Getting ahead with travel credit cards is all about timing: Opening a card when the welcome bonus is at its highest is what it's all about. If you're in the market for a new travel credit card right now, this is the place to start.
Just as we do every month, we've assembled a list of the best credit card offers for January 2024 that are currently available – and everything you need to know if you are thinking about taking advantage. As you'll see, a handful of banks are out with some eye-popping bonuses on their best travel cards this month. Some of these offers are mainstays while others are only available for a limited time and won't last much longer, so it could pay to act fast.
But remember: Credit cards are serious business. You should never apply for a credit card if you're already in debt, and never charge more to a credit card than you can afford to pay off immediately. However many points and miles you can earn, they're not worth it.
For more information on the best current offers, make sure to head to our Top Credit Cards page.
- 1. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- 2. Chase Ink Business Cash® & Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Cards
- 3. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card
- 4. The Capital One Venture X Business
- 5. Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- 6. The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
- 7. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- 8. The American Express® Gold Card
- 9. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- 10. The Platinum Card® from American Express
1. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Current Offer
The *chase sapphire preferred* is currently offering 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of card membership. Those points are worth a minimum of $750 for future travel – if not much, much more.
Annual Fee: $95
Learn more about the *chase sapphire preferred*
Why This Offer Makes the List
While it's not the biggest bonus we've ever seen on this card, earning 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards while only paying a $95 annual fee is still a phenomenal offer – especially if you don't want to pay huge, $550-plus annual fees on premium travel cards. The Sapphire Preferred is one of the best places to get started with points and miles.
Those 60,000 points can be used to book at least $750 in travel through the Chase Travel Portal, as every point is worth 1.25 cents apiece. But you can easily get double that value (or more) by using Chase transfer partners like United, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, or Hyatt. Not bad for a card with an annual fee of only $95, right?
There are some restrictions you'll need to be aware of. First and foremost, there's the Chase 5/24 rule. If you have been approved for five or more cards from any bank (not just Chase) in the last 24 months, you will automatically be declined for any new Chase card. Additionally, if you have earned a bonus on either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve in the past 48 months (four years), you will not be eligible.
Read more: Are You Eligible for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
2. Chase Ink Business Cash® & Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Cards
Current Offer
The *chase ink unlimited* and the *chase ink cash* both allow new applicants to earn $750 in bonus cash back (75,000 Ultimate Rewards) after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. If either card has been on your radar, picking up a big bonus like this makes now a great time to apply.
Even though these cards earn cash back, it's actually rewarded in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards points. This means you can combine your cash back with the Ultimate Rewards earned from one of Chase's premium travel rewards cards like the *chase ink preferred* or the *csp* to transfer them to travel partners or redeem them through the Chase Travel Portal. But you must have one of those points-earning cards to do so.Â
Annual Fee: None
Learn more about the *chase ink unlimited*.
Learn more about the *chase ink cash*.
Why This Offer Makes the List
With identical 75,000-point signup bonuses on both of the no-annual-fee Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited cards, business owners will have to look beyond the welcome offer when deciding which of these two cards to pick up. The good news is that if both of these cards seem to be a good fit for your business, you don't actually have to choose at all – one business can have all of the Ink cards at the same time without issue.
But if you're just looking to pick up one of these cards, you'll want to pick the one that best fits your business' spending pattern to maximize your ongoing earning potential.
The Chase Ink Cash Card is perfect for any business that spends a lot at office supply stores and on internet, cable, or phone service. In these categories, you'll earn 5% cash back (5x Chase Ultimate Rewards) for your purchases up to the first $25,000 in combined spending each year. You'll also earn 2% cash back (2x Chase Ultimate Rewards) at gas stations and restaurants, up to $25,000 in combined spending each year. All other purchases will earn you an unlimited 1% cash back (1x Chase Ultimate Rewards).
