The Best Travel Credit Card Welcome Offers Right Now
Check out the latest and greatest offers for adding a new travel credit card to your wallet.
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Assigning Editor Several travel rewards credit cards are offering boosted welcome offers. It's great timing to apply now, spend the next few months earning the welcome offer and possibly redeem those points or miles for summer or fall travel this year.
Here’s a look at some of the best deals out there, based on the value of the welcome offers, which were calculated using NerdWallet's valuations of credit card and loyalty program points.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Earn Companion Pass through 2/28/27 and 20,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Annual fee: $99.
- Value of welcome offer: $260 worth of Southwest points, but the real is in the Companion Pass, which could be worth hundreds of dollars depending on how much you fly.
- Why you should get it: The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most coveted perks in the world of frequent flying. It allows pass holders to book a seat for their designated companion on any Southwest flight for only the price of taxes and fees (usually starting around $5.60 each way). It's a buy-one-get-one deal on flights until February 2027. And usually, this pass requires flying 100 qualifying one-way flights or earning 135,000 Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year. This sign-up bonus makes it possible to earn without spending as much money or time flying.
- Who should get it: People who plan to travel a lot in 2026 and early 2027 with a travel buddy. This Companion Pass offer is also available on other Southwest credit cards with higher annual fees.
- Who should skip it: Solo travelers or people who are planning to mostly visit international destinations that Southwest does not fly to in 2026 might not get as much use out of the Companion Pass.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Earn 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 5/13/2026. Terms Apply.
- Annual fee: $650, see rates and fees.
- Value of welcome offer: $1,600. NerdWallet values Marriott points at 0.8 cent each.
- Why you should get it: This chunk of points is more flexible than a free night award. Want to spend almost all of it on one night The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Island? Or two nights at The Edition in Rome this summer? You've got so many ways to take advantage of this offer.
- Who should get it: Marriott loyalists with a taste for luxury. This premium card comes with perks like Marriott Platinum elite status and one free night award worth up to 85,000 points (and you could add up to 25,000 additional points to the free night award if you want to book a pricier room).
- Who should skip it: People who don't want the commitment of a $650 annual fee for a hotel credit card can opt for a different Marriott card. Read on for other options.
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card
Earn 175,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 5/13/2026. Terms Apply.
- Annual fee: $250, see rates and fees.
- Value of welcome offer: $1,400. NerdWallet values Marriott points at 0.8 cent each.
- Why you should get it: This mid-tier Marriott credit card may hit a sweet spot for some travelers. Its annual fee is less than half of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card's, but new applicants could earn 87.5% of the points through a similar welcome offer.
- Who should get it: Travelers who can spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year to earn the free night award (worth up to 50,000 points). This card also has good earning rates on dining and groceries. Earn 4x points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2x points).
- Who should skip it: People who don't plan to spend $15,000 or more on the card in a calendar year might find the Marriott cards with a lower annual fee to be a better fit. There are also other travel cards that earn transferable points, so cardholders could get more flexibility in hotels or airlines while still giving themselves the option to transfer points to Marriott.
- Terms apply.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Earn 3 Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening, and an additional 1 Free Night Award after spending $4,000 total on eligible purchases within 4 months of account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. Redeem your Free Night Awards for a one-night stay at properties with a redemption level up to 50,000 points per night, a total value of 200,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Annual fee: $95.
- Value of welcome offer: $1,600. NerdWallet values Marriott points at 0.8 cent each.
- Why you should get it: You just missed the best-ever offer with five free night awards, but four is still decent. Plus, you'll get another free night certificate (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
- Who should get it: Travelers with plans to stay at midscale or budget properties.
- Who should skip it: Marriott enthusiasts who are collecting points for a stay at a luxury property that costs more than 75,000 points per night are better off looking for a sign-up bonus with points, instead of free night awards.
- Learn more: The best Marriott hotels for 50,000 points
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Earn 130,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/15/2026. Terms Apply.
- Annual fee: $150, see rates and fees.
- Value of welcome offer: $520, plus the value of the Free Night Reward. NerdWallet values Hilton points at 0.4 cent each.
- Why you should get it: This welcome offer now includes a Free Night Reward, which you can redeem at any of Hilton's participating properties. That's different from the free night certificates from other hotel credit cards.
- Who should get it: Hilton enthusiasts who plan to spend at book Hilton properties at least once per quarter. This card gives cardholders $50 in statement credits per quarter for Hilton purchases.
- Who should skip it: People who want an automatic free night certificate might prefer a different hotel card. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card requires $15,000 of spending in a calendar year to earn a Free Night Reward.
- Terms apply.
World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
Earn 80,000 Bonus Points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- Annual fee: $199.
- Value of welcome offer: $1,440. NerdWallet values Hyatt points at 1.8 cents each.
- Why you should get it: It's the best offer we've seen on this card. Plus, this card earns 2x points on your top three spend eligible categories (dining, airline tickets purchased directly with the airline, gas stations are just some of the travel-related examples) each quarter, making it more customizable to your spending.
- Who should get it: Small business owners who can meet the minimum $10,000 spend to earn the sign-up bonus.
- Who should skip it: People who do not qualify for a business credit card, but want to earn Hyatt points through a credit card could look at the Chase Sapphire cards (both of the consumer versions are further down on this list) or the Bilt cards. Both Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Bilt Rewards transfer to World of Hyatt.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Earn 175,000 Bonus Points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Annual fee: $99.
