5 Ways to Get a Better Credit Card Welcome Bonus

Card issuers have rules about how often you can earn a welcome bonus. So you really need to be strategic about which cards you get -- and how you apply for them.

Most cards have several different welcome offers available to the public at any given time, and the difference can mean thousands of dollars in cash back or travel rewards.

Finding the best offer at the moment may require testing several different methods. Here are a few common (but not guaranteed) ways to find a better welcome bonus.

1. Head into a bank branch

A lot of new welcome offers are rolled out in-branch before they hit the digital platforms. You can head into a physical bank branch and ask a teller about offers for which you may qualify.

This tends to work best if you already have (or are willing to open) a bank account with the issuer. And we're assuming the issuer has branches; online-only banks, like Amex and Discover, won't have physical branches.

My two cents: This one is the most work since you have to, you know, go somewhere. But, in my experience, it's also the most likely to turn up something interesting.

2. Make a dummy booking

This method is for folks who want a cobranded airline or hotel card. You'll frequently see some kind of credit card offer at checkout. These offers are sometimes better than other public offers.

You don't need to enter your payment information or make a real booking. You can simply add a flight or hotel room to your cart, then start the checkout process. (Sometimes, you don't even need to do that -- the offer will be listed right on the booking page.)

Keep in mind that most travel brands have multiple cards, so the offer you see may not be for the specific card you want.

My two cents: A lot of the offers I see here tend to be some odd combo of statement credit and miles/points. Whether they're better than the other public offers will often depend on how much you value the branded currency.

3. Use a referral link

Most (but not all) issuers let cardholders share referral links with family and friends -- or strangers on the internet. If someone opens a new account after applying with that link, they typically get a cash back or points bonus.

It's not uncommon for referral links to lead to above-average welcome offers. Plus, these links tend to lead to the same offer each time (until they expire), so they're a reliable way to get to a specific welcome offer.

My two cents: I've used referrals to get specific bonuses before to good effect. Card blogs and forums often have referral pages. (Referrals are also a nice way to get an extra boost when your partner is applying for a new card.)

4. Change your location via a VPN

This is a common piece of advice that you often see, with a lot of anecdotes about how well it works. The idea is that appearing to browse from a different state or region can change the welcome offer you see.

My two cents: I've had limited success with this method personally. But if you already have a VPN for other reasons, it can definitely be worth taking a minute or two to try a few different locations and look for a new offer. Pair this strategy with point number five (below).

5. Use a different browser or private mode

All those cookies and trackers and loggers (oh my!) mean there is a lot of information provided to an issuer when you show up on its page. This can influence which offer you're shown.

Putting your browser into private mode -- or incognito, stealth, or no, really, you're totally super safe, we swear! mode -- may block some of this information from getting to relevant algorithms, thus changing which offer you see.

My two cents: I've seen this one work in the past but have had little success with it recently.

Bonus smarter, not harder

Remember that most welcome bonuses require you to first make a certain amount in purchases on your card within a few months of opening. If you don't meet the spending requirement on time, you won't earn the bonus.

There are no extensions.

So be smart about which bonuses you try to earn. No matter where or how you find your welcome offer, be sure it's one you can earn without tanking your budget.

The best bonuses aren't always the biggest ones -- they're the ones we can earn organically.