The best credit card welcome bonuses can be worth $1,000 or more, but there's a catch — you'll need to meet the card's bonus requirements. To earn a bonus for the best credit cards you'll usually need to spend thousands of dollars on the card within the first few months after opening it. Even if you have excellent credit and won't have an issue getting approved for a top travel card, the spending requirements might be out of reach.
However, there are plenty of rewards credit cards with easy-to-earn welcome bonuses. Below are CNBC Select's top picks for credit cards with intro bonuses worth at least $100 and a spending requirement of $500 or less.
Best credit card bonuses for low spenders
Best for holiday shopping
The Prime Visa is only available to Amazon Prime members ($139 for an annual membership and $14.99 for a monthly membership) but is very rewarding for Amazon purchases.
- High rate of return at Amazon and Whole Foods
- Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
- Requires an Amazon Prime membership
- If you choose the promo APR you won't earn rewards on those purchases
Rewards
- Earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership
- Unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
- 10% back or more on a rotating selection of items and categories on Amazon.com with an eligible Prime membership
- Unlimited 1% back on all other purchases
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 4% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Who's this for: The Prime Visa is a valuable card for anyone with an Amazon Prime membership (otherwise you'll only qualify for the Amazon Visa) because you'll earn 5% back on Amazon.com purchases. It also has a bonus that couldn't be any easier to earn since you'll receive a $150 Amazon gift card instantly after approval — no additional spending is required.
Other great perks: From Nov. 27 to Dec. 2, 2025, you can earn 7% back on eligible products when you choose No-Rush Delivery. You can also receive 10% back or more on a rotating selection of Amazon items and categories. On top of all that, you'll receive purchase protections and extended warranty protections on eligible purchase you make with this card.
Best for dining
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is one of the most rewarding options for earning cash back in categories such as entertainment and dining without paying an annual fee.
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months; 18.74% - 28.74% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
3% for the first 12 months; 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time
Who's this for: The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a perfect card to use for a night out or a night in. It earns bonus cash back on dining, entertainment, groceries and streaming services.
Other great perks: It has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees and grants cardmembers access to exclusive entertainment events through Capital One Entertainment.
Best for cash back
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is great if you want simplicity thanks to its flat-rate 2% unlimited cash rewards on purchases and $0 annual fee.
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
Balance Transfer Fee
3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5
Foreign Transaction Fee
3%
Who's this for: The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a simple and lucrative cash rewards credit card. Plus, it has no annual fee, so the cash rewards you earn are straight profit from day one.
Other great perks: When you pay for your cell phone bill with your Wells Fargo Active Cash Card, you can use the card's built-in cell phone protection. It will reimburse you up to $600 ($25 deductible) for damage or theft.
Best for travel rewards
The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card earns transferrable miles, which is a stand-out benefit for a no-annual-fee card.
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 18.49% - 28.49% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
3% for the first 15 months; 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time
Foreign transaction fee
None
Who's this for: The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a beginner-friendly no-annual-fee travel credit card. What makes this card so valuable is the ability to transfer rewards, which is rare for a credit card with no annual fee.
Other great perks: You can transfer Capital One miles to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs, including Wyndham Rewards, Air Canada Aeroplan, Virgin Red and more.
Best for bonus spending categories
The Chase Freedom Flex® is an excellent cash-back card for maximizing your spending in a variety of categories.
Rewards
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate (then 1%)
- 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
- 3% on drugstore purchases and on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Who's this for: The Chase Freedom Flex® is a solid cash-back card that offers rotating quarterly 5% bonus categories (activation required) on up to $1,500 in combined spending each quarter (then 1%).
Other great perks: You can take advantage of cell phone protection, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty protection on eligible purchases. Plus, you can enjoy waived delivery fees with six months of complimentary DoorDash DashPass when you activate by Dec. 31, 2027 (afterward you're automatically enrolled in DashPass at the current monthly rate).
Find the best credit card for you by reviewing offers in our credit card marketplace or get personalized offers via CardMatch™.
FAQs
What is the smartest way to use a credit card that has rewards?
The smartest way to use a credit card that has rewards is to use the card responsibly and pay off the balance every month. By doing this, you ensure that you don't pay interest, which can offset the value of any rewards you earn.
How to get a credit card with a low annual income?
Having a low annual income won't necessarily prevent you from opening a credit card. If you keep your credit score high and consistently pay your bills on time, you can greatly increase your chances of being approved for the best travel credit cards. And remember, anyone over 21 can include their entire household income on credit card applications as long as they have a "reasonable expectation of access."
Can you get credit card rewards without spending money?
Unfortunately, there are few opportunities to earn credit card rewards without spending money. In rare instances, banks may offer airline miles or credit card reward bonuses for opening an account. However, even in those situations, you may have to complete a certain number of transactions to earn the rewards.
What are the most common types of credit card rewards that you can earn?
The most common types of credit card rewards you can earn are cash back, airline miles, hotel points and flexible travel rewards points.
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Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit card sign-up bonuses.
Our methodology
To determine which cards offer the best value, CNBC Select analyzed over 250 of the most popular credit cards available in the U.S. that are open to anyone and offer welcome bonuses. We narrowed down our picks by only considering those cards that offer welcome bonuses worth at least $100 and require $500 or less in spending to earn. We compared each card on a range of features, including: rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fee and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is for the consumer to redeem points.
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