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Best Credit Cards with Spend Bonus from Our Partners
A sign-up bonus is something we want to get with our new credit card, especially if it is a travel credit card. Today applying for a credit card without a one-time offer is a waste of time. Oftentimes we actually apply for a credit card only to grab that limited time offer, which is so generous that can't be resisted. When you chase bonuses, you should be very attentive and keep track of the new credit card offers. Most lucrative offers don't last long and there always is a condition you should meet in order to qualify for that offer.
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Winter 2024: Credit Cards with Welcome Offers
Getting a travel credit card with a sign-up bonus is a no-brainer. Bonus offers on travel cards can be enough for a round-trip domestic airline ticket, and if you plan your travel far in advance, you may have enough time to earn rewards for a trip to Europe. Plus, the majority of travel cards have no foreign transaction fees, so you can use such a card abroad without being slapped with hefty fees for transactions in a foreign currency.
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Citi Rewards+® Card
0% Intro APR
+ Great Point Rewards
- Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com
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questionsABOUT
REWARDS CREDIT CARDS
If I get a credit card with a sign-up bonus, when will I get the bonus and how can I use it?
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Here are some tips that will help you maximize credit card rewards: Never pay an annual fee. This rule is extremely important for those who do not put a lot on a credit card. An annual fee may eat all or part of your...
Read moreDealing with SIGN-UP
BONUS
One may think that grabbing a credit card with the biggest sign-up bonus is all what you need when you are after promo offers. However, that's not that easy. You should think strategically and never miss the details, not mentioning the fine print. It is important to be sure you will be able to use earned bonus and it won't vanish to nowhere or stay unused forever.
01. What is the value of a sign-up bonus?
Sign-up bonuses are given in the form of cash back, miles or points. While everything is clear with cash back rewards. Things may not be that easy with miles and point rewards. Mile rewards often work line cash back, meaning 1 mile is basically 1 cent. Point rewards are a bit tricky. One point may be worth more than 1 cent. Oftentimes a point is worth 1.25, 1.5, or even 2 cents. But that depends on redemption options that may vary with the credit card rewards program.
Now about the value. As a rule, one sign-up bonus should be enough for at least one-way domestic ticket. Travel credit cards usually have a fixed redemption rate where 100 miles equals to $1. Some cards may offer a better redemption ratio where 100 miles can be $1.25 dollars, but such offers are limited to travel redemptions and other redemptions may worth less than one dollar per 100 miles.
Everything is different with airline miles and here the value of miles can vary extremely with the dates on which you fly, season, ticket costs and destinations. However, some airlines require a fixed amount of miles for domestic and international flights in main cabin that do not vary with the airfare or season. So read the redemption conditions before you grab any offer.
02. How to spend sign-up bonus to max CPM?
Whether you earn points or miles rewards, with a travel rewards credit card, the best redemptions are offered when you redeem for travel or gift cards. When redeem for travel, airline tickets in particular, look for the cheapest flights to maximize CPM. Remember, you can use miles to erase all fees and taxes you've paid for the ticket.
If it is an airline credit card, then often the case redemptions for international flights are a better choice. However, remember that when you redeem airline miles, you will need to pay fees and taxes in cash, which may be extremely big and your award flight might not be cheaper than if you would pay with cash. Airlines may have portals where you can grab better deals, but in this case, you should be really flexible with the dates.
03. Can I lose a sign-up bonus?
Yes, it is possible in most cases. Usually, you have to spend a specific amount of money on purchases within a given period to qualify for a bonus points or bonus miles offer. Even if you spend the required amount, the issuer can take two or three months to post your bonus, and if returned payments or purchases that do not qualify appear, they will be deducted lowering your spendings and therefore, you may not qualify for the bonus offer.
Also, there are some other restrictions. For example, if you had had the card before and then canceled it, you may not qualify for a bonus offer in the future. If you have the card active now and want to apply for the same card just to grab that super generous promo offer, you won't get the bonus as well.
04. How to Calculate a Sign-up Bonus?
Basically, you do not have to calculate a sign-up bonus as you are already offered a fixed amount of bonus miles, bonus points or cash back bonus. But if the issuer does not offer a fixed bonus offer, and offers a mile match or cash back match, for example, then you should take your approximate credit card expenses for a year and multiply them by miles per dollar (or cash back) and double the result. The final amount will be your bonus.