With the Chase Ink Unlimited Card, you'll earn a flat 1.5% cash back (1.5x Chase Ultimate Rewards) on every purchase. There is no cap on your earnings with this card so if your business doesn't spend a lot in a bonus category, this can be a really good option for ensuring you're getting a good return on all purchases.
Both of these cards allow you to add additional employee cards without a fee, which can help you streamline your business spending and allow you to earn rewards even faster.
Having trouble deciding which card is right? Read our comparison of the Ink Business Cash vs the Ink Business Unlimited.Â
3. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® Card
Current Offer
The *freedom unlimited* currently earns a base 5% cashback on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases. This deal is made even sweeter with the recent offer.
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Annual Fee: $0
Learn more about the *freedom unlimited*.
Why This Offer Makes the List
This is a great offer to earn almost twice the amount of rewards you would typically make on your everyday spending on a card that doesn't charge an annual fee. And if you hold it alongside a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points like the Sapphire Reserve or Preferred, that cash back can instantly become points.
Typically, you'll earn the standard 5% cash back on travel purchased through the Chase Travel Portal, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining (including takeout and eligible delivery service), and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases made with your Freedom Unlimited card.
The additional 1.5% simply makes a great card offer even better.
Read our review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card!
4. The Capital One Venture X Business
Current Offer
The *venture x business* is out with a limited-time offer for new cardmembers to earn up to 300,000 bonus miles when meeting the card's minimum spending requirement. It's a tiered-bonus that works a little differently than most other welcome offers. Here's what you can earn:
- Earn 150,000 miles once you spend $20,000 in the first three months from account opening.
- Earn an additional 150,000 miles (for 300,000 miles in total)Â once you spend $100,000 in the first six months from account opening.
If you're able to meet both of these spending requirements in the first six months and earn the full bonus, you'll have over half a million Capital One Venture miles when all is said and done. That's because like all of Capital One's travel rewards cards, the Venture X Business card earns an unlimited 2x miles on every purchase. So in addition to the 300,000 miles you'll earn from the bonus, you'll also earn a minimum of 200,000 miles on all that spending.
Even if you only qualify for the 150,000-mile bonus, this is still a fantastic offer and one that requires less spending than it did yesterday. Considering tax season is right around the corner, most businesses will have little issue meeting the card's $20,000 spending requirement without needing to get creative.
Annual Fee:$395
Learn more about the *venture x business*.
Why This Offer Makes the List
Capital One officially launched the Venture X business card to the masses back in September. Previously, you needed to have a relationship with a Capital One business banker to apply for the card, making this card much more difficult to open.
No question: The spending requirement to earn the big welcome offer bonus is bigger than most. But if your business can generate that kind of spending, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better business card offer right now.
The bank essentially hit copy and paste on the personal *venture x* that's chock full of premium travel benefits: Access to Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium lounges, a $300 annual travel credit, a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and more.
And all that with a price tag of just $395 a year, automatically making this card a compelling alternative to premium competitors which cost as much as $695 per year.
Sure, a $395 annual fee may still immediately turn off many travelers. But it's a mirage: In practice, it's actually far cheaper. Consider the fact that you get an automatic $300 credit a year towards travel booked through the Capital One Travel portal. Then, starting in year two, you get a 10,000-point bonus every year: these points are worth a minimum of $100.
Are you the kind of person who plans to spend $300 a year or more on travel? If so, do the math and you’ll see that in reality, you’re paying $95 a year for this card – or much less when you add in the other perks and welcome bonus.
Not to mention, you'll earn 2x Venture Miles for every dollar your business spends.
Read our full review of the Venture X Business Card
5. Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Current Offer
The *chase ink preferred* is currently offering 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $8,000 in the first three months of card membership. These points are worth a minimum of $1,250 for future travel – if not much, much more. It's the best offer we have ever seen on this card.
Annual Fee: $95
Learn more about the *chase ink preferred*
Why This Offer Makes the List
If you have a small business (and trust us, you might be eligible for a small business card and not know it), you won't find a better welcome bonus at a lower price point right now than the current offer on the Chase Ink Preferred.
