How To Meet Credit Card Welcome Offer Requirements with Normal Spending
Huge credit card welcome offers continue, and hobbyists should all be thankful. But we can’t ignore the substantial minimum spend banks require in order to obtain these rewards. Indeed, banks have gotten craftier at designing these offers. Many advertise very lucrative amounts but have even more prominently increased spend requirements. How can Joe or Jane Consumer meet these credit card welcome offer requirements without overspending? One of my three guiding principles for reaching financially independence is sensible spending – pretty much the opposite of overspending. Also, many don’t have access to advanced spending techniques. How can low to moderate spenders obtain lucrative welcome offers with normal spending? Today, I’ll cover several easy options which can help.
Application Planning
Look at your needs over the next year (and beyond) to determine approximately when you’ll have significant expenses. Ballpark those spending figures. Reconcile this info with credit card(s) you’re interested in obtaining and apply for the card(s) in the appropriate timeframe. Of couse, not all significant expenses are knowable in advance. But many are, such as home improvement projects, appliance purchases, furniture replacement, and wedding expenses. One significant purchase can easily fulfill or substantially cover a welcome offer requirement, or more!
Taxes, In Their Various Forms
Those of you who can pay quarterly estimated taxes (federal and state) have an easy option to put significant spend toward a card welcome offer. Even better, you have tremendous flexibility to do so throughout the year at your desired amount. You can make estimated advance payments at sites like Pay1040, PayUSATax, and ACI Payments any time during the tax year. If you think you may ineligible to make estimated tax payments, check again. You may be surprised!
You can also pay plenty of other taxes via these sites or directly with municipalities. Real estate and car taxes are just a few examples. Fees usually exist when you pay taxes via credit card, but you can come out ahead with a bit of planning. I like to minimize these expenses by using Visa gift cards purchased with a credit card. If you pay taxes, you might as well make it semi-enjoyable by earning points at a high rate with welcome offer minimum spend.
Utilities
You can pay ongoing bills like electric, gas, and cell phone plans with credit cards. Some merchants accept credit cards, but you may need to use a payment service for others (I’ll come back to this later). Many insurance companies accept credit cards for premium payments, as well, but watch out! You may be able to get superior insurance rate discounts when you pay via bank draft.
Even better, you can make significant payments on many of these bills in advance. Some refer to this as time shifting one’s spend (more on that coming up). Doing so can help you meet an imminent minimum spend requirement well in advance of actually consuming the good or service.
I especially like paying utilities via credit cards because they are predominantly expenses to satisfy basic human needs. In other words, this isn’t frivolous spending!
Time Shifting Spend – A Shortcut to Meet Credit Card Welcome Offer Requirements
I brought time shifting utilities spend above, but you can apply the same principle to most other living expenses. You can buy gift cards for your favorite supermarkets, restaurants, or department stores for use at a later date. If you regularly tithe or donate to charities, you can pay additional, advance amounts during a credit card welcome offer spend timeframe. Opportunities are only limited by what you would normally spend. But remember, don’t let your spending get out of hand! Do no more than what you can pay in full without interest.
Payment Services
Payment services help you pay various expenses which don’t otherwise accept credit cards. Many services exist; Plastiq is just one example. For instance, many individuals pay their mortgages, rent, business expenses, or utilities with a credit card by using a payment service. Do your homework on these services prior to using them – understand the fee structure, how to avoid cash advance transactions, etc. This obviously takes more effort than other options, but using a payment service can open up many of your everyday expenses to credit card payments and, ultimately, bigger rewards.
Card Welcome Offer Requirements – Conclusion
I can’t possibly name every method you can use to meet credit card welcome offer requirements on normal spend. Examine your own situation and identify even more! Every expense probably isn’t an option, but you’ll be surprised at how many of your existing expenses can help meet minimum spend requirements. Also, don’t overheat your credit card applications – avoid too many simultaneous welcome offer minimum spend timeframes. What’s too many at one time? That depends. But for low and moderate spenders, I suggest starting out slowly. Just have one welcome offer timeframe active at any given time. Once you accomplish that, you can adjust and maybe increase your activity velocity. With a bit of patience and discipline, low and moderate spenders can achieve most any welcome offer. Have fun!
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My go-to if I don’t want to MS is trustworthy friends and family. Offer to pay those cell phone and insurance payments and they give you cash instead.
Of course this doesn’t work if you’re family or friends are into this hobby. But my parents, in-laws, and grandparents are my go to. They are always willing to help me by way of cash for their charges.
2808 Heavy,
Great point! I haven’t done much of that, but every now and then, it’s a win-win.