Do Balance Transfers and Cash Advances Count Toward Minimum Spend?
Welcome bonuses are triggered by qualifying purchases, and issuers deliberately carve out balance transfers, cash advances, convenience checks, and fees from that definition. These transactions move or borrow money rather than buying something, so they neither count toward the threshold nor earn points. Knowing what qualifies keeps you from missing a bonus you assumed was in the bag.
Why these transactions are excluded
Issuers separate purchases from cash-like transactions in their systems. A balance transfer and a cash advance are both forms of borrowing, and the bank never wants to pay a rich sign-up bonus on money it is lending you. That is the same reason these transactions earn no points, which we detail in do balance transfers and cash advances earn rewards. For minimum-spend purposes, treat them as invisible: they simply do not register.
If you want the full picture on how these work and what they cost, see balance transfers explained and credit card cash advances before you assume either one helps your cause.
What actually counts toward the bonus
Qualifying spend is retail purchases, the everyday charges you make buying goods and services. Groceries, dining, gas, subscriptions, and bills paid with the card all count. Fees generally do not, and neither do gift-card-to-cash schemes the issuer flags as cash equivalents. For a clean plan to reach the threshold with normal spending, read how to meet minimum spend.
Because only purchases count, the safest route is routing bills and everyday spending you already have onto the new card. Our best flat-rate credit cards guide shows cards that reward every dollar, which makes clearing a threshold painless.
The real cost of using them anyway
Even setting the bonus aside, cash advances and balance transfers are expensive. Cash advances typically charge a fee of around 5 percent and start accruing interest immediately with no grace period. Balance transfers charge a transfer fee and, once any promotional window ends, revert to full interest. Using either to chase a bonus is a losing trade.
If you are carrying a balance, the honest move is to pay it down, not to convert it into a bonus scheme it will never satisfy. Cardocrat values points at a flat cent and always assumes you pay in full, so the guidance is simple: hit the minimum spend with real purchases and keep cash-like transactions off the card entirely.
- Balance transfers do not count toward minimum spend and earn no rewards.
- Cash advances, ATM withdrawals, and convenience checks are also excluded.
- Most fees, including annual fees and interest, do not count toward the bonus.
- Only genuine purchases of goods and services qualify for the welcome bonus.
- Cash advances and balance transfers carry steep fees and interest, so avoid them for bonus purposes.
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