Many Amex credit cards offer excellent benefits and credits that can be used year round. These include Uber credits, airline incidental credits, hotel credits, and shopping credits for merchants such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Dell. In this post, we explain why timing your application in December can help maximize some of these credits before your second annual fee is due.
Calendar Year vs Card Year Credits
Credit card benefits usually are based on the calendar year or card year. Calendar year benefits can be used once between every January 1 and December 31. Meanwhile, card year is defined by when you open the credit card. For example, if you open a card on September 1, that card’s annual benefits can be used once between every September 1 and August 31.
Based on this, you can see why calendar year bonuses can be so valuable. If you open a card in January that has a calendar year benefit, you’ll have over 11 months to use that card’s annual benefit. While it can be nice to have a lot of time to use the benefit, it also means you’ll have to wait a lot longer to use it again. Compare this to opening that same card in December. You’ll only have a few days to use the benefit, but starting on January 1, you can use that benefit once again.
Best Amex Calendar Year Credits
Many Amex cards offer generous credits based on calendar year. In this chart, we’ll cover some of our favorite credits from the following cards:
- Platinum Card from American Express(review)
- Business Platinum Card from American Express(review)
- American Express Gold Card(review)
- American Express Business Gold Card(review)
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card(review)
This handy chart displays some of the most useful credits, showing how much you can earn before having to pay the second annual fee on your new card:
| Benefit | Card(s) | Amount | Breakdown | Amount received when second annual fee is due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uber Credits | Platinum Gold | $200 (Platinum) $120 (Gold) | Platinum: $15/month Jan-Nov and $25 in December Gold: $10 monthly | $250 (Platinum) $140 (Gold) |
| Hotel Credit | Platinum Gold | $200 (Platinum) $120 (Gold) | Full amount available throughout the year | $600 (Platinum) $300 (Gold) |
| Airline Fee Credit | Platinum Business Platinum Hilton Aspire | $200 (Platinum, Business Platinum) $250 (Aspire) | Full amount available throughout the year | $600 (Platinum, Business Platinum) $750 (Aspire) |
| Saks Credit | Platinum | $100 | $50 between Jan 1 and Jun 30 $50 between July 1 and Dec 31 | $200 |
| Dell Credit | Business Platinum | $400 | $200 between Jan 1 and Jun 30 $200 between July 1 and Dec 31 | $800 |
| Dining Credit | Gold | $120 | $10 per month | $140 |
Wondering how we calculate the amounts in the far right column? Let’s walk through the math, starting with the Amex Platinum card’s Uber credits.
If I open the card in December 2022, I will immediately receive the $35 Uber credit for December. (Note, the credit can also be used for Uber Eats.) I will then have access to the full $200 throughout 2023. The second annual fee on my new Platinum card should post in December 2023, but that statement will only close in January 2024. So, starting on January 1, 2024, I’ll have access to another $15 monthly Uber credit. $35 + $200 + $15 = $250. This single benefit covers over a third of the Platinum’s $695 annual fee!
This same rationale applies to the other credits in the chart above. To see how much value you can earn, simply take the amount of credits you can use in December, and add the amount of credits for the entire next calendar year, along with any credits that can be used in January after that.
Final Thoughts
If you have been eyeing a particular Amex card, December is likely the best time to apply. Of course, there are other factors to consider when applying for a credit card, such as the 5/24 rule. For example, always consider if the current welcome bonus good enough. But, if maximizing Amex credits is your priority, then December is definitely the ideal time to go for it.
What are your plans to maximize your Amex credits? Come over to our Facebook group and learn what others are doing!
