| | Use them or lose them | | by Tarah Chieffi, Senior writer |
|  | Between holiday parties, shopping for gifts and debating with your family about the difference between "dressing" and "stuffing," December is a busy time for so many of us. But don't get so busy that you forget to use some of your most valuable statement credits.
Here's a rundown of some of the perks you need to use by the end of the year so you don't miss out:
Airline fee credits: Several cards have annual airline fee credits that cover up to a set amount of incidental purchases each year (usually with one preferred airline). They can be used for things like checked bags, seat assignments, lounge access and inflight purchases.
Even if you aren't flying until next year, you can prepay for eligible incidental fees before the end of 2025 to earn the credit.
Shopping credits: You may be sitting on cold, hard cash back and not even know it.
For example, the American Express Platinum Card® offers up to $50 in statement credits biannually when you make purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue and up to $75 quarterly on purchases at U.S. Lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and at lululemon.com. (Both credits require enrollment.)
Similarly, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers up to $150 biannually to use on event tickets at StubHub and Viagogo (through Dec. 31, 2027; activation required), and the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® and Citi Strata Elite℠ Card offer a yearly Splurge credit (up to $100 and $200, respectively) that you can use with various merchants.
Read this story on easy-to-forget statement credits to see if you might be missing out.
Dining credits: A growing list of cards offer dining credits through Resy or OpenTable, and you do need to enroll before you can use them.
There are Resy credit benefits available on a handful of Amex cards. It's almost too easy to use because you don't even need to make a reservation to earn it, you only need to dine at a U.S. restaurant in the Resy program.
The Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables program is available to Sapphire Reserve cardholders, allowing access to exclusive reservations through the OpenTable platform.
Hotel credits: If you have a card with a hotel credit but you don't have any plans to travel this month, I have good news for you: You can still use your credit by making a reservation for 2026. Just make sure you read the cancellation policy before you book in case you need flexibility if plans change.
Two to keep in mind are the up-to-$300 biannual credit toward prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings made through Amex Travel (Hotel Collection bookings must be for at least two nights) on the Amex Platinum and the up to $250 in biannual credits for eligible bookings made with The Edit hotel program through Chase Travel℠ that Sapphire Reserve cardholders can use.
This list is far from exhaustive, so check out these additional stories for even more statement credits you don't want to forget:
| | | Posts in this newsletter contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products, and this may impact how or where they appear. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. | | Photo Credit: RESY. |
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