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When you're eyeing a new credit card — whether from Chase, American Express, Citi, Capital One or an alternative — you need to do some math.
Specifically, you need to figure out if earning the card's welcome bonus is worth your time. Part of that decision hinges on making sure you can meet and pay off the $4,000 required spend within three months of opening the account (or whatever the minimum spend is for your card of choice).
What's 4000 / 3? That's roughly $1,333.33 that needs to be spent monthly.
After all, a credit card welcome bonus is only worth it if you can hit the required spend without filleting your finances.
Knowing how to hit a credit card's required spend is a good skill to possess. Here are some ways to make it happen with regular, in-budget expenses. For now, we'll focus on cards that have a $4,000 minimum spend to earn the sign-up bonus.
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Save the date
The first thing you want to do when trying to hit a required credit card spend is to mark the date your purchases must be paid on a calendar.
Burn that date into your brain so you don’t miss it. Set reminders of that date for every other week to make sure you're on target to hit the required spend.
Charge your bills — and everything else
Once you sign up for that new credit card with a required spend, start using that card for everything. Going out for a bagel and coffee? Charge it. Filling up at the gas station? Charge it. Use your new card on every single purchase during those first three months.
You'll be surprised how quickly all those little payments add up. But again, remember to only adopt this strategy if you can pay off that $4,000 right away. Carrying a balance on your welcome offer minimum spend defeats the benefit.
Additionally, charge bills and expenses already in your budget, so you won't have to worry about racking up interest charges by carrying a balance. If at all possible, prepay the bills with your card to ensure that you hit that $4,000 mark.
Pick up the tab
Going out to dinner with a large group of friends? Offer to pick up the bill using your credit card. Simply pay the bill, then have your friends pay you back with cash or a payment app like Venmo.
Stock up on gift cards
Think about the places you shop most often. Once you have a list on hand, purchase gift cards for those retailers using your credit card. Then, the next time you visit Whole Foods or that same retailer on the way to work, use the gift card as payment. It's an easy way to bump up your credit card spending without overextending yourself.
Top cards
Sign-up bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.
Still not sure?
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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