Comparison · Updated June 2026

Best sign-up
bonus cards (2026).

The five premium cards we track, ranked by current sign-up bonus value. Sign-up offers change frequently — always verify the current offer on the issuer's site before applying. The honest order today, in our view.

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The honest take

Open the card that fits. Treat the SUB as a bonus.

Chasing sign-up bonuses without fit logic is how people end up with $2,000 in annual fees on cards they don't use. The right framing: pick the card that earns its keep year two and beyond — and let the SUB accelerate the first-year return.

Pattern 01

The first premium applicant.

Has never held a premium card. Wants the most points-per-dollar of welcome offer that they can hit the spend on.

Chase Sapphire Reserve
75K UR at $4K spend · transferable to 11 partners
Pattern 02

The Amex ecosystem player.

Already holds Membership Rewards points or plans to. Wants the largest MR injection from a single welcome offer.

Amex Platinum
80K MR at $8K spend · 21 transfer partners
Pattern 03

The Marriott loyalist opening their first.

Stays at Marriotts. Wants the biggest Bonvoy injection plus the included Free Night and Platinum Elite for year one.

Bonvoy Brilliant
95K Bonvoy at $6K spend · Free Night included
The ranking

Current welcome offers, line by line.

Ranked by raw transfer-redemption value, with the spend requirement and rough months-to-hit included. These offers change frequently — verify the current offer on the issuer's site before applying.

 
Platinum Card
American Express
Sapphire Reserve
Chase
Venture X
Capital One
Bonvoy Brilliant
American Express
Amex Gold
American Express
Current welcome offer80,000 MR75,000 UR75,000 miles95,000 Bonvoy60,000 MR
Spend requirement$8,000 · 6 mo$4,000 · 3 mo$4,000 · 3 mo$6,000 · 6 mo$6,000 · 6 mo
Raw value range*$1,200–1,600$1,125–1,500$975–1,275$665–950$900–1,200
Per-dollar efficiency10 pts / $118.75 pts / $118.75 mi / $115.8 pts / $110 pts / $1
First-year fee offsetSUB >> $695 feeSUB >> $550 feeSUB >> $395 feeSUB roughly covers $650SUB >> $325 fee
Eligibility noteOnce-per-lifetime5/24 rule appliesNot 5/24-affectedOnce-per-lifetime · AmexOnce-per-lifetime

* Raw value range assumes typical transfer-partner redemption (1.5–2¢ per point for UR / MR, 1.3–1.7¢ for Capital One miles, 0.7¢ for Bonvoy). Welcome offers vary by application channel and may be elevated through targeted mailers or referral links. Verify the current public offer on the issuer's site before applying. Cardholder eligibility depends on application history, credit profile and issuer-specific rules.

Card by card

The full breakdown.

Amex Platinum
Annual fee $695
Highest raw value · slowest spend

80,000 Membership Rewards after $8,000 in six months. The highest dollar-value welcome offer in this comparison — MR transfer to 21 partners at 1.5–2¢+ per point. Real-world redemption value: roughly $1,200–1,600 depending on transfer routes.

The catch: $8,000 in six months is high. Bridging that requires $1,333/month in qualifying spend — manageable if you're routing rent through Plastiq or floating an upcoming expense, harder otherwise. Don't hit the spend through purchases you wouldn't otherwise make — that erodes the bonus value. Once-per-lifetime per card flavor (consumer Platinum is its own family separate from Business Platinum).

Chase Sapphire Reserve
Annual fee $550
Best efficiency · easiest spend

75,000 Ultimate Rewards after $4,000 in three months. The strongest per-dollar bonus ratio in this comparison at 18.75 points per dollar. UR points transfer 1:1 to Hyatt (often 2¢+ per point in redemption) — making the raw redemption value $1,125–1,500.

The constraint: Chase's 5/24 rule. If you've opened five or more credit card accounts in the last 24 months, Chase typically declines. This makes Sapphire Reserve the strategic first premium card if you're early in your application timeline.

Capital One Venture X
Annual fee $395
Best after-5/24 option

75,000 miles after $4,000 in three months. Ties Sapphire Reserve on per-dollar efficiency (18.75 mi/$1). Real-world redemption $975–1,275 — slightly below UR / MR because Capital One has fewer top-tier transfer partners, but still strong.

