How we make money: This page has no affiliate, referral, or paid links. We earn nothing if you open, keep, or cancel any card mentioned here. If we ever add a paid link, it will be labeled "Paid link" right next to it, and this box will change. Card terms change often, so check the issuer's site before you book or spend. Not every card or credit on the market is covered here.

Independent site: PointFam is an independent site for families who use cards and points for travel. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or any branch of the U.S. military. None of these cards is an "official" military card. Views are the author's own.

Not advice: Nothing on this page is legal, tax, or financial advice. Credit terms, enrollment rules, and end dates are set by each issuer and can change without notice. Check your own account before you rely on any date below.

Last verified: October 5, 2026. Every credit amount and end date below links to the issuer page we checked that day.

If your family holds the Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Hilton Honors Aspire, part of the value you pay for (or that fee relief covers) resets on December 31. Some resets every year. One does not: the Reserve's up to $250 select Chase Travel hotels credit is listed by Chase only through 12/31/26 (Chase Sapphire Reserve page). Chase's page shows no 2027 version.

As of October 5, about 12 weeks remain in 2026. Start the big travel credits now.

Short version

  • Book first (hard sunset): the Reserve's up to $250 select Chase Travel hotels credit, listed only through 12/31/26. Needs a 2-night stay. Check your remaining balance before you book.
  • Book next (credits we use most years): the Platinum hotel credit (up to $300 per half) and the Aspire resort credit (up to $200 per half). Both need a real stay.
  • Also worth using in Q4: Platinum airline fee credit and Uber Cash (December includes a $20 bonus).
  • Not a Dec 31 item: the Reserve's $300 travel credit runs on your account anniversary. We use it most years on that schedule.
  • Optional stretch we skip most years: CLEAR+ and Global Entry / TSA PreCheck.
  • Print this page (or the tracker tables below) and give each card to one adult.

Below: calendar vs anniversary credits, a printable tracker, card-by-card lists, and a burn order that puts hard-deadline travel credits first. Applies to any family holding these cards; a short section later covers military households with fee relief.

Our household holds the Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Hilton Aspire, along with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Delta SkyMiles Reserve, and Citi Double Cash. This page covers the three cards with the heaviest December 31 calendars: Platinum, Reserve, and Aspire.

First: calendar year vs card anniversary (do not mix them up)

Not every credit dies on December 31. Sort into three piles, plus one exception, before you book.

Pile 1: calendar credits (same reset date for everyone):

  • Reserve dining: up to $300 per year, $150 for January to June and $150 for July to December, at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables on OpenTable (Chase Sapphire Reserve page).
  • Reserve StubHub: up to $300 per year, $150 from January 1 through June 30 and $150 from July 1 through December 31, through 12/31/27, activation required (Chase).
  • Reserve The Edit: up to $250 per prepaid booking, up to $500 per calendar year (January 1 through December 31), 2-night minimum (Chase).
  • Platinum hotel: up to $600 per year, $300 semi-annually (January to June and July to December), on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings (The Hotel Collection needs a 2-night minimum) (Amex Platinum page).
  • Aspire resort: up to $400 per year, $200 semi-annually (January to June and July to December), at participating Hilton Resorts (Hilton Aspire page).
  • The rest: Platinum calendar-year credits (airline fee, CLEAR+, Uber One, Oura, Equinox), quarterly credits (Resy, lululemon), and monthly credits, plus Aspire's quarterly flight credit and calendar-year CLEAR+ credit. All are in the tracker.

A note on Amex windows. Amex card pages say "semi-annually" and "quarterly," and mark airline, CLEAR+, Uber One, Oura, and Equinox "per calendar year." Official Amex terms name Platinum hotel halves as January to June and July to December , Aspire resort halves the same way , and Aspire flight quarters as January to March, April to June, July to September, and October to December . Platinum Resy and lululemon say "each quarter" without naming months; this page reads those as the same calendar quarters Amex defines for the Aspire flight credit . Confirm the window on your card's benefits screen.

Pile 2: anniversary-based (your own date):

  • Chase Sapphire Reserve travel credit: up to $300 each account anniversary year (Chase Sapphire Reserve page). It does not reset on December 31 unless your anniversary falls then. Opened in March? Your window runs to your March anniversary. Skip the December rush on this one.

