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| Lower annual fees, bigger rewards |
| by Summer Hull, Senior director of content |
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Card with big annual fees (we’re talking $500-$700 or more) have become a fixture in the rewards card landscape. And they have their place, but they aren’t always what folks are looking for from a credit card.
Today, I want to help you look at three cards with lower annual fees that also have increased, limited-time welcome offers worth around $1,000 or more. Who doesn’t love the combination of a low annual fee with big rewards?
Earn 80,000 bonus Delta SkyMiles worth $960
First, there’s the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, which offers an increased bonus of 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in the first six months. This offer ends April 2.
That bonus is worth $960 by TPG’s March 2025 valuations and could easily get you several domestic Delta Air Lines award flights — or potentially stretch even further with some of Delta’s partners.
On top of that, the card offers a first checked bag free for you and up to eight companions on Delta, and priority boarding so there’s probably still space for your carry-on when you step on board. This card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, which becomes $150 after that (see rates and fees).
Earn 70,000 bonus Alaska miles worth $1,050
Next comes the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card and the 70,000 bonus miles plus a Companion Fare (a $99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) you get after spending $3,000 or more on it in the first 90 days.
According to our March 2025 valuations, the mileage part of the bonus is worth $1,050— and that’s not even counting the Companion Fare.
You can really stretch the value with redemptions such as lie-flat business class on Aer Lingus from the U.S. to Ireland from 45,000 miles plus around $19 in taxes and fees each way, or business class on Japan Airlines from the U.S. West Coast to Japan from 60,000 miles plus $19 in taxes and fees.
Earn $1,000 of travel
Last but not least, thanks to an increased offer on the Capital One Venture Rewards Card, new applicants can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening, plus a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in the first year.
That $250 Capital One Travel credit isn’t usually part of this limited-time bonus, making this a pretty fantastic offer for a card with just a $95 annual fee.
According to TPG’s March 2025 valuations, this bonus is worth $1,638 if you maximize the 75,000 miles with transfer partners. Even if you don’t want to do that, you can still redeem the miles at 1 cent each against any travel charge on the card, making this bonus worth at least $1,000 in travel.
If finding a card with a lower annual fee that offers bigger rewards is on your 2025 to-do list, I recommend snagging one of these limited-time offers before they end soon!
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| Photo Credit: ANDREA PISTOLESI/GETTY IMAGES. |
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