Back in June, Chase halved the spending requirement to earn the huge 100,000-point welcome offer bonus. Previously, you needed to spend $15,000 in the first three months of card membership to earn the big bonus. Now, you only have to spend $8,000 in the first three months of card membership to earn that same 100,000-point bonus.
Chase has indicated this isn't a limited-time offer – it should be available for the foreseeable future.
Beyond a stellar welcome bonus, the Ink Business Preferred is one of the best out there. It offers a solid ongoing return on spending and strong travel benefits for small business owners. Best of all, the card has a low annual fee of just $95, making it worth a spot in your wallet for the long run.
Read our review of the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card!
6. The AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
Current Offer
Just by opening the card and making a single purchase, you'll earn 60,000 American AAdvantage Miles. Plus, when you add an authorized user to your card and make a purchase on that card within the first 90 days, you'll earn another 15,000 miles. That's 75,000 AAdvantage miles for making just two purchases (and paying the $99 annual fee) in the first three months!
This limited-time offer is the best we've ever seen on the card, but it will only last through Jan. 31, 2024. While the public bonus has already dropped back down to 60,000 miles, you can still earn up to 75,000 AAdvantage miles by applying through a referral link like this one.
Annual Fee: $99
Apply Here (for full disclosure, this is a personal referral link – not an affiliate link).
Why This Offer Makes the List
This is easily the best offer we've ever seen on the card, bu it won't be around for much longer. While you'll be on the hook for the card's $99 annual fee right off the bat, you'll be able to earn 75,000 American AAdvantage miles after making just two purchases in the first 90 days of card membership.
American Airlines AAdvantage miles are some of the most valuable miles out there. Not only can you use them for flights with American Airlines, but you can also redeem them for incredible experiences for flights on their Oneworld alliance partners.
Want to fly in a Qatar Qsuite? Or how about flying Japan Airlines first class? AA is unique among the major domestic airlines in that it doesn’t charge more to redeem miles on partner airlines… at least for now. In our mind, this advantage alone makes American Airlines miles worth collecting.
Read More: Best Bonus Ever: Earn up to 75K AAdvantage Miles with the Aviator Red Card
7. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Current Offer
The *capital one venture x* is currently offering 75,000 Venture Miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months. Considering you earn at least 2x miles for every dollar you spend on the Venture X Card, you'll earn a total of at least 83,000 Venture Miles right off the bat.
Annual Fee: $395
Learn more about the *capital one venture x*
Why This Offer Makes the List
Because it's one of the most exciting travel credit cards to hit the market in years – if ever.
Capital One first unveiled the card back in November 2021. It's a souped-up version of the ever-popular *capital one venture card* that's chock full of extra benefits: Access to Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium lounges, a $300 annual travel credit, a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, great travel and rental car insurance protection, and more.
And all that with a price tag of just $395 a year. It's a great alternative to premium competitors like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Platinum Card® from American Express, which cost as much as $695 per year (see rates & fees).
Sure, a $395 annual fee may still immediately turn off many travelers. But it's a mirage: In practice, it's actually far cheaper. Consider the fact that you get an automatic $300 credit a year towards travel booked through the Capital One Travel portal. Then, starting in year two, you get a 10,000-point bonus every year: these points are worth a minimum of $100.
Are you the kind of person who plans to spend $300 a year or more on travel? If so, do the math and you’ll see that in reality, you’re paying $95 a year for this card – or much less when you add in the other perks and welcome bonus.
Read More: Capital One Venture X Card Review: Get 75K Miles, Lounge Access & More
8. The American Express® Gold Card
Current Offer
You can earn at least 60,000 American Express Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 in the first six months of card membership. You'll also get six months to meet that spending requirement, twice as long as card offers from most other banks.
Be sure to check if you're eligible for a 90,000-point offer via a personal referral link!
