Got a new credit card? Here are 4 tips to help you earn your welcome bonus
A lucrative welcome bonus should always be near the top of your priorities while you weigh which credit card you'd like to add to your wallet. Multiple cards are running best-ever welcome offers, and there's a wide variety of solid options out there.
You pick the perfect card, and it arrives to you in all of its beauty — now what?
With a welcome bonus comes a spending requirement, usually anywhere from $2,000 to $8,000 within three to six months of card membership (and sometimes much more spending across a longer period of time). These requirements typically depend on how lucrative the offer is and the type of card you select. The more premium the product, the higher the spending requirement.
It isn't always easy to meet that spending requirement, but it's very important to earn the welcome offer. Your top priority should be having a strategy in place to ensure you're spending your money wisely to reach that goal.
Here are four tips to ensure you earn that welcome bonus and don't leave valuable rewards from your new credit card on the table.
Related: Credit cards that can get you $1,000 or more in first-year value
Have a plan for your spending
Whether you're a points and miles enthusiast with more than 15 credit cards to your name or just applied for your first rewards card, you'll want to take a look at how you're going to spend on that new card.
When it comes to earning a welcome bonus, I advise putting as much of your expenses as is feasible on your new card — everything from dining to groceries and various monthly spending. This is especially true if the spending requirement is on the higher side.
If you can, consider adding your new card to a mobile wallet and keeping it in your physical wallet while you're working on the bonus. I also suggest putting a recurring charge or two on your new card, like a streaming subscription or your cellphone bill.
The last thing you'd want to do is barely miss the threshold on your new card because you forgot to swipe it.
Related: Will my rewards change if I pay by mobile wallet?
Plan the timing of your purchases
Are you planning to move, have a big trip coming up or expect to spend some extra money around the holiday season? Any large purchases you're planning to make could provide a lot of help when it comes to earning a welcome bonus.
Let's say you're expecting to have a heavy spending month before you travel across the country to visit your parents for Thanksgiving, and you've also got to start thinking about gifts for the holidays. This could be a strong time to consider applying for a card with an elevated welcome bonus, as you'll be spending the money anyway.
I'd also recommend not waiting until the final couple of weeks to make most of your spending toward a requirement. If you can, making the extra effort to meet the requirement sooner rather than later is the safest bet.
Plus, if you have a more expensive purchase that can be made in bulk and split up after the fact, such as covering the full bill at dinner with friends and family, you could take that on with your new card and have others pay you back. That way, you're getting the spend, but you're also able to avoid spending outside of your means.
Related: The top credit cards to maximize large purchases
Aim to pay your balance each billing cycle
While you may need to elevate your spending to meet certain thresholds for lucrative welcome bonuses, I advise that you keep the top TPG commandment of credit card rewards in the forefront of your mind: Thou shalt pay thy balance in full.
Incurring interest because you're carrying a balance on your new card will practically negate the benefits of rewards you earn, especially if that card carries a high interest rate.
Although certain spending thresholds can be high, consider your spending strategy before applying for a new card. Be sure you're able to meet the requirement and earn your rewards without carrying a balance to make the most of your bonus miles, points or cash back.
Related: Credit card bonuses you can earn with $1,000 or less in spending
Be prepared for setbacks
Even if you come in with the perfect plan, make some larger purchases and pay your balance in full, some setbacks are inevitable. Plus, mistakes happen — even to the most seasoned credit card pros.
Preparing yourself for hiccups along the way can help lessen the impact of setbacks you experience while working to earn your welcome bonus.
Let's say you're targeted for an elevated welcome offer, but upon earning your bonus, you find your account's been boosted with fewer points or less cash back than expected.
To avoid this, I recommend taking screenshots or even screen recording yourself filling out the application for the offer you receive. This way, you'll be able to report it back to the issuer to see if they'll award you the number of points, miles or cash back you expected to earn.
TPG credit cards writer Danyal Ahmed recently went through this ordeal in his family when his wife applied for the American Express® Business Gold Card. His wife received a targeted welcome offer of 200,000 bonus points after spending $10,000 in the first three months of card membership and a 0% introductory APR for six months from account opening (on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time, then 17.74%-28.49% variable APR; this offer is no longer available; see rates and fees).
The current welcome offer for the American Express Business Gold offers an opportunity to earn 100,000 membership rewards points after spending $15,000 in eligible purchases in the first three months of card membership.
Despite meeting the spending requirement and earning the welcome bonus, the 0% APR offer was not applied to the account. After several back-and-forths with American Express customer service and providing them with screenshots of the targeted email and application page, Amex agreed to honor the terms and reinstate the introductory APR offer.
Additionally, be aware of what you're spending money on while you're working to meet a welcome bonus. Know how certain purchases code, and don't assume that just because you tapped your new card, it automatically counted toward your spending requirement.
Always keep tabs on your account while you're working toward a welcome offer, and track your progress to be sure you won't miss out.
Along these lines, don't make a tax payment your only spending toward a welcome bonus. It may not count as eligible spending, which would cause you to miss out on your welcome bonus rewards.
Also, give yourself some extra room and spend slightly above your requirement for the bonus to account for any statement credits or unexpected refunds.
You won't want to make the critical mistake of thinking you've met the spending requirement, unaware that you've received credits back that put you below that threshold when it's too late.
Related: 11 major mistakes people make with travel rewards credit cards
Bottom line
When you add a new credit card to your wallet, you want to be sure you have a plan in mind to reach your spending threshold and earn that valuable welcome bonus.
Getting that welcome bonus ensures you get the most value possible out of your new card, whether you capitalized on a flashy limited-time offer or simply want to stack up more points of your favorite currency.
When working toward your bonus, be sure to pay close attention to your spending and whether it aligns with your goals so you can get the most out of your new card.
Related: The best time to apply for these popular travel credit cards based on offer history
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold, click here.
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