It’s hard to believe that it’s already January. With the holidays over, we’re in for a long winter here in Boston. Some of the best deals end early this month so get them while you can! Here’s the list of top credit card sign-up bonuses for January 2019.
World of Hyatt Credit Card from Chase
- Earn 40,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months plus an additional 20,000 points after spending $6,000 total in the first 6 months
- $95 annual fee
Act fast! This offer ends January 9th. The World of Hyatt credit card is an upgrade from the old version. You will earn 4x points on Hyatt purchases, 2x points on local transit and commuting (including ride sharing services), gym memberships, restaurants, and airline tickets, and 1x points on all other purchases. If you can meet the full spending requirement, that’s enough points for 2 nights in the nicest Hyatt hotels in the world!
American Express Gold Card
- Earn 50,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months
- $250 annual fee
Act fast! This offer ends January 9th. The relaunched Amex Gold card has some pretty cool benefits. You’ll earn 4x points at restaurants, 4x points at grocery stores (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year), 3x points on flights booked directly with the airline, and 1x points on everything else. You’ll also get $10 per month in credit at participating restaurants. Last but not least, you’ll receive 20% back (up to $100) on dining purchases for the first three months of card membership. If these benefits aren’t reason enough, you can also get the rose gold version of the card.
Hilton Honors Aspire from American Express
- 150,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months
- $450 annual fee
I recently picked up this card since the benefits really offset the annual fee. You get a free award night certificate upon signing up for the card and another on your account anniversary. You also get an annual $250 Hilton resort credit, free Diamond status, and an annual $250 airline fee credit.
Chase Ink Business Unlimited
- 50,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- No annual fee
There’s a new Chase Ink card in town and it looks a lot like the Chase Freedom Unlimited. You can earn unlimited 1.5x points (or cash back) on all purchases with this card. This is a good choice if the bonus categories from Chase Ink Cash or Preferred don’t work for you. The sign-up bonus also makes this card an obvious choice.
Chase Ink Business Cash
- 50,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- No annual fee
This is the best bonus we’ve seen on this card. It’s a great deal considering there is no annual fee. The bonus is technically $500 cash back, but you can use the points as Chase Ultimate Rewards points if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, or Chase Ink Preferred. You’ll earn 5x points on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services as well as 2x points on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants.
Chase Ink Business Preferred
- 80,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
- $95 annual fee
This is currently Chase’s highest bonus on a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Points are worth 1.25x when redeemed on Chase’s portal. You can also transfer to Chase’s travel partners at a 1:1 ratio. You’ll earn 3x points on travel purchases and business-related expenses like shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, and social media/online advertising. Might as well pay some bills with this card!
Chase Sapphire Reserve
- 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- $450 annual fee
While the sign-up bonus is smaller, Chase Sapphire Reserve is still one of the best cards around for its travel protection benefits. I still think it’s worth getting this card for the 50,000 point sign-up bonus and possibly keeping it since the annual fee is only $150 if you deduct the $300 travel credit. Note: You can no longer get both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
- 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- Earn 5,000 points for adding an authorized user
- $95 annual fee, waived the first year
You can no longer get both Chase Sapphire credit cards at the same time. If you’re just going after the bonus and don’t care about card benefits, then I’d recommend getting Chase Sapphire Preferred because the annual fee is waived for the first year.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card from Chase
- 60,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- $99 annual fee
You can pair the Southwest business card with the new Priority credit card to get the Companion Pass. If you earn the Companion Pass now, you will have free flights for your Companion for one and half years!
Citi Premier
- 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
- $95 annual fee, waived first year
The sign-up bonus comes and goes on this card so get it while you can! In addition to the bonus, you’ll earn 3x points on travel and 2x on dining out and entertainment. Points can be transferred to airlines including Singapore Airlines and JetBlue.
Blue Business Plus from American Express
- 10,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- No annual fee
This isn’t a travel card per se, but it’s one of the best ways to earn Amex Membership Rewards points which are great for travel! This card earns 2x points on all purchases up to $50,000 with no category restrictions. And the best part…no annual fee! The sign-up bonus isn’t the best, but this card was previously offered without one. I think this card is worth it just for the 2x points and no annual fee.
Capital One Venture Card
- 50,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
- $95 annual fee, waived first year
This is a slightly higher offer on the Capital One Venture card. What makes the offer so exciting is that Capital One recently introduced transfer partners like Air France/KLM and Emirates. This card also comes with a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit.
Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard
- 70,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 90 days
- $89 annual fee, waived first year
While this card has some stiff competition with the Capital One Venture card, this is the highest bonus ever on this card so it’s worth getting if you are eligible.
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Business Card
- 70,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first 4 months
- $95 annual fee, waived first year
This increased sign-up offer is perfect if you’re looking to earn some American Airlines miles. Keep in mind that you can only get the bonus if you haven’t opened or closed any American Airlines product from CitiBusiness in the past 24 months. This rule works separately for personal and business cards so you can open the business card even if you’ve recently received the bonus for a personal American Airlines card from Citi.
Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard
- 50,000 miles when you make your first purchase in the first 90 days and pay the annual fee
- $95 annual fee
It’s rare these days to see an offer with such a high bonus without a spending requirement. You’re essentially “buying” miles for the cost of the annual fee which is $95. You can also apply for a the same offer on the business card (highest offer to date)!
Above offers available as of 1/5/19. Click here for the most up-to-date offers.
Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here the are author’s alone, not those of any bank or credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
