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8 Best Rewards Credit Card Welcome Bonus Offers Right Now

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PeopleImages / Getty Images

Credit cards are much more than a convenience — they can be a powerful tool to get more bang for your buck. Some credit cards offer hundreds of dollars worth of rewards if you can meet the minimum spending requirement.

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We will break this down into premium and no-annual-fee credit cards. The reason is that premium credit cards have an annual fee, and only some have room for these fees in their budget. The welcome bonuses sometimes more than offset the annual fee, but premium credit cards won’t be worth it for everyone after the first year. That said, here are the top eight offers out there right now.

Premium Credit Cards

As mentioned, premium credit cards often have some of the best welcome bonuses in the credit card industry. Their annual fees can also be high, as can their minimum spend to receive the bonus. However, they have the most lucrative welcome bonuses. Take a look.

American Express Platinum Card

  • Welcome bonus: 100,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first six months

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The American Express Platinum Card offers one of the best welcome bonuses if you are a big spender. You can earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 within the first six months of account opening. This credit card has several perks, including a $200 hotel credit and a $240 entertainment credit. Plus, it earns 5x points on travel. However, it has a high annual to match its generous benefits.

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American Express Gold Card

  • Welcome bonus: 75,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first six months

American Express also has the slightly-less-premium Gold Card. This card rewards you with 75,000 points after you spend $4,000 within six months of account opening. At $250, its annual fee is significantly less than the fee for the Platinum. And currently, the Gold Card’s welcome bonus is 75,000 points — just 25% less than the bonus on the Platinum Card.

  • Welcome bonus: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. Chase says those points are worth $750 when you redeem them through the Chase travel portal. (Note: transferring to travel partners is also an option.) Despite this, this card has an annual fee of just . It has other benefits too, like 3x points on dining and online grocery purchases.

Citi Premier® Card

  • Welcome bonus: 80,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months

The Citi Premier is a premium credit card from Citibank that offers 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 within three months of account opening. This bonus can be redeemed for $800 in gift cards, or you can use it for travel. This card has other perks too, such as an annual $100 hotel credit and 3x points on gas, groceries, dining and travel. At , its annual fee is on the low end.

Capital One Venture Rewards

  • Welcome bonus: 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months

The Capital One Venture Rewards card lets you earn 75,000 after you spend $4,000 within three months of account opening. Like the previous two cards, the Venture Rewards has just a $95 annual fee. This is a great card for everyday spending as it earns unlimited 2x points on every purchase. It also earns 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

No-Annual-Fee Credit Cards

You still have options if you want a lucrative welcome bonus but don’t want to pay an annual fee. These no-annual-fee credit cards still have great welcome bonuses. Plus, their spending requirements are usually (but not always) lower than the premium cards mentioned above. However, their low spending requirements also mean their welcome bonuses are not as lucrative.

  • Welcome bonus: $200 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months

The Chase Freedom Unlimited rewards you with a $200 bonus after you spend $500 within three months of account opening. Chase has also introduced a unique benefit for its no-annual-fee cards, allowing you to earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases of up to $12,000 in the first year. These two perks are worth up to $800 in total.

Chase IHG Rewards Traveler Card

  • Welcome bonus: 80,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first three months

The Chase IHG Rewards Traveler Card has a bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $2,000 within the first three months of account opening. Those numbers would normally put a credit card in the premium category, but this card has no annual fee. This card is a no-brainer for those who travel often and prefer IHG hotel brands (Holiday Inn, InterContinnental, Staybridge Suites, etc.).

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card

  • Welcome bonus: 20,000 miles after spending $500 in the first three months

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards card gives you 20,000 miles after you spend $500 in the first three months of account opening. While its name is similar to the Venture Rewards Card, the VentureOne has no annual fee. It also earns unlimited 1.25 miles per dollar and has an introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers, followed by a APR.

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All information about American Express card offers have been collected independently by GOBankingRates and have not been reviewed or approved by American Express. These offers are not available through GOBankingRates.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 8 Best Rewards Credit Card Welcome Bonus Offers Right Now