Best Credit Card Bonuses for New Cardholders of August 2025

Updated on July 31, 2025

Written by

Jae Bratton

Lead Writer & Content Strategist

Edited by

Paul Soucy

Fact Checked

Director of Content

Fact Checked

Written by

Jae Bratton

Lead Writer & Content Strategist

+ 1 more+ 1 more

Edited by

Paul Soucy

Fact Checked

Director of Content

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Best Credit Card Bonuses for New Cardholders From Our Partners

Credit card bonus offers are a quick way to earn hundreds of dollars' worth of rewards by using a new credit card. The largest bonuses typically come from travel credit cards. Bonuses on cash-back credit cards generally hover in the range of $200, but some cards go even higher. Cards are judged on the value of their bonuses, as well as their bonuses relative to their annual fees. Below are good bonus offers currently available on NerdWallet.

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NerdWallet's Best Credit Card Bonuses for New Cardholders of August 2025

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: Best for Flat-rate cash back
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best for Chase Ultimate Rewards® points
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Best for Capital One Miles
Chase Freedom Flex®: Best for Quarterly categories + cash bonus
Wells Fargo Autograph® Card: Best for No-annual-fee travel points
American Express® Gold Card: Best for American Express Membership Rewards
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: Best for Families & households
Discover it® Cash Back: Best for Cash back match
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card: Best for Simplicity + intro APR offer
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card: Best for Adjustable 3% categories
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Best for Southwest Airlines
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Best for Hilton Hotels
World of Hyatt Credit Card: Best for World of Hyatt
Citi Strata Premier® Card: Best for Citi ThankYou® Points
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: Best for American Airlines
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: Best for Marriott Bonvoy Hotels
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Best for Delta Air Lines
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: Best for IHG Hotels
The New United℠ Explorer Card: Best for United Airlines
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card: Best for Alaska Airlines
Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Best for All-around cash back

