Spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. Chase 5/24 rule applies (auto-denied if you have opened 5+ personal cards across any issuer in the last 24 months).
Credit card sign up bonuses, valued in real dollars
Updated September 2026 · 14 live offers · last full review 2026-07-07
A credit card sign up bonus pays cash back, points, or miles after you spend a set amount within the first few months. Current offers run from about $200 to over $1,000 in value. What matters is the value net of the annual fee and the spend you would not have made anyway.
Cards pay the biggest bonuses on the site, and they also carry the only real risk: a hard credit pull, an annual fee, and interest if you carry a balance. Every card below shows the spend requirement first, so you can rule out anything you cannot hit without buying things you do not need.
Best right now
Links checked 2026-09-18The three strongest live offers on this page, checked against the real signup link before they were ranked.
- Chase Sapphire 100K (Preferred or Reserve)100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (good for travel partners)
New offer page giving 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (good for travel partners) on either the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve. Transfer 1:1 to World of Hyatt, United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Avios, and 8 more partners. Worth roughly $2,000 in travel at 2.0 cpp. Preferred has a $95 annual fee; Reserve has a $795 annual fee, $300 travel credit, and Priority Pass lounge access. 5/24 rule applies.
Get this bonus - Chase United Explorer60,000 United MileagePlus miles
United co-brand. Free first checked bag on United, 2 United Club passes per year, 25% back on inflight purchases. Miles book on United, Air Canada, ANA, Lufthansa, and 20+ Star Alliance carriers. $0 first year, then $150. Each approval also pays Churnables 10,000 miles, up to 100,000 a year.
Get this bonus - Amex Blue Cash Everyday$200 statement credit
No annual fee cashback card. 3% at US supermarkets (up to $6K/yr), 3% on US online retail, 3% at US gas stations, 1% everywhere else. $200 posts after $2,000 spend in 6 months. Solid keeper card for groceries and gas.
Get this bonus
Spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. Chase 5/24 rule applies.
Spend $6,000 in 6 months on Gold, or $8,000 in 6 months on Platinum. Amex 'once per lifetime' rule per card product applies.
Simply use the card during your first 12 months. Discover automatically matches every dollar of cashback you earned, with no cap.
Apply through a Chase refer-a-friend link and meet the first-year spend requirement. Points are Chase Ultimate Rewards, which transfer one to one to partners such as United, Hyatt and Air Canada Aeroplan, so a cent and a quarter per point is a conservative travel valuation.
Spend $2,000 to $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. The first checked bag is free for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
Spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. The first checked bag is free for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
Spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Each award covers one night at a hotel costing up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
Apply through a Bank of America refer-a-friend link and spend the qualifying amount in the first 90 days. Points redeem at one cent each as a statement credit against travel and dining purchases, so 25,000 points is $250.
Spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months. Chase 5/24 rule applies.
Spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months.
Apply through a Bank of America refer-a-friend link, get approved, then spend the qualifying amount on purchases in the first 90 days. Preferred Rewards members earn 25 to 75 percent more on every category.
Effective APY on these offers
Bonus divided by the money you must hold, annualized over the hold period.
Biggest payouts here
Raw bonus size, before accounting for the cash you have to move.
Dollars per hour of actual work
Most offers here tie up no money at all, so the honest measure is what an hour of your time earns.
