The Best Travel Credit Card Welcome Bonus Offers Right Now
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There are a number of travel rewards credit cards with boosted welcome bonus offers to have on your radar.
Here’s a look at some of the best travel credit card offers out there right now, based on the value of the welcome bonus offers, which were calculated using NerdWallet's valuations of credit card and loyalty program points.
This is the shortlist of the best travel card deals of 2023.
New travel card offers
Card name | Welcome offer | Value of welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card | Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. Terms Apply. | 1.5 cents. | $1,350. |
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card | Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | 0.7 cent. | $700. |
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card | Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 3 Months of Card Membership. Offer ends 4/5/23. Terms Apply. | 0.6 cent. | $780. |
Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card | Get 2 reward nights worth $250 total (max $125 per night)*, when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. *Excludes taxes and fees. If a night costs less than $125, you won’t get the difference. | N/A. | $250. |
Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. | 1.5 cents when redeemed for travel in the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal, but possibly more if transferred to partners. | $1,200 - $1,520. |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back! | 1 cent with the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, but as much as 1.9 cents if you also hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. | $300 - $570. |
IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card | Earn 175,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | 0.7 cent. | $1,225. |
Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card | Get 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. | 1.2 cents. | $840. |
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel. | 1 cent in the Capital One Travel portal, but as much as 1.8 cents with transfer partners. | $750 - $1,350. |
Citi Premier® Card | Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. | Capital One miles can be redeemed for 1 cent each when booking travel directly, but NerdWallet values Citi ThankYou points at 1.5 cent each if you take advantage of transfer partners. | $600 - $900. |
» Learn more: Should I get more than one travel credit card?
A closer look
Here are some of the best travel credit card offers rights now:
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. Terms Apply.
Annual fee: $250.
Value of welcome offer: $1,350. NerdWallet values Delta SkyMiles at 1.5 cents each.
Why you should get it: The welcome offer is nearly double what it was before. Plus, Delta cardholders just got a new perk: a 15% discount on award flights, meaning they won't have to spend as many miles to get an almost-free flight. Terms apply.
Who should get it: If you fly frequently on Delta, this mid-range card is worth the higher annual fee to get more SkyMiles through the welcome offer and the annual companion certificate.
Who should skip it: If you usually fly solo or don't fly on Delta often, you might be better off with a cheaper airline card or more general travel card. Keep in mind all of the Delta credit cards, including the business cards, have elevated bonuses right now. Terms apply.
Learn more: Find out whether the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is worth its annual fee.
Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual fee: $95. Value of welcome offer: $700. NerdWallet values Marriott points at 0.7 cent each. Why you should get it: The welcome offer on this card usually consists of Free Night Awards, but the current offer is a bit easier to use. You'll still get an annual Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 points each year you renew, too. Who should get it: Travelers who stay 10 nights at Marriott properties will appreciate the fast track to Gold elite status. Who should skip it: People who generally stay at high-demand hotels might find it difficult to use the 35,000-point Free Night Awards. They might want to opt for the Marriott cards with a 50,000-point Free Night Award instead. Learn more: Find out whether the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is worth its annual fee.
Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 3 Months of Card Membership. Offer ends 4/5/23. Terms Apply.
Annual fee: $95.
Value of welcome offer: $780. NerdWallet values Hilton points at 0.6 cent each.
Why you should get it: The welcome offers a sizeable welcome bonus. For a relatively low annual fee, the card comes with excellent rewards rates on bonus categories and automatic Gold elite status, plus the ability to earn Diamond status or additional Free Night Rewards if you meet spending requirements. Terms apply.
Who should get it: Business owners who can put $15,000 on this card per year. If you spend $3,000 in the first three months of opening the card, you'll qualify for the welcome offer. Put another $12,000 on it after that, and you'll have a Free Night Reward to redeem, not to mention tons of Hilton points for additional award nights after all that spending. Terms apply.
Who should skip it: The The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is an excellent $95-annual-fee hotel card, but if you're willing to shell out a bit more for the annual fee, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has more benefits and a higher welcome offer. Terms apply.
Learn more: Find out whether the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is worth its annual fee.
Get 2 reward nights worth $250 total (max $125 per night)*, when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. *Excludes taxes and fees. If a night costs less than $125, you won’t get the difference.
Annual fee: $0.
Value of welcome bonus: $375.
Why you should get it: This bonus has one extra reward night, making it perfect for a long weekend stay.
Who should get it: People who prefer booking through Hotels.com and know their loyalty program well. Since the annual fee is $0, it won't cost you anything to take advantage of the welcome bonus and hold it in your wallet.
Who should skip it: This is the lowest value bonus on the list, so you might be better off with a more flexible travel card and an easier-to-use loyalty program.
Learn more: Find out whether the Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card is worth its annual fee.
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Annual fee: $550.
Value of welcome bonus: $1,200 - $1,520. You can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards® earned on this card for about 1.5 cents each when you book travel through the Chase travel portal, but points could be worth even more if you take advantage of travel transfer partners.
Why you should get it: This is one of the highest welcome offers we've ever seen on this card, and while it might not be the most exciting premium travel card out there, there are a few key ways it still stands out. The 1.5 cent value in the travel portal still beats its AmEx and Capital One competitors, which usually only offer a value of 1 cent if you book in the issuer's travel portal. Also, there are fewer restrictions on how to use the $300 annual travel statement credit, which can be applied to any travel even if you didn't book through the portal or you didn't pay for "airline fees" like checked bags.
Who should get it: People who collect Chase Ultimate Rewards® points and want premium travel card benefits, like lounge access. Some travelers can get the most value transferring the points to favorable transfer partners, but if redeeming the points in the Chase travel portal also isn't a bad option.