Credit card	NerdWallet rating	Annual fee	Rewards rate	Intro offer	Learn more
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card Apply Nowon Wells Fargo's website on Wells Fargo's website Rates & Fees	5.0/5 Best for Flat-rate cash back	$0	2% Cashback	$200	Apply Nowon Wells Fargo's website on Wells Fargo's website Rates & Fees
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees	5.0/5 Best for All-around cash back	$0	1.5%-5% Cashback	$200	Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees	4.7/5 Best for Chase Ultimate Rewards® points	$95	1x-5x Points	75,000 points	Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Apply Nowon Capital One's website on Capital One's website Rates & Fees	4.7/5 Best for Capital One Miles	$95	2x-5x Miles	75,000 miles	Apply Nowon Capital One's website on Capital One's website Rates & Fees
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express Apply Nowon American Express' website on American Express' website Rates & Fees	5.0/5 Best for Families & households	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.	1%-6% Cashback	$250	Apply Nowon American Express' website on American Express' website Rates & Fees
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® Apply Nowon Citibank's application on Citibank's application Rates & Fees	5.0/5 Best for American Airlines	$99, waived for the first 12 months	1x-2x Miles	80,000 miles	Apply Nowon Citibank's application on Citibank's application Rates & Fees
Citi Strata Premier® Card Apply Nowon Citibank's application on Citibank's application Rates & Fees	4.9/5 Best for Citi ThankYou® Points	$95	1x-10x Points	60,000 points	Apply Nowon Citibank's application on Citibank's application Rates & Fees
American Express® Gold Card Apply Nowon American Express' website on American Express' website Rates & Fees	4.6/5 Best for American Express Membership Rewards	$325	1x-4x Points	As High As 100,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.	Apply Nowon American Express' website on American Express' website Rates & Fees
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card Apply Nowon Bank of America's website on Bank of America's website	4.2/5 Best for Adjustable 3% categories	$0	1%-6% Cashback	$200	Apply Nowon Bank of America's website on Bank of America's website
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Apply Nowon American Express' website on American Express' website Rates & Fees	5.0/5 Best for Hilton Hotels	$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150	3x-12x Points	130,000 points	Apply Nowon American Express' website on American Express' website Rates & Fees
Wells Fargo Autograph® Card Apply Nowon Wells Fargo's website on Wells Fargo's website Rates & Fees	4.5/5 Best for No-annual-fee travel points	$0	1x-3x Points	20,000 points	Apply Nowon Wells Fargo's website on Wells Fargo's website Rates & Fees
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card Apply Nowon Capital One's website on Capital One's website Rates & Fees	4.6/5 Best for Simplicity + intro APR offer	$0	1.5%-5% Cashback	$200	Apply Nowon Capital One's website on Capital One's website Rates & Fees
Discover it® Cash Back Apply Nowon Discover's website, on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 Rates & Fees	4.9/5 Best for Cash back match	$0	1%-5% Cashback	Cashback Match™	Apply Nowon Discover's website, on Discover's website, or call 800-347-0264 Rates & Fees
World of Hyatt Credit Card Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees	5.0/5 Best for World of Hyatt	$95	1x-9x Points	2 Free Nights + 25,000 Points	Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card Apply Nowon Bank of America's website on Bank of America's website	5.0/5 Best for Alaska Airlines	$95	1x-3x Miles	50,000 Miles + BOGO Ticket	Apply Nowon Bank of America's website on Bank of America's website
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees	4.0/5 Best for Marriott Bonvoy Hotels	$95	2x-17x Points	3 Free Night Awards	Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees	5.0/5 Best for IHG Hotels	$99	1x-26x Points	140,000 points	Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Apply Nowon American Express' website on American Express' website Rates & Fees	4.8/5 Best for Delta Air Lines	$350	1x-3x Miles	60,000 miles	Apply Nowon American Express' website on American Express' website Rates & Fees
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees	3.9/5 Best for Southwest Airlines	$229	1x-4x Points	100,000 points	Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees
The New United℠ Explorer Card Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees	4.9/5 Best for United Airlines	$0 intro for the first year, then $150	1x-2x Miles	60,000 miles	Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees
Chase Freedom Flex® Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees	5.0/5 Best for Quarterly categories + cash bonus	$0	1%-5% Cashback	$200	Apply Nowon Chase's website on Chase's website Rates & Fees

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Credit card issuers use sign-up bonuses to encourage people to apply for a card and then, once approved, get in the habit of using it. The term "sign-up bonus" is a bit of a misnomer because in most cases, you don't get a bonus simply for signing up. You earn it by putting a certain amount of spending on your card in the first few months. That's why some issuers use a term like "welcome offer" or "new cardholder offer" rather than "sign-up bonus."

With a typical sign-up bonus, the time frame for earning the bonus is usually three to six months. The clock starts when you're approved for the card. The more valuable the bonus, the more you'll usually have to spend during that time in order to earn it. For example, a cash back card might offer a bonus of $150 to $200; to earn it, you might have to spend $500 or $1,000. A travel or airline credit card might offer points or miles worth $750 or even $1,000 but will require spending of $3,000 or more. Sign-up bonuses are typically all or nothing — you either spend enough to earn the bonus, or you don't. You won't get half the bonus for spending half the required amount.

🤓Nerdy Tip

Discover cards are a notable exception to the "all or nothing" nature of credit card bonus offers. Instead of a set bonus amount, the size of your bonus depends on how much you use the card over the first 12 months your account is open. At the end of that period, the issuer matches all the rewards you've earned. For example, here's how Discover describes the bonus offer on the popular Discover it® Cash Back card: "INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300."

Once you hit the required spending amount, you'll get your bonus. With some cash-back cards, the bonus might immediately appear as a credit against purchases on your monthly statement. In most cases, though, the bonus shows up in your rewards balance, alongside the points, miles or cash back you earn from your spending. You can then redeem your bonus however and whenever you want.

