and even brand-new cards, including some with record-high welcome bonuses of 100,000 points or more — but many are for a limited time.
These include an excellent offer on The Platinum Card® from American Express
to earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership, plus 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of card membership. Amex raised the annual fee to $695 (See Rates), but also added numerous new benefits that can more than offset the fee bump — including the recent addition of statement credits for Walmart+ membership and SoulCycle at-home bike purchases.
Read more: The best current credit card offers of October 2021
Hyatt loyalists have reason to get excited about Chase’s new World of Hyatt Business Credit Card, which finally arrived last week. It comes with a welcome bonus of 75,000 bonus points after you spend $7,500 within the first three months of account opening and some interesting perks, including automatic Discoverist elite status for the cardholder and up to five company employees.
Other improved offers to consider include record-high bonuses on the Marriott credit cards, new offers on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, rarely seen welcome bonuses on the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, new bonuses on three Amex Hilton cards, and a 5x grocery bonus on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
With new offers coming in nonstop, you’ve got a terrific opportunity to take advantage of an increased credit card bonus now, so you’re set up with points you can use for flights, hotels, and more when you’re finally ready to travel.
Here are some of the best credit card offers to consider this week.
Best credit card offers this week
Flexible rewards credit card bonuses
Regular APR
15.99% – 23.99% Variable
Featured Reward
80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Pros
- Strong sign-up bonus
- Generous bonus categories
Cons
- Doesn’t offer much in the way of statement credits or other perks
- Citi ThankYou Rewards may not be as convenient as other points for US-based travelers
- Earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Transferable credit card points are best if you value flexibility because there are so many ways to redeem them. With programs like American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Rewards, you’ve got options that include:
Our favorite under-the-radar card — the Citi Premier® Card — is offering a record-high welcome bonus, and it offers excellent earnings in categories that fit well whether you’re sticking close to home or on the road. You’ll earn 3x points on air travel, gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Another excellent deal is one of the best cards with premium travel and shopping benefits, The Platinum Card® from American Express. You can currently earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership, plus 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of card membership — here’s our Amex Platinum card review for all the details.
Read more: Amex and Chase points are the two most valuable types of credit card rewards — here are their biggest differences
Small-business credit card bonuses
Regular APR
14.24 – 22.24 Variable
Featured Reward
100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within your first 3 months of card membership
Pros
- More travel benefits than you’ll find on any other business credit card
- Generous airport lounge access options, from American Express Centurion Lounges to Priority Pass (enrollment required)
- Complimentary hotel elite status (enrollment required)
- Access to Amex concierge services
Cons
- Very high annual fee
- Limited opportunities to earn bonus points
- Annual statement credits won’t be useful for everyone
- Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
- Get 50% more Membership Rewards® points. That’s an extra half point per dollar, on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more. You can get up to 1 million additional points per year.
- 35% Airline Bonus: Use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points for all or part of a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 35% of the points back, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year when you book on amextravel.com.
- Breeze through security with CLEAR® where available and get up to $179 back per year on your membership when you use your Card.
- Enroll to get up to $200 in statement credits annually by getting up to $100 semi-annually for U.S. purchases with Dell. Terms apply.
- Pay Over Time Option: A flexible payment option to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more.
- Terms Apply.
Read Our Review
If you’re a small-business owner, opening a small-business credit card can offer a lot of benefits. Keeping your business and personal expenses separate makes it easier to keep track of expenses, and many cards offer bonus points, miles, or cash back in popular business spending categories.
Read more: The best small-business credit cards of 2021
You don’t have to own a full-time business or make millions to be eligible to apply — even if you’re a freelancer or have a side gig, you could qualify for a small-business card. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card are both offering 100,000 points after meeting minimum spending requirements, and, depending on how you redeem them, you could get a value of $1,800 or more from these bonuses.
The recent annual-fee increase on the personal Platinum Card actually makes the Amex Business Platinum Card a more compelling choice, since its annual fee is a full $100 less than the personal version (See Rates) — but it comes with many of the same benefits and credits.