Who should skip it: If you've already got a premium travel card, there's probably no need to get overlapping benefits. People with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card currently are also ineligible to hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Learn more: Find out whether the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is worth its annual fee.
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
Annual fee: $0.
Value of welcome bonus: $300. But it could be as much as $570 based on the other Chase Sapphire cards you might have and whether you take advantage of your the Sapphire card's transfer partners. More on how that works below.
Why you should get it: With this welcome offer, you'll get an excellent rewards rate on your everyday spending: 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). Compare that to the usual 1% people get back on most purchases.
Who should get it: If you have a Sapphire card, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a must-have, especially while this offer is available. The secret is the Chase Freedom Unlimited® actually rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards® points that you can redeem for cash back at a rate of 1 cent per point. But if you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can transfer your points from your Chase Freedom Unlimited® to your Sapphire card to be able to redeem them at a rate of 1.25 cents or 1.5 cents each in the travel portal. Or better yet, you could transfer those points to airline and hotel partners where you might find even more value.
Who should skip it: If you're looking to add a huge chunk of points to your reserves for an upcoming trip, this card probably won't do the trick since it's based on spending for an entire year (or the first $20,000 you spend, whatever comes first). Look into some of the other best travel cards to top off your account instead.
Learn more: Find out whether the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is worth its annual fee.
Earn 175,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual fee: $99.
Value of welcome bonus offer: $1,225. NerdWallet values IHG points at 0.7 cent each.
Why you should get it: This is the highest sign-up bonus we've ever seen on this card. Plus, this card just got an entire revamp earlier this year. You'll now earn higher rewards rate on all purchases, including up to 26x on IHG spending, 5x on travel, gas stations and restaurants, and 3x on everything else. Plus, it comes with an anniversary night worth up to 40,000 points each year.
Who should get it: If you're usually underwhelmed by hotel credit card benefits, this card might change your mind. It comes with an anniversary night that's much easier to use than other reward nights that come with a low points-per-night cap. That's because you can always add IHG points from your account to supplement the 40,000-point value of the anniversary night. Plus the automatic elite status that comes with it is already the second-highest tier, so you'll already eligible for space-upgrades and other sweet perks.
Who should skip it: People who don't stay often at IHG properties. IHG is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards® so if you only need IHG points occasionally, you'd probably be better served by one of the Chase Sapphire cards.
Learn more: Find out whether the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card is worth its annual fee.
Get 70,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Annual fee: $95.
Value of welcome bonus offer: $840. NerdWallet values Alaska miles at 1.2 cents each.
Why you should get it: This card just got some major updates to go along with its highest bonus offer. One perk alone makes it totally worth the annual fee — an annual companion pass benefit that can be especially lucrative if you're using it to fly cross-country or to Hawaii. Keep in mind new cardholders will have to spend $6,000 per year to receive the Companion Fare.
Who should get it: West Coast-based travelers who can take advantage of the route network and the sweet spots in the Alaska award chart.
Who should skip it: People who don't live near an Alaska hub, which would make it hard to use the miles. Several other airline cards offers a similar companion pass as a benefit, so you can definitely find alternatives with other airlines if Alaska isn't convenient for you.
Learn more: Find out whether the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card is worth its annual fee.
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
Annual fee: $95.
Value of welcome bonus offer: $750 - $1,350. Capital One miles can be redeemed for 1 cent each in the Capital One Travel portal, but NerdWallet values Capital One miles at 1.7 cents each if you take advantage of transfer partners.
Why you should get it: The welcome offer is 15,000 miles higher than before and now matches the offer on the more expensive Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. If you're just trying to collect Capital One miles, this is a much cheaper entry point.
Who should get it: Beginner travel credit card users, or really anyone who doesn't want to keep track of a lot of bonus categories and statement credits. This card gets an excellent 2x on all spending, and 5x on hotels and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel portal. More advanced travel credit cardholders will love the access to transfer partners like Turkish Airlines and Finnair, which aren't available through Chase Ultimate Rewards® or American Express Membership Rewards.
Who should skip it: If you want a lot of lounge access, it's worth spending the extra $300 on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which can be offset by the $300 back in statement credits annually toward bookings made through Capital One Travel. While this card comes with two complimentary visits to Capital One lounges or more than 100 Plaza Premium lounges per year, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card's lounge access extends further to unlimited visits to those same lounges plus Priority Pass lounges and select Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses. Also, Capital One has limited options if you're trying to transfer your points to hotel programs, so people earning points for award stays might have more options with a different travel or hotel card.
Learn more: Find out whether the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is worth its annual fee.
Annual fee: $95.
Value of welcome bonus offer: $600 - $900. Capital One miles can be redeemed for 1 cent each when booking travel directly, but NerdWallet values Citi ThankYou points at 1.5 cents each if you take advantage of transfer partners.
Why you should get it: Since the Citi Prestige® Card is no longer taking new applications, the Citi Premier® Card is one of the few options if you'd like to start collecting Citi ThankYou points.
Who should get it: Travel rewards enthusiasts who want access to some of the best transfer partners around. Citi is one of the only transferrable currencies to partner with Turkish Airlines' Miles&Smiles program, which has some great sweet spots in the U.S. and beyond.
Who should skip it: If you're more of a travel rewards beginner that'll mostly book travel in the travel portal, you'll get more value out of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which earns points that worth more when booking through the travel portal (about 1.25 cents each). The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns bonus points on more purchases, too, because it has a wider definition of travel.
Learn more: Find out how to get the most from the Citi Premier® Card.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, see this page.
The information related to Citi Prestige® Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.
All information about Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card is no longer available through NerdWallet.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023, including those best for:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
