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With summer in full swing—and plenty of credit card points redeemed—it’s time to start increasing those points balances once again with new cards and their excellent introductory offers. The classic American Express® Green Card has relaunched and now includes more travel benefits than ever, plus an elevated, best-ever two-part introductory bonus that includes 60,000 points and up to $200 back in statement credits. Capital One’s travel empire expands as the company rolls out its Lifestyle Collection of hotels and continues to court new cardholders with an excellent 75,000-mile bonus on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Moreover, the United℠ Explorer Card has upped its welcome offer to 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and no intro annual fee the first year (after that, it’s $95). There are currently many enticing offers—here are our six picks to consider right now and why.
1. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Best for: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is best for those who want an excellent travel credit card that pays for itself through credits, benefits, lounge access, and a rewarding earnings structure while also offering flexibility in redeeming points.
Why now? Capital One is going all-in on travel for its Venture X cardholders, rolling out its own collection of airport lounges for cardholders, launching its Premier Collection (offering special perks at hundreds of top hotels globally), and now announcing its Lifestyle Collection (granting cardholders benefits at boutique hotels worldwide).
Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Annual fee: $395
Earn points: Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar spent on flights booked through Capital One Travel. All other purchases earn 2 miles per dollar spent.
Credits: When booking through Capital One Travel, receive $300 in credits each year. Get a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit once every four years (up to $100). Receive an annual 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary.
Key perks: Access Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and Plaza Premium lounges at airports. The card is also smart for those who plan to add cardholders to their accounts. Up to four can be added at no cost. Priority Pass lounge membership and access to Capital One and Plaza Premium airport lounges extend to each of these additional cardholders at no extra cost. As far as redemptions go, miles transfer to 16 airline and hotel partners.
2. American Express® Green Card
Best for: The American Express Green Card is best for those who want a solid travel credit card that earns points quickly but has a low annual fee.
Why now? The American Express Green Card is now offering the opportunity to earn its best-ever welcome bonus (worth quite a bit if redeemed for maximum value) plus $200 in statement credits.
Welcome offer: Currently the American Express Green Card is courting new cardholders with a two-part record breaker. First, earn 60,000 AmEx Membership Rewards points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Second, earn 20 percent back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during the first six months of card membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit.
Annual fee: $150 (See rates and fees.)
Earn points: Earn three points per dollar spent on airfare, hotels, all other travel (including cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals), transit purchases (including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways) and restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the United States). Earn one point per dollar on everything else.
Credits: As part of the current welcome offer, earn up to $200 back in the form of statement credits with a 20 percent refund on eligible travel and transit purchases made in the first six months. In addition, anticipate two credits every year. One for a Clear® Plus membership and the other for LoungeBuddy, an app that allows you to purchase one-off entry into select airport lounges at 80 airports worldwide. For Clear, receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your Clear Plus membership. For LoungeBuddy, download the app and link your Amex Green to LoungeBuddy to receive up to $100 in statement credits annually for entrance payments.
Key perks: Once accrued, AmEx points are transferable to 18 airline partners—3 domestic and 15 international—and 3 hotel partners. A total of 21 transfer partners makes Membership Rewards the best loyalty program overall for transferable points (compared to Capital One Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou points). Partners include Delta SkyMiles, Air France/KLM’s Flying Blue, and Marriott Bonvoy, transferrable at a 1:1 ratio and Hilton Honors transferable at a ratio of two Hilton Honors points for every Membership Reward point.
3. The Platinum Card® from American Express
Best for: The Platinum Card from American Express is best for those who value luxury benefits on land and in the air, including the best in airport lounge access (including coveted Centurion Lounges), and understand such benefits (plus a program that includes copious statement credits) far outweigh a hefty annual fee.
Why now? Besides a good introductory welcome offer, there are travel benefits aplenty and excellent benefits for additional cardholders.
Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 in the first six months of card membership. (Terms apply.)
Annual fee: $695 (See rates and fees.)
Earn points: Earn five points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 per calendar year, and on prepaid hotel bookings made through American Express Travel. Earn one point per dollar on everything else.
