The best credit card deals this week include all-time-high welcome offers from flexible rewards, airline, and hotel loyalty programs

Whether you're looking to maximize your rewards on a fall road trip or planning ahead for a winter vacation, it's a great time to open a new credit card— because the points, miles, and cash back you earn now could help pay for a trip when you're ready to travel.

Nearly all of the big credit card issuers have recently launched massive 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 one of the most compelling offers we've ever seen — a record-high bonus of Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of opening the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. 

There's also a terrific offer on The Platinum Card® from American Express to earn The Platinum Card® from American Express. Amex recently raised the annual fee to The Platinum Card® from American ExpressThe Platinum Card® from American Express - Rates & Fees, but also added numerous new benefits that can more than offset the fee bump.

Read more: The best current credit card offers of August 2021

Other improved offers to consider include rarely seen welcome bonuses on the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, new bonuses on three Amex Hilton cards, and a 5x grocery bonus on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

If you need to boost your stash of airline miles, it's worth looking at the six-figure bonuses on Chase's Avios-earning cards, and increased offers for the United℠ Explorer Card, United Gateway℠ Card, and United℠ Business Card.

With new offers constantly popping up, you've got an excellent opportunity to take advantage of an increased credit card bonus now, so you're set up with points you can use for flights, hotels, and more when you're finally ready to hit the road.

Here are some of the best credit card offers to consider this week.

Best credit card offers this week

Flexible rewards credit card bonuses

Transferable credit card points are best if you value flexibility because there are so many ways to redeem them. With programs like American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Rewards, you've got options that include:

• Transferring points to airline and hotel partners
• Redeeming points directly for travel at a fixed rate
• Turning points into cash back or statement credits
• Cashing in points for gift cards, merchandise, and more

Our favorite under-the-radar card — the Citi Premier® Card— is offering a record-high welcome bonus, and it offers excellent earnings in categories that fit well whether you're sticking close to home or on the road. You'll earn 3x points on air travel, gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

If you've been on the fence about applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card— one of the very best rewards credit cards, especially if you're new to travel points and miles — now is the time to pull the trigger. The card offers a staggering Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Read more: Chase Sapphire Preferred card review

That's worth Sapphire Preferred Update in cash back, Sapphire Preferred Update in travel booked through Chase or for statement credits toward eligible purchases through Pay Yourself back, and potentially much more if you transfer to Chase's airline and hotel partners for award travel.

Another excellent deal is one of the best cards with premium travel and shopping benefits, The Platinum Card® from American Express. You can currently earn The Platinum Card® from American Express— here's our Amex Platinum card review for all the details.

Read more: Amex and Chase points are the two most valuable types of credit card rewards — here are their biggest differences

Small-business credit card bonuses

If you're a small-business owner, opening a small-business credit card can offer a lot of benefits. Keeping your business and personal expenses separate makes it easier to keep track of expenses, and many cards offer bonus points, miles, or cash back in popular business spending categories.

Read more: The best small-business credit cards of 2021

You don't have to own a full-time business or make millions to be eligible to apply — even if you're a freelancer or have a side gig, you could qualify for a small-business card. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card are both offering 100,000 points after meeting minimum spending requirements, and, depending on how you redeem them, you could get a value of $1,800 or more from these bonuses.

The recent annual-fee increase on the personal The Platinum Card® from American Express actually makes the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express a more compelling choice, since its annual fee is a full $100 less than the personal versionThe Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Rates & Fees— but it comes with many of the same benefits and credits.

Cash-back credit card bonuses

Our top pick for the best cash-back credit card overall, the Citi® Double Cash Card, doesn't currently offer a welcome bonus. And other excellent options, like the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, and the new Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, aren't exclusively cash-back cards (though they're marketed that way).

Read more: The best cash back credit cards of 2021

Right now, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an elevated welcome bonus that is particularly good for those who shop at Amazon. New cardholders can earn Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. 

You'll also earn 6% cash back on your first $6,000 in U.S. supermarket spending each year (then 1% back), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services, 3% back on U.S. gas stations and transit, and 1% back on all other eligible purchases (cash back is earned in the form of Rewards Dollars). 

Airline credit card bonuses

If you're a United Airlines flyer, you're spoiled for choice right now with a whopping five Chase United credit cards with increased bonuses to pick from. Because United miles don't expire, it's a great time to earn more United MileagePlus miles for a trip when you're ready to travel again.

Read more: The best airline credit cards of 2021

This includes the new New United Quest℠ Card, which is a great option if you check luggage on United flights frequently — it offers two free checked bags for yourself and a companion when you use the card to pay for your ticket (or the taxes and fees on an award ticket).

Hotel credit card bonuses

Several hotel credit cards are offering increased bonuses — including the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, Hilton Honors American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.

There's also a unique elevated offer on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card. New cardholders can earn Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card.

Marriott points are worth, on average, 0.7 cents each according to Insider's points and miles valuations, so you can expect to get around $1,225 in value if you redeem your free nights at 50,000-point hotels and max out the 10x grocery, gas, and dining bonus.

Read more: The best hotel credit cards of 2021

Keep in mind that most hotel chains, including Marriott and Hilton, have temporarily paused points expiration due to the pandemic, so there's no harm in earning points now for a vacation down the road.

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