The Best Credit Card Offers of 2021

Written by: Zach Johnson

Choose from this year’s most enticing array of intro and welcome credit card offers.

If you’re shopping for a new credit card to add to your business expense or digital ad financing options, you might be looking at a variety of requirements that might make it best for your needs.  Those might include ones with the lowest APRs or annual fees.  The highest cashback or points opportunities.  Or the absolute best credit card offers of 2021.

If cards offering lucrative intro bonuses and rewards are your top priority, here they are:

A perennial top pick for those seeking a top-tier travel rewards card, The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card currently comes with an all-time high sign-up reward bonus that’s well worth jumping on.  In addition to the signup bonus, it offerest a generous return on dining and travel purchase that more than makes up for its relatively modest $95 annual fee.  As a cardholder, you can redeem your points at $1.25 for any travel you book through Chase.  You can also transfer your point to enjoy free travel at one of Chase’s 13 well-known airline and hotel partners.

Intro Bonus:

100,000 points

Rewards Opportunities:

5X

Earn 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

3X

Earn 3X points on dining.

2X

Earn 2X points on all other travel purchases, plus more.

Annual Fee:

$95

Credit Score Requirements:

670 - 850

Excellent/Good

More Details:

  • Points junkies will instantly spot this as by far Chase Saphire’s all-time best intro offer.  You’ll immediately rack up 100,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from when you open your account. That translates into $1,250 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
  • You can also take advantage of new benefits like a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit and 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.  Plus you’ll earn 3X points on dining, and 2X points on all other travel purchases, plus more.
  • Boost the value of your points by 25% when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
  • Enjoy unlimited deliveries from  DashPass, DoorDash's subscription service.with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year.  But be aware, you’ll nee to activate this benefit by 12/31/21.
  • Get pece of mind with Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance, and more.
  • Enjoy your own virtual gym -- no fitness equipment required --with up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021.  You’ll get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app, including cardio, running, strength, yoga, and more. Take classes using a phone, tablet, or TV.

If you’re in the market for a great starter rewards card, the Citi Premier® Card is your best choice. That’s because it offers an impressive number of bonus-spend categories.  In addition to earning 3X points on hotel and air travel, you’ll also rack up rewards at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets which give you tons of ways to earn points just about every day of the year.

Intro Bonus:

80,000 points

Rewards Opportunities:

3X

Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at restaurants and supermarkets

3X

Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at gas stations, air travel and hotels

1X

Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Annual Fee:

$95

Credit Score Requirements:

670 - 850

Excellent/Good

More Details:

  • This versatile card lets you earn 3X points on purchases you make at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
  • Plus it gives you a $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on a single hotel stay of $500 or more booked through thankyou.com).
  • You can transfer your rewards points to enjoy travel on 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
  • A downside is that this card doesn’t come with the travel protections that come with comparable travel cards.

The Capital One SavorOne card hits a rate trifecta of rewards benefits with its high-value bonus categories of dining, entertainment, and groceries.  It’s a great cashback card for beginners who want a simple-to-use, rock-solid rewards system, and no annual fee.

Intro Bonus:

$200

Rewards Opportunities:

8%

Earn 8% cash back on tickets at Vivid Seats through January 2023.

3%

Earn unlimited 3% cashback on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®).

1%

Earn 1% on all other purchases.

Annual Fee:

     $0

Credit Score Requirements:

     670 - 850

Excellent/Good

More Details:

  • This card starts you out with cash.  You’ll earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from the time you open your account.
  • Then you’ll earn unlimited 3% cashback on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), plus 1% on all other purchases. You’ll also earn a whopping 8% cash back on tickets you buy at Vivid Seats through January 2023
  • In other good news, there are no rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards. Your cashback won't expire for the life of the account.  And there's no limit to how much you can earn
  • In terms of financials, you’ll pay 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months, then 15.49% - 25.49% variable APR after that
  • There are no foreign transaction fees.
  • You pay $0 annual fee

The Amex Platinum is a rich card.  No other card comes close when it comes to luxury travel perks and benefits. So if you’re a frequent traveler with a lust for upscale lounge access, hotel elite states, and annual statement credits paying the high annual fee will definitely be a great investment.

Intro Bonus:

      100,000 Miles

Rewards Opportunities:

      10X

Earn 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership.

 5X

Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.

 5X

Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.

