Credit Cards With Bonuses for Meeting Annual Spending Requirements

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with the latest credit cards information and benefits. It was originally published on Nov. 28, 2018

Credit card issuers are in the business of acquiring long-term customers. In an age where large welcome bonuses are driving acquisition costs up and customers keep shifting products, banks are trying to incentivize card holders to not only keep their product for years, but also to utilize them on a recurring basis. One of the many tools to drive utilization is an annual spend bonus. Let’s look at cards that give a variety of rewards after you meet set annual spend thresholds.

Annual spend bonuses in this article do not include welcome bonuses, welcome offers, annual caps on bonus spend categories or annual renewal bonuses. Unless otherwise noted, each year refers to a calendar year.

In This Post

Free Hotel Nights

Several Hilton Amex cards offer free weekend night awards for meeting annual spending thresholds. Image of the Hilton Hawaiian Village by Melanie Lieberman/ The Points Guy.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card ($95 annual fee) (See Rates & Fees) —  Spend $15,000 and earn a free weekend night certificate. Terms apply.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire® Card ($450 annual fee) (See Rates & Fees) — Spend $60,000 in a calendar year and receive a free weekend night certificate, in addition to the one complimentary weekend night award you get each year after your account renewal. Terms apply.

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card ($95 annual fee) (See Rates & Fees) — Spend $15,000 in a calendar year and earn a free weekend night certificate. Spend $60,000 total in a calendar year and earn a second free night certificate. Terms apply.

Radisson Rewards Co-branded Cards (up to a $70 annual fee) — The Premier Visa, Visa Signature, Visa and Business Visa Radisson Rewards cards all offer a free night at any Radisson property in the US for every $10,000 spent on a card, up to three free nights per year. Free nights are awarded when you renew your card.

Complimentary Elite Status

Hilton Honors American Express Card (no annual fee) — Spend $20,000 in a calendar year and receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status. Terms apply.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card ($95 annual fee) — Spend $40,000 and receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status. Terms apply.

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card ($95 annual fee) — Spend $40,000 in a calendar year and receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status. Terms apply.

JetBlue Plus Card and the JetBlue Business Card ($99 annual fees) — Spend $50,000 and earn Mosaic status good through the end of the following calendar year.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card ($95 annual fee) — Spend $35,000 in your card member year and earn Gold Elite status through the end of the following calendar year.

Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card and the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Business Credit Card (no longer available to new applicants) — Spend $35,000 in your card member year and earn Gold Elite status through the end of the following calendar year.

Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card ($450 annual fee) (no longer available to new applicants)  — Spend $75,000 and earn Marriott Platinum Elite status.

Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express and the Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express (no longer available to new applicants) — Earn Gold Elite status with $35,000 in annual spend.

Elite-Qualifying Dollars, Points and Miles

Amtrak Guest Rewards World Mastercard ($79 annual fee) — Earn 1,000 tier qualify points (TQPs) for every $5,000 in spend, up to 4,000 TQPs per year.

Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard ($195 annual fee) — Earn 5,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) for every $20,000 you spend on the card, up to 10,000 EQMs per year. Earn 3,000 EQDs after spending $50,000 in a calendar year.

Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard ($95 annual fee) — Earn 3,000 EQDs after spending $25,000. Spend $30,000 and earn a companion certificate good for one guest at $99 plus taxes and fees.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® ($450 annual fee) — Spend $40,000 within the year and earn 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles.

Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express (See Rates & Fees) and the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card (See Rates & Fees) ($450 annual fees; $550 if application is received on or after 1/30/2020) — Spend $30,000 and receive 15,000 Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs). Spend an additional $30,000 and receive another 15,000 MQMs and 15,000 bonus miles. Earn an additional 15,000 bonus Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending both $90,000 and $120,000 in a calendar year. Also, spend $25,000 and qualify for Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion Status if you’ve earned the required MQMs or Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs) but not the required Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs). Or, spend $250,000 and qualify for Diamond Medallion Status if you’ve earned the required MQMs or MQSs but not the MQDs.

Expedia® Rewards Card from Citi (no annual fee) — Earn one elite qualifying night toward Expedia+ Gold status for every $2,500 spent.

Frontier Airlines World Mastercard ($79 annual fee) — Earn 1 elite-qualifying mile per dollar spent on the card, with no cap to EQMs allowed to be earned. Spend your way to Elite20k, Elite 50k and Elite 100k status.

The Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card from American Express ($195 annual fee) ($250 if application is received on or after 1/30/2020) (See Rates & Fees) — Spend $25,000 and receive 10,000 MQMs. Spend an additional $25,000 and receive another 10,000 MQMs. Also, spend $25,000 and qualify for Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion Status if you’ve earned the required MQMs or MQSs but not the required MQDs. Or, spend $250,000 and qualify for Diamond Medallion Status if you’ve earned the required MQMs or MQSs but not the MQDs.

Work toward Southwest elite status by spending on several of its co-branded cards.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card ($149 annual fee), Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card: ($99 annual fee) and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card ($99 annual fee)— Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) for each $10,000 in purchases up to $100,000 in purchases annually, which equals 15,000 TQPs.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card — Earn two elite-qualifying nights for every $5,000 spent with no cap on the number of nights you can earn.

Bonus Points and Miles

AT&T Access More ($95 annual fee) — Not available for new sign-ups, but if you hold the card you can earn 10,000 bonus ThankYou points after spending $10,000.

