If your points balance needs a jump-start, September 2026 is shaping up as a generous month. The Points Guy's latest roundup of welcome offers is topped by the Business Platinum Card from American Express, which dangles as much as 300,000 bonus points after $20,000 of spending in the first three months — a haul TPG values at up to $6,000 against its $895 annual fee.

Business owners have plenty to chew on. The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business is offering 200,000 Ultimate Rewards points after $30,000 of spend in six months ($795 fee), with strong earn rates on travel bookings and even advertising spend. The Amex Business Gold follows closely with offers as high as 200,000 points after $15,000 in three months at a much lower $375 fee.

On the personal side, the Amex Platinum can hit 175,000 points after $12,000 of spend in six months, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve sits at 100,000 points after $6,000 in three months — a notably accessible spending requirement. The Amex Gold remains the food-and-groceries pick, earning 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets, subject to annual caps.

There are deals for modest budgets too. Capital One's Venture-style card pairs 75,000 bonus miles with a $300 travel credit for a $95 fee, and two no-annual-fee cash-back cards are each offering $1,000 back after $8,000 of spend — though those offers expire Sept. 17 at 9 a.m. ET. Hotel and airline fans get options as well: Delta's co-branded card comes with two domestic Comfort-class round-trip certificates plus 50,000 miles, and a hotel card combines 130,000 points with a free night reward for offers running until mid-January 2027. Even the rent-focused Bilt card is in on it, with 50,000 points, Gold status and $300 in Bilt Cash.

A few caveats worth knowing. Several Amex offers are targeted, so what you're approved for may be lower than the headline number. Deadline dates matter too — a handful of offers, including some big mileage deals, lapse on Nov. 4, and others end Sept. 30. And since issuers typically restrict how often you can earn a bonus on the same card, timing your application to coincide with a peak offer is the whole game. Higher bonuses also tend to vanish quickly, so if one fits your spending habits, dragging your feet rarely pays.

The practical takeaway: welcome bonuses remain the fastest way to bank a serious stash of points and miles, often enough for long-haul flights or a week of hotel stays from spending you were planning anyway. Match the card to where your money actually goes — dining, travel, business expenses — rather than chasing the biggest number, and make sure the spend requirement is achievable within the window before you apply.