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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
How I earned the welcome bonus on my Chase Sapphire Preferred as a moderate spender
Augusta Stone is a credit cards writer for TPG. She joined the TPG team in 2023 and is excited to take points and miles beginners with her on a journey toward maximizing rewards.
May 19, 2024 • 7 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
The article provides practical strategies for moderate spenders to meet minimum spending requirements for a travel rewards card welcome offer.
Tactics include covering group expenses and collecting reimbursements, timing card applications around high-spend seasons and consolidating purchases on one card.
Examples highlight using the card for event tickets, group dining and travel-related expenses to reach the threshold without overspending.
TPG's valuations estimate that certain loyalty points can be worth up to $1,230 when maximized with transfer partners as of June 2024.
What to consider
Minimum spending requirements are often around $4,000 in three months for many travel rewards cards.
Strategic planning, such as leveraging seasonal expenses and group payments, can help meet thresholds without exceeding your budget.
Point values may vary depending on redemption method, with higher value typically achieved through transfer partners per TPG's valuations as of June 2024.
What you'll miss from the article
Step-by-step examples of how to align everyday spending with a welcome offer goal, including group purchases and seasonal timing.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
When I decided I was ready to add my first travel rewards card to my wallet, I had to consider more than just budgeting for an annual fee and adding another monthly bill to my roster.
As a moderate spender, one of my biggest concerns was how to comfortably meet the spending requirement to earn a lucrative welcome bonus on a new card.
I selected the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to start collecting valuable Ultimate Rewards points for a reasonable annual fee. The real value for a brand-new points collector like myself was packed in the card’s welcome offer — Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
TPG’s valuation pegs this welcome offer is worth $1,230) when you leverage transfer partners or $750 if you redeem through Chase Travel℠ at 1.25 cents per point — an enticing deal for a newcomer.
PEKIC/GETTY IMAGES
I found in my research that spending $4,000 within three months to meet a welcome bonus seemed to be pretty standard across Chase credit cards, so I decided the best way to kick off my rewards journey was to earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points upfront. When I first got the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the clock started ticking.
With my typical spending habits, I probably wouldn’t have spent $4,000 on purchases in three months. However, I made some small adjustments and reached my goal with a few weeks to spare.
Here are five of the methods I used to earn the Sapphire Preferred’s welcome bonus as a moderate spender.
Whether it was for date night, midday lunch or dinner with the girls, I started picking up everyone’s tab on one check at restaurants.
Aside from helping me meet my spending goal, this was especially advantageous on the Sapphire Preferred card since it earns 3 points per dollar on dining, including:
Delivery services
Takeout
Eating at restaurants
TIM AYLEN/ROYAL CARIBBEAN
I’d pay the bill in full, and my friends would pay me back for their portion of the check.
This way, each purchase helped me get closer to the minimum spending needed to collect the points, and my credit card bill would be paid off in full without incurring a ton of additional expenses.
Paying to attend an event with the Chase Sapphire Preferred
This is where the points game started to get fun.
More than half of my close friends here in Charlotte, North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina, and I’d been hearing about how exciting the men’s basketball games were in Chapel Hill for months.
I paid for tickets to a UNC men’s basketball game with my Sapphire Preferred. AUGUSTA STONE/THE POINTS GUY
We had discussed buying tickets for a less expensive home game for a while, and since I was making a push to spend more on my new Sapphire Preferred Card, I offered to buy seven tickets for a Monday night game between the Tar Heels and Wake Forest.
Once I purchased the tickets, I was $327 closer to that $4,000 spending minimum. After my friends paid me back and I paid my balance down, I received every dollar back on this purchase as Ultimate Rewards points.
Even though the tickets didn’t automatically trigger a bonus category on my Sapphire Preferred, I activated a limited-time 5% cash-back offer from SeatGeek through an in-app offer before making the purchases.
Thanks to this cash-back promo, my account was also credited some money from the ticket purchase.
Most of my friends who came to the UNC basketball game with me live in and around Charlotte. Since Chapel Hill is about two hours away from us, we decided to make a weekend trip out of it.
Anytime you’re away from your home base, you’re naturally going to spend more money. Even though this was only a two-night trip (and we were graciously offered free lodging at a friend’s house), nights out and meals purchased were all additional spending toward earning my welcome bonus.
THE POINTS GUY
I didn’t have to splurge on a longer-term trip or even book a hotel night to spend more than I would’ve if I had stuck around Charlotte that weekend.
I found that making a couple of extra $20-$40 transactions eventually added up across the three months I worked to meet my welcome bonus spending requirement.
Trips like the one to Chapel Hill helped me realize that $4,000 doesn’t have to be as intimidating a threshold to reach as I’d thought it would be.
Holiday spending with the Chase Sapphire Preferred
I was also intentional with the timing of everything here.
When I applied for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, my first rewards credit card that came with a spending-dependent welcome bonus, it was around the middle of November.
WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES
As it was for many others, this was at the very start of a spending-heavy season for me. Between traveling home to see my family in Georgia and finding the perfect gifts for my loved ones, I had already budgeted for some extra spending.
That naturally made it easier to spend more money and meet the welcome offer’s spending requirement.
That all brings me to my last point, which is perhaps the most intuitive and certainly the most important: I spent as much as I could with my Sapphire Preferred until I met my spending goal. This card became the best one in my wallet thanks to its generous earning structure and the ability to earn high-value Ultimate Rewards points.
I’ll also use this strategy in the future when I open new credit cards that feature solid welcome offers and manageable minimum spending requirements.
I created a spending strategy that aligned with my budget before applying for my Sapphire Preferred card in order to earn the welcome offer.
Within my personal budget, I don’t typically spend $4,000 across three months (excluding my rent). However, remaining mindful of my budget while maximizing the benefits of my new credit card helped me responsibly earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points fairly easily.
Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card with a welcome offer of 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
