How to Hit Minimum Spend Without Buying Stuff You Don’t Need

You just got approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred with its 60,000-point bonus. There’s just one catch: spend $4,000 in three months. Your normal monthly spending is about $1,200.

The temptation is real. That new TV you didn’t need. The “investment” in clothes you’ll wear once. The Amazon cart filled with stuff that’ll end up in a garage sale.

Stop. There’s a better way.

I’ve hit minimum spends on dozens of cards without buying a single thing I wouldn’t have bought anyway. Here’s the complete playbook.

Strategy 1: Timing Your Application

The easiest minimum spend is one that aligns with natural large expenses.

Apply before:

• Travel bookings (flights, hotels, cruises)
• Insurance premiums (car, home, renters)
• Annual subscriptions (gym, software, memberships)
• Medical procedures (especially with FSA/HSA funds)
• Home repairs or renovations
• Holiday shopping season
• Moving expenses
• Tuition or education costs

Example: You know you’ll book a $2,500 family vacation next month. Apply for the new card now. You’ve already made 62% of your minimum spend with one planned purchase.

Strategy 3: Gift Cards for Future Spending

Buy gift cards for places you’ll definitely shop.

Safe gift card purchases:

• Amazon (if you’re a regular shopper)
• Grocery stores you frequent
• Gas stations on your commute
• Restaurants you actually visit
• Utility gift cards (your electric company)

The rules:

1. Only buy for stores you use monthly
2. Don’t buy more than 3 months of expected spending
3. Check gift card fees (some charge 3-5%)
4. Keep receipts and track balances

Example: You spend $400/month on groceries. Buy a $1,000 grocery gift card. That’s 2.5 months of normal spending accelerated, and you’ve made 25% of your minimum spend.

Warning: Avoid Visa/Mastercard gift cards for minimum spend. Many issuers specifically exclude them, and the fees eat into value.

Strategy 5: Plastiq and Payment Services

Some bills don’t accept credit cards directly. Services like Plastiq let you pay them anyway.

Plastiq works for:

• Rent
• Mortgage
• Tuition
• HOA fees
• Business expenses
• Tax payments

The catch: Plastiq charges 2.9%. Only worth it when:

• Sign-up bonus value > 2.9% fee
• You have no other way to hit minimum spend

Math check: $1,000 rent × 2.9% = $29 fee

• If this helps you earn 60,000 points worth $900+, still worth it
• If you’re just earning 1X points, never worth it

Strategy 7: Business and Side Hustle Spending

If you have any side income, use business spending strategically.

Legitimate business expenses:

• Software and subscriptions
• Office supplies
• Professional memberships
• Advertising costs
• Contractor payments (through Plastiq)
• Equipment purchases

Even a small Etsy shop or freelance gig has expenses. Time your application to coincide with business purchases.

Category Stacking: Maximizing While Spending

While hitting minimum spend, you might overlap with the card’s bonus categories.

Example with Amex Gold ($4,000 minimum):

• $1,200 groceries at 4X = 4,800 points
• $800 dining at 4X = 3,200 points
• $2,000 other spending at 1X = 2,000 points
• Total: 10,000 points earned just from spending
• Plus: 60,000 bonus points
• Grand total: 70,000 points from $4,000 spend

The bonus is the main prize, but category earning is a nice extra.

What NOT to Do

Don’t manufacture spending

Buying Visa gift cards, loading them to money orders, depositing money orders—this is “manufactured spending.” Banks are wise to it. It can get your account shut down and your points clawed back. Not worth it.

Don’t buy things you’ll return

Returning purchases after hitting minimum spend can result in bonus clawback. Banks track this.

Don’t rely on refundable travel

Booking refundable travel to hit spend, then canceling, is another shutdown-worthy offense.

Don’t stress over every dollar

If you’re $200 short with a week left, buy a $200 Amazon gift card for future use. It’s not wasteful if you’ll use it within months.

Don’t miss the deadline

Set calendar reminders at 30, 15, and 7 days before your deadline. The bonus disappears at midnight.

The Bottom Line

Minimum spend requirements aren’t obstacles—they’re puzzles. The solution is almost never “buy more stuff.” It’s “redirect spending you’d do anyway.”

The strategies that work best:

1. Time applications before natural large expenses
2. Prepay bills you’d pay anyway
3. Help friends/family with their purchases (get reimbursed)
4. Use gift cards for stores you frequent

The strategies to avoid:

1. Buying unnecessary stuff
2. Manufactured spending schemes
3. Refundable purchase tricks

With a little planning, you’ll hit every minimum spend without a single regret purchase cluttering your home.