Pile 3: longer cycles and one-time items (not a Dec 31 problem):

  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credits on the Platinum (Global Entry $120 every 4 years, or TSA PreCheck up to $85 for a 5-year membership) (Amex Platinum page) and the Reserve (up to $120 every four years) (Chase).
  • Reserve promos with 2027 end dates: Apple TV and Apple Music activation by 6/22/27, DashPass activation by 12/31/27 and DoorDash promos through 12/31/27, Lyft through 9/30/27, Peloton through 12/31/27.

The one exception: the Reserve's up to $250 select Chase Travel hotels credit is neither a calendar reset nor an anniversary reset. Chase lists it through 12/31/26 (Chase Sapphire Reserve page). Treat it as a hard sunset.

Printable Dec 31 tracker

Print it, put it on the fridge, and give each card to one adult. Fill in "Amount left" from each card's benefits screen (only your account shows what you have used).

Last verified: October 5, 2026. Sources: Amex Platinum page, Chase Sapphire Reserve page, Hilton Aspire page. Amex hotel and Aspire resort halves, and Aspire flight quarters, are named in official terms ; Platinum Resy/lululemon quarters follow Amex's calendar-quarter definition . Confirm in your account.

1. Hard sunset: gone after 12/31/26 (RED)

Card Credit Amount left Reset type Hard end date Used?
Sapphire Reserve Select Chase Travel hotels credit, up to $250, 2-night minimum (IHG, Montage, Pendry, Omni, Virgin, Minor, Pan Pacific) $______ One-time promo, no 2027 version listed Dec 31, 2026 ☐

2. Quarterly: Q4 window ends Dec 31 (RED)

Card Credit Amount left Reset type Hard end date Used?
Amex Platinum Resy, up to $100 this quarter (enrollment required) $______ Quarterly Dec 31, 2026 ☐
Amex Platinum lululemon, up to $75 this quarter (enrollment required) $______ Quarterly Dec 31, 2026 ☐
Hilton Aspire Flight credit, up to $50 this quarter $______ Quarterly Dec 31, 2026 ☐

3. Semi-annual: second half ends Dec 31 (RED)

Card Credit Amount left Reset type Hard end date Used?
Amex Platinum Hotel credit, up to $300 this half (prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection; THC 2-night minimum) $______ Semi-annual (Jan to Jun, Jul to Dec) Dec 31, 2026 ☐
Hilton Aspire Resort credit, up to $200 this half (participating Hilton Resorts) $______ Semi-annual (Jan to Jun, Jul to Dec) Dec 31, 2026 ☐
Sapphire Reserve Dining credit, up to $150 for Jul to Dec (Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables on OpenTable) $______ Semi-annual (Jan to Jun, Jul to Dec) Dec 31, 2026 ☐
Sapphire Reserve StubHub credit, up to $150 this half-year (activation required) $______ Semi-annual (Jan 1 to Jun 30, Jul 1 to Dec 31) Dec 31, 2026 for this half; program runs through 12/31/27 ☐

4. Calendar year: resets Jan 1 (RED)

Card Credit Amount left Reset type Hard end date Used?
Sapphire Reserve The Edit, up to $250 per prepaid booking, up to $500 per calendar year, 2-night minimum $______ Calendar year Dec 31, 2026 ☐
Amex Platinum Airline fee credit, up to $200, one selected airline, incidental fees $______ Calendar year Dec 31, 2026 ☐
Amex Platinum CLEAR+ credit, up to $219 $______ Calendar year Dec 31, 2026 ☐
Amex Platinum Uber One credit, up to $120 (auto-renewing membership) $______ Calendar year Dec 31, 2026 ☐
Amex Platinum Oura credit, up to $200 (enrollment required) $______ Calendar year Dec 31, 2026 ☐
Amex Platinum Equinox credit, up to $300 (enrollment required) $______ Calendar year Dec 31, 2026 ☐
Hilton Aspire CLEAR+ credit, up to $219 $______ Calendar year Dec 31, 2026 ☐

5. Monthly: December is the last 2026 month (RED)

Card Credit Amount left Reset type Hard end date Used?
Amex Platinum Uber Cash, $15 per month plus a $20 bonus in December (U.S. only) $______ Monthly Dec 31, 2026 (December amount) ☐
Amex Platinum Digital entertainment, up to $25 per month (enrollment required) $______ Monthly Dec 31, 2026 (December amount) ☐
Amex Platinum Walmart+, up to $12.95 per month plus tax $______ Monthly Dec 31, 2026 (December amount) ☐
Sapphire Reserve Lyft, $10 per month $______ Monthly December amount; program through 9/30/27 ☐
Sapphire Reserve Peloton, $10 per month (activation required) $______ Monthly December amount; program through 12/31/27 ☐
Sapphire Reserve DoorDash promos, up to $25 per month $______ Monthly December amount; program through 12/31/27 ☐

