The 7 best elevated credit card offers for November

© Provided by The Points Guy

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information. For the latest limited-time benefits related to the pandemic, read our guide to temporary card perks and bonuses.

Credit card sign-up bonuses and welcome offers are the quickest and easiest way to rake in lots of points and miles, so we regularly update the roundup of our favorite current offers in our best credit cards guide. But what if you put a priority on not missing any limited-time or elevated offers?

New to The Points Guy? Want to learn more about credit card points and miles? Sign up for our daily newsletter.

To help you in that situation, we’ve rounded up the best offers currently available — especially the ones that are worth an extra look right now before they disappear. This month, we’re seeing some especially enticing offers for some of the best travel credit cards, including cobranded hotel credit cards.

Since many issuers have restrictions on how often you can earn a bonus on a card, it’s important to apply when there’s a good offer. Also, higher bonuses don’t always stick around for long, so if you’re considering one of these offers, you’ll want to hop on it sooner rather than later.

The best new elevated card offers in November

• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Best low-cost card for Hilton
• Hilton Honors American Express Card: Best no annual fee card for Hilton (see rates & fees)
• IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card: Best overall for IHG stays
• IHG  Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card: Best no annual fee card for IHG
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: Best premium card for Marriott
• The Platinum Card® from American Express and American Express® Gold Card: Best for elevated CardMatch offers

In This Post

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

© Provided by The Points Guy

Current welcome offer: 130,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Plus, exclusively through TPG, earn a one-time $100 statement credit after using your new card to purchase an Expert Flyer Premium annual subscription ($99.99 plus applicable taxes, followed by automatic renewal) within your first year. Terms apply.

Bonus offer value*: $780

Annual fee: $95 (see rates and fees)

Benefits: The Hilton Surpass is one of the best mid-tier hotel cards available. Its welcome offer is very generous, given its manageably low spending requirement. The ongoing earning rates outrank its competition. The card earns an impressive 12x points per dollar spent at participating Hilton properties (a 7.2% return based on TPG valuations); 6x points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations; and 3x points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. You’ll also get 10 Priority Pass lounge access passes each year, complimentary Hilton Gold elite status and a pathway to earning Diamond status. Additionally, you can earn a weekend night reward redeemable at any Hilton Honors property after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your card in a calendar year.

Expert Flyer (owned by TPG parent company Red Ventures) is one of the best tools available for frequent flyers. It helps you search for award availability, track seat availability, schedule changes and more.

Read our review of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card.

Hilton Honors American Express Card

© Provided by The Points Guy (Photo by Clint Henderson/The Points Guy)

Current welcome offer: 80,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Bonus offer value*: $480

Annual fee: $0 (see rates and fees)

Benefits: The Hilton Honors Amex features a few notable benefits for a no-fee card. For starters, you’ll earn a respectable 7x points per dollar spent at participating Hilton properties; 5x points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations; and 3x points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. You’ll also get automatic Hilton Honors Silver status (with an upgrade to Gold when you spend $20,000 in a calendar year), basic travel and shopping protections and no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).

Read our review of the Hilton Honors American Express Card.

APPLY HERE: Hilton Honors American Express Card

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card

© Provided by The Points Guy

Current sign-up offer: 140,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Bonus offer value*: $700

Annual fee: $89 (waived for the first year)

Benefits: The IHG Premier’s perks can easily offset its annual fee. As a cardholder, you’ll get an annual award-night certificate worth up to 40,000 points, automatic IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status, a fourth-night reward on award stays of four or more nights, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit of up to $100 and no foreign transaction fees. On the earnings side, you’ll 10 points per dollar spent at IHG properties; 2 points per dollar at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants; 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

Read our review of the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card.

APPLY HERE: IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card

IHG Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card

© Provided by The Points Guy (Photo by John Gribben for The Points Guy)

Current offer: 100,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Bonus offer value*: $500

Annual fee: $0

Benefits: The IHG Traveler earns a solid 5x points at IHG hotels and resorts; 2x points at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants; and 1x on everything else. Like the IHG Premier, this card offers a fourth reward night on award stays of four or more nights. It also provides a 20% bonus whenever you buy IHG points and a pathway to Gold elite status.

Read our review of the IHG Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card.

APPLY HERE: IHG Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex

© The Points Guy (Photo by Isabelle Raphael/The Points Guy)

Current offer: Earn up to 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points: 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months and an additional 25,000 bonus points after your first anniversary of card membership. Plus, receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status for the 2021 status year. Offer ends 1/13/2021. Terms Apply.

Bonus offer value*: $1,000

Annual fee: $450 (see rates and fees)

Benefits: Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status with your card (worth $2,655 based on TPG valuations) from 2/1/2021 to 1/31/2022; then automatic Marriott Gold elite status thereafter with a pathway to Platinum. Each year on your cardmember anniversary, you’ll receive a free night award worth up to 50,000 points, good for up to a standard Category 6 hotel. You’ll also receive up to $300 in statement credits for eligible purchases (including room rates) at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and up to $100 in credits for on-property charges when booking stays of two nights or more at Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis properties. Non-hotel benefits include Priority Pass Select lounge access and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit. On the spending side, you’ll earn 6x at participating Marriott properties, 3x at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with the airline, and 2x on everything else.

Read our review of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant credit card

APPLY HERE: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex

The Platinum Card® from American Express and American Express® Gold Card

© Provided by The Points Guy (Photo by Eric Helgas/The Points Guy)

While these aren’t technically limited-time offers, you can often find elevated welcome offers through the CardMatch tool. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express, with a $550 annual fee (see rates and fees), is currently offering a public welcome bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months, but some new customers can earn a 100,000-point or 125,000-point welcome offer after meeting the same minimum spend requirements via the CardMatch tool.

While the American Express Gold® Card, with a $250 annual fee (see rates and fees), offers a public welcome bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases within the first 6 months, some new customers can earn a 60,000- or 75,000-point welcome offer after meeting the same minimum spend requirements via the tool. Please note: These elevated offers are targeted and subject to change at any time.

*Bonus offer value based on TPG valuations and not provided by issuers. 

This is The Points Guy’s permanent page with limited-time welcome offers to consider each month, so you can bookmark it and check back regularly for updates.