Cash-back credit card bonuses
Annual Fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Regular APR
13.99% to 23.99% variable APR
Featured Reward
$300 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening
Pros
- Generous bonus rewards, especially at U.S. supermarkets
- One of a small handful of credit cards that offer bonus rewards on select streaming services
- Intro APR offer
Cons
- Unlike many other cash-back cards, it charges an annual fee
- If you spend more than $6,000 at US supermarkets each year, you’ll want to use another card once you reach that cap
- Earn a $300 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 plan fees when you use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months after account opening. Plans created after that will have a plan fee up to 1.33% of each purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors.
- Low intro APR: 0% for 12 months on purchases from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 13.99% to 23.99%
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%).
- 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more).
- 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
- Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
- Terms Apply.
Read Our Review
Our top pick for the best cash-back credit card overall, the Citi® Double Cash Card, doesn’t currently offer a welcome bonus. And other excellent options, like the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, and the new Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, aren’t exclusively cash-back cards (though they’re marketed that way).
Read more: The best cash back credit cards of 2021
You’ll also earn 6% cash back on your first $6,000 in U.S. supermarket spending each year (then 1% back), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services, 3% back on U.S. gas stations and transit, and 1% back on all other eligible purchases (cash back is earned in the form of Rewards Dollars).
Airline credit card bonuses
Regular APR
15.74% – 24.74% variable APR
Featured Reward
80,000 bonus miles and 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (offer expires 11/10/2021)
Pros
- Annual companion certificate benefit, which is valid for domestic first class and Comfort+ as well as the main cabin
- Access to Delta Sky Clubs and American Express Centurion Lounges when you’re flying Delta
- Earns 3x miles on Delta purchases
Cons
- Very high annual fee
- Doesn’t offer bonus miles on non-Delta purchases
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles and 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer expires 11/10/2021.
- Earn up to 60,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 15,000 MQMs four times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- Receive a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+® or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Complimentary access into the Delta Sky Club® for you when travelling on a Delta flight.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge or Escape Lounge – The Centurion® Studio Partner when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $550 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
Read Our Review
Amex is offering elevated bonuses on the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. These bonuses are at least double the usual offer, so if you’ve been on the fence about applying, now is an excellent time to do so.
Read more: The best airline credit cards of 2021
Hotel credit card bonuses
Regular APR
15.99% – 22.99% Variable
Featured Reward
75,000 bonus points after you spend $7,500 within the first three months of account opening
Pros
- Excellent welcome bonus, earning, and benefits
- Automatic elite status for yourself and up to five company employees
- Up to $100 in Hyatt credits each year and a 10% points rebate on redemptions when you meet spending requirements
Cons
- High annual fee
- Card doesn’t offer an annual free night like similar hotel cards do
- Points rebate requires $50,000 in spending in a calendar year
- 75,000 Bonus Points after you spend $7,500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- 9 points total per $1 spent at Hyatt – 4 Bonus Points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
- 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent in your top three spend categories each quarter through 12/31/22, then your top two categories each quarter.
- 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1 Bonus Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Up to $100 in Hyatt statement credits — spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property and earn $50 statement credits up to two times each anniversary year.
- 5 Tier-Qualifying night credits toward status and Milestone rewards for every $10,000 you spend in a calendar year.
- World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open. Plus, Discoverist status to up to five employees
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card is a brand-new product that’s ideal for small-business owners who like staying with Hyatt. Along with a hefty welcome bonus, it comes with up to $100 in annual Hyatt credits, automatic elite status (which you can gift to up to five other people), a 10% points rebate on redemptions when you meet a spending requirement, and elite night credits for reaching spending thresholds.
Several hotel credit cards are offering increased bonuses — including the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, Hilton Honors American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.
There are also increased offers on the Marriott credit cards, including the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card. The welcome bonus on that card is unprecedented: Earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points and a bonus Free Night Award (value up to 85,000 points) after spending $5,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months of card membership (resort fees may apply, offer expires 11/3/2021).
And if you’re a small-business owner, be sure to check out the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, which is also offering an elevated bonus: Earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points and 2 bonus Free Night Awards after making $5,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months from account opening (offer ends 11/3/2021).
Read more: The best hotel credit cards of 2021
Keep in mind that most hotel chains, including Marriott and Hilton, have temporarily paused points expiration due to the pandemic, so there’s no harm in earning points now for a vacation down the road.
Featured Reward
125,000 bonus points and 1 free night award (value up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Featured Reward
$200 after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
