Author: Jordan Wathen / Source: The Motley Fool
If you have a very good credit score, credit card companies want you — and they want you badly.
In an effort to win over new customers, card companies are offering everything from elevated sign-up bonuses to exclusive perks to attract cardholders who are more likely to spend heavily and pay their bills on time. Those with high credit scores can really cash in from premier cards, which frequently offer hundreds of dollars in new cardholder bonuses to qualifying cardholders.
Here are three great cards that offer up to $1,350 in free travel rewards.
$625 toward travel plus a rental car perk
Vacations are great, but they’re even better when you don’t have to pay full price. The Chase Sapphire Preferred has one of the most attractive sign-up bonuses on the market today. Qualifying cardholders receive 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months, which converts to $625 of travel when points are redeemed through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards portal.
Importantly, Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to a myriad of airline and hotel rewards and loyalty programs, including programs offered by British Airways, Southwest Airlines, and Marriott Rewards, just to name a few.
One of its best perks is hidden in the fine print: Cardholders enjoy free primary collision damage waiver protection on rental cars charged to the card. Primary insurance means that damage to the rental car is charged to the card company’s insurance, not yours, and it can save cardholders from paying as much as $15 a day to get similar protection from the rental company.
The card carries an annual fee of $95, which is waived in the first year. Cardholders earn two points per dollar spent on travel and dining worldwide and one point per dollar on all other spending. With the new cardholder bonus and high ongoing rewards rate, it makes the grade as one of Fool.com’s top picks for the best travel cards of 2017. Learn more in our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Get a big boost from a no-annual-fee card
The BankAmericard Travel Rewards card is a great choice in no-annual-fee travel cards. While the new cardholder bonus of 20,000 points may seem pedestrian, the card has a low minimum spending requirement to qualify. Qualifying cardholders must spend $1,000 in the first 90 days to receive the 20,000-point bonus, which is valued at $200 when redeemed for travel.
What makes the BankAmericard Travel Rewards a good pick is its high ongoing rewards rate of 1.5 points per dollar spent, with the option to earn higher rewards based on the cardholder’s relationship with Bank of America.
Bank of America customers can receive an additional 10% to 75% bonus on…
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