6. Promos that end in 2027 (AMBER)

Card Credit Amount left Reset type Hard end date Used?
Sapphire Reserve Apple TV and Apple Music, complimentary (at least 12 months from activation) n/a Activate once Activate by Jun 22, 2027 ☐
Sapphire Reserve DashPass membership n/a Activate once Activate by Dec 31, 2027 ☐
Sapphire Reserve StubHub program (half-year credits above) n/a Program end Dec 31, 2027 ☐
Sapphire Reserve Lyft program ($120 per year) n/a Program end Sep 30, 2027 ☐
Sapphire Reserve Peloton program ($120 per year) n/a Program end Dec 31, 2027 ☐
Sapphire Reserve IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status n/a Status end Dec 31, 2027 ☐

7. Anniversary-based or no Dec 31 deadline (GRAY)

Card Credit Amount left Reset type Hard end date Used?
Sapphire Reserve Travel credit, up to $300 $______ Account anniversary year Your anniversary: ________ ☐
Sapphire Reserve Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS, up to $120 n/a Every four years Not Dec 31 ☐
Amex Platinum Global Entry $120 every 4 years, or TSA PreCheck up to $85 n/a Every 4 years (GE) Not Dec 31 ☐
Hilton Aspire Waldorf Astoria and Conrad property credit, up to $100, 2-night minimum, Aspire Card Benefit rate n/a Per eligible stay Not Dec 31 ☐
Hilton Aspire Annual Free Night Reward (expires one year from issuance; stay must be completed by the expiration date) n/a Annual certificate See certificate (1 year from issue) ☐

Use or print the tracker tables on this page.

American Express Platinum: what expires by Dec 31

Amex lists a $895 annual fee for the Basic Card (Amex Platinum page).

Step one: enroll. Several credits say "Enrollment required" (Amex). Enroll on the benefits screen before you spend. For the airline fee credit, charges made before you select the airline are not eligible (Amex). For other enrollment-required credits, assume a purchase before enrollment does not count unless that credit's terms say otherwise (not confirmed by the issuer for non-airline credits; call to confirm).

Hotel credit, up to $300 for this half. Up to $600 per year, $300 semi-annually (January to June and July to December), on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings. The Hotel Collection requires a 2-night minimum (Amex Platinum page). Usually the largest unused Platinum item in Q4. Amex counts the prepaid booking's processing date, not the stay date: you do not need to finish the stay by December 31 for the second-half credit if the booking is processed before December 31, 11:59 PM Central Time (Amex hotel credit FAQ; how to use the hotel credit). Enrollment is not required.

Quarterly (Q4):

  • Resy: up to $400 per year, $100 quarterly, enrollment required (Amex).
  • lululemon: up to $300 per year, $75 quarterly, enrollment required (Amex). Useful if someone already shops there; a stretch if not.

If your household has two primary Platinum accounts. Statement credits such as Resy, hotel, CLEAR+, digital entertainment, airline fee, Uber One, Oura, and lululemon are capped per Card Account. Additional and Companion cards share that one account's caps; they do not create a second set (Amex Platinum). Two separate primary Platinum accounts each get their own caps, so for Q4 you track each account separately (for example, lululemon up to $75 this quarter on each primary, with enrollment on each). We do not use the lululemon credit most years; it is only the clearest per-account example. An MLA-eligible spouse who opens their own primary while the member is on active duty may get MLA relief on that account, with no enrollment required; Amex's FAQ does not say the fee is $0, and the law does not require a zero fee (Amex FAQ). This is ordinary household setup, not a hack. Whether Amex limits benefits across two household primaries, or whether Additional or Companion fees get MLA relief, is not confirmed on the issuer's site, so call to confirm.

Calendar-year still open:

  • Airline fee credit: up to $200 per calendar year, one selected airline, incidental fees (Amex). Amex lists examples such as checked bags, in-flight refreshments, and flight-change fees; tickets and upgrades are not incidental. Charges before airline selection are not eligible.
  • CLEAR+: up to $219 per calendar year (Amex). Optional stretch for us: we skip CLEAR+ most years. If you already pay for it, confirm the credit posted.
  • Uber One: up to $120 per calendar year for an auto-renewing membership (Amex).
  • Oura: up to $200 per calendar year, enrollment required (Amex).
  • Equinox: up to $300 per calendar year, enrollment required (Amex).

