Credit card bonuses: Bigger yet out of reach

Issuing companies have long known that rewards and sign-up bonuses were an excellent way to lure new customers, but these offers have changed over time.

According to USA Today, many of these changes started taking place after the 2008 financial crisis when banks decided that enticing customers with good credit and high incomes was the safest bet.

Before the crisis, it was common to find relatively small and easy to earn bonuses such as 1,000 points upon making a first purchase with the card. Now, the standard is a 50,000-point sign-up bonus, but holders have to spend $4,000 in the first three months to get it.