Learn 7 ways to meet the minimum spending requirement for Chase Sapphire Preferred sign-up bonus points.
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The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card easily has a reputation for being one of the most popular travel credit cards for American travelers. It offers amazing perks that are simply unmatched by other credit cards, especially for its relatively low annual fee of just $95.00. The sign-up bonus that Chase Sapphire offers, usually ranging from 60,o00-100,000 points, is also a pretty sweet deal for travelers, especially since summer 2022 has seen a significant spike in flight and hotel prices. The catch is that you have to spend $4000.00 on qualifying purchases within the first 3 months of opening your Chase account to have access to those bonus points.
Scratching your head to figure out how you're going to spend $4000.00 in a short period of time? Summer is only 3 months long! We've got you covered. Below are 7 types of purchases I made during the first 3 WEEKS of opening my Chase account to hit my $4000.00 spending minimum quicker. The quicker you achieve this spending minimum, the quicker you can start using your bonus points to save on travel using the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card. Here we go:
1. Rent
Rent is typically a large purchase for most individuals each month. For a small credit card fee of ~$20.00, I was able to pre-pay for 2 months of upcoming rent. This immediately put me well over 50% towards my $4,000 minimum spending goal.
2. Utilities
Utilities are also a great way to reach your minimum spend. This includes your water, electricity, internet, cable or streaming service bills. Similar to rent payments, you can also consider pre-paying these expenses for the next 2-3 months to hit your minimum spending more quickly.
3. Car Insurance
This is self-explanatory. I was able to pay my current bill and pre-pay my remaining balance for my car insurance through Progressive. Thanks Progressive!
4. Group Dining
Do you have a sizeable friend circle that enjoys eating out? I do! And I was definitely able to use this to my advantage. The next time you go out to dinner with your friends, instead of asking the waiter to split the check, offer to put the entire meal on your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. You can then ask your friends to simply send their individual balances to you via Venmo, CashApp, or Zelle. You should be able to rake in at least an additional couple hundred dollars towards your spending minimum using this method!
5. Upcoming Travel Expenses
Are you already planning an upcoming trip somewhere? Consider purchasing your flights, travel insurance, hotels, or AirBnBs on your Chase card.
6. Groceries
Let's face it. Grocery prices are rising, and groceries are increasingly becoming a major expense each month. Use your Chase card when you're headed to the grocery store.
7. Friends and Family Monthly Bills
If you're really close to meeting your minimum spend, but you're running out of monthly necessities to purchase or pre-pay, consider asking close family and friends to let you pay a bill. To round out the last couple hundred dollars that I needed to meet my minimum spend, I asked my parents to let me pay their phone, water and car insurance bills. They then refunded me through CashApp. *Note: Only do this with close family and friends that you trust. You don't want to have to pester folks to send you money. It's not worth the headache.*
Final Thoughts:
To reach your $4000.00 minimum spend, really think about your necessities. What are the monthly expenses that you will have to pay REGARDLESS? This keeps you from overspending. CAVEAT: Before thinking about signing up for a travel credit card, be sure that you are able to pay off your credit card in full at the end of the month. The only reason that I spent $4000.00 in 3 weeks is because I had enough money in my checking account to pay the ENTIRE $4000.000 at the end of the month. If spending $4000.00 in 3 weeks seems to be too much, stick with stretching out the spending over the entire 3-month period. Sign-up bonuses are great, but they are not worth spiraling into crippling debt if you are unable to pay your credit card bills. Remember that signing up for travel credit cards only makes sense if you are able to use credit responsibly.
Have other ways to hit a credit card sign-up bonus minimum spending goal? Let us know in the comments!
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