Please note: the offers mentioned below are subject to change at any time and may not be available.
I get some pretty weird looks when I tell my friends that I’ve opened 23 credit cards — one for every year I’ve been alive. I get all the usual questions like “how do you pick which card to start with?”and “isn’t that hurting your credit score?” Their ears start to perk up though when I tell them just how much value I’m getting from each new card I open — generally no less than $500 and often well more than $1,000. Today we’ll take a look at the top credit card offers that can help you get $1,000 or even more in value.
Before we get into the heavy details, there’s one thing to address upfront. The order of this list doesn’t line up with the “total value” column on the right-hand side of the following chart. That’s due to variations in perks and whether or not you can fully utilize all of them, such as the Hilton-specific benefits of the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express. So instead, I ordered these cards based on the value I expect the average user to get.
| Credit Card | Bonus Offer | Bonus Value* | Perks Value | Annual Fee | Total Value |
| Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | 80,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months | $1,600 | N/A | $95 | $1,505 |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | 60,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months | $1,200 | Up to $200 airline fee credit, up to $200 in annual Uber credits, up to $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit ($50 biannually), $250 Centurion lounge access, $100 Priority Pass lounge access | $550 (See rates and fees) | $1,500 |
| United Explorer Business Card | 50,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months of account opening and an additional 50,000 bonus miles after spending $25,000 total in the first 6 months | $1,300 | 2 one-time United Club passes each year ($59 each) | $95 | $1,323 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months | $1,200 | N/A | $95 | $1,105 |
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express® Card |
75,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, | $600 | Up to $300 in statement credits each year toward Marriott purchases, $100 Priority Pass lounge access, Marriott Gold status, which TPG values at $855 | $450 (see rates and fees) | $1,405 |
| Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express | 150,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months | $900 | Up to $250 in statement credits for Hilton purchases each card member year, $250 in airline incidental fee credits per calendar year, Hilton Diamondstatus, which TPG values at $1,915 | $450 (see rates and fees) | $2,865 |
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer.
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
Annual fee: $95
Sign-up bonus: 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first three months
Valuable perks: Cell phone protection for you and employees listed on your phone bill, trip delay, and cancellation insurance
How it all adds up: Chase’s Ink Business Preferred doesn’t have a ton of perks like other cards on this list, and it faces increasing competition from newer members of the Ink family. But it might offer the simplest and most immediate value proposition of any of these cards. It has the highest sign-up bonus of any Ultimate Rewards-earning card, even more than the ultra-premium Sapphire Reserve. Those 80,000 points are worth $1,600 based on TPG’s latest valuations, but you can potentially get even more value than that.
You could transfer 60,000 points to United to book a round-trip ticket from the US to Europe and still have $420 worth of Chase points left over. For other creative strategies on redeeming Ultimate Rewards points, check out our guide to “Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards for Maximum Value.”
The Platinum Card From American Express
Annual fee: $550 (see rates and fees)
Welcome bonus: 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 in the first three months. Note that some people have been targeted for a 100,000-point welcome offer with the same minimum spend by checking through the CardMatch tool (targeted offer subject to change at any time).
Valuable perks: $200 airline fee credit, up to $200 in annual Uber credits, up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits (up to $50 biannually), access to Amex Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), Gold Elite status with Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy
How it all adds up: One of the most common questions we get here at The Points Guy is whether The Platinum Card from American Express is worth the $550 annual fee. Admittedly, our answer has always been a resounding “Yes,” but the list of reasons why has grown over the years, as Amex keeps adding new benefits to attract customers to its most premium card that’s publicly available. The standard welcome bonus of 60,000 Membership Rewards points is worth over $1,000 on its own based on TPG’s latest valuations, but if you’re targeted for the 100,000 point offer through CardMatch, I’d say this card is a no-brainer.
Assuming you can use the $200 annual airline and Uber credits, that scary $550 annual fee is really only $150 out of pocket each year, and valuable benefits like 5x points on flights purchased directly with the airline, hotel elite status, premium concierge services, and the most comprehensive lounge benefits of any credit card can help you get well over $1,000 in value.
