how to artificially boost your credit card spending

Hi all,

Card such as the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card offer a bonus of 20,000 points if you spend £2,000 in your first three months of card membership.

Assume you don't have an average spending of £666.67 per month on credit card, or the majority of your spending cannot be done on American Express.

Is there a 'smart' (read: MoneySavingExpert tactic) of boosting spending on the American Express to be able to spend more on the American Express card, without actually spending more? The only example that I could think of is buying enough gift cards using the American Express the day before the time frame closes to boost the cumulative balance to £2,000 (obviously pay the balance in full at the end of each month). Buy gift cards for firms that the cardholder shops at regularly, for example, supermarkets or similar. In this case, the more mundane, the better (think utility companies, council tax, mortgages, if that's even possible?).

Thank you!
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Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 35,242
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    Most of your examples can't usually be paid by card.

    Giftcards would work, assuming you actually want them.
  • chattychappy
    chattychappy Posts: 7,302 Forumite
    Depending on your job, can you put expenses/buy stuff for your company?
  • Depending on your job, can you put expenses/buy stuff for your company?

    that's a good idea! Don't think I can, but would need to check that, actually.
  • Hello,

    I came here wondering the same thing as I'll be falling just short of the spend to get my welcome bonus on my new Amex.

    After reading your post, I thought buying a gift card would be too simple so I checked the T&C's....it probably is.

    It says you don't get any points for purchases of "loading of prepaid cards." I checked online for clarification of this, and a lot of the examples given were cards where you just load straight money (MC gift cards, etc).

    I was planning on just buying one for groceries, which wold be a gift card instead of a cash card, but I'm thinking it won't work.

    If anybody here could confirm this, I would be very grateful.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 35,242
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    A gift card will work.
  • SXA
    SXA Posts: 8 Forumite
    I pay off my council tax bill about £2200 a year and then pay it £200 a month.. it cost me 3% APR but that's for extending balance for another 12 months. so im not getting charged the normal 18.9% APR

    I know not what your talking about but maybe good for some people.
  • zerog
    zerog Posts: 2,478 Forumite
    If you have trouble meeting the spend, then apply for the card shortly before you will make a big purchase.

    I don't spend £666 a month on my regular expenses, but every time I apply for an Amex I just put a few flight tickets on it and that settles the £2k or whatever for the welcome bonus.
  • chattychappy
    chattychappy Posts: 7,302 Forumite
    How about making a large pre-payment against a mobile phone bill? I used to do this with my contract phone. I'd generally get a month behind with the bill, phone them up and pay a few hundred on my credit card (there was a limit). That would generally keep it going for the next 2 or 3 months.

    There maybe other bills you can overpay too.
  • pochisoldi
    pochisoldi Posts: 260
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    Hello,

    I came here wondering the same thing as I'll be falling just short of the spend to get my welcome bonus on my new Amex.

    After reading your post, I thought buying a gift card would be too simple so I checked the T&C's....it probably is.

    It says you don't get any points for purchases of "loading of prepaid cards." I checked online for clarification of this, and a lot of the examples given were cards where you just load straight money (MC gift cards, etc).

    I was planning on just buying one for groceries, which wold be a gift card instead of a cash card, but I'm thinking it won't work.

    If anybody here could confirm this, I would be very grateful.

    When you are in store, there is no way that Amex or any other card provider can distinguish between a transaction for £100 of Tesco groceries and one which sticks £100 on a gift card...
  • spadoosh
    spadoosh Posts: 8,732
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    Probably in the terms and conditions but id be looking at having a splurge at the online apple store on the last day of the offer. Once its arrived and beyond the offer date request a refund. All about the timing though and if amex systems will pick up whats blatantly something used to take advantage.
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