BBVA Compass Select Credit Card ($125 annual fee waived the first year) — Earn 1,000 bonus points for every month you spend $5,000. Spend $20,000 annually and earn a $100 account credit.

Barclaycard Arrival Premier — The card is no longer available for sign-ups, but if you hold it you’ll earn earn 15,000 bonus miles when you use your card to spend $15,000 in a card member year and an additional 10,000 bonus miles each year that you spend another $10,000, for a total of 25,000 bonus miles after $25,000 of spending.

Best Western Rewards Premium Mastercard ($59 annual fee waived the first year) — Spend $5,000 in a card member year and earn 20,000 bonus points.

Choice Privileges Visa Signature Card (no annual fee) — Spend $10,000 and earn 8,000 bonus points on your card anniversary.

Diamond Resorts International Mastercard (no annual fee) — Earn 500 bonus Diamond Plus Points for every $2,000 spent, up to a maximum of 5,000 bonus points, for as long as you remain a card member. Timeshare down payments do not count toward eligible spend.

Expedia+ Voyager Card from Citi ($95 annual fee) — Spend $10,000 and earn 5,000 Expedia+ bonus points at renewal.

Earn bonus Hawaiian Airlines miles with the co-branded business credit card. Photo courtesy of Eric Salard via Flickr.

Hawaiian Airlines Business Mastercard ($99 annual fee) — Earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending $50,000-$99,999 or earn 40,000 after spending $100,000 or more on purchases during your card membership year.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card ($89 annual fee) —Earn 10,000 bonus points after you spend $20,000 on purchases and make one additional purchase each account anniversary year.

SKYPASS Select Visa Signature Credit Card ($450 annual fee) — Spend $35,000 and earn 10,000 bonus miles at renewal.

Spirit Airlines World Mastercard ($59 annual fee waived the first year) — Spend $10,000 and earn 5,000 bonus miles.

Airline Companion Tickets

Earn a companion ticket by spending $30,000 on the British Airways Visa Signature Card.

Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card — Spend $30,000 and earn an economy companion ticket.

Barclaycard AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard ($195 annual fee) — Earn a companion certificate good for up to two guests at $99 each, issued annually after your account anniversary when you spend $30,000 or more in purchases (taxes and fees apply).

British Airways Visa Signature Card — Spend $30,000 and earn a Travel Together Ticket good for two years.

CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® ($99 annual fee waived the first year) — Spend $30,000 during the card membership year and renew your account to earn a $99 domestic economy companion certificate. (Account must remain open for at least 45 days after anniversary date)

Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard® ($90 annual fee) — Spend $25,000 and earn a companion reward when you redeem Flying Club miles for an award ticket, good for two years.

Travel Credits, Discounts and Other Benefits

Ameriprise World Elite Mastercard ($150 annual fee) — Spend $36,000 and earn a total of $200 in statement credits toward airline purchases.

Avianca Vuela Visa Card ($149 annual fee) — Spend $12,000 and earn a 50% discount on an award ticket redeemed for travel to Central America or Colombia from the United States. Spend another $12,000 and earn a second 50% discount.

BBVA Compass Select Credit Card ($125 annual fee waived the first year) — Spend $20,000 annually and earn a $100 account credit.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® ($99 annual fee waived the first year)— Spend $20,000 during the card membership year and earn a $125 American Airlines Flight Discount.

Some cards offer other benefits like statement credits toward lounge membership. Photo of Delta’s flagship Terminal B Sky Club in Atlanta courtesy of Darren Murph/The Points Guy.

Crystal Visa Infinite Card ($400 annual fee) — Spend $50,000 and be reimbursed for up to $550 in airline lounge access passes or an annual airline lounge membership.

Iberia Visa Signature Card — Spend $30,000 and earn a $1,000 discount voucher toward two tickets on the same flight.

Merrill+ Visa Signature (no annual fee) — Spend $50,000 and earn a $200 travel credit or a one-year Delta Sky Club executive membership.

BBVA Compass Select Credit Card ($125 annual fee waived the first year) — Earn 1,000 bonus points for every month you spend $5,000. Spend $20,000 annually and earn a $100 account credit.

Southwest Co-branded Cards — $110,000 in annual spend on any combination of these cards, as long as they are all tied to the same Rapid Rewards account, will result in a Companion Pass.

U.S. Bank Flexperks Business Travel Rewards Card ($55 annual fee) — Spend $24,000 and receive a credit for the $55 annual fee.

Wells Fargo Visa Signature® Card (no annual fee) — Spend $50,000 and Go Far Rewards become worth 1.75 cents per point when redeemed towards airfare purchases.

The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select, Expedia Rewards card, Expedia Rewards Voyager card, Aer Lingus card, Iberia Visa SIgnature card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom Line

Given the concerted effort of banks to retain customers and spending, the above bonuses are pretty dynamic and I expect routine changes. Be sure to go back to your card’s benefit guide or a card issuer representative to confirm any of the above information before deciding to place thousands of dollars in spend on your card.

I also recommend making an Outlook or Google Calendar with notifications to buzz yourself a few times throughout the year as a reminder for any of the annual bonuses you may be able to obtain.

For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Business Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Amex Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Business Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Card, please click here.

Featured image courtesy of the St. Regis Langkawi in Malaysia.