Why spend targets matter
Amex welcome bonuses are some of the most valuable sign-up offers in the UK. The Amex Gold Business gives you 20,000 Membership Rewards points for spending £3,000 in 90 days. The Amex Platinum Business offers 40,000 points for £10,000 in 90 days. The BA Amex Accelerating hands you 30,000 Avios for £5,000 in 90 days.
These bonuses are worth hundreds of pounds in travel or cashback. Missing the target by even £1 means you get nothing.
The maths: are they worth chasing?
Membership Rewards points transfer to Avios at 1:1. A domestic return flight on BA costs around 18,000 Avios. So the Gold Business welcome bonus alone is worth more than a return flight — for spending money you were already going to spend.
Even if you value points conservatively at 1p each:
- Gold Business: £200 in value for £3,000 spend (6.7% return)
- Platinum Business: £400 in value for £10,000 spend (4% return)
- BA Accelerating: £300 in value for £5,000 spend (6% return)
That's on top of the ongoing earn rate. The welcome bonus is effectively free money if you can hit the target with natural spend.
Strategy 1: Bill pay services
This is the most powerful tool. Bill payment services let you put any invoice on your credit card, even when the supplier only accepts bank transfer.
Rent, contractors, stock payments, utility bills, HMRC — all of it can go through your Amex. A service like Incredible charges around 1.5-2.5% per transaction. On a £3,000 spend target, that's £45-75 in fees to unlock a welcome bonus worth £200+.
The maths works overwhelmingly in your favour.
See our guide to paying invoices with a credit card for a full walkthrough.
Strategy 2: Prepay expenses you'd pay anyway
Look 90 days ahead. What's coming up?
- Annual software subscriptions — pay annually instead of monthly
- Insurance premiums — business insurance, professional indemnity
- Stock and inventory — bring forward your next order
- Office supplies — bulk buy consumables
- Professional memberships — accounting bodies, trade associations
None of this is manufactured spend. You're just pulling forward payments you'd make anyway.
Strategy 3: Time your application
Don't apply for an Amex card in a quiet month. Look at your calendar and pick a 90-day window where you'll naturally have high spend. VAT quarter? Big stock order? Annual renewals? That's your window.
If you run an e-commerce business, apply before your busiest stock purchasing period. If you're a consultant, apply when a big project fee is due.
Strategy 4: Stack with HMRC payments
HMRC accepts corporate credit card payments for self-assessment, VAT, and corporation tax. There's a small fee (set by the card issuer's bank, not HMRC), but it's another way to convert a large, unavoidable payment into card spend.
Alternatively, use a bill pay service to pay HMRC via your Amex — same principle, predictable fee.
Which Amex targets are actually worth hitting?
Not all welcome bonuses justify extra effort:
| Card | Target | Bonus | Worth it? | |------|--------|-------|-----------| | Gold Business | £3,000 in 90 days | 20,000 MR points | Yes — low target, high value | | Platinum Business | £10,000 in 90 days | 40,000 MR points | Yes if you spend £3k+/month naturally | | BA Accelerating | £5,000 in 90 days | 30,000 Avios | Yes — best Avios welcome offer | | Basic Business | None | None | No target to hit |
Getting started
- Pick the Amex card that matches your spending level
- Time your application to a high-spend quarter
- Sign up for a bill pay service
- Route your largest invoices through the card in the first 90 days
- Track your spend in the Amex app — it shows progress toward the target
The welcome bonus is the single biggest value you'll get from any credit card. Don't leave it on the table.