The offer mentioned below for the United Club℠ Infinite Card is no longer available.
Many of the best rewards credit cards offer lucrative welcome bonuses that can help new cardholders maximize rewards within the first few months after opening an account, but only a select few have 100,000-point bonus offers.
It can be a good idea to open a rewards card with a generous welcome bonus if you plan on making a large purchase, such as furnishing a home or booking a vacation. The amount you spend on big-ticket items can help you meet minimum spending requirements that range upwards of $2,000. After you earn a bonus, you can redeem the rewards to offset past expenses, book future travel and more.
Travel cards typically offer the biggest welcome bonus, especially co-branded cards that are in partnership with an airline or hotel chain. These cards can prove beneficial for loyal consumers but make sure to review the annual fee to see if the card is worth the cost. After all, a bonus offer is one time, so you shouldn’t open a card that’s too costly just for the bonus. You should also avoid overspending just to earn a bonus and risk carrying a balance, since the interest charges will outweigh any rewards you earn.
CNBC Select breaks down how you can earn the 100,000-plus point bonus offers from these credit cards.
Credit cards with welcome bonuses of 100,000 points or more
Business Platinum Card from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Rewards
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Also, earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchases at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Welcome bonus
Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Annual fee
$695
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
19.49% - 28.49% variable
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
Welcome bonus value: This bonus is worth $2,400 based on the valuation of Membership Rewards points at two cents apiece (when transferring your points to travel partners).
How to redeem rewards: Points can be transferred to American Express' various airline and hotel loyalty program partners. Points can also be redeemed through Amex Travel with a 35% rebate on eligible flights (up to 1,000,000 points back per calendar year).
How to earn the bonus: Spend $20,000 in purchases within your first three months of card membership to earn 150,000 Membership Rewards points.
Who's eligible: If you've never had The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, you may qualify for this offer. Current or previous cardholders are ineligible. Amex also states that it may also consider the number of American Express cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility. Terms Apply.
Hilton Honors Aspire Card
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Rewards
14X points per dollar for eligible purchases on your card made directly with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio; 7X points for eligible purchases on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants; 3X points for all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Annual fee
$550
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
20.99% to 29.99% variable
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
Welcome bonus value: Many travel rewards enthusiasts have estimated the value of Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents per point, so 150,000 Hilton Honors points are worth $750 towards Hilton stays.
How to redeem rewards: Points can be redeemed for free stays at Hilton Honors properties like DoubleTree and Waldorf Astoria, gift cards, donations and more.
How to earn the bonus: Spend $6,000 in purchases within your first six months of card membership to earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points.
Who's eligible: If you've never had the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, you may qualify for this offer. Current or previous cardholders are ineligible. Amex also states that it may also consider the number of American Express cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.
Hilton Honors Surpass Card
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Rewards
Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio; 6X points for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations; 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases; 3X points for other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Annual fee
$150
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
20.99% - 29.99% variable
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
Welcome bonus value: If you value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents per point, 130,000 points would be worth $650.
How to redeem rewards: Points can be redeemed for free stays at Hilton Honors properties like DoubleTree and Waldorf Astoria, gift cards, donations and more.
How to earn the bonus: Spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Who's eligible: If you've never had the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card or the Hilton Honors Ascend® Card, you may qualify for this offer. Current or previous cardholders are ineligible. Amex also states that it may also consider the number of American Express cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.
Hilton Honors Business Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Rewards
Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases, earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases made using the Hilton Honors Business Card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter.
Welcome bonus
Limited Time Offer: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 6/5.
Annual fee
$195
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
20.99% - 29.99% variable
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
Welcome bonus value: If you value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents per point, 175,000 points would be worth $875.
How to redeem rewards: Points can be redeemed for free stays at Hilton Honors properties like DoubleTree and Waldorf Astoria, gift cards, donations and more.
How to earn the bonus: Spend $8,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership.
Who's eligible: If you've never had the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, you may qualify for this offer. Current or previous cardholders are ineligible. Amex also states that it may also consider the number of American Express cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.
Ink Business Preferred Card
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Rewards
Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
21.24% - 26.24% variable
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Good/Excellent
Terms apply.
Welcome bonus value: 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points are worth $1,000 in cash back, $1,250 when redeemed through Chase TravelSM and potentially even more if you transfer the points and redeem with the right travel partner. Many experts value Chase points at two cents each when transferring them to travel partners, meaning this bonus could be worth up to $2,000.
How to redeem rewards: Points can be redeemed for travel through Chase TravelSM, where they are worth 25% more. So the 100,000 bonus would be worth $1,250 toward airfare or hotels. You can also redeem for gift cards and transfer points on a 1:1 rate to leading frequent travel programs, such as JetBlue and Hyatt.
How to earn the bonus: Spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening to earn 100,000 bonus points.
Who's eligible: Chase doesn't state that there are specific exclusions on who can qualify for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card bonus. If you never had the card, you'll likely qualify. But if you previously had the card, check your eligibility with a Chase representative.
IHG Rewards Premier
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Rewards
Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts, 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants, 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 140,000 Bonus Points
Annual fee
$99
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
21.49% - 28.49% variable
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Terms apply.
Welcome bonus value: Rewards experts generally value IHG points around 0.5 cents apiece, making this bonus worth about $825.
How to redeem rewards: You can redeem points for free stays at more than 6,000 IHG Hotels and Resorts around the globe and other travel experiences.
How to earn the bonus: Earn a welcome bonus of 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Who's eligible: If you've never had the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, you may qualify for this offer. Current card members (regardless of whether you earned the bonus) or previous card members who received a new card member bonus for this card in the past 24 months aren't eligible.
FAQs
What do 100,000 points equate to?
Not all points are created equal, so the exact value varies based on the credit card and rewards program. Generally, 100,000 points are worth between $500 and $2,000. You'll usually see higher value with flexible rewards programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards.
Can I get a higher sign-up bonus after the account is opened?
While there are no set rules as to whether you can match a higher sign-up bonus after you've already been approved for a card with a lower bonus, some issuers are known for being more flexible than others so there's no harm in reaching out to ask.
Does American Express match welcome bonuses?
Reports suggests that American Express does not match higher welcome bonuses. However, if you're lucky, you may be offered bonus points upon request as a goodwill gesture.
Can I sign up for the same card twice and get the sign-up bonus?
Every issuer has different eligibility rules for sign-up bonuses. Some issuers allow you to earn sign-up bonuses on the same card multiple times, but you generally must cancel your card before you can apply again.
Will the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k bonus come back?
New Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. When the Chase Sapphire Reserve first launched in 2016, cardmembers were offered a limited-time 100,000-point sign-up bonus. Although there have been elevated bonuses, the card hasn't offered this high of a bonus since then, so it's unlikely we'll ever see a 100,000-point offer again.
Read more
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, click here.
