The offer mentioned below for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is no longer available.
Credit card welcome bonuses are a great way to quickly bolster your points, miles or rewards' balances. But nearly all welcome offers come with a prerequisite to spend a specific amount of money within a certain amount of time.
It can be a somewhat daunting experience to spend that amount of cash in a short time frame, but with a little planning, it's quite simple to accomplish.
Select analyzes the different ways you can earn a valuable credit card bonus, without overspending or stretching yourself too thin.
How to earn a credit card welcome bonus without overspending
When signing up for a new credit card, the welcome bonus is typically the most valuable benefit of the card in the first year — so it's important to meet the threshold within the allotted time period.
However, it's equally important to not make purchases you wouldn't normally make to simply meet the bonus offer. This is the equivalent of spending a dollar to earn a few pennies.
So, before you get that next credit card, it's key to try and time your sign up when you have a lot of upcoming expenses. But if you're still having difficulties meeting the minimum spending requirements, here are a few ideas of how you can earn that next bonus, responsibly:
Our best selections in your inbox. Shopping recommendations that help upgrade your life, delivered weekly. Sign-up here.
Use it on all purchases
On a daily basis, you may make one or more small purchases. Whether it's a cup of coffee or filling up your gas tank, each purchase can quickly help you get closer to earning the card bonus.
Even though these purchases are small, they can quickly add up over time. So the best strategy to follow is to eliminate all other cards from your wallet while you are working towards the minimum spend threshold. Also, consider adding it to pay for your recurring subscriptions.
Contact your auto and home insurance to see if you can pay ahead
Many insurers will allow you to pay your premium ahead of time, and sometimes they'll even give you a discounted rate when you do so.
So, if you have the available funds to pay off your insurance premiums ahead of time, this can quickly help get you closer to earning your welcome bonus.
Pay your rent or mortgage
Paying your housing bill with a credit card may seem odd, but it can be done with a few simple steps.
If you're a renter, contact your landlord to see if they accept card payments. If they do accept credit cards they may levy a 2-3% surcharge. In the case of earning a welcome offer, it may be worth paying the fee.
If you own your home but have a mortgage, consider using a credit card bill-pay service like Plastiq. For a 2.85% fee the company will issue a check directly to your lender and charge your credit card.
Friends and family expenses can help
If you have trusted friends or family members with large expenses in the near future, ask them if they wouldn't mind paying with your card or an authorized user card.
For example, if you know (and trust) someone who is purchasing a new iPhone, you could pay for their phone and have them reimburse you by check, cash or a payment app like Venmo, Zelle or PayPal.
Pay your taxes
If you owe taxes, there are several ways to pay using a credit card. However, if you owe a significant amount, paying with a card is only advisable if you have the funds to pay the statement immediately, or by putting it on a 0% intro APR card.
There are a few servicers you can use to pay your taxes. The cheapest one, PayUSATax, currently charges 1.96% to process payment by credit card. You can see the three different options here.
On my 2021 taxes, for example, I owed an amount I didn't feel comfortable paying upfront. Therefore, I paid my taxes using the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. I paid the 1.96% fee, but with the limited time welcome bonus of a $100 credit to use towards flights, stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. Plus, earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening, I still came out ahead.
School tuition and/or daycare services
Tuition and daycare services continue to rise in price, with no signs of slowing down. But before you pay your next invoice, check to see if your school or daycare provider accepts credit cards.
If they do, this could easily put you over the spending threshold on many credit cards.
If they don't, you can consider using a credit card bill pay service like Plastiq, but the 2.85% fee may be difficult to stomach with a large purchase like this.
Down payment on a car
If you're in the market to purchase a vehicle and plan to do so from a car dealership, you can talk with the financing department to see if you can make the down payment using a credit card.
Some car dealerships are hesitant to accept credit card payments because of chargebacks and absorbing processing fees, but you may be able to negotiate a card payment into the deal.
FSA/HSA reimbursements
If you use either a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) to fund your healthcare related purchases, they may issue you a debit card to spend with.
While the debit card is convenient, you can easily use your personal credit card for those expenses. Then submit your healthcare receipts for reimbursement and pay off your credit card with the money from your reimbursement check.
Charitable donations
If you want a simple tax deduction and have a verifiable nonprofit you choose to donate to, you can use your credit card to make a donation.
Some nonprofit organizations prefer to not receive donations via credit card as they have to incur a fee, so you may want to consider using a bill pay service.
Best welcome offers available
If you're looking for a new card and want to find one of the more valuable welcome offers available, here are our recommendations:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee card that earns generous cash-back on everyday purchases and a lucrative welcome bonus.
- Users get a high rewards rate and strong welcome bonus
- Purchases and balance transfers get long intro APR
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Few rewarding ongoing benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, in the first 60 days. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The American Express Platinum Card® is a premium card loaded with annual statement credits, entertainment benefits, extensive airport lounge access, elite status perks and more. (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- Access to 1,550+ airport lounges, including Priority Pass™ Select lounges (enrollment required) and Amex Centurion lounges
- Statement credit offers worth up to twice what the annual fee costs
- Elite status perks for hotels and rental cars (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- High annual fee
- Many statement credit offers are complicated and are earned in increments or limited to specific purchases
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
- With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection®, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club® visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight (subject to visit limitations), Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges.* As of 07/2025.
- $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
- $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
- $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel® using the Platinum Card®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® to make eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. Plus, with Platinum Nights by Resy, you can get special access to reservations on select nights at participating in demand Resy restaurants with the Platinum Card®. Simply add your eligible Card to your Resy profile to book and discover Platinum Nights reservations near you.
- $209 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your Platinum Card®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- Start your vacation sooner, and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts® through American Express Travel®, enjoy noon check-in, when available, and guaranteed 4PM check-out.
- $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Receive a statement credit* for one monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) after you pay for Walmart+ each month with the Platinum Card®.* Up to $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups not eligible.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- $895 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a no-annual-fee cash-back business card that's especially rewarding at office supply stores and gas stations.
- Valuable welcome bonus
- Intro APR for purchases
- No annual fee
- Bonus spending categories have annual limits
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $750 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening
- Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
- Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases on dining and gas each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- No Annual Fee
- Complimentary three-month lnstacart+ membership.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Earn 5% total cash back on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card is a flat-rate cash-back card with a strong intro-APR offer for purchases.
- Intro APR for purchases
- Valuable welcome bonus
- No annual fee
- You can't transfer rewards to travel partners without pairing it with another Chase card
- Has a foreign transaction fee
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
- No Annual Fee
- Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
- Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
- Earn 5% total cash back on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
Bottom line
A sign-up bonus from a credit card is a great way to get a non-taxable rebate on your spending. However, it can sometimes be overwhelming to try and hit the welcome bonus spending threshold. But with some planning, and maybe a bit of help from friends and family, you can quickly earn your bonus without accruing credit card debt.
Read more
Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.
For rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, click here.
