The Best Travel Credit Card Welcome Bonus Offers Right Now

There are a number of travel rewards credit cards with boosted welcome bonus offers to have on your radar.

Here’s a look at some of the best travel credit card offers out there right now, based on the value of the welcome bonus offers, which were calculated using NerdWallet's valuations of credit card and loyalty program points.

» Learn more: Should I get more than one travel credit card?

Earn 5 Free Nights, valued up to 300,000 Points, after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

• Annual fee: $99.

• Value of welcome offer: $2,400. NerdWallet values IHG points at 0.8 cent each.

• Why you should get it: This is IHG's best offer ever on this card. The bonus is worth more than double its usual offer if you maximize the value of the free nights.

• Who should get it: If you've got five nights in mind at IHG properties this year (for example, a honeymoon?), this card is a no brainer. Check out some of the sweet spot redemptions at IHG brands, like Intercontinental and Six Senses.

• Who should skip it: People who don't stay at IHG's much would probably be better off with a different hotel or travel credit card. If you would prefer an IHG card with a $0 annual fee, the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card also has an increased bonus.

• Learn more: Is the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card worth its annual fee?

Earn 120k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,200 cash back or $1,500 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.

• Annual fee: $95.

• Value of welcome offer: $1,500 or more if you transfer points to high-value travel partners.

• Why you should get it: Another best offer ever! Complete your Chase trifecta with this massive sign-on bonus.

• Who should get it: Small business owners who would like to take advantage of Chase's excellent transfer partners and want to boost their stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

• Who should skip it: If the sign-up bonus spending threshold is too high, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the consumer equivalent with the same annual fee.

Earn 60,000 Bonus Points plus 1 Free Night Award after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Free Night valued at 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.

• Annual fee: $0.

• Value of welcome offer: $480. NerdWallet values Marriott points at 0.8 cent each.

• Why you should get it: This is the best signup bonus we've seen on this card. The sign-up bonus now includes a Free Night Award to sweeten the deal. Plus, this card just got a refresh. It now earns 2 points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming services, internet, cable, and phone services, making it easier to earn points when you're not traveling.

• Who should get it: People who want to dabble in Marriott loyalty with a $0-annual-fee card.

• Who should skip it: Marriott fans would likely benefit more from a Marriott card with a higher annual fee and elevated perks, like a higher level of automatic elite status and annual Free Night Awards.

• Learn more: Is the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card worth its annual fee?

Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

• Annual fee: $695.

• Value of welcome offer: At least $1,500, or more if you transfer your AmEx Membership Rewards to high-value transfer partners.

• Why you should get it: This welcome offer is 30,000 points more than the previous offer. If you've been thinking about getting a high-end AmEx card, now would be a good time.

• Who should get it: Business owners who can take advantage of the travel perks, like AmEx's impressive lounge collection and the credit for a Clear Plus membership.

• Who should skip: If the annual fee is too high, check out some of the other premium travel cards.

• Terms apply.

Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months - enough to redeem for up to 11 Reward nights at select Choice Hotels® properties. Additional fees may apply.

• Annual fee: $95.

• Value of welcome bonus: $900. NerdWallet values Choice points at 1 cent each.

• Why you should get it: This bonus is 30,000 points more than the previous offer. Plus, Radisson is a part of the Choice Privileges program now, so if you're a fan of the brand, this is a great way to stock up on points.

• Who should get it: People who stay regularly at Choice brands and will redeem the points they earn through the card's bonus categories (gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plans) and 30,000 bonus points on each account anniversary.

• Who should skip it: Travelers who only stay at Choice hotels occasionally might get more redemption options with a travel card that earns points that transfer to Choice Privileges. American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Capital One miles all transfer to Choice.

• Learn more: Is the Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® worth its annual fee?

Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.

• Annual fee: $95.

• Value of welcome bonus offer: $1,000. Capital One miles can be redeemed for 1 cent each in the Capital One Travel portal, but NerdWallet values Capital One miles at 1.4 cents each if you take advantage of transfer partners.

• Why you should get it: The welcome offer not only matches the bonus-point sign-up offer on the more expensive Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, but it also now includes a $250 credit for Capital One Travel. If you're just trying to collect Capital One miles, this is a much cheaper entry point.

• Who should get it: Beginner travel credit card users, or really anyone who doesn't want to keep track of a lot of bonus categories and statement credits. This card gets an excellent 2x on all spending, and 5x on hotels and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel portal. More advanced travel credit cardholders will love the access to transfer partners like Turkish Airlines and Finnair, which aren't available through Chase Ultimate Rewards® or American Express Membership Rewards.

• Who should skip it: If you want lounge access, it's worth spending the extra $300 on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which can be offset by the $300 back in statement credits annually toward bookings made through Capital One Travel. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card's lounge access extends to unlimited visits Capital One Lounges, plus Priority Pass lounges and select Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses. Also, Capital One has limited options if you're trying to transfer your points to hotel programs, so people earning points for award stays might have more options with a different travel or hotel card.

• Learn more: Find out whether the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is worth its annual fee.

Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.

• Annual fee: $95.

• Value of welcome bonus offer: $700 - $1,050. Citi ThankYou points can be redeemed for 1 cent each when booking travel directly, but NerdWallet values Citi ThankYou points at 1.5 cents each if you take advantage of transfer partners.

• Why you should get it: Since the Citi Prestige® Card is no longer taking new applications, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is one of the few options if you'd like to start collecting Citi ThankYou points.

• Who should get it: Travel rewards enthusiasts who want access to some of the best transfer partners around. Citi is one of the only transferrable currencies to partner with Turkish Airlines' Miles&Smiles program, which has some great sweet spots in the U.S. and beyond.

• Who should skip it: If you're more of a travel rewards beginner that'll mostly book travel in the travel portal, you'll get more value out of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which earns points that worth more when booking through the travel portal (about 1.25 cents each). The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns bonus points on more purchases, too, because it has a wider definition of travel.

Limited-time offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

• Annual fee: $525.

• Value of welcome bonus offer: $1,080. NerdWallet values Citi ThankYou points at roughly 1.2 cents each, depending on how and when you redeem them.

• Why you should get it: United Club airport lounge access — the card's annual fee is cheaper than stand-alone annual membership.

• Who should get it: United loyalists who can supplement the value of the card beyond lounge access by taking advantage of perks like free checked bags on United flights elevated earn rates on United spending. The other United cards also have elevated bonuses right now.

• Who should skip it: If you're a traveler looking for premium benefits like lounge access but haven't pledged allegiance to United specifically, you'll get more value out of a general premium travel card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the The Platinum Card® from American Express.

The information related to Citi Prestige® Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.