Friday, January 30, 2026

Is this a Good Offer?

Is this a Good Deal?!

This is another common question I receive! This post will run through the standard/typical sign up offers for common cards that I recommend and/or hold. 

Any offer higher than what is shown below is considered to be an "elevated" limited time offer. Elevated offers are not always better than standard offers, but are at least worth a consideration. 

If you're new to the idea of credit card points and how to use them for travel, I recommend starting with these posts: Points 101, New to Points, and Beginner Cards

All of the cards below will be linked with my referral and to more details. Linked details include information such as annual fee and benefits to utilize to offset the annual fee. If you have any questions about these cards - please reach out and ask. I'm here to help! 

If you are considering opening any of these cards, I greatly appreciate you using my referral link. That is, apply through my link - which is free to you, but gives me a small kick back of points, which helps me to continue bringing you free content and support! Thank you!

Standard Sign Up Bonus Offers

Chase

You'll see this list is pretty heavy on Chase cards; that's because Chase is generally the most beginner friendly transferrable/flexible points program of all banks, due to it's vast variety of domestic and international airline and hotel transfer partners. Learn more here on Chase Transfer Partners.

Chase Transferrable Points

Chase Personal Cards

*As of January 2026; you can now hold the Sapphire Preferred AND the Sapphire Reserve at the same time. The previous 48-month rule no longer exists.

Chase Business cards


Chase Airlines and Hotels

Interested in buy one, get one free flights for close to two years? Consider opening Southwest Credit cards to earn companion pass! Learn more about companion pass here.

Keep in mind, with Southwest 2025 changes, all credit card holders get free checked bags as well as option to select seating in advance (when you get to select varies depending on which card(s) you hold. If you fly Southwest a few times a year, the free checked bag benefit can easily cover the cost of the annual fee.

Southwest Personal Cards

These cards all have the same standard sign up bonus, but varying  annual fees and associated benefits - including when you are allowed to select seats for free and how many points you earn upon your cardholder anniversary.

Southwest Business Cards


Misc Chase Hotel Cards

Hyatt Personal Card: Spend $5,000 in 3 months, earn 60,000 points

There is often an elevated offer to earn up to 5 nights free, BUT it requires you to spend $15,000 in the first 6 months! Personally, I don't think this is worth it. If I have $15K to spend, I'm looking to open a new card with flexible points. The free nights awards are only valid for 1 year and only valid on lower tier, Category 1-4 hotels. I would rather get the 60,000 Hyatt points and have the flexibility to spend them where and when I want!


Marriot Bonvoy Boundless: Spend $3,000 in 3 months; earn 3 free night awards. Each Free Night Award (FNA) is valid up to 50,000 points and valid for 1 year. 

FNAs can be redeemed and "topped" off with additional points up to a maximum of 15,000 points per night; which means if you have extra Marriott points, you can redeem your FNA+points for up to 65,000 points per night.


Capital One

Capital One is known to be rather picky for approvals. If you have one or more inquiries on your credit in the past six months, you may or may not be able to get approved. You can use Capital One's preapproval tool to check your odds. Also, if you freeze your credit (I freeze with all of the bureaus. This is free to do) and unthaw 24 hours before you apply.

This is also because in Nov 2025, Capital One implemented a rule that in order to qualify for sign up bonuses you must open the cards "in order" of lowest tier to highest tier. This is you need to open the cards in this order to earn a sign up bonus on each: Venture One, Venture, and Venture X).

Often the Venture One card is skipped (due to lower sign up bonus/benefits not worth taking on up spot of you 5/24). 

It's recommended to open a Venture card BEFORE opening a Venture X card. 

If you open a VentureX card first, you will not be eligible for a Venture Card sign up bonus until 48 months have passed since earning the Venture X sign up bonus. 

Capital One Transferable Points

Venture Card (learn more here): Spend $4,000 in 3 months; earn 75,000 points
VentureX Card (learn more here): Spend $4,000 in 3 months; earn 75,000 points

American Express 

Amex Personal Cards

Similar to Capital One rules; Amex also has a rule to open personal cards in "family order". The Family Rule dictates that you need to get Amex personal cards in tiered "order", otherwise, you aren't eligible for future sign up bonuses of lower tier cards.

Basically, Amex has Green, Gold, and Platinum personal cards. If you get a Platinum card as your first Amex Personal card, then you are not eligible to get the sign up bonus for the Green or Gold cards in the future.

I personally don't think the Green card offer is worth a 5/24 spot, so I recommend starting off getting Amex Gold Personal before an Amex Platinum Personal.

  • Green: Spend $3,000 in 6 months, earn 40,000 points 
  • Gold (learn more here): Spend $6,000 in 6 months, earn up to 100,000 points. (Note, the standard offer is 60,000 points, but I wouldn't accept this offer for less than 80,000 points).
  • Platinum (on of my favorite benefits here): Spend $8,000 in 6 months, earn up to 175,000 points
Note the 6-month minimum spend on American Express personal cards instead of the usual 3-month duration! I know this really helps out low spenders.

*Amex is weird with sign up bonuses. The same link may produce a 75K offer on your phone and 100K offer on your computer. It's always best to check the link in a few different browser and devices (clear your cookies, incognito mode, on your phone), before you apply and accept - to ensure that you're getting the highest offer. If you don't receive a high offer, decline the offer and wait a day or two and try again!

Amex Business Cards

  • Gold: Spend $15,000 in 3 months, earn up to 100,000 points (Note, you can find elevated offers to earn up to 200,000 points, but I wouldn't accept this offer for less than 150,000 points).
  • Platinum: Spend $20,000 in 3 months, earn 200,000 points (Note, you can find elevated offers to earn up to 300,000 points, but I wouldn't accept this offer for less than 250,000 points).
  • Blue Business Plus: Spend $3,000 in 3 months, earn up to 15,000 points. (However, typically you can find an elevated offer to spend $4K in 4 months and earn 50,000 or even 75,000 points!)

Summary

The above is A LOT of information; but it's also good to know! If I were ready to open a new card and had the spend to do so, I wouldn't NOT get a card just because it doesn't currently have an elevated offer.... but at the same time, I hope the list above is something you can reference so that when you are opening new credit cards, you can use this information to weigh out which card and card offer is best for you at any given time!

As always, I love and appreciate your support! Please consider using my referral links when you open new credit card(s); which is free to you, but supports my small business :)

___________________________

Looking for more information on points/miles? You can find all of my points talk posts linked here.

Trying to figure out your next card? Here is my FREE personalized Next Card Recommendation form. Simply fill this out and I'll let you know my suggestions.

Wondering how I keep all of this information organized? Check out my Points Tracker!

Curious what cards I (and/or my husband) have, and why? Read here!


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