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Please help me meet a minimum spend requirement

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Gunnar419
Valued Contributor

Please help me meet a minimum spend requirement

I got an Amex BCE for the grocery and gas benefits. Then I discovered that nobody in my remote area (except one gas station) takes Amex. Even the grocery stores in the nearest market town don't take it.

 

I need to spend $1k in the next 2-1/2 months to earn my sign-on bonus. The problem is that I'm about as far as a person can get from being a big spender. My income is pretty low and most of what I buy comes from thrift stores, garage sales, Craigslist, etc. I live a simple life and don't do any mall shopping, big travel, or entertainment.

 

My local utility companies won't take Amex. I have scheduled a couple of insurance payments and an ISP payment to go on the card. And I'll put a couple hundred dollars of gas on it, but that still won't meet the spend requirement.

 

Is there an honest way to meet the $1k spend requirement without buying things I don't need? Thank you.

Message 1 of 41
40 REPLIES 40
Simply827
Established Contributor

Re: Please help me meet a minimum spend requirement

Can you look for something you would typically buy and buy it online?


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Message 2 of 41
daybreakgonesXe
Valued Contributor

Re: Please help me meet a minimum spend requirement


@Gunnar419 wrote:

I got an Amex BCE for the grocery and gas benefits. Then I discovered that nobody in my remote area (except one gas station) takes Amex. Even the grocery stores in the nearest market town don't take it.

 

I need to spend $1k in the next 2-1/2 months to earn my sign-on bonus. The problem is that I'm about as far as a person can get from being a big spender. My income is pretty low and most of what I buy comes from thrift stores, garage sales, Craigslist, etc. I live a simple life and don't do any mall shopping, big travel, or entertainment.

 

My local utility companies won't take Amex. I have scheduled a couple of insurance payments and an ISP payment to go on the card. And I'll put a couple hundred dollars of gas on it, but that still won't meet the spend requirement.

 

Is there an honest way to meet the $1k spend requirement without buying things I don't need? Thank you.


Maybe try buying gift cards online for places that you know you will use and go to? My recommendation was going to be order things you've needed online, but it seems like buying from your local businesses and areas is more your style Smiley Happy

Message 3 of 41
ibmrad7
Established Contributor

Re: Please help me meet a minimum spend requirement

Buy Visa or Mastercard gift cards and use them. They are widely accepted. You would lose 3.95$ per 500$ Visa card that you buy

Message 4 of 41
Gunnar419
Valued Contributor

Re: Please help me meet a minimum spend requirement

Thank you, guys. I do shop online (Amazon and eBay, mostly). But my purchases there are still too small and infrequent to make much of a dent in that spend requirement and I'm not in the market for any big ticket items.

 

The gift card idea is interesting. I've never bought a gift card or any kind of pre-paid card. This is probably a dumb question, then. But can I buy a card for myself or buy a card and use it to put money in my checking account? And if I did, would that be honest? I don't want to violate any Amex terms or do anything else wrong.

Message 5 of 41
ibmrad7
Established Contributor

Re: Please help me meet a minimum spend requirement

I won't recommend transferring money to your checkings account, Thats against AMEX or I guess every CCC's policies. What you can do is pay your mortgage, rent or even  car payment using AMEX BlueBird.

It's against forum policies to post the loop holes but a simple google would return you 100 different ways of meeting Spend req. Another simple option is Amazon Payments.

Message 6 of 41
jritch
New Contributor

Re: Please help me meet a minimum spend requirement

Were you concerned with meeting the minimum spend when you applied for the card? Overextending yourself isn't worth any bonus, IMHO.


Message 7 of 41
Burned2manybridgesB4
Valued Contributor

Re: Please help me meet a minimum spend requirement

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but Amex got very smart in regards to people racking up MR's by doing the prepaid gimmick. You're putting yourself in jeopardy.....Smiley Surprised

Message 8 of 41
ibmrad7
Established Contributor

Re: Please help me meet a minimum spend requirement


@Burned2manybridgesB4 wrote:

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but Amex got very smart in regards to people racking up MR's by doing the prepaid gimmick. You're putting yourself in jeopardy.....Smiley Surprised


Not sure on this. Again I am not ENCOURAGING anyone to do it, YMMV, but for me it worked really well. Never had any transaction declined for GC's. Bluebird is their own product and they allow it to be refilled using Prepaid cards.. Dont abuse the system for sure.

Message 9 of 41
Burned2manybridgesB4
Valued Contributor

Re: Please help me meet a minimum spend requirement

Did I miss something?

Bluebird is a debit/check/prepaid card.... Isn't the OP talking about a real Amex card?

 

 

He Is!! He is!!

Blue cash everyday!!!

Message 10 of 41
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