Oura and Equinox are "only if you would buy it anyway." Do not buy a ring or gym membership just because a credit exists.

Monthly (cannot bank unused months; December is the last 2026 month):

  • Uber Cash: up to $200 per year, $15 monthly plus a $20 bonus in December, U.S. only (Amex). December is the biggest Uber month.
  • Digital entertainment: up to $300 per year, $25 monthly, enrollment required (Amex).
  • Walmart+: up to $155 per year, up to $12.95 monthly plus tax (Amex).

Missed months cannot be made up.

What we use most years on the Platinum: the airline fee credit, the hotel credit, and Uber Cash. Check those three first in Q4.

Optional stretch (we skip most years): CLEAR+ and the Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit. We do not regularly use either. Oura and Equinox stay in the "only if you would buy it anyway" bucket for us too.

Chase Sapphire Reserve: what expires by Dec 31

Chase lists the annual fee at $795 (Chase Sapphire Reserve page).

Hard sunset: select Chase Travel hotels credit, up to $250, through 12/31/26. For select hotels booked through Chase Travel: IHG, Montage, Pendry, Omni, Virgin, Minor, and Pan Pacific, with a 2-night minimum (Chase Sapphire Reserve page). No calendar or anniversary reset listed, and as the page reads today, nothing replaces it after 2026.

  • 2-night minimum. A long holiday weekend or two nights near family fits.
  • Purchase date, not stay date. The credit must be available when you make the prepaid "Pay Now" purchase. Qualifying purchases must be made through Chase Travel from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 (Chase). A stay that finishes after December 31 can still qualify if you prepaid in 2026 while the credit was available. Confirm terms in your Chase account before you book.

Dining, up to $150 for July to December. Up to $300 per year: $150 January to June and $150 July to December, at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables on OpenTable (Chase). Book early; December fills up.

StubHub, up to $150 for this half-year. Up to $300 per year, $150 from January 1 through June 30 and $150 from July 1 through December 31, through 12/31/27, activation required (Chase). Activate first. Use it only for tickets you were buying anyway.

The Edit, up to $500 per calendar year. Up to $250 per prepaid booking and up to $500 per calendar year (January 1 through December 31), 2-night minimum on prepaid "Pay Now" stays (Chase). Using all of it from zero means two separate prepaid bookings of at least two nights each. Pick what matches a trip you are already taking.

Does not expire Dec 31:

  • $300 travel credit: account anniversary year, not the calendar (Chase).
  • StubHub through 12/31/27 (Chase).
  • Lyft: $10 monthly ($120 per year) through 9/30/27 (Chase).
  • Peloton: $10 monthly ($120 per year) through 12/31/27, activation required (Chase).
  • DashPass if activated by 12/31/27, plus up to $25 per month in DoorDash promos through 12/31/27 (Chase).
  • Apple TV and Apple Music: complimentary, activate by 6/22/27, at least 12 months from activation (Chase).
  • IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status through 12/31/27 (Chase).

Lyft, Peloton, and DoorDash still lose value each month you skip, but none has a 2026 cliff.

$75,000 spend benefits. Chase lists benefits unlocked by spending $75,000 in a calendar year, including Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond Elite, Southwest A-List, a $250 The Shops at Chase credit, and a $500 Southwest Chase Travel credit (Chase). Spend is per calendar year. If you are not already close, do not shift spending to chase it in December.

Check your Chase benefits screen for how much of the $250 is left. Book only if a 2-night stay at a listed brand fits a trip you are already taking.

Hilton Aspire: what expires by Dec 31

Amex lists the annual fee at $550, with no annual fee for Additional Cards (Hilton Aspire page).

Resort credit, up to $200 for this half. Up to $400 per year, $200 semi-annually (January to June and July to December), at participating Hilton Resorts (Hilton Aspire page). Confirm the property is on the participating list before you book. Eligible purchases are made directly with a participating Hilton Resort and charged to the Aspire Card; on-property incidentals must be charged to the room. Advance Purchase / Non-Refundable rates and Small Luxury Hotels of the World are not eligible (Hilton resort credit list).

Q4 flight credit, up to $50. Up to $200 per year, $50 each calendar quarter (October through December for Q4) (Aspire). Eligible: airfare for a scheduled flight purchased directly from an airline or through Amex Travel. Not eligible: charter flights, private jet flights, and flights that are part of vacation packages.