Credits: Statement credits include up to $200 per calendar year on airline incidentals, up to $200 per calendar year on Fine Hotels + Resorts or the Hotel Collection bookings (minimum two-night stay) with American Express Travel, up to $200 annually for Uber/UberEats (given in Uber Cash), up to $100 annually at Saks Fifth Avenue, up to $240 annually on digital entertainment (applicable toward charges on Hulu, Disney+, SiriusXM, and the New York Times), up to $300 annually toward select Equinox gym memberships, a $155 Walmart+ Credit subject to auto-renewal (to cover the monthly membership cost of Walmart+), and up to $100 in statement credits once every 4 years toward the application fee for Global Entry, or up to $85 once every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck. Enrollment required for select benefits; terms apply.
Key perks: The best in airport lounge access (including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and more) plus Gold elite status in Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy, which extends to both primary and additional cardholders; in terms of points spending, Amex Membership Rewards points transfer to 18 airlines and three hotel partners.
4. United℠ Explorer Card
Best for: The United℠ Explorer Card is best for those who fly United often enough to want free checked bags but not often enough that they’d consider themselves a United loyalist.
Why now? Previous United Explorer introductory offers during 2022 and 2023 alternated between 40,000 and 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months. Until October 4, 2023, earn up to 60,000 miles and pay no annual fee the first year.
Welcome offer: Earn up to 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
Annual fee: There is no intro annual fee the first year, then it’s $95.
Earn miles: The card earns two miles per dollar on United purchases, as well as on hotels and dining, including eligible delivery services. Earn one mile per dollar on everything else.
Credits: Get a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck/Nexus credit (worth up to $100) once every four years. Get 25 percent back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi on United-operated flights.
Key perks: Visit the United Club with two, one-time passes gifted each year for your account anniversary. The primary cardholder and one companion traveling on the same reservation will each receive their first standard checked bag free.
5. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Best for: The Chase Sapphire Reserve is best for those who want a top travel credit card that earns points quickly and comes with the industry’s leading travel protections.
Why now? Chase Sapphire Reserve carries the most thorough travel coverage of any credit card on the market, hands down.
Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on new purchases within the first three months. You can cash those bonus points out for 1.50 cents apiece—a value equal to $900—on travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal.
Annual fee: $550
Earn points: Earn 10 points per dollar spent on hotel and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 5 points per dollar spent on flights through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3 points per dollar for dining, including takeout and international restaurants, and 3 points per dollar on travel not booked through Chase—including airfare, hotels, trains, rideshares, and more. Earn 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
Credits: Earn $300 back each year in statement credits for travel purchases, effectively reducing the annual fee to $250. Also, receive up to a $100 Global Entry or TSA Precheck or Nexus credit every four years.
Key perks: Get Priority Pass Select Membership, allowing access to more than 1,300 airport lounges around the world in the Priority Pass network plus access to the current and upcoming Chase Sapphire Lounges by the Club (and the Sapphire Terrace). Moreover, Chase points are exceptionally versatile and can be transferred to 11 airlines and 3 hotel partners. Chase points can also be redeemed at 1.50 cents apiece for bookings through the Chase travel portal or with select categories, which change quarterly, under the “Pay Yourself Back” feature.
6. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Best for: The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is best for Marriott loyalists who can take full advantage of Platinum Elite Status, which usually requires 50 nights per year and comes with benefits like lounge access, enhanced room upgrade, and 4 p.m. late checkout, all subject to availability.
Why now? The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card includes Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status and an annual anniversary Free Night Award, up to 85,000. The card’s current bonus (until August 9, 2023), up to 200,000 points, is its best offer yet.
Welcome offer: Earn 150,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases in six months from your account opening plus earn 50,000 bonus points after staying six eligible paid nights at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy through January 31, 2024. That’s a total of 200,000 points.
Annual fee: $650 (See rates and fees.)
Earn points: Earn six points per dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, three points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines, and double points on all other purchases.
Credits: Earn up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (rationed as $25 back per month) for dining purchases at restaurants worldwide. This credit replaces the previous annual $300 in statement credits for Marriott Bonvoy hotel purchases. Get up to $100 in statement credits once every 4 years toward the application fee for Global Entry or up to $85 once every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck.
Key perks: Cardholders receive automatic Platinum Status and automatically bank 25 elite night credits per calendar year (which is the level for Gold but a boost to your balance for climbing the elite ladder). After card renewal month, get one Free Night Award each year that you can use for one night, up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Obtain complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership (enrollment required), granting access to the cardholder plus two guests to over 1,300 airline lounges worldwide.
While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available.
