The competition has heated up in August with banks, credit card companies, and airlines stepping up to the plate with some of their best sign-up offers. If you qualify for these cards, now is a great time to give them a go!

Up to 175K SPG Points

Good news on the American Express front. American Express announced significant changes to their two co-branded SPG cards this week.

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

The card is currently offering 75K points after spending $3K within the first three months as well as 6x points on Marriott/SPG purchases and 2x points on all other purchases. You’ll also receive a free night award every year after your card account anniversary (good for redemption up to properties going for 35K per night). Beginning in 2019, you will receive 15 elite qualifying nights for holding the card. The card comes with a $95 annual fee that is waived for the first year.

• Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
• Earn 6 points for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels and 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on International purchases.
• Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 points) at a participating hotel. Select hotels have resort fees.
• Enjoy complimentary, unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi on up to four devices at more than 1,000,000 Boingo hotspots worldwide. Enrollment required.
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.

You have a limited window to obtain this card until 8/26. AmEx normally limits the card to those applicants who have not had it before, but additional restrictions will be put in place come 8/26: Effective 8/26, welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had The Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase, The Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase, Marriott Rewards Credit Card from Chase, or The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card from JP Morgan in the last 30 days.

Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express

This card is offering a best-ever limited time offer of 100K points after spending $5K within the first three months (this is a limited time offer through 10/31/18). Like the personal version above, you’ll earn 6x points on Marriott/SPG purchases as well, but you’ll also get 4x points at US restaurants, US gas stations, and wireless telephone services purchased directly from US services providers, as well as 2x points on all other purchases. You’ll also receive a free night award every year after your card account anniversary (good for redemption up to properties going for 35K per night). Beginning in 2019, you will receive 15 elite qualifying nights for holding the card, 15 is the max regardless of how many SPG cards you have. The card comes with a $95 annual fee that is waived for the first year.

• Earn 100,000 bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 10/31/2018.
• Earn 6 points for each dollar of eligible purchases at over 6,500 participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels across 110 countries worldwide.
• Earn 4 points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping. Earn 2 points for all other eligible purchases.
• Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Select hotels have resort fees.
• Enjoy complimentary Silver Elite status with your Card.
• Plus, spend $35,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and earn an upgrade to Gold Elite status through the end of the next calendar year.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases and $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Again, you have a limited window to obtain this card until 8/26. AmEx normally limits the card to those applicants who have not had it before, but additional restrictions will be put in place come 8/26: Effective 8/26, welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had the Marriott Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card from Chase or Marriott Rewards Business Credit Card from Chase in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired The Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase or The Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or (iii) received a welcome offer in the last 24 months on The Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase or The Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase.

Delta AmEx Cards Return to Great Sign-Up Levels

I like huge offers! Delta and AmEx have brought back their sign-up offers of 60K and 70K  for the personal and business editions of the Delta SkyMiles cards. This time the sign-up bonuses are good through September 19, 2018. The limited time increases are on both the Gold and Platinum Delta SkyMiles cards. There are differences between the Gold and Platinum cards, so let’s sort through them.

With the Gold card you’ll receive 60K SkyMiles after $3K in purchases within 4 months. The card waives the annual fee for the first year. It’s been offered before, but this is the largest bonuses ever for the Gold SkyMiles card.

Are you a Delta elite? If you are and care about MQMs, you’ll receive 10K MQMs and 70K SkyMiles just for signing up for the Platinum card and spending $3K within 3 months. The $195 annual fee is not waived for the first year.

Remember, current AmEx rules limit you to one bonus per product per lifetime. Each Delta card is considered a separate product, so if you’ve had the Gold card, you’re eligible for the Platinum and vice versa. If you haven’t had either card, you want to wait until there is an impressive sign up bonus, and this is one of those times! If you’ve had a Gold card, you can get a Business gold card and receive the bonus, same goes for the Platinum editions (business cards are considered completely separate products).

Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express

• Limited Time Offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first 3 months. Offer expires on 9/19/2018.
• Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile for every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
• Check your first bag free on Delta flights -that’s a savings of up to $200 per round trip for a family of four.
• Settle into your seat sooner with Priority Boarding.
• $195 Annual Fee.

Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express

• Limited Time Offer: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you make $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first 4 months. Offer expires on 9/19/2018.
• Earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile for every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
• Check your first bag free on every Delta flight – that’s a savings of up to $200 per round trip for a family of four.
• Settle into your seat sooner with Priority Boarding.
• Enjoy a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.

Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express

• Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
• Check your first bag for free and save up to $50 on a round trip Delta flight.
• Settle into your seat sooner with Priority Boarding.
• Enjoy 20% savings on eligible in-flight purchases in the form of a statement credit with the American Express Delta Card.
• Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases. Miles don’t expire.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.

Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express

• Make business travel more rewarding. Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you make $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first 4 months.
• Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
• Settle into your seat sooner with Priority Boarding and enjoy 20% savings on eligible in-flight purchases in the form of a statement credit when you use your American Express Delta Card.
• Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas.
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.

I’m not keen on passing up best ever bonuses. I already have the SPG cards, so I’m looking at the Delta ones to see which ones work best for me!