CLEAR+, up to $219 per calendar year. The Aspire has its own CLEAR+ credit (Aspire). Holding both Platinum and Aspire means two separate up-to-$219 credits, one per Card Account. Whether a second CLEAR+ membership for another household member can be paid on the second card is not spelled out beyond each account's own $219 cap (the issuer doesn't confirm how this splits across household members; call to confirm).

Free nights. Annual Free Night Reward, plus another after $30,000 in purchases and another after an additional $30,000 ($60,000 total) per calendar year (Aspire). Spend thresholds reset each calendar year. Each Free Night Reward expires one year from issuance and must be redeemed by then; Hilton also requires that you complete the stay by the expiration date (Hilton Free Night Reward terms). Look up each certificate date in your Hilton account. Not a December 31 calendar reset (gray tracker table).

Not a Dec 31 item: up to $100 Waldorf Astoria and Conrad property credit (2-night minimum, Aspire Card Benefit rate) per eligible stay (Aspire). Diamond status is a status benefit, not a credit (Aspire).

We hold the Aspire and use the resort credit most years. With kids, confirm the property is on the participating Hilton Resorts list, book a stay that fits your calendar, and charge eligible on-property spend to the room with the Aspire. Skip it if the only way to use it is a trip you would not otherwise take.

Busy-family burn order (this week / this month)

Travel credits with hard deadlines go first (booking, open dates, often a 2-night minimum). Lifestyle credits go last, and only if you would spend the money anyway.

This week: lock in the hotel credits

  1. Reserve: up to $250 select Chase Travel hotels credit (hard sunset 12/31/26). Pick a 2-night stay at one of the listed brands. It is the only credit on this page that Chase does not list again after 2026 (Chase).
  2. Platinum: second-half hotel credit, up to $300. One prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection booking (THC needs 2 nights) (Amex).
  3. Aspire: second-half resort credit, up to $200. Confirm the property is a participating Hilton Resort (Aspire).
  4. Reserve: The Edit, up to $500 per calendar year. Only if it fits a trip you are already taking (Chase).

Can one trip cover two credits? Possibly. A holiday trip with two hotel stays, each on a different card, can cover two of these. Do not stack so many stays that the trip stops being fun for the kids. For the Amex Platinum hotel credit, the processing date of the prepaid booking controls the half, and the stay need not finish by December 31 . For Chase The Edit and the select Chase Travel hotels credit, the prepaid "Pay Now" purchase date controls . Read each set of terms before you book.

This month: travel extras and dining

  1. Aspire: Q4 flight credit, up to $50. Easy if anyone is flying (Aspire).
  2. Platinum: airline fee credit, up to $200 per calendar year. Checked-bag fees and other listed incidental fees on holiday flights with your selected airline (Amex).
  3. Reserve: second-half dining credit, up to $150. Book an Exclusive Tables reservation now, before December fills up (Chase).
  4. Platinum: Q4 Resy credit, up to $100. Same idea (Amex).

By mid-December: lifestyle credits (optional stretch)

  1. Reserve: second-half StubHub, up to $150. A family outing you would have bought tickets for anyway (Chase).
  2. Platinum: Q4 lululemon, up to $75. Holiday gifts, if someone already shops there (Amex).
  3. Platinum: Oura, up to $200, and Equinox, up to $300. Skip both unless they are already on your list (Amex).
  4. Monthly credits (Uber Cash, digital entertainment, Walmart+, Lyft, Peloton, DoorDash). Set them up once so they run on autopilot. Do not chase missed months.

Ignore for now

  • Reserve $300 travel credit, unless your account anniversary is in the next few weeks. We use this credit most years on its anniversary schedule; it is not a December 31 rush item.
  • Global Entry and TSA PreCheck credits, which run on 4-year or 5-year cycles. Optional stretch for us: we skip them most years.
  • 2027 promo deadlines (Apple activation by 6/22/27, Lyft through 9/30/27, others through 12/31/27). Put a reminder on next fall's calendar.

One rule that keeps this sane: assign each card to one adult. That person checks the benefits screen on the first of each month, fills in the tracker, and books the hotel credits. Two adults half-tracking three cards is how credits get missed.

What we prioritize in our own burn order: Platinum hotel credit, Aspire resort credit, Platinum airline fee credit, Uber Cash, and the Reserve travel credit (on its anniversary schedule, not December 31). For the Reserve's $250 select hotels hard sunset, book only if a real 2-night trip fits. What we skip most years: CLEAR+ and Global Entry / TSA PreCheck. Lifestyle credits we would not buy anyway stay optional stretch.