Read these numbers as a table
| Offer | Payout | Money tied up | Effective APY | Pay per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express (Gold / Platinum) Personal Charge Card | 80,000 to 175,000 Amex Membership Rewards points | None | No capital tied up | $4,174/hr (0.4h) |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card | 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (worth ~$1,200 in travel) | None | No capital tied up | $3,261/hr (0.4h) |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Hotel Credit Card | 3 Free Night Awards (up to 50,000 points each) | None | No capital tied up | $2,348/hr (0.4h) |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card | 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points | None | No capital tied up | $2,027/hr (0.6h) |
| Chase United Explorer Credit Card | 60,000 United MileagePlus miles (worth ~$750 in Star Alliance travel) | None | No capital tied up | $1,957/hr (0.4h) |
| Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Airline Credit Card | 40,000 to 75,000 Delta SkyMiles | None | No capital tied up | $1,826/hr (0.4h) |
| Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Business Airline Credit Card | 50,000 to 75,000 Delta SkyMiles | None | No capital tied up | $1,826/hr (0.4h) |
| Discover it Cash Back Credit Card | Unlimited Cashback Match | None | No capital tied up | $1,304/hr (0.4h) |
Where the easy money sits
Top-left is the sweet spot: a big payout for very little work.
Each dot is one offer in America. Further left means less work; higher means more money. Bigger dots earn more on the cash you park.
Read these numbers as a table
| Offer | Payout | Money tied up | Effective APY | Pay per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express (Gold / Platinum) Personal Charge Card | 80,000 to 175,000 Amex Membership Rewards points | None | No capital tied up | $4,174/hr (0.4h) |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card | 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (worth ~$1,200 in travel) | None | No capital tied up | $3,261/hr (0.4h) |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card | 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points | None | No capital tied up | $2,027/hr (0.6h) |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Hotel Credit Card | 3 Free Night Awards (up to 50,000 points each) | None | No capital tied up | $2,348/hr (0.4h) |
| Chase United Explorer Credit Card | 60,000 United MileagePlus miles (worth ~$750 in Star Alliance travel) | None | No capital tied up | $1,957/hr (0.4h) |
| Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Airline Credit Card | 40,000 to 75,000 Delta SkyMiles | None | No capital tied up | $1,826/hr (0.4h) |
| Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Business Airline Credit Card | 50,000 to 75,000 Delta SkyMiles | None | No capital tied up | $1,826/hr (0.4h) |
| Discover it Cash Back Credit Card | Unlimited Cashback Match | None | No capital tied up | $1,304/hr (0.4h) |
| Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card | 25,000 online bonus points | None | No capital tied up | $652/hr (0.4h) |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited / Freedom Flex Credit Card | $200 cashback + 5% grocery bonus for year one | None | No capital tied up | $522/hr (0.4h) |
| Capital One Quicksilver Credit Card | $200 cashback bonus | None | No capital tied up | $522/hr (0.4h) |
| Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card | $200 online cash rewards | None | No capital tied up | $522/hr (0.4h) |
American Express (Gold / Platinum) Personal Charge Card: what waiting costs you
The same payout is worth much more when the money comes back quickly. The marked point is the offer's own stated window.
No money of yours sits still here, so an APY would be meaningless. Judge it on pay for your time: about $4,174/hr for roughly under an hour of work.
