Best Credit Card Offers For January 2021

Each month, I recap the best credit card offers currently available. There are a lot of credit cards out there offering generous signup bonuses. Some bonuses are better than others. This post will hopefully give you some ideas if you’re looking for your next card.

It’s important to note that this post is not intended to be an exhaustive list and there may be cards not listed here that are better for you. If you want personalized advice for your situation, feel free to fill out my free credit card consultation form and I’ll get back to you with specific advice for your situation.

Before you get started, be sure you know about the Chase 5/24 Rule. This is an important rule that will impact your long-term strategy when it comes to credit cards. 

Also, if you have a side hustle or anything that can qualify as a business, consider taking advantage of business credit cards. These are a great way to earn even more points and miles.

With all that said, here are the current best credit card offers for January 2021:

American Express Platinum Card

There are currently two really good, all-time high offers on the American Express Platinum Card. The first is a targeted offer for 100,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $5,000 in 6 months. The second is a public offer for 75,000 Membership Rewards points plus up to $300 back on all restaurant spend in the first 12 months of card membership. Here are how the two offers break down.

The targeted offer for 100,000 Membership Rewards can be found on the American Express website using this link. If you don’t see it, try opening the link in incognito mode and you should be able to see the 100k offer. 

The second offer for 75,000 Membership Rewards points plus up to $300 back on restaurant spending is also very good and depending on your spending patterns and how you value Membership Rewards points, could be more valuable to you. The $300 back on restaurant spending is earned via 20% cashback on your restaurant spending in the first 12 months. So, if you spend $1,500 on restaurants in 12 months, you’ll get the full $300. This offer can be found via Resy, which is a restaurant reservation website that American Express acquired in 2019. You can get that offer here: https://resy.com/amex-offers (this is not an affiliate link).

Between the two offers, I tend to favor the 100,000 Membership Rewards points offer because I value 25,000 extra Membership Rewards more than the $300. That’s the offer I opted to get for me and my wife.

The American Express Platinum Card does come with a hefty $550 annual fee, but it also comes with a wide variety of statement credits that can offset some or all of the fee depending on how you value the credits. Here’s how the statement credits currently break down: 

• $30 per month of PayPal credit from January-June 2021 (total of $180 of credits)
• $400 in airline incidental credits ($200 in 2021, $200 in 2022)
• $215 in Uber and Uber Eats credits ($15 per month from January-November 2021, $35 in December 2021, $15 in January 2022)
• $150 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits ($50 in first half of 2021, $50 in second half of 2021, $50 in first half of 2022)

That’s $945 in statement credits. Combined with the signup bonus, you’ll come out ahead in your first year with this card. Ideally, if this card makes sense for you, you’ll want to apply for it as soon as possible so you can take advantage of the $30 in Paypal credits that American Express is offering (these are two special credits that American Express gave this card for 2021 because of the pandemic). 

American Express Gold Card 

The American Express Gold Card also has what is probably its best offer ever. You’ll get 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 6 months. In addition, the card is also offering up to $250 back on restaurant purchases in the first 12 months. Like the Platinum offer above, the $250 back is earned via 20% back on all restaurant purchases. So, if you spend $1,250, you’ll earn the full $250 back. 

The card has an annual fee of $250, which is fully offset out by the $250 statement credit on restaurant purchases. In addition, the American Express Gold Card has a few other statement credits that make this card valuable. That includes $10 per month in dining credits and $100 per year in airline incidental credits. 

You can get this offer via the Resy website at this link: https://resy.com/amex-offers (this is not an affiliate link).

Chase Business Cards (75k Offers) 

At the beginning of the pandemic, Chase tightened up their business card applications, making it essentially impossible to open a new business card. There are now numerous reports that Chase has loosened these restrictions, now making it possible for most people with a side hustle or business to open a Chase business card. It’s still a little bit hit or miss, but if you’re in the market for a new card and have a business, it’s probably worth a try, especially given how high the signup offers are right now. 

The Chase Ink Cash and the Chase Ink Unlimited are both offering 75,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points after spending $7,500 within the first three months. These cards both have no annual fees. The $7,500 in spend is a bit steep, but if you have large expenses coming up or have some other way to hit the spending requirements, then these two offers are both very appealing.

The Chase Ink Preferred has a 100,000 point signup bonus after spending $15,000 within the first three months. This is also an appealing offer, but of course, the $15,000 spending requirement is going to be out of reach for many people. It’s worth getting if you have some large expenses to pay, so considering planning this card around those expenses (think tax payments, home renovations, etc).

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant And Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Cards

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and Marriott Bonvoy Business cards from American Express are both offering 100,000 Marriott points after spending $5,000 in the first three months. An interesting feature is that both cards are also offering Marriott Platinum status for 2021.

Platinum status is the point where status starts to matter for Marriott, so if you have any Marriott stays planned for 2021, either of these cards could be worth getting. 

I’d personally be leaning towards the Marriott Bonvoy Business since that’s a business card that doesn’t impact your 5/24 status.

Before applying, remember the general rule that Marriott only allows you to earn the bonus on either the Chase or the American Express cards, not both at the same time. So if you’re thinking about these Marriott cards, you’ll have to decide whether the Chase offer or the American Express offer makes more sense for you.

Other Good Bonuses This Month 

• The IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card is currently offering 140,000 IHG points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. This is an all-time high offer. The annual fee is waived in year 1.
• The United℠ Business Card is currently offering 75,000 United Airlines miles after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. The annual fee is waived in year 1.
• The Barclays JetBlue Business Card is currently offering a signup bonus of 100,000 JetBlue points. You get 50,000 points after spending $1,000 within 90 days. You’ll get another 50,000 points after spending a total of $6,000 within 12 months. Could be useful for those of you that fly JetBlue regularly.

More Credit Card Offers 

For more credit card offers or to apply for any of the cards I discuss here, check out my best credit cards page, where you can check out more credit card offers and apply for cards not listed here.

If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message. 

Additional Resources

• Chase 5/24 Rule – Maximize Your Travel Hacking
• What You Need To Know About The Chase One Sapphire Rule
• Business Credit Cards: The Ultimate Tool For Travel Hackers
• The “Other” Business Cards That Aren’t From Chase Or American Express