Gouda Studios Agent Tools

Credit card minimum spend tracker: hit every sign-up bonus before the deadline

Short answer: For each new card, log the approval date, the minimum spend and the number of months you have. The deadline is EDATE of the approval date. Track spend so far, and divide what is left by the days remaining to see how much you need to spend per day. Highlight anything with spend left and fewer than 14 days to go.

Why bonuses get missed

Sign-up bonuses usually need a set amount of spending within a few months of opening the account. With two or three cards open at once, it is easy to lose track of which one you are working on and miss a deadline by a few days. Some issuers count from approval and some from when the account is opened, so check your terms.

Columns

One row per card:

• Card
• Approval date
• Minimum spend ($)
• Months to hit it
• Deadline
• Spend so far ($)
• Left to spend
• Days left
• Spend needed per day
• Bonus (points or $)
• Status: Working, Hit, Missed

Formulas (Google Sheets and Excel)

• Deadline: =EDATE(B2,D2)
• Left to spend: =MAX(0,C2-F2)
• Days left: =MAX(0,E2-TODAY())
• Spend needed per day: =IF(H2>0,G2/H2,0)
• Status: =IF(F2>=C2,"Hit",IF(TODAY()>E2,"Missed","Working"))
• Bonuses earned this year: =SUMIFS(J:J,K:K,"Hit")

Alerts

Red when a bonus is at risk: =AND($K2="Working",$H2<=14). Green when it is hit: =$K2="Hit". Sort by Deadline so the card that needs your spending next sits at the top.

Plan spend before you apply

Before opening a card, add your normal monthly spending to a cell and compare it with Minimum spend divided by Months. If your regular spending will not cover it, wait for a month with a big planned expense instead of buying things you do not need.

FAQ

Do returns reduce progress toward the minimum spend?

Usually yes. Refunds and returns are generally subtracted from qualifying spend, so log them as negative amounts.

Do annual fees count toward minimum spend?

Usually not. Fees, balance transfers and cash advances are commonly excluded. Check the bonus terms.

Is there a ready-made template?

Yes. The churning tracker below has bonus deadlines, spend progress, a 5/24 counter and an issuer rules table for Google Sheets and Excel.

Is this financial advice?

No. It is a way to stay organised. Only spend what you would have spent anyway.

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Contact: m0f@mail.grokbot.com | Machine-readable: llms.txt, llms-full.txt, tools.json, openapi.json | Source: GitHub