Credit card companies usually set rules about what kind of spending counts toward earning the sign-up bonus. Purchases of goods and services will count. Balance transfers, cash advances and wire transfers will not, nor will purchases of cash equivalents like gift cards, money orders or casino chips. In other words, you can't earn a sign-up bonus by "buying money" and then paying off your balance with that money.

The "best" offer for new cardholders is a moving target for a couple of reasons.

First, bonuses are paid in different kinds of "currency" — cash, statement credits, frequent flyer miles, hotel points and more. That makes it hard to compare bonus values directly. Second, credit card issuers frequently roll out special offers. A card that usually dangles 50,000 points or miles as a bonus might kick that up to 75,000 or 100,000 for a limited time to try to entice people to apply. Targeted offers — that is, those sent out to select consumers rather than advertised to the public at large — can be even more lucrative.

That said, here are some things to keep in mind about bonus offers:

Travel credit cards tend to offer bigger bonuses than cash back credit cards. Bonus offers on most cash back cards top out at around $200. Travel cards can have bonuses worth $500 or more. However, travel card bonuses come as points or miles that might not be as easy to redeem as $200 in cash.
Cards with annual fees tend to offer bigger bonuses. When a card charges an annual fee, the issuer knows it needs to sweeten the offer to get you to choose that card over one that charges nothing. So annual-fee cards pay richer rewards, provide better perks — and carry bigger bonuses. For example, the popular Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees) and has this offer: 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. The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card - Miles Boost, on the other hand, has a lower offer: Earn a bonus of 40,000 miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $400 in travel. But in exchange, it has a $0 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Points and miles are not all created equal. A bonus of 40,000 miles on a Delta Air Lines credit card has a different value from a bonus of 40,000 miles on a Southwest Airlines card. And 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are worth more (much more) than 50,000 Hilton Honors points. Apples-to-apples comparisons are difficult with points and miles because they aren't portable like cash — you can only use them in the ways allowed by the program that awarded them. See our page on point and mile values for more information.

At NerdWallet, we often say that there is no single "best" credit card — just the best card for you. It's the same with bonus offers. The best sign-up bonus is the one that is of greatest value to you.

There's no overall limit to how many times you can earn credit card sign-up bonuses. However, individual card issuers may have rules in place to keep you from earning a bonus on a particular card or "family" of cards more than once. The idea behind such rules is to keep people from applying for the card, earning the bonus, canceling or downgrading the card, then applying anew and earning another bonus. Read the terms and conditions of any bonus offer to see what restrictions are in place.

Generally speaking, cash back credit cards have lower spending requirements for earning their bonuses. Depending on the card, you might be able to snag a bonus of $150 or $200 by spending as little a $500.

Is a credit card bonus taxable income?

Legally speaking, credit card rewards — including bonuses — are not income. Instead, the IRS considers them a discount or rebate on purchases made with the card. Therefore, they're not taxable.

This tax treatment is an additional reason why credit card bonuses must be earned through spending, and why the required spending amount is larger than the bonus itself. If you spend $1,000 and get a bonus of $150 for doing so, you don't "come out ahead" — you've still made $850 in net purchases. You've saved some money, but you haven't made any money.

Contrast this with the bonuses you can sometimes earn for opening a checking or savings account at a particular bank. With these promotions, you do come out ahead. Follow the bank's rules (which usually involve depositing a certain amount and/or setting up direct deposit, among other things), and you get "free money." As such, it's usually taxable as interest.

• • •

To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, see this page.

To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, see this page.

Last updated on July 31, 2025

Methodology

NerdWallet's credit cards team selects the best credit cards in each category based on overall consumer value. Factors in our evaluation include fees, promotional and ongoing APRs, and sign-up bonuses; for rewards cards, we consider earning and redemption rates, redemption options and redemption difficulty. A single card is eligible to be chosen as among the "best" in multiple categories. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.

