Step 5: Meet Minimum Spending Requirements

Points and Miles Beginner’s Guide

You’ll typically need to spend between $500 and $4,000 in a three month period to meet the minimum spending requirement on your new credit card. Once you receive it, make sure to use your new card for all everyday expenses. Try not to use cash unless absolutely necessary!

Finally have an idea of what you typically spend in a three month period so you have an idea of whether you can meet the minimum easily or may need to stretch. Also remember to pay off your balance in full every month, or those interest charges will negate the points you earned.

Meeting the Minimum Spending Requirement

Ways to meet that spend requirement:

• Update automatic payments to charge your new card – things like cell phone bills, insurance, TV, internet, Netflix, and anything you’ve setup auto payments for, can be paid with your new card
• Pre-pay monthly expenses – pay for a few months or an entire year of homeowner’s insurance, for example
• Tolls – if you drive on tollways quite a bit, consider updating your transponder account to use your new credit card and load additional funds to the account
• Gifts – buy holiday, birthday or graduation gifts ahead of time
• Medical expenses – you might have an HSA or FSA that comes with a debit card to pay for medical expenses; however, you can pay with your new credit card and then reimburse yourself
• Home renovations – use a trusted contractor that accepts credit cards
• Large one-time expenses – if you’ve been needing to buy something expensive and have been putting it off, now’s the time

If you’re having trouble meeting the minimum spending requirements, there are a few things you can do as a last resort. For a fee, you may be able to pay things like your mortgage, tuition, student loans or property taxes via credit card.

There are a lot of ways to meet that minimum spending requirement, so don’t that stop you from earning that big sign-up bonus!