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Before we knew it, 2016 has arrived. First of all, Happy New Year to everyone. In the new year, I hope we can not only make good use of credit cards, but also actually put the points and benefits they earn to work, so they truly improve our lives and travel. Of course, while playing with cards and chasing deals, don’t forget your real job. Do your main work well, and just play this game in your spare time—don’t get your priorities backwards.

At the start of a new year, many annual benefits become available again. Below is a list of things you can do at the beginning of the year as a reminder and reference. As always, feel free to leave a comment and add anything else worth doing.

2016

Airline incidental fee reimbursements

Many credit cards offer reimbursement for airline incidental fees, ranging from $100-$250. In general, these reimbursement limits are based on the calendar year. So once the new year begins, a fresh round of reimbursements is available again. If used well, this can be a very nice perk. If you have any of the following cards, you can use the tips in parentheses to get the airline reimbursement. If you are interested in applying, just click the card name to read the review:

  • AMEX Premier Rewards Gold ($100 reimbursement; see: Intro to AMEX Airline Reimbursement)
  • AMEX Platinum Card family ($200 reimbursement; see: Intro to AMEX Airline Reimbursement)
  • Citi Prestige ($250 reimbursement; buying airfare directly or purchasing airline gift cards can both trigger it)
  • Chase Ritz Carlton ($300 reimbursement for baggage fees and other incidentals; if buying gift cards, smaller amounts are more likely to slip through)
  • City National Bank Crystal Visa Infinite credit card ($250 reimbursement; authorized user cards have separate credits; small gift cards may work)

Things to note: a) Among these, only the Chase Ritz Carlton card requires you to contact customer service after the airline incidental charge posts in order to receive reimbursement; the others are automatic. So for Chase reimbursements, if you are using unofficial methods such as airline gift cards, it is best to keep a low profile—small amounts are more likely to work. b) Citi Prestige explicitly allows airfare purchases to be reimbursed, so if you already have travel plans, there is no need to rush. c) Only AMEX airline credits require you to first designate a specific airline, so don’t forget to choose one. Of course, if you selected one last year, this year it will still default to the same airline. You get one chance each new year to change the airline.

In short, if you are using the credit the normal way for airline incidental fees and have not received reimbursement after some time, feel free to contact customer service. If you are using unofficial methods, such as buying airline gift cards, MPX, etc., and nothing posts after a while, do not contact customer service, because those charges were not supposed to qualify in the first place. You can follow blogs and forums for the latest data points to find methods that still work.

If you were already planning to close any of these cards, you might as well wait until you receive the 2016 reimbursement first.

Activate the first quarter 5%/5x categories

With the new year, the quarterly bonus categories have also been announced. So before using these cards, it is best to first activate the Q1 (Jan-Mar) 5% or 5x bonus categories. At the same time, it is worth getting familiar with the new categories so you can use category conversion techniques to maximize your return across the board. Cards that require quarterly activation include:

Things to note here: a) Discover it and Chase Freedom only earn 5% cash back or 5x points on the first $1,500 each quarter, so plan accordingly and do not overspend past the cap unintentionally. Citi Dividend, however, uses an annual total cash back cap of $300. So if you really like the Q1 categories, you can spend the full $6,000 in Q1, earn the full $300 at once, and ignore the rest of the year. c) Discover it, Chase Freedom, and Citi Dividend can all be activated through their online accounts for the quarterly 5%/5x bonus. If you cannot find the button, you can also activate by phone, via online chat, or by secure message.

If you are not interested in these bonus categories, you may want to refer to this article: Credit Card Tips — Category Conversion to earn 5% cash back in other categories.

Annual caps on bonus earnings reset

Some credit cards cap bonus earnings based on the calendar year. So when the new year arrives, you can once again earn elevated rewards on the first $xxx of spending. Here are a few typical examples:

Things to note: a) For AMEX EveryDay and EveryDay Preferred, supermarket purchases normally earn 2x and 3x points. You only get the extra 20% and 50% point bonus after your total number of purchases in that month exceeds 20/30 transactions. If you plan to use up the full $6,000 cap in the first month, just make sure your transaction count for that month exceeds 20/30. After that, you can throw the card in the drawer for the rest of the year.

Likewise, if you are not interested in supermarket rewards, you can refer to this article: Credit Card Tips — Category Conversion to earn elevated cash back or points in other categories. If you are planning to close any of the cards above, you may as well use this method first, max out the annual bonus cap, wait until the rewards post, and then close the card.

Annual high-spending thresholds reset

Some credit cards offer extra rewards after you spend a certain amount within a calendar year. With the new year starting, it is time to work on those spending thresholds again. Here are a few common cards with annual spending targets:

If you want to pursue these thresholds, you can get started now. Personally, I do not think these high-spend bonuses are especially worthwhile. In many cases, opening a few more credit cards and directing that spending toward new card sign-up bonuses provides better value.

Mileage rebate resets

The AA co-branded cards issued by Citi and Barclays give back 10% of the miles redeemed each year, on the first 100,000 miles redeemed. So if you have multiple AA accounts and AA credit cards, it is best to make sure each account redeems no more than 100,000 miles per year. Related card reviews are below:

Referral bonus limits reset for many credit cards

These days, many credit cards let you earn cash back or points by referring other people to apply. Generally speaking, the annual referral bonus cap per card is within $600. With the arrival of the new year, those referral caps reset as well. Major cards with referral programs include:

Things to note: a) AMEX referral bonuses are often not as good as the best offers you can find through incognito mode or prequalify tools. If a friend is applying, do not shortchange them. You can read: How to Find the Highest AMEX Credit Card Bonus to get the best application link. b) With Discover referral links, the applicant also gets a $50 sign-up bonus, while applying through the official website does not offer that. So if you want to apply, you can use a link from our site or get a referral from a friend. c) Chase referral links usually offer the same bonus as the official website, so we suggest applying through our site or asking a friend for a referral link.

Summary

In short, the new year has begun. I hope everyone keeps going and continues to find some fun in the world of credit cards. While earning better returns on your spending, may your cards also bring you more free flights and hotel stays for your travels.