---
title: "What is Welcome bonus? | Benefit Systems"
description: "A welcome bonus is a one-off points credit for opening a new card and meeting a minimum spending requirement within a set period."
source: "aus dem gebauten HTML abgeleitet"
---
# What is Welcome bonus?

A welcome bonus is a one-off points credit for opening a new card and meeting a minimum spending requirement within a set period.

Also called: Sign-up bonus, Welcome offer.

## How it works #

The bonus is the single largest points event in the system and the reason comparison sites promote cards at all. Its real value only appears after subtracting the annual fee, the effort of the spend and the account commitment: points generated by pulling purchases forward or inventing them are bought points. Whether and when a bonus can be earned again is set by the issuer.

## Not to be confused with #

A welcome bonus is not the same as a transfer bonus: the welcome bonus credits new points for opening an account, while a transfer bonus only improves the conversion rate of points already held.

## In German #

The German term is Willkommensbonus. [German version of this term](/de/glossar/willkommensbonus)

## Related terms #

- [Minimum spend](/en/glossary/minimum-spend): Minimum spend is the amount that must be charged to a new card within a defined period before the welcome bonus is credited.
- [Annual fee](/en/glossary/annual-fee): An annual fee is the fixed yearly price of holding a card, charged regardless of how much is spent on it or which benefits are used.
- [Credit inquiry](/en/glossary/credit-inquiry): A credit inquiry is a lender’s check of a credit file; a hard inquiry is recorded and visible to others, while a soft inquiry is not.

## Articles that use this term #

- [How much is a welcome bonus actually worth?](/en/knowledge/welcome-bonus-value)
- [At what annual fee does a travel card stop paying for itself?](/en/knowledge/annual-fee-math)
- [Does applying for a credit card hurt your credit score?](/en/knowledge/credit-card-application-score)
- [What is a point actually worth, and how do you work it out yourself?](/en/knowledge/point-value)
- [When collecting points isn’t worth it](/en/knowledge/when-points-arent-worth-it)
- [hard-pull-vs-soft-pull](/en/knowledge/hard-pull-vs-soft-pull)