Military households with fee relief

For military households, Amex applies MLA relief to eligible accounts at account opening, with no enrollment required (Amex SCRA and MLA FAQ). What matters for Q4:

  • Fee relief is issuer policy, not a legal right to a $0 fee. The Military Lending Act caps the Military Annual Percentage Rate at 36%, but lets issuers leave bona fide, reasonable card fees out of that cap (32 CFR 232.4(d)). Amex's FAQ says fees are not charged while an account is eligible for relief, and it does not literally say "$0" (Amex FAQ).
  • The Aspire is not confirmed to get the same treatment as the Platinum. Amex's FAQ covers consumer accounts in general, and there is no Aspire-specific military page (not confirmed on the issuer's site). Confirm with Amex's military line at 1-866-391-1460 (Amex FAQ).
  • Chase has no public fee-waiver statement. Chase's SCRA page does not mention an MLA annual fee waiver; the waiver is reported only by third parties, not on an official issuer page (Chase SCRA page; Military Money Manual).
  • With no fee to "earn back," skip freely. When the fee is not being charged, there is no break-even to chase. Use hotel credits that fit real family trips and let lifestyle credits go without guilt.
  • Relief can end. Amex sends a letter at least 45 days before relief ends, then resumes charging applicable fees (Amex FAQ). If that letter has arrived, the math on these credits changes.

Confirm your own relief status in your issuer account or Card Member Agreement. This page does not assume every reader has fee relief.

Related reading

FAQ

Does the Sapphire Reserve $300 travel credit expire on December 31? No, unless your account anniversary falls then. Chase lists it as up to $300 each account anniversary year (Chase Sapphire Reserve page). Write your anniversary on the tracker.

Is the Reserve's $250 select hotels credit coming back in 2027? Chase's page lists it through 12/31/26 (Chase). We have not seen a 2027 version. Plan as if it ends.

Do unused credits roll over? Plan as if they do not. Each issuer page describes credits as up to a set amount per month, quarter, half-year, or year (Amex Platinum; Chase Sapphire Reserve; Hilton Aspire). For some monthly credits, unused amounts are forfeited at month end (Amex Uber Cash; Chase Lyft and DoorDash monthly promos) . We have not found a single official "no rollover" sentence that covers every quarterly, semi-annual, and annual credit.

Do I have to enroll before I spend? For several Platinum credits, yes: Amex marks them "Enrollment required" (Amex). On the Reserve, StubHub and Peloton need activation (Chase). Enroll or activate first. For the airline fee credit, charges before airline selection are not eligible . For other enrollment-required credits, treat a pre-enrollment charge as unsafe unless that credit's terms say otherwise (not confirmed by the issuer for non-airline credits; call to confirm).

Does a hotel credit count when I book or when I stay? It depends on the card. For the Amex Platinum hotel credit, Amex uses the prepaid booking's processing date; you do not need to finish the stay by the period end (Amex hotel credit FAQ). For Chase The Edit and the select Chase Travel hotels credit, the credit must be available at the time of the prepaid "Pay Now" purchase (Chase). Read each credit's terms before you book.

Can my spouse or partner use these credits on their card? Additional Platinum Cards are $195 each and Companion Platinum Cards are $0 (Amex Platinum page); Reserve authorized users are $195 (Chase); Aspire Additional Cards have no annual fee (Aspire). Eligible Additional Card spend counts toward several credits we checked (Platinum hotel; Aspire resort and flight) . On the Platinum, Additional and Companion Cards do not get their own separate set of credits; any eligible add-on spend counts toward the main account's caps (Amex Platinum page). We have not verified every credit on every add-on (not confirmed for the credits we didn't check; call to confirm). Check each credit's terms.

If I plan to cancel a card, should I use the credits first? That is a personal decision, and this is not advice. Amex says the annual membership fee is nonrefundable 30 days after it is billed (this does not apply to Massachusetts residents) (Amex FAQ). Check your Card Member Agreement before that window closes.

If I am on active duty, does the law make my annual fee $0? No. The MLA caps the Military Annual Percentage Rate at 36%, but issuers may leave bona fide, reasonable card fees out of that cap. The rule's own example says "a $400 fee nevertheless may be reasonable" (32 CFR 232.4(d); 10 U.S.C. 987). Fee waivers are issuer policy.

When will this page be updated? We check every number against the issuer pages before each update and show the date at the top. We plan to refresh this page every fall before Q4.

Sources

All checked October 5, 2026. Official sources first, then secondary sources we flag in the text.

Official (issuers)

Official (law and government)

Secondary (flagged in text)