The best credit card bonuses and deals this week include a brand-new airline credit card with unique benefits and the last chance for 3 record-high offers

Big welcome offers from Capital One, Amex, and other banks can help you make the most of your holiday spending — but some are only for a limited time.

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December and all its expenses are upon us, so it's a good time to consider opening a new credit card to earn rewards on your upcoming purchases. Almost every major credit card issuer has recently launched huge offers and even brand-new cards, including some with record-high welcome bonuses of 100,000 points or more — but many are for a limited time.

These include an excellent offer on The Platinum Card® from American Express to earn The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Amex raised the annual fee to The Platinum Card® from American Express The Platinum Card® from American Express - Rates & Fees, but also added numerous new benefits that can more than offset the fee bump — including the recent addition of statement credits for Walmart+ membership** and SoulCycle at-home bike purchases. Be sure to check out the new Amex Platinum card designs available to new and existing cardholders starting January 20, 2022.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express recently got a makeover, too, adding an elevated welcome bonus of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and new or improved statement credits for wireless, Indeed, Adobe, and Dell purchases.

Keep in mind the card is increasing its annual fee from The Business Platinum Card® from American Express The Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Rates & Fees to $695 on January 13, 2022, so now is a good time to apply if you want to lock in the lower annual fee. 

Read more: The best current credit card offers of December 2021

Last week brought the much-anticipated launch of the new Chase Aeroplan® Credit Card. It offers a welcome bonus of Chase Aeroplan® Credit Card. In addition, new cardholders receive automatic Aeroplan 25K Elite Status for the remainder of the first calendar year, plus the following calendar year. It also comes with surprising benefits you won't find on other co-branded airline cards, and it's a compelling offer even if you don't fly Air Canada.

There's also just one day left to apply for record-high bonuses on the personal Southwest credit cards. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card are all offering Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card through December 7, 2021. Opening one of these cards can help you meet most of the requirements for the Southwest Companion Pass — one of the best deals in travel.

Other improved bonuses to consider include a higher bonus on the IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card, new offers on the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, rarely seen welcome bonuses on the American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, new bonuses on three Amex Hilton cards, and a 5x grocery bonus on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

With new offers launching constantly, you've got a terrific opportunity to take advantage of an increased credit card bonus now, so you're set up with points you can use for flights, hotels, and more when you're ready to travel again.

Here are some of the best credit card offers to consider this week.

Best credit card offers this week

Flexible rewards credit card bonuses

Transferable credit card points are best if you value flexibility because there are so many ways to redeem them. With programs like American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Capital One Rewards, you've got options that include:

• Transferring points to airline and hotel partners
• Redeeming points directly for travel at a fixed rate
• Turning points into cash back or statement credits
• Cashing in points for gift cards, merchandise, and more

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is making waves with its whopper welcome bonus and generous benefits. Although it's a premium card, the annual fee of Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is reasonable compared to similar cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and you'll receive perks like airport lounge access and statement credits that can offset the cost.  

If that's still a bit steep for your liking, the card's less-expensive sibling — the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — is still one of our favorite cards and one of the best travel rewards cards for beginners.

Our favorite under-the-radar card — the Citi Premier® Card — is offering a record-high welcome bonus, and it offers excellent earnings in categories that fit well whether you're sticking close to home or on the road. You'll earn 3x points on air travel, gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.

Another excellent deal is one of the best cards with premium travel and shopping benefits, The Platinum Card® from American Express. You can currently earn The Platinum Card® from American Express — here's our Amex Platinum card review for all the details.

Read more: Amex and Chase points are the two most valuable types of credit card rewards — here are their biggest differences

Small-business credit card bonuses

If you're a small-business owner, opening a small-business credit card can offer a lot of benefits. Keeping your business and personal expenses separate makes it easier to keep track of expenses, and many cards offer bonus points, miles, or cash back in popular business spending categories.

Read more: The best small-business credit cards of 2021

You don't have to own a full-time business or make millions to be eligible to apply — even if you're a freelancer or have a side gig, you could qualify for a small-business card. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card are both offering six-figure bonuses after meeting minimum spending requirements, and, depending on how you redeem them, you could get a value of $1,800 or more from these offers.

The recent annual-fee increase on the personal The Platinum Card® from American Express actually makes the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express a more compelling choice, since its annual fee is a full $100 less than the personal version The Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Rates & Fees — but it comes with many of the same benefits and credits.

Keep in mind, however, that the annual fee on the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express will increase to $695 on January 13, 2021, for new and existing cardholders.

Read more: Amex Platinum vs Amex Business Platinum: Both offer excellent welcome bonuses and perks — here's how to decide which card is best for you

Cash-back credit card bonuses

Our top pick for the best cash-back credit card overall, the Citi® Double Cash Card, doesn't currently offer a welcome bonus. And other excellent options, like the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, and the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, aren't exclusively cash-back cards (though they're marketed that way).

Read more: The best cash back credit cards of 2021

Right now, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express has an elevated welcome bonus that can help you offset some of your holiday expenses. New cardholders can earn a Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. 

You'll also earn 6% cash back on your first $6,000 in U.S. supermarket spending each year (then 1% back), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services, 3% back on U.S. gas stations and transit, and 1% back on all other eligible purchases (cash back is earned in the form of Rewards Dollars). 

Airline credit card bonuses

The new Chase Aeroplan® Credit Card isn't just for Air Canada flyers — along with a hefty welcome bonus, it comes with great bonus categories, spending bonuses, and will soon offer the unique ability to redeem up to 50,000 Aeroplan points per year at a rate of 1.25 cents apiece toward any travel purchase through Chase Pay Yourself Back.

If you're getting ready to fly Southwest again, the Southwest personal credit cards — Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card — have launched record-high offers of Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card — and the points you'll earn from the bonus and spending can help you qualify for the coveted Southwest Companion Pass. These offers end December 7, 2021.

Read more: The best airline credit cards of 2021

The timing of these offers is perfect — if you open one of these cards now and meet the minimum spending requirement for the bonus in early 2022, you'll be 90% of the way to qualifying for the Companion Pass early in the year. By doing so, you can earn a Companion Pass that's valid for all of 2022 and 2023.

United flyers have three elevated offers to choose from, the highest of which comes with the United Club℠ Infinite Card, which is offering a welcome bonus of United Club℠ Infinite Card. The United℠ Explorer Card is also offering United℠ Explorer Card, and the no-annual-fee United Gateway℠ Card has a bonus of United Gateway℠ Card.

Hotel credit card bonuses

The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card is a brand-new product that's ideal for small-business owners who like staying with Hyatt. Along with a hefty welcome bonus, it comes with up to $100 in annual Hyatt credits, automatic elite status (which you can gift to up to five other people), a 10% points rebate on redemptions when you meet a spending requirement, and elite night credits for reaching spending thresholds.

Several hotel credit cards are offering increased bonuses — including the Hilton Honors American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.

Read more: The best hotel credit cards of 2021

Keep in mind that most hotel chains, including Marriott and Hilton, have temporarily paused points expiration due to the pandemic, so there's no harm in earning points now for a vacation down the road.