Advertiser Disclosure: The Rewards Mom has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. The Rewards Mom and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some other links in this post are referral links, which means I may earn a bonus if you sign up, at no cost to you.

Before the end of the year, are you leaving money on the table? A lot of credit card credits expire on December 31. Not the card itself, just the money sitting on it. Those “free” things that just come with your card like restaurant credits, Apple Tv subscriptions, travel portal credits, and more!

I went through the cards most of you carry and pulled every credit that resets or ends this year. It’s sorted by bank, so tap yours below and skip the rest. New to points? Start with my free Beginner’s Guide.

If you only do three things before the end of the year:

1. Want the Southwest Companion Pass? Get approved for a Southwest card by December 2. After that, card bonuses stop counting toward the pass.
2. Use your last hotel credit of the year. Most premium cards have one, and most reset January 1. Check whether you need to use it by the end of the year or just have it booked by the end of the year.
3. Check for leftover December credits. Uber, DoorDash, dining, Dunkin’. The monthly ones vanish fast.

My Favorite Bank: Credits Ending December 31

This is where I’d look first. The biggest one isn’t even a credit. It’s a deadline.

Southwest cards: the Companion Pass shortcut is closing. If you’re approved by December 2, 2026, your welcome bonus still counts toward the Companion Pass, even if you finish the spending in early 2027. Starting in 2027, card bonuses don’t count at all (here are Southwest’s 2027 changes). Here’s my Companion Pass guide if you’re on the fence, plus the Southwest cards I’d look at.

Their premium travel card ($795 fee): It’s one of the cards I always have in my wallet, and credits like these are why.

• $250 bonus hotel credit (2026 only). This one goes away for good after December 31. Book a prepaid stay of 2+ nights through the bank’s travel site at select brands like IHG, Omni, and Virgin.
• Luxury hotel credit (up to $500 a year). Up to $250 per booking on a prepaid 2-night stay in the bank’s luxury hotel collection. If you haven’t touched it this year, now’s the time.
• $150 dining credit (July–December). Eat at one of the participating restaurants in their dining program.
• $150 StubHub credit (July–December). Activate it first. Holiday shows, a game with the kids, or a gift.
• December’s monthly credits. DoorDash, $10 Lyft, and $10 Peloton. They don’t roll over.
• Big spender? Spend $75,000 on the card in 2026 and you unlock a $500 Southwest credit and $250 for the bank’s shopping site. Only spending through December 31 counts.

Their no-annual-fee 5% card: Q4 is 5% back on groceries (not Walmart or Target), dining, and Red Cross donations, up to $1,500. Activate by December 14.

Their IHG cards: Staying at an IHG hotel before the year ends? Your Q4 food and drink credit ($25–$75, depending on the card) expires December 31.

Another Major Bank: Hotel and Travel Credits to Use

Their premium card ($595 fee):

• $300 hotel credit. Book and pay for a 2+ night stay through the bank’s travel site by December 31. The stay itself can be in 2027. Surprising the kids with a trip? My Kids Christmas Vacation Gift Guide has fun ways to wrap it.
• $200 “pick two brands” credit. Choose two of 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future, and Live Nation, then spend by December 31. Best Buy makes this an easy holiday gift.
• $100 Blacklane credit (July–December). A car to the airport for your holiday trip works.
• 4 Admirals Club passes. Any you haven’t used are gone after December 31.

Their $95 travel card: $100 off a hotel stay of $500 or more (before taxes) booked through the bank’s travel site. You get one per calendar year, so book by December 31.

American Express: Amex Platinum, Gold, Hilton, and Delta Credits

Amex cards come with more small credits than any other bank, so this is the longest section. Many of them are monthly or quarterly, so whatever you haven’t used by December 31 is gone. And if your Amex points are piling up, here’s how I use Membership Rewards.

