Tips For Credit Card Minimum Spending Requirements - Other Issuers

RE: Tips For Credit Card Minimum Spending Requirements

Phred — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:36:25 +0000

I'd appreciate peoples' opinion here: One decision I always struggle with is whether to pay a 3% service fee or not. For example, I have a big ticket window replacement coming up. Just to make the math easy, I could spent $10,000 on my BILT card with a 3% service fee ($300). I would get 3x points with points boost, which puts me at 30,000 points. At an estimated $0.02/point, that's roughly the equivalent of $600 in return. So, is it worth spending $300 to (possibly) get $600?

RE: Tips For Credit Card Minimum Spending Requirements

This comes to mind — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 20:01:58 +0000

There is also a type-of-card/expected-usage element to the timing. I stay about 46 days at IHG properties from mid August until mid November and usually no other days each year. The IHG card is, for me, one I expect to use only during stays at IHG. So, it made sense to apply so that the bonus-spending time frame included the above stays. Certainly, I would have no trouble meeting the minimum spend in the requisite time frame if I signed up in December, but I'd be moving airline or non-IHG-hotel spend away from a card I get get more rewarded than IHG. And, while I don't follow it closely, it seems those "best ever, about to expire" bonus offers often return.

RE: Tips For Credit Card Minimum Spending Requirements

1990_ — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:50:16 +0000

Very healthy, practical advice. Churning is still the highest ROI, even if the ‘good ole days’ are coming to an end (24-48 month, or once-per-lifetime, eligible rules, etc.) Hey, quick follow-up, why does Amex think 7 years a lifetime?

Tips For Credit Card Minimum Spending Requirements

Ben Schlappig — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:48:31 +0000

One of the awesome things about applying for credit cards is that there are often generous welcome bonuses, whereby you can earn significant rewards (either cash or points) by spending a certain amount of money on a card within a specified timeframe. This is an awesome opportunity to supercharge your points earning potential.

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