Read this chart as a table
| Offer | Pay per hour | Hands-on hours |
|---|---|---|
| American Express (Gold / Platinum) (this offer) | $4,174/hr | 0.38h |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | $3,261/hr | 0.38h |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express | $2,348/hr | 0.38h |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | $2,027/hr | 0.62h |
| Chase United Explorer | $1,957/hr | 0.38h |
| Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express | $1,826/hr | 0.38h |
Every offer at a glance
| Offer | Bonus | Requirement | Effective APY | Pay per hour | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card | 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (worth ~$1,200 in travel) | Spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. Chase 5/24 rule applies (auto-denied if you have opened 5+ personal cards across any issuer in the last 24 months). | No capital tied up | $3,261/hr | 2026-07-05 |
| Chase United Explorer Credit Card | 60,000 United MileagePlus miles (worth ~$750 in Star Alliance travel) | Spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. Chase 5/24 rule applies. | No capital tied up | $1,957/hr | 2026-07-05 |
| American Express (Gold / Platinum) Personal Charge Card | 80,000 to 175,000 Amex Membership Rewards points | Spend $6,000 in 6 months on Gold, or $8,000 in 6 months on Platinum. Amex 'once per lifetime' rule per card product applies. | No capital tied up | $4,174/hr | 2026-07-05 |
| Discover it Cash Back Credit Card | Unlimited Cashback Match | Simply use the card during your first 12 months. Discover automatically matches every dollar of cashback you earned, with no cap. | No capital tied up | $1,304/hr | 2026-07-05 |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card | 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points | Apply through a Chase refer-a-friend link and meet the first-year spend requirement. Points are Chase Ultimate Rewards, which transfer one to one to partners such as United, Hyatt and Air Canada Aeroplan, so a cent and a quarter per point is a conservative travel valuation. | No capital tied up | $2,027/hr | 2026-08-14 |
| Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Airline Credit Card | 40,000 to 75,000 Delta SkyMiles | Spend $2,000 to $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. The first checked bag is free for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation. | No capital tied up | $1,826/hr | 2026-08-14 |
| Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Business Airline Credit Card | 50,000 to 75,000 Delta SkyMiles | Spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. The first checked bag is free for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation. | No capital tied up | $1,826/hr | 2026-08-16 |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Hotel Credit Card | 3 Free Night Awards (up to 50,000 points each) | Spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Each award covers one night at a hotel costing up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. | No capital tied up | $2,348/hr | 2026-08-14 |
| Bank of America Travel Rewards Credit Card | 25,000 online bonus points | Apply through a Bank of America refer-a-friend link and spend the qualifying amount in the first 90 days. Points redeem at one cent each as a statement credit against travel and dining purchases, so 25,000 points is $250. | No capital tied up | $652/hr | 2026-08-14 |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited / Freedom Flex Credit Card | $200 cashback + 5% grocery bonus for year one | Spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months. Chase 5/24 rule applies. | No capital tied up | $522/hr | 2026-07-05 |
| Capital One Quicksilver Credit Card | $200 cashback bonus | Spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months. | No capital tied up | $522/hr | 2026-07-05 |
| Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card | $200 online cash rewards | Apply through a Bank of America refer-a-friend link, get approved, then spend the qualifying amount on purchases in the first 90 days. Preferred Rewards members earn 25 to 75 percent more on every category. | No capital tied up | $522/hr | 2026-08-14 |
| American Express Blue Cash Everyday Cashback Credit Card | $200 statement credit | Spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Earns 3% cash back at US supermarkets, US online retail and US gas stations on up to $6,000 per category per year. | No capital tied up | $522/hr | 2026-08-14 |
| Prime Visa (Amazon) Credit Card | $150 Amazon gift card, credited instantly on approval | Get approved for the Prime Visa (requires an active Amazon Prime membership). | No capital tied up | $391/hr | 2026-07-05 |
Questions people ask
Do credit card bonuses hurt my credit score?
Each application is a hard pull, which usually costs a few points for a year. Average age of accounts also drops. If you pay in full every month and space applications out, most people see their score recover within months.
What is the 5/24 rule?
Chase generally denies applications from anyone who has opened five or more personal credit cards from any issuer in the last 24 months. It is unofficial but consistently enforced, so most people start with Chase cards before anything else.
Are credit card bonuses taxable?
Sign up bonuses earned through spending are treated as a rebate, not income, so they are generally not taxable. Bonuses paid just for opening an account with no spend, and some referral bonuses, can be reported on a 1099.
How much are points actually worth?
Depends on the program. Transferable points like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards are commonly worth 1 to 2 cents each when transferred to airline and hotel partners, and about 1 cent as statement credit. We value conservatively.
Keep going
Best lists by situation
Same data, filtered for the constraint you actually have.
By bank
Every offer a brand is running right now.
Learn the system
How the money works, in plain language.
Every account, one place
59+ bonus links across banks, brokers, cards, crypto, and cashback apps. Every button hits a cloaked /go/ redirect, so no personal token ever lands in your browser bar.
