NerdWallet’s Best Credit Card Signup Bonus Offers of 2013

Looking to make a quick $300, $500 or even $600? We’ve assembled a list of the best credit card offers of 2013, from hundreds of dollars to airline flights to hotel stays – all free money. The best deals tend to come from travel credit cards, whether airline mile cards or hotel ones, but there are still quite a few excellent deals to be had from general travel cards. Read on for deals galore!

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Travel rewards
Airline miles bonuses
Hotel nights

Airline miles credit card bonuses

British Airlines Credit Card (miles can be used on American Airlines!)

Use miles for flights on: American Airlines and other OneWorld partners,  as well as Aer Lingus, Alaska Airlines, Kingfisher and Open Skies

The British Airways credit card gives an excellent value – just so long as you don’t redeem for, you know, British Airways flights. The miles are subject to hefty taxes if you actually redeem for a flight on BA, but if you redeem on American Airlines, you get a much better value. The BA card’s signup bonus is actually better than any AAdvantage card out there – it’s the best way to get flights on American. You earn 2.5% miles on British Airways purchases and 1.25% on all other charges, and the card comes with a $95 annual fee.

• Bonus: 50,000 Avios
• To qualify: Spend $1,000 in 3 months
• Annual fee: $95

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Use points on: United MileagePlus, Southwest, British Airways, Korean Air, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott, Hyatt, Priority Club, Amtrak

As far as travel cards go, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of our faves. The 40,000 points translate to a $400 credit. Every time you use points to book travel through Chase, 20% of those points are automatically refunded, meaning 50,000 becomes 65,000, and $500 becomes $625. You earn 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining and one point per dollar elsewhere. Once a year every year, Chase pays out a 7% rewards dividend, meaning you receive a sum of bonus points equal to 7% of the total points earned over the course of the past 12 months. International travelers won’t have to worry about foreign transaction fees, and the annual fee is $95 (waived the first year).

• Bonus: 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards
• To qualify: Spend $3,000 in 3 months
• Annual fee: $95, waived the first year

Hotel credit card bonuses

Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve

The Citi HHonors Reserve from Citi offers pretty much the best signup bonus offered right now: 2 weekend nights at a Hilton hotel, a bonus worth a whopping $650 when redeemed for a Category 7 stay, when you spend $2,500 in the first 4 months. Talk about luxury! And the perks don’t end there – you’ll get 10 points per $1 at the hilton, 5 per $1 on airfare and car rentals, and 3 per $1 elsewhere for ongoing rewards, plus an anniversary bonus of 1 free night if you spend $10k a year. That’s a $325 bonus for spending $10,000, on top of your regular rewards. The HHonors Reserve also has no foreign transaction fee and EMV capability, key for international travelers. We’d say it’s well worth the $95 annual fee.

• Bonus: 130,000 Hilton HHonors Points
• To qualify: Spend $2,500 in 4 months
• Annual fee: $95

Starwood American Express

Use points on: Starwood Preferred Guest hotels; plus, transfer to Alaska Airlines, AAdvantage, British Airways, Delta, United MileagePlus, US Airways, Virgin Atlantic and more at a 1:1.25 rate

At 25,000 points, the Starwood American Express doesn’t immediately appear to offer an extraordinary sign-up bonus. But here, the general penny-per-point principle does not apply. We value Starpoints at about 2.3 cents apiece when redeemed for hotel stays. It’s a great miles credit card as well: You can trade in 20,000 Starpoints for 25,000 miles on many popular airlines, making the card more lucrative than most of those airlines’ own credit card offers. Therefore, the 25,000 sign-up bonus boasts a $575 value. You get 10,000 points after your first purchase and the remaining 15,000 when you spend $5,000 in 6 months. Ongoing rewards accumulate at a rate of 4 points per dollar at SPG hotels and 1 dollar per point everywhere else. Starwood provides opportunities to upgrade to Gold and Platinum status, and, if achieved, will grant the cardholder accelerated return rates and additional fringe benefits (free upgrades and late check-in, for example). The annual fee is $65 and is waived the first year. With its high return rate and sizable signing bonus, the Starwood is NerdWallet’s favorite hotel credit card.

• Bonus: 25,000 Starwood Points (NW value: $575)
• To qualify: Spend $5,000 in 6 months
• Annual fee: $65, waived the first year

Marriott Rewards Premier

After the Starwood, the Marriott Rewards Premier is one of our favorite hotel credit credit cards. The signing bonus is good for a few nights right off the bat, and the ongoing rewards have variable rates for fast earning. You earn 5% at Marriott locations, 2% on airfare, dining and car rentals and 1% on all other purchases.  The annual fee is $85, but you get one free night every year on the anniversary of your signing. Being a cardholder automatically upgrades you to Silver elite status, which, among other benefits, yields a 20% bonus on Marriott Rewards Points.

• Bonus: 50,000 Marriott Points
• To qualify: Make a purchase
• Annual fee: $85, but you get one free night every year

Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card

The Ritz-Carlton Rewards credit card is for classy travelers, an exclusive travel card on par with the American Express Platinum. The rewards rate makes for quick earning at 5% at the Ritz-Cartlon, 2% on airfare, dining and car rentals, and 1% everywhere else. But where the RC really shines is in its fringe benefits–the only true means of justifying the $395 annual fee. Every time you stay at the Ritz-Carlton for two or more nights, you receive a $100 credit for dining, spa or hotel recreation activities. You get free access to airport lounges, and you can upgrade for a personal concierge and complimentary food and beverage presentations. During you’re first year, you’ll enjoy complimentary gold status, which grants room upgrades, priority late checkout and a 25% bonus on your rewards. The Ritz-Carlton is for people who travel often and travel well.

• Bonus: 70,000 Ritz-Carlton Rewards Points
• To qualify: Make a purchase
• Annual fee: $395