United Explorer Business Card
Annual fee: $95
Sign-up bonus: 50,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months of account opening, and an additional 50,000 bonus miles after spending $25,000 total in the first six months
Valuable perks: Two one-time United Club passes each year, first checked bag free, priority boarding, expanded saver economy award availability, PQD waiver for spending $25,000 a year
How it all adds up: While United’s upcoming move to dynamic award pricing has definitely devalued the MileagePlus program, it’s still possible to score some great redemptions with a 100,000-point bonus in your pocket. The spending requirement to unlock the full bonus is high, but not unreasonable for many businesses, especially given the six month time frame. If you’re able to spend the full $25,000, you’ll also earn 10,000 additional bonus miles and a Premier Qualifying Dollar (PQD) waiver towards United elite status. United Explorer Business card holders will also enjoy some great elite-like perks that make traveling with United cheaper and more enjoyable, such as priority boarding, a first checked bag free, and access to expanded saver economy award space.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Annual fee: $95
Sign-up bonus: 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first three months.
Valuable perks: Trip delay/interruption insurance, baggage insurance, primary car rental insurance
How it all adds up: If you’ve decided that the Chase Sapphire Reserve (with a $450 annual fee) is a bit too much for you, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great alternative. You’ll still have access to Chase’s 13 incredible hotel and airline transfer partners, and you’ll get a sign-up bonus worth $1,200 — which is even higher than the Sapphire Reserve’s sign-up bonus.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express
Annual fee: $450 (see rates and fees)
Welcome bonus: 75,000 Marriott points after spending $3,000 in the first three months.
Valuable perks: Up to $300 in statement credits each card membership year toward Marriott purchases, one free night award (up to 50,000 points) every year after your account anniversary, complimentary Marriott Gold Elite status
How it all adds up: Even if you only stay at Marriott properties a few times a year, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex can be worth it thanks to perks like up to in $300 statement credits each card membership year for Marriott purchases, including room rates. This benefit alone effectively cuts the annual fee down to $150, and that’s not factoring in the complimentary Gold status you get in the Marriott program just for being a card holder. This unlocks perks like a 25% points bonus on paid stays and space-available room upgrades.
The card was just updated with Marriott Bonvoy branding (previously, it was the SPG Luxury Amex), and it’s offering a bonus of 75,000 Marriott points (after you spend $3,000 in the first three months). In the Marriott Bonvoy program, you can use your points at more than 5,000 properties around the world.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Annual fee: $450 (see rates and fees)
Welcome bonus:150,000 Hilton points after spending $4,000 in the first three months
Valuable perks: $250 annual airline credit, $250 annual Hilton resort credit at participating hotels, $100 credit on eligible stays of two nights or more at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels, automatic Hilton Diamond status
How it all adds up: Unlike the entry-level Hilton Honors American Express Card, the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express comes absolutely jam-packed with credits and benefits. In addition to a 150,000-point welcome bonus that TPG values at $900, the card comes with a number of Hilton property credits that can negate the annual fee and make this card cash-flow positive. You’ll also get one free weekend night after account approval, and one at each account anniversary. Those nights can easily net you $300+ each.
The Aspire also comes with automatic top-tier Hilton Diamond status. TPG‘s Nick Ewen valued Diamond status at $1,915 this year, which in theory could put the Aspire at the top of this list in terms of value. But while Diamond status offers some incredible perks like suite upgrades and free breakfast, I’d argue that Diamond status from the Aspire card is less valuable than if you qualify organically. The reason is that our elite value calculations assume that you stay 20% more nights than the minimum qualification requirement and spend $150 per night. While you can easily get several hundred dollars out of this “free” Diamond status from the Aspire, if you’re not staying enough to earn it organically, it won’t be worth the full $1,915 to you.
Bottom Line
This is an incredible time to add a new card to your wallet, with multiple cards offering 100,000-point bonuses and many that can easily net you at least $1,000 in value. Just keep in mind that the cards with the most perks often have the highest annual fees, so make sure that you’re getting enough value to justify spending big money on a single card.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, please click here.
