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If you want to squeeze the most value out of premium credit cards (the ones with lots of perks, credits, and higher annual fees), December is one of the best months to apply!

Here’s why: many premium travel cards reset certain benefits every calendar year, so if you open a card in December you can use the perks now, again starting January and then again the following January! That means you get extra benefits—sometimes even three years worth —while only paying the annual fee once! This is sometimes referred to as a double or triple “dip.”

Strategic Timing

If you’re thinking about applying for a premium credit card soon, the end of the year is the perfect time to make your card work extra hard for you! In this guide, we’ll break down how the strategy works, why this timing is so powerful, and how you can maximize year-end credits specifically with:

The American Express Platinum® Card
The American Express Business Platinum Card®
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

Let’s dive in.

What This Looks Like:

Many premium credit cards offer statement credits that reset at the start of each calendar year (January 1) rather than on your card-membership anniversary.

That means if you time your card opening right — typically late November or December — you can often use:

Credits for the current year to use immediately (Dec 2025, Year 1)
Freshly reset credits (Jan 2026, Year 2)
And again the start of your second cardmember year (Jan 2027, Year 3)

… all before your second annual fee posts.

When your 2nd annual fee posts, you typically get 30 days to decide whether to cancel, downgrade or keep the card for the fee to be refunded.

(Anytime I’ve chosen to downgrade or cancel a card within 30 days of my annual fee posting, I have never had to pay the annual fee again)

If you were already planning to apply for a premium travel card, this timing can front-load a ton of value and help offset the annual fee in a big way!

Cards That Shine For December Applications

Let’s break down how year-end timing works for these four credit cards!

1. American Express Platinum Card®

The Amex Platinum is packed with statement credits—and many of them reset on a calendar-year basis. Yes, the annual fee is HIGH BUT using these credits across multiple calendar years can easily outweigh that fee.

Here are some of the most useful calendar-year credits:

Up to $200 Airline Incidental Credit
$600 Hotel Credit for Fine Hotels + Resorts / The Hotel Collection
(Up to $300 January–June + up to$300 July–December)
You don’t need to travel in those windows—just book during them!
$100 Saks Fifth Avenue Credit
(Up to $50 January–June + Up to $50 July–December)
$400 Resy Credit
(Up to $100 per quarter)
$300 lululemon Credit
(Up to $75 per quarter)

What happens if you open the card in early December?

Use the current year’s credits immediately
Get a reset on the credits January 1
And then get another set in 2027 before you second annual fee hits

That’s how one card can give you hundreds of dollars in extra value—before you’ve ever paid a second annual fee.

2. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Amex Business Platinum Card has a large suite of annual benefits — and the calendar structure is similar which allows for taking advantage of calendar year benefit.

Key credits include:

Up to $200 airline incidental credits
$600 Hotel Credit for Fine Hotels + Resorts / The Hotel Collection (Up to $300 January-June and up to $300 July-December)
$250 Adobe Credit (after spending $600)

The December timing creates one of the most generous first-year value opportunities of any premium business card!

3. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® has multiple calendar-based credits that reset monthly and semi-annually, making it a strong candidate for a double- or triple-dip strategy when opened near the end of the year.

Semi-Annual Credits (Reset Twice Per Year)

Hotel Credit: Up to $250 Jan–Jun and $250 Jul–Dec for prepaid bookings through The Edit by Chase Travel℠ (two-night minimum). Includes perks like daily breakfast for two, a $100 property credit, and potential room upgrades.
Dining Credit: Up to $150 Jan–Jun and $150 Jul–Dec at participating restaurants via Sapphire Exclusive Tables on OpenTable.
StubHub / viagogo Credit: Up to $150 Jan–Jun and $150 Jul–Dec for eligible purchases through 12/31/2027.
Activation required.

4. Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

Because Citi ThankYou Points now transfer to American Airlines, you could transfer Citi ThankYou Points into AA miles!

Citi’s newest premium travel card has strong year-end potential for a triple dip! It includes:

$300 annual hotel credit (2 night stay booked at cititravel.com)
$200 annual splurge credit (you can select 2 options from Best Buy, American Airlines, Live Nation, 1stDibs, Future Personal Training - this is SO EASY to use!)
4 Admirals Club passes annually (each pass can be used for 1 adult and up to 3 kids. These can be valuable if you’re traveling with American Airlines for the holidays!)

Because these benefits reset every calendar year, opening the card in early December could allow:

One round of credits right after approval in December 2025
A second round starting January 1 2026
And then, a third round January 1 2027!

That means hundreds of extra dollars in value before paying a second annual fee, and that doesn’t even factor in the welcome offer!!!

Despite having a $595 annual fee, getting JUST the Spurge Credit all three years alone would cover the cost of the annual fee for one year! (Best Buy is my favorite option!)

This is why the Strata Elite is such a standout right now—especially if you’ve already got cards with Chase or Amex and want to branch out a bit.

Tips to Maximize Your End-of-Year Strategy

Here are a few smart ways to make the most of your credits without wasting a dollar:

1. Activate Everything Right Away

Many credits require enrollment before they start working. As soon as you’re approved, go into your benefits dashboard to activate.

2. Use Calendar Reminders

Set alerts for:

The day you open the card
January 1 resets
Semiannual credits
Your 12-month anniversary

This keeps you from leaving benefits on the table!

3. Know Which Credits Are Calendar Year vs. Cardmember Year

Not all credits reset on January 1, so double-check your card’s terms. For the ones that do reset, year-end timing is especially powerful.

My Take

If you’re planning to open any new premium travel card, December can be an especially smart time to do it! Credit cards with calendar-year benefits can offer outsized value when you’re able to use credits late in the year and again after January resets, and sometimes even again the following January before your second annual fee even hits.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING! If you are interested, you only have a TINY window in December to take advantage!!! Don’t wait!

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Why December Is the Best Time to Open a Premium Credit Card