{"id":136029,"date":"2026-02-19T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milesopedia.com\/news\/tips-for-unlocking-welcome-bonuses\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T13:51:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T18:51:01","slug":"tips-unlock-bonus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milesopedia.com\/en\/guides\/strategies\/tips-unlock-bonus\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlock a Credit Card Bonus: Best Tips for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Tip to Unlock a Bonus” css=”” el_id=”tip_to_unlock_a_bonus”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Frequently, various questions came up in our facebook group<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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Can you help me identify expenses to unlock subscription bonuses?<\/p>\n

How can you charge $1,500 to an American Express card in 3 months?<\/p>\n

Is it possible to pay Hydro Quebec with a credit card?<\/p>\n

How do I pay my municipal taxes<\/a> with a credit card?<\/p>\n

How can I pay my taxes<\/a> with a credit card?<\/p>\n

How can I pay my rent<\/a> with a credit card?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Members have shared their tips and tricks to more easily reach the spending thresholds for welcome bonuses, which can be as high as $7,000 in 3 months! Here are most of them here, but first, a common-sense reminder:<\/p>\n

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Don’t spend more than<\/strong> you can afford! There’s no point putting a lot of charges on your credit card to unlock bonuses…if you can’t pay it off every month! All the benefit will be lost due to interest paid\u2026 and points lost on your credit file<\/a>!<\/p>\n

[\/vc_message][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Unlock a Bonus – Buying Gift Cards” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” css=”” el_id=”unlock_a_bonus_-_buying_gift_cards”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

There are dozens of gift cards for a multitude of businesses, and members of our Facebook group are big fans<\/a>! However, you still need to know how to use them wisely.<\/p>\n

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A good points and miles hunter is generally someone who keeps a close eye on their budget<\/a> and is able to forecast their spending over the coming months<\/strong>. In this specific case, gift cards are valuable allies for quickly unlocking welcome bonuses. Additionally, you can earn a lot of points when buying<\/a> them!<\/p>\n

Here, for example, is a typical budget for the coming month:<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
TYPE <\/strong><\/td>\nGIFT CARD EXAMPLES <\/strong><\/td>\nAMOUNT<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Gas <\/strong><\/td>\nEsso, Petro-Canada, Shell…<\/td>\n$150<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grocery<\/td>\nMetro, Super C, IGA, Provigo…<\/td>\n$500<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Alcohol <\/strong><\/td>\nSAQ<\/td>\n$100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pharmacy <\/strong><\/td>\nJean Coutu, Shoppers Drug Mart, Familiprix…<\/td>\n$100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Various Subscriptions <\/strong><\/td>\nNetflix, Apple, Android…<\/td>\n$75<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Online Shopping <\/strong><\/td>\nAmazon<\/td>\n$200<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shopping <\/strong><\/td>\nGap\/Old Navy\/Banana Republic, La Vie en Rose, American Eagle, Sail, Simons, Sports Experts…<\/td>\n$150<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Home Improvement <\/strong><\/td>\nHome Depot, Canadian Tire, Home Hardware…<\/td>\n$100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Everyday Life <\/strong><\/td>\nStarbucks, Tim Hortons, McDonald\u2019s, St-Hubert, The Keg<\/td>\n$50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Culture <\/strong><\/td>\nRenaud-Bray, Archambault, Cineplex<\/td>\n$75<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TOTAL <\/strong><\/td>\n$1,500<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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By planning your expenses for the next 2-3 months \u2013 and having the cash flow to \u201cadvance funds\u201d via gift cards \u2013 it is possible to unlock bonuses more easily. This can also come in handy a few weeks before the deadline to unlock the bonus if you see that the 3 months won’t be enough!<\/p>\n

[\/vc_message][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Unlock a Bonus – Car and Home Insurance with a Credit Card” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” css=”” el_id=”unlock_a_bonus_-_car_and_home_insurance_with_a_credit_card”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Most insurance companies allow you to pay for car and\/or home insurance in one go using a credit card (Mastercard\/Visa<\/strong> for most).<\/p>\n

Certainly, you will need to have the money available immediately to cover this expense, but if you do, it’s an easy welcome bonus to obtain!<\/p>\n

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And the big advantage: it’s an easily predictable expense<\/strong>, depending on the expiry date of your contracts! You can then sign up for a credit card in advance.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Unlock a Bonus – Advance Medical Expenses” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” css=”” el_id=”unlock_a_bonus_-_advance_medical_expenses”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Do you have group or individual insurance? This allows you to pay only the deductible to the medical provider? Charge the entire expense to your credit card.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This way, it’s not the provider (like your dentist<\/a>) who receives your insurance payment… it’s you! And this will have allowed you to put the expense on your credit card<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Unlock a Bonus – Prepay Certain Services” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” css=”” el_id=”unlock_a_bonus_-_prepay_certain_services”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

If you have money in your account, prepay your monthly expenses for certain services:<\/p>\n