Annual Fee:

     $695

Credit Score Requirements:

     670 - 850

Excellent/Good

More Details:

  • The current welcome bonus on this card is super juicy with an estimated value of  $2,000.  That doesn’t include any points you may earn from the temporary 10x bonus categories
  • This card is absolutely loaded with great benefits that include access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, and more than $1,400 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more.
  • The Amex Platinum also comes with exclusive personal services including access to a premium concierge service. Need hard-to-get reservations or helpful destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway?  The folks at Amex will hook you up.
  • The downside is that aside from the current welcome bonus, you only earn bonus rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases. So you won’t earn bonus rewards  for other spending categories
  • Also taking advantage of the annual airline fee credit and other statement credits can be complicated compared to the broader travel credits offered by other premium cards.

Love dining at restaurants, take out, and cooking gourmet meals?  Then you’ll eat up the American Express Gold cards offer of 4X points on restaurant purchases at restaurants and  U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1x). You can also gobble up a $120 annual dining credit at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. You’ll also enjoy up to $120 annually ($10 per month) in Uber Cash, which can be used on Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. Just be aware that enrollment may be required to receive some of these yummy benefits.

Intro Bonus:

      60,000 Miles

Rewards Opportunities:

   4X

Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, including takeout and delivery.

 4X

Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).

 3X

Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.

Annual Fee:

     $200

Credit Score Requirements:

     670 - 850

Annual Fee:

     $200

Credit Score Requirements:

     670 - 850

Excellent/Good

More Details:

  • You’ll earn 4X points on dining at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1x)
  • If you travel, you can look forward to earning 3X points on flights booked directly with the airline or with Amex Travel
  • Feel very welcome when you collect an intro bonus of 60,000 points after you spend  $4,000 in the first six months
  • Not great for everyday spending bonus categories and for anyone who lives outside the United States
  • Skimpy travel perks and protections compared to other cards.

The Capital One Venture card offers a strong earning rate, great sign-up bonus, and snazzy perks like a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit which makes it an impressive mid-tier travel card.  Plus, now that Capital One has added airline transfer partners, this card is even more appealing for those who want to earn bonus rewards on every single purchase.

Intro Bonus:

      60,000 Miles

Rewards Opportunities:

   2X

 Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day.

Annual Fee:

     $95

Credit Score Requirements:

     670 - 850

Excellent/Good

More Details:

  • You’ll get up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®
  • Forget foreign transaction fees -- they don’t charge them.
  • You can fly on any airline, stay at any hotel, anytime.  There are no blackout dates.  Plus you can transfer your miles to over 15+ leading travel loyalty programs.
  • Transfer ratios to most partners are less than a 1:1 ratio.
  • Capital One airline partners do not include any large U.S. airlines.

Don’t want to fool with points, bonus categories, and purchase minimums?  For those who firmly believe that cash is king, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is a simple basic cash back card option.

Intro Bonus:

      $200

Rewards Opportunities:

   2X

 Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day.

Annual Fee:

     $0

Credit Score Requirements:

     670 - 850

Excellent/Good

More Details:

  • You’ll earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
  • You’ll also earn unlimited 1.5% cashback on every purchase, every day
  • Those who value simplicity will be relieved to find that there are no rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards
  • Plus, your cash back rewards won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
  • You’ll pay 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months, then 15.49%-25.49% variable APR after that
  • The card charges $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees

What’s The Juciest Credit Card Offer for You in 2021?

It totally depends on two things.  What you want -- whether it’s points, perks, or cashback.  And what your biggest expense is.  If you’re an agency or eCommerce company owner, by far your biggest expense is going to be ad spend.

Using the power of those hundreds of thousands or even million dollars to amass travel points these days is a total waste when that same spend on AdCard can earn you up to 3% unlimited cashback.  It’s basically “free” money that you can almost instantly pour back into ad spend to scale a hot campaign.

If you haven’t at least looked into it yet, you’re missing out on what is the industry’s (and probably your competitor’s) best-kept secret for winning the ad wars.  So check it out today.

The average small business has 5 credit cards with a balance of about $32k that they have to keep track of. There’s a better way than rotating through dozens of low-limit credit cards to get the funding you need to scale when you can get it all with AdCard — the best card for Facebook ads with the high limits and more you need to grow your business.

Exclusive Cardholder Benefits

  • Highest Limit for Ad Spend — Guaranteed. Forget dinging your FICO score to get a higher limit.  AdCard gives you all the ad spend funding you need to grow your business without hurting your ability to secure future funding from other sources.
  • Account Ban Protection --  Unlimited virtual debit and charge cards for ads so you can scale to the moon without the fear of getting banned.  It lets you use a card with a unique number, name, and address for each ad account, business manager, campaign, and network. Also eliminates the expense of cumbersome employee cards.
  • 7.5% — Highest Cash Back Card Available.  AdCard gives you up to 7.5% on your Facebook ad spend when you refer a friend each month.

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