Frequently asked questions

How do credit card sign-up bonuses work?

A sign-up bonus is a promotion offered by a credit card issuer to entice you to apply for a card and begin using it regularly. The term "sign-up bonus" is a bit of a misnomer because in most cases you don't get the bonus just for signing up; you have to earn it by spending money. That's why some issuers use terms like "bonus offer," "welcome offer" or "new cardholder offer" rather than sign-up bonus.

Sign-up bonuses give you a lump sum of cash back or a large number of points or miles if you spend a certain amount using the card in a specified time period, usually the first few months after opening the account. After you complete the required spending, the bonus is applied to your account. Separate from that lump-sum bonus, or in addition to it, some credit card sign-up offers include a more valuable rewards structure for a limited time (such as a higher rewards rate in the first year) or a special perk for new cardholders (such as free hotel nights or one-time discounts).

Which credit card has the best sign up bonus?

The value of a sign-up bonus depends on the type of card. Travel credit cards and small-business credit cards tend to have the highest bonuses. Cards with annual fees typically offer higher sign-up bonuses. Cash-back bonuses are usually lower but easier to earn.

How much is a sign-up bonus?

Bonuses on popular credit cards can range in value from $25 to more than $1,000. As a general rule, new cardholders are required to complete a certain amount of spending on the new card before earning the bonus. With cards that award bonuses in points or miles, the values can differ widely.

Are sign-up bonuses paid upfront?

Not usually. Most bonuses have a spending requirement to earn the bonus, whether making a single purchase or spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars in the first few months of card ownership. The bonus is paid after the requirement is met.

What credit cards give you money for signing up?

As the name would suggest, cash-back credit cards usually pay their bonuses in cash, as opposed to points or miles. The “cash” might be in the form of a credit on your statement (which reduces the amount you owe), a deposit into a bank account, or even a mailed check.

About the author

Jae Bratton

Lead Writer & Content Strategist

Jae is a writer for the credit cards team at NerdWallet. Her writing has been published in newspapers, blogs and an academic journal.

Read full profile

About the editor

Paul Soucy

Director of Content

Paul has been the lead editor for NerdWallet's credit cards team since 2015 and for the travel rewards team since 2023. Previously, he worked at USA Today and the Des Moines Register, then built a freelance writing and editing business focused on personal finance topics. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism and an MBA.

Read full profile

Best Credit Card Bonuses for New Cardholders of August 2025

Best Credit Card Bonuses for New Cardholders From Our Partners

NerdWallet's Best Credit Card Bonuses for New Cardholders of August 2025

Find the right credit card for you.

Our pick for: Flat-rate cash back

Our pick for: All-around cash back

Our pick for: Chase Ultimate Rewards® points

Our pick for: Capital One Miles

Our pick for: Families & households

Our pick for: American Airlines

Our pick for: Citi ThankYou® Points

Our pick for: American Express Membership Rewards

Our pick for: Adjustable 3% categories

Our pick for: Hilton Hotels

Our pick for: No-annual-fee travel points

Our pick for: Simplicity + intro APR offer

Our pick for: Cash back match

Our pick for: World of Hyatt

Our pick for: Alaska Airlines

Our pick for: Marriott Bonvoy Hotels

Our pick for: IHG Hotels

Our pick for: Delta Air Lines

Our pick for: Southwest Airlines

Our pick for: United Airlines

Our pick for: Quarterly categories + cash bonus

How do credit card sign-up bonuses work?

What credit card has the best sign-up bonus?

How many credit card sign-up bonuses can I earn?

What credit card sign-up bonuses are the easiest to get?

Is a credit card bonus taxable income?

Methodology

Frequently asked questions

How do credit card sign-up bonuses work?

Which credit card has the best sign up bonus?

How much is a sign-up bonus?

Are sign-up bonuses paid upfront?

What credit cards give you money for signing up?

About the author

About the editor