Where Venture X wins: not 5/24-affected. If you've been opening cards regularly, Venture X is the cleanest application to add. Plus the lowest annual fee in this list at $395 — so the SUB stretches further beyond fee in year one.

Bonvoy Brilliant
Annual fee $650
Highest point count · narrow use

95,000 Bonvoy points after $6,000 in six months. Highest raw point number — but Bonvoy points are worth meaningfully less per-point than UR or MR (~0.7¢ vs 1.5–2¢+). Translation: 95,000 Bonvoy ≈ 35,000 UR by transfer-redemption value.

Where the Brilliant SUB pulls ahead: it stacks with the included Free Night Award up to 85K points (~$500–700) and Platinum Elite for year one. If you stay at Marriotts, the year-one math is strong. Only worth pursuing if you're a Marriott loyalist — otherwise the point value gap to UR / MR is too wide.

Amex Gold Card
Annual fee $325
Lowest fee · solid value

60,000 Membership Rewards after $6,000 in six months. Same point currency as Platinum — same 21 transfer partners — at a $370 lower annual fee. Real-world redemption $900–1,200.

Gold is the best starter premium-Amex if you want into the MR ecosystem without committing to the Platinum's $695 fee. You can graduate to Platinum later (separate welcome offer, since they're different card flavors). And the 4× on dining keeps Gold earning hard year-round.

Why CARDIER

The SUB is year one. Cardier handles year two.

Sign-up bonuses hit once. After the welcome offer clears, every card has to earn its keep on credits, points and perks alone. CARDIER tracks that ongoing math — and tells you when a card stops being worth the fee.

SUB deadline alerts

Most welcome offers expire if you don't hit the spend in 3–6 months. CARDIER alerts you 30 and 14 days out so you don't miss the threshold by $200.

Year-two renewal scoring

Year one looks great with the SUB. Year two is the real test. CARDIER's renewal score shows whether each card still earns its fee — 30 days before each anniversary.

Application pacing

5/24, once-per-lifetime, ANIVERSARY-only restrictions, cooldown windows — CARDIER tracks application eligibility across issuers so you don't torpedo your next welcome offer.

Your move

Track these cards with Cardier.

Open the card that fits long-term. Hit the welcome spend on time. Then let CARDIER make sure year two pays off as well as year one.

Begin freeTour the live demo
Questions

Sign-up bonuses, plainly.

Should I open a credit card just for the sign-up bonus?
No. Sign-up bonuses are worth real money — often $1,000+ — but they hit once. After the first year, the card has to earn its keep on credits, points and perks alone. Open the card that fits your wallet long-term and treat the SUB as a one-time accelerator, not the reason for the card. CARDIER tracks each card's ongoing value so you know when one stops paying off.
How fast do sign-up bonuses change?
Frequently. Issuers run targeted offers, elevated public offers and seasonal promotions throughout the year. A bonus listed as 80,000 points today might be 150,000 in two months, or pulled entirely. Always verify the current offer on the issuer's site before applying — and check whether you're eligible (most cards limit you to one welcome bonus per lifetime, or once every 24–48 months).
How much are these points actually worth?
It depends on how you redeem them. Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards typically yield 1.5–2¢+ per point when transferred to airline or hotel partners. Capital One miles run 1.3–1.7¢ per point. Marriott Bonvoy points are worth roughly 0.7¢. The "raw value" in the table above assumes typical transfer redemption — your actual value depends on the trip.
Can I apply for multiple cards in the same month?
Technically yes, but most issuers limit you. Chase enforces 5/24 (no new cards if you've opened 5+ accounts in 24 months). Amex limits welcome bonuses per lifetime per card. Multiple applications also trigger multiple hard credit pulls, which dent your score temporarily. Most strategic SUB-stackers space applications 2–3 months apart.

* Sign-up bonus values, spend requirements and eligibility rules reflect publicly available offers as of June 2026. Issuers adjust welcome offers frequently — sometimes weekly. Verify the current offer on the issuer's site before applying. Welcome bonuses are subject to issuer-specific eligibility rules including 5/24, once-per-lifetime restrictions and credit profile requirements. Point redemption values are approximate ranges based on transfer-partner redemption strategies and may not reflect every redemption scenario. CARDIER is an independent tool — not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by American Express, Chase, Capital One, Marriott or any other issuer or rewards program. All card names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification only.