- Tips for Taking Advantage of Credit Card Promos
- Best credit cards promotions compared
- Best Credit Card company promotions
- Methodology
- Sources
- About the author
- User questions & answers
Tips for Taking Advantage of Credit Card Promos
Credit card promotions provide a lot of upside, but if you aren’t careful, you can get yourself into trouble. To help you avoid common pitfalls and get as much out of your card as possible, we've listed some tips below.
Check Your Credit Score
Most of the very best credit card promotions require good or excellent credit for approval. You can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub.
Watch Out for Retailer Financing Promotions
Retailers that offer 0% financing on their store credit cards typically use something called deferred interest. It means if you slip up, interest will apply at a high rate. And it will apply retroactively, to your original purchase amount, too. So it will be like the 0% teaser rate never existed. That could happen if you pay your bill late one month or don’t repay your full balance by the end of the 0% intro term.
Don’t Apply Too Often
You might be tempted to apply for every new credit card promotion that catches your eye. But don’t go overboard. Your credit score may take a temporary hit when you apply for a credit card, and the more applications you submit in a short period of time, the worse the damage is.
Sign Up for Personalized Recommendations
WalletHub can tell you which credit card offers are likely to save you the most money, based on your credit report data and information you provide when setting up your free account.
Best Credit Card Promotions of April 2026 Compared
| Credit Card | Best For | Promotion | Annual Fee |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Winner | 75,000 points for spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months | $95 |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see Rates & Fees) | Travel Rewards | 75,000 miles for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening, plus $250 to use on Capital One Travel in the first year (limited-time offer) | $95 |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Cash Back | $250 for spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months (limited-time offer) | $0 |
| Capital One Spark Cash Plus | Business | $2,000 for spending $30,000 in the first 3 months, plus an additional $2,000 bonus for every $500,000 spent in the first year | $150 |
| American Express Platinum Card® | Frequent Travelers | You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 points for spending $12,000 on eligible purchases within the first 6 months (welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer; apply and, if approved, find out your offer amount and accept the card with your offer, spend $12,000 in 6 months, and receive the points) | $895 |
Best Credit Card Company Promotions
- Double Rewards the First Year: All Discover credit cards currently double the rewards you’ve earned after the first year your account is open.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees: Capital One, Discover and USAA don’t charge foreign transaction fees on any of their credit cards.
- No Credit Check: Opensky and Applied Bank don’t do a credit check on applicants for their secured cards.
Best Credit Card Promotions Methodology
Given that credit card promotions come in many forms, WalletHub’s editors select a mix of rewards and low interest offers for people of different credit levels.
WalletHub’s Key Rating Components
Two-Year Cost: 38% – We estimate total costs or potential savings over a two-year period by factoring in fees, interest charges, rewards earnings, and the value of promotional offers. Negative figures indicate net savings for the cardholder.
Rewards: 29% – We assess each card’s rewards structure and overall earning potential with an emphasis on promotional incentives, including limited-time offers and bonus rewards in select spending categories.
Editor’s Rating: 12% – WalletHub editors assign ratings based on a comprehensive review of each card’s promotional value, terms, features, and competitiveness.
Fees: 11% – We examine all fees tied to each credit card, such as annual, monthly, and one-time charges, to understand how costs may impact the value of promotional offers.
User Reviews: 7% – We incorporate cardholder feedback to reflect real-world experiences with promotional offers, overall satisfaction levels, and ease of use.
Other Features: 3% – We evaluate additional features and benefits, including special promotions, exclusive access, travel perks, purchase protections, and other elements that may enhance overall card value.
A couple of the card selections address different needs and use slight variations in the score distribution to suit their core requirement. These include cards chosen for their long introductory APRs.
Sources
WalletHub actively maintains a database of 1,500+ credit card offers, from which we select the best credit card promotions for different applicants as well as derive market-wide takeaways and trends. The underlying data is compiled from credit card company websites or provided directly by the credit card issuers. We also leverage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop cardholder profiles, used to estimate cards’ potential savings.