- Value of welcome offer: $1,050. NerdWallet values IHG points at 0.6 cent each.
- Why you should get it: This offer is 35,000 points more than the previous offer. Plus, this card comes with an anniversary free night, which makes it easy to justify the annual fee year after year.
- Who should get it: People who stay at an IHG property at least one night a year and want a hotel card with automatic elite status. This isn't entry-level elite status with two free water bottles, either. The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card comes with Platinum status, which gets you access to perks like complimentary upgrades when available.
- Who should skip it: Travelers that don't stay at IHG properties usually might find it to be a chore to use the anniversary free night.
United Quest℠ Card
Earn 80,000 bonus miles and 3,000 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- Annual fee: $350.
- Value of welcome offer: $960. NerdWallet values United miles at 1.2 cents each.
- Why you should get it: It's a good time to get this card if you're going for United elite status this year. This sign-up offer has 2,000 more Premier qualifying points (PQP), and 10,000 more bonus miles than the previous offer.
- Who should get it: Loyal United flyers going for elite status and who spend at least $200 with United per year.
- Who should skip it: Less frequent United flyers might consider the United℠ Explorer Card, which has a lower annual fee and an elevated sign-up bonus right now as well.
United℠ Business Card
Earn 100,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- Annual fee: $150.
- Value of welcome offer: $1,200. NerdWallet values United miles at 1.2 cents each.
- Why you should get it: This sign-up offer is 25,000 points more than the previous offer, but there is no longer a $0-annual-fee for-the-first-year intro offer either.
- Who should get it: Business owners who fly United at least five times a year. This card offers a $125 United travel credit after 5 United flight purchases of $100 or more each calendar year, which helps offset a large chunk of the annual fee.
- Who should skip it: Business owners who don't want to be tied down to United might consider a different small business card that earns flexible rewards points, such as the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.
- Annual fee: $95.
- Value of welcome offer: $1,250.
- Why you should get it: Capital One has sweetened this sign-up offer with an extra $250 Capital One Travel credit. That credit offsets the annual fee for the first two-and-a-half years you hold it, and the unlimited 2x miles on all purchases makes it easy to accrue miles quickly.
- Who should get it: People who don't need lounge access and want to earn Capital One's transferable miles without a huge annual fee.
- Who should skip it: If you live near an airport with Capital One Lounges, you might be better off with the premium version of this card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
Bilt Palladium Card
Earn 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 3 months + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Annual fee: $495.
- Value of welcome offer: $1,200. NerdWallet values Bilt cards at 1.8 cents each.
- Why you should get it: Bilt just unveiled its new family of cards, and this is the only one with a points-based sign-up bonus. The points alone are worth $900, and the $300 in Bilt Cash can be redeemed for a variety of purchases within the Bilt ecosystem.
- Who should get it: People who want to earn Bilt points on everyday purchases and redeem them for travel with Bilt transfer partners like World of Hyatt and Alaska Airlines. Bilt Rewards is the only major loyalty program that offers point transfers to Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines' Atmos Rewards.
- Who should skip it: People who already have similar cards, like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or people seeking to use this card solely to earn rewards on rent or mortgage payments. Bilt introduced a 3% fee to earn rewards on your rent or mortgage payments. You can use Bilt Cash to cover the fee, but because you only earn Bilt Cash on non-rent or mortgage payments, this card is best for people who plan to use the card as their everyday spending card.
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Annual fee: $595.
- Value of welcome offer: $1,000, or more if transferred to high-value partners.
- Why you should get it: This new card is one of only two cards that earn Citi ThankYou points that can transfer to American Airlines' AAdvantage program at a 1:1 ratio.
- Who should get it: Regular American Airlines flyers who want the option to earn a flexible rewards currency that can be transferred to American, as well as other travel partners.
- Who should skip it: People who don't need the four Admirals Club lounge passes and Priority Pass might prefer the lower-annual-fee Citi Strata Premier® Card.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Annual fee: $95.
- Value of welcome offer: $750, or more if you transfer your points to travel partners for high-value redemptions.
- Why you should get it: If you missed the 100,000-point sign-up offer last year, this offer is your next best option. It's 15,000 points more than the previous offer.
- Who should get it: People who want access to Chase's excellent transfer partners for a low annual fee.
- Who should skip it: Travelers looking for airport lounge access will need a more expensive card. May we suggest the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card?
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Annual fee: $795.
- Value of welcome offer: $1,250, or more if you transfer your points to travel partners for high-value redemptions.
- Why you should get it: This sign-up bonus is 25,000 points more than the previous offer, and you can use that to your advantage, especially if you already have a redemption in mind with one of Chase's transfer partners.
- Who should get it: People who can justify the card's high annual fee with its benefits, such as Sapphire lounge access, a $300 annual travel credit, up to $500 in credit annually (split into two $250 credits) for high-end hotel stays booked through The Edit and a credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fees.
- Who should skip it: People who don't live near a Sapphire lounge or plan to use the card's credits can still get access to Chase's transfer partners at a much lower annual fee with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
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To view rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card, see this page.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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Limited Time Only: Earn $1,000 Toward Travel!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card 
Travel
For a limited time, the
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is offering new cardholders an especially rich bonus: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel!
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