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With many folks starting their holiday shopping early this year, it’s a good time to consider opening a new credit card to earn rewards on these expenses. Almost all of the major credit card issuers have recently launched huge offers and even brand-new cards, including some with record-high welcome bonuses of 100,000 points or more — but many are for a limited time.
These include an excellent offer on The Platinum Card® from American Express
to earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership, plus 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. Amex raised the annual fee to $695 (See Rates), but also added numerous new benefits that can more than offset the fee bump — including the recent addition of statement credits for Walmart+ membership and SoulCycle at-home bike purchases.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
got a makeover last week, adding an elevated welcome bonus of 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership and new or improved statement credits for wireless, Indeed, Adobe, and Dell purchases.
Read more: The best current credit card offers of October 2021
Citi cardholders have another way to use ThankYou points — Choice Hotels is now a Citi transfer partner. Citi Premier® Card and Citi Prestige® Card
(no longer available to new applicants) cardholders can transfer points at a 1:2 ratio, while no-annual-fee cards like the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card and Citi Rewards+® Card
offer a 1:1.5 ratio.
There’s also a promotion for eligible Chase cardholders to receive a free Instacart Express membership for a limited time — plus $10 off their next order of $35 or more. And Chase Freedom Flex℠ cardholders can earn 5% cash back (5x points) on up to $1,500 in their top eligible spending category (from a list) through December 31, 2021, when they activate the Q4 bonus.
Other improved offers to consider include record-high bonuses on the Marriott credit cards, new offers on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American…
Read More: Best Credit Card Deals and Bonuses This Week: October 18, 2021