Annual Fee: $250 (see rates & fees)
Learn more about the *amex gold*
Why This Offer Makes the List
The *amex gold card* is one of our favorite travel rewards cards.
Here's what you need to know: The real value of the Gold card goes far beyond that initial bonus – though a 60,000- to 75,000-point bonus or more sure doesn't hurt.
That's because the Gold Card earns 4x points for every dollar you spend at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 annually then 1x) and 4x points per dollar spent at restaurants, making it arguably the best card to use at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants.
You'll also get up to $120 in dining credits each year to spend at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar, and select Shake Shack locations, and up to $120 annually in Uber cash to use at both Uber and Uber Eats. These credits are given out in $10 monthly increments and any amount you don't use at the end of the month will be forfeited. Just add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.
But maximize these two credits alone and that will cover $240 of your $250 annual fee. These credits and bonus categories are a big part of the reason we feel the card is easily worth the $250 annual fee.
Read our full review of the American Express Gold Card.Â
9. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Current Offer
The *capital one venture card* is currently offering 75,000 Venture Miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months. Considering you earn at least 2x miles for every dollar you spend on the card, you'll earn a total of at least 83,000 Venture Miles right off the bat.
Annual Fee: $95
Learn more about the *capital one venture card*
Why This Offer Makes the List
Capital One recently increased the welcome offer bonus on the standard Venture Card from 60,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months to 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months. That now puts the welcome offer bonus on par with the more expensive Venture X card listed above at a much smaller annual fee.
You won't get all the perks you'll get with the Venture X card, but you won't pay $395 out of pocket each year, either. The card also provides a credit of up to $100 every four years to cover the cost of a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership. It's one of the most cost-effective ways to get this benefit from a credit card.
But if it's just the miles you're after, this could make a compelling alternative to Venture X.
Read More: 75K Venture Miles & More Perks: All About the Capital One Venture Card
10. The Platinum Card® from American Express
Current Offer
There is currently a targeted welcome offer available through creditcards.com's CardMatch tool to earn 150,000 American Express Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 in the first six months of card membership.
Not targeted through CardMatch? If that doesn't work, you can also try using an incognito window on your browser and apply directly with American Express. Or see if you can get a referral link for 150,000 points from a friend or family member.
At the very least, you'll earn a welcome offer of 80,000 American Express points after spending $8,000 within the first six months. Just be warned: Amex recently made changes to the terms of the welcome offer, making it more difficult (and costly) for some to earn that big bonus.
Annual Fee: $695 (see rates & fees)
Learn more about *amex platinum*.
Why This Offer Makes the List
The Platinum Card® from American Express got a big refresh a few years ago, bringing on new benefits and an even bigger annual fee.
And while that big annual fee may be hard to stomach, you can still come out way ahead in your first year thanks in part to the record welcome offer currently available (from Cardmatch or a personal referral link). That takes the cake for the best offer we have ever seen on the Platinum Card … and it's not even close.
Check out some of the best ways to use your bonus from the Amex Platinum card.
Bottom Line
January is yet another big month in terms of elevated credit card offers. While there are plenty of cards and bonuses to choose from, we think these are the best travel rewards card offers that are currently available.
Make sure to check our Top Credit Cards Page, as offers are always changing.
Hey do you know if you already have a Barclay card with Jet blue can you still qualify for an aviator Red card?
Also My husband had an aviator card and canceled it in Jan ’22 and I was a signer on it, can I apply for my own and get the sign on bonus? Its not clear in the terms.
Thanks,
Wendy
“
I had the JetBlue Plus Barclay card and was denied the Aviator… but they said the reason was how many accounts opened in the last 24 months (though they couldn’t give me a number of how many was too many!) and how much credit I have (but they couldn’t move any of my $10k credit line from the JetBlue card to get me approved). Disappointing as I had been waiting for this attractive bonus on the Aviator card, and I have very good credit with not a ridiculous amount of accounts open (maybe 10-12 over the last 5 years and half of those in the last 2 years).