These cards offer more than just your standard sign-up bonus.
The rewards credit card space is in constant flux. Revamped categories, rotating rewards, and updated sign-up bonuses mean there’s a new slate of offers to explore every month.
This has been especially true over the last year, as the pandemic has influenced how we live and spend. Card issuers have had to adapt to both the dynamic economy and consumers’ response to it.
Overall, many of the changes issuers have been making have been good for cardholders, particularly as credit card companies work to keep their travel rewards cards relevant. Here’s a look at a few of the current offers worth considering this February.
1. Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Although it’s true Amex spends a lot of its time on its popular travel cards, the issuer’s cash back options are often well worth a look. The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, for instance, currently has a two-part sign-up bonus that could be worth up to $350.
Specifically, the Blue Cash Everyday® currently has a regular sign-up bonus for $150 when you spend $1,000 in the first six months. On top of that offer, the card also has a deal for 20% off your Amazon.com purchases for the first six months. That offer is capped at $200 in cash back.
Here’s what else you’ll get from the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express:
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets ($6,000 annual spending cap)
- 2% cash back at U.S. gas stations
- 2% cash back at select U.S. department stores
- 1% cash back on everything else
Given that the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express has no annual fee, any bonus would be pure earnings. But if you’re a regular Amazon shopper, the card’s current bonus can be quite valuable. And, unlike the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, you don’t even need an Amazon Prime account to earn the 20% cash back with the Blue Cash Everyday®.
One thing to note about all Amex cards is that the public offers vary greatly depending on how you view them and what link you use. If you’re not seeing the higher offer, try visiting the card page with your browser in incognito or private mode.
2. The Platinum Card® from American Express
Ah, The Platinum Card® from American Express. If you’re a regular traveler — or even just an aspirational one — this card is probably sitting on your wishlist. And with good reason. The Platinum Card® from American Express is the standard for premium travel cards, offering everything from big rewards on travel purchases to elite status with major hotel brands.
But none of that may be as tempting as the card’s current bonus: 100,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend $5,000 in the first six months. Plus, you can earn 10x points per dollar at U.S. gas stations and supermarkets for the first six months (on up to $15,000 in combined gas and grocery purchases).
It’s exceptionally rare to see a Platinum offer above 100,000 points, so to have the added perk of up to 10x points per dollar on two big everyday categories adds a lot of potential value. Maxing out the grocery spend could mean an extra 150,000 points.
Here’s what else you’ll earn points on:
- 5x points per dollar on flights
- 5x points per dollar on prepaid hotel stays
- 1x point per dollar on everything else
Of course, before you rush off to start spending your way toward 100,000 points, make sure you can pay that $550 annual fee. Even with extras, like a monthly Uber Cash credit and Saks Fifth Avenue credits, the annual fee is a big dent into your earnings, so crunch the numbers to make sure the annual fee is worthwhile.
As noted previously, Amex offers can vary a lot depending on how you access them. If you don’t see the 100,000 points offer at first, try looking for it with a different browser, using private mode, or searching at a different time of day.
3. Citi Premier® Card
The Citi Premier® Card was one of the many travel-centric cards to see some changes over the last year, making it as much an everyday card as it is a travel rewards card. But don’t discount it from the travel space entirely, especially given its potential for earning a substantial pot of ThankYou points.
In particular, the Premier’s current sign-up bonus offer is for a whopping 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months. The large spending requirement in just three months makes this reward potentially the hardest to earn out of all the offers on this list. But those 60,000 points could be enough to get you to Europe in business class (once travel is a thing again).
The card also has some very competitive purchase rewards:
- 3x points per dollar at restaurants
- 3x points per dollar at supermarkets
- 3x points per dollar at gas stations
- 3x points per dollar on flights and hotels
- 1x point per dollar on everything else
Considering that the Citi Premier® Card has a modest annual fee of just $95, the sign-up bonus alone could make the card worthwhile. At the same time, don’t overlook the Premier’s ability to rack up big rewards as an everyday card, especially if you don’t currently have something with better restaurant or grocery rewards.
Keep an eye on the ever-changing offers
Both the bane and the blessing of credit card offers is that they change frequently. Don’t see something in the current lineup that intrigues you? Just wait a few weeks. New offers roll around all the time, and you never know when you’ll find the perfect option.
