Reach spending thresholds, earn lucrative rewards

Credit card issuers are doling out hefty rewards and bonuses for those with high consumer credit scores, according to Time Moneyland. The primary caveat for obtaining these financial bonuses - some of which reach upwards of $1,000 - is that cardholders must hit spending limits that may only be attainable to more financial stable individuals. "Issuers are upping the rewards ante because consumers that are attracted to these offers are the ones that pay their bills in full every month and therefore have the lowest risk of default,” Odysseas Papadimitriou, founder of credit card comparison website CardHub.com, told the news source. A credit score of 720 or better and the reputation of being a "fairly aggressive spender" are two requirements that card companies look for, adds CardRatings.com founder Curtis Arnold, as quoted by the media outlet. Some recent options include Citi's ThankYou Premier card, which gave its new customers 80,000 points - equivalent to $1,060. American Express offered 100,000 points to new Platinum cardholders, with a maximum value of $1,200. In order to cash in, cardholders had to spend $3,000 over a three-month period. The Wall Street Journal reports that Jason Sheen of Salt Lake City received a 50,000 bonus point offer from Chase's Sapphire Preferred card, and will use the points to take his wife to Hawaii.