Amex Platinum:

• $300 hotel credit (July–December). Prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts, The Hotel Collection or Airbnb Luxe through Amex Travel. Right now one night counts. Starting January 1, 2027, you’ll need two.
• $200 airline fee credit. Pick your airline first. It covers fees like bags and seats, not tickets.
• Q4 credits: $100 Resy and $75 lululemon. Both need enrollment.
• December credits: $35 Uber Cash, $25 digital entertainment, and Walmart+.
• Once-a-year credits: Oura ($200), Uber One, CLEAR, and Equinox. If you use them, use them by December 31. Not sure about CLEAR? Here’s how CLEAR, TSA PreCheck, and Global Entry compare.

Amex Business Platinum: Same $300 hotel credit for July–December, plus Q4’s $90 Indeed and $50 Hilton credits.

Amex Gold:

• $50 Resy credit (July–December). Date night counts.
• December credits: $10 dining, $10 Uber Cash, and $7 Dunkin’.

Hilton Aspire: $200 resort credit (July–December) and a $50 flight credit for Q4. Hilton Surpass has a $50 Hilton credit for Q4. New to Hilton? Start with my Hilton guide for families.

Delta cards: Your Delta Stays hotel credit ($100 on Gold, $150 on Platinum, $200 on Reserve) resets every calendar year. Book through delta.com by December 31. (I rarely use SkyMiles to fly Delta, but this hotel credit is easy money.) If your card has monthly Resy or rideshare credits, December’s expire too.

Capital One: Venture X Year-End Deadlines

Good news here with Capital One. Not much expires, and Capital One miles don’t expire while your account is open.

• Venture X $300 travel credit: This one runs on your card anniversary, not December 31. Check your statement for your date.
• Venture X lounge guests: Spend $75,000 on the card in 2026 (you and your authorized users combined) and you keep free lounge guests for the rest of this year and all of 2027. Close to that number? Put your holiday spending here.

Comparing lounge cards? Here are my favorite premium cards.

Bilt: Credits and a New December 31 Deadline

Bilt Palladium: $200 hotel credit for July–December on Bilt Travel bookings. Use it by December 31. With the new 2027 benefits, this becomes part of one $600 Bilt Cash credit on your card anniversary.

Bilt Obsidian: $50 hotel credit for July–December on Bilt Travel bookings. Same deadline.

New December 31 deadline: Want the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spending? Get approved for a Bilt card by December 31, because new cardholders lose that choice in 2027. Already have one? Choose it in your card settings before your card anniversary.

Bilt Cash: Good news! As of October 27, Bilt Cash no longer expires on December 31. Each amount now lasts 12 months from the month you earn it.

Bilt Cash on hotels: December is the last month on the monthly schedule. Starting January 1, 2027, you can use Bilt Cash on Bilt hotel bookings only twice a year.

Quick Questions

Do unused credit card credits roll over?

Almost never. Monthly, quarterly, and twice-a-year credits are gone once their window closes. Bilt Cash is the exception. As of October 27, it lasts 12 months from the month you earn it. Hotel free night certificates expire too, so check those. Here’s how I get the most out of free nights.

Can I book a hotel now for a stay in 2027?

Often, yes. Most prepaid hotel credits count when you book and pay, not when you stay. Another major bank’s premium card says this outright. Check your card’s terms before you book.

When do credit card credits reset?

Most reset on January 1, but some run on your card anniversary instead. The Capital One Venture X travel credit and the $50 hotel credit on my favorite bank’s beginner travel card both work this way. If a credit didn’t reset when you expected, check your statement for your renewal month.

Do Capital One miles expire?

No. They stay put as long as your account is open.

My 10-Minute Year-End Credit Card Checklist

1. Open each card’s app and look at the benefits or credits tab. Most show what’s left. Have a hotel, airline or business card I didn’t list? Check it too. Many have a December credit.
2. Put December 2 (Southwest) and December 14 (5% activation) in your calendar now.
3. Book your hotel credits first. They’re the biggest dollars and the easiest to forget. Booking for a big family? These 20 hotels sleep 6 on points.
4. Use up the small December credits during holiday shopping. Shopping online? Start at Rove and earn miles on top of your card’s rewards. Sign up with my link for 1,500 bonus miles.
5. Not using a card’s credits at all? That’s a sign to look at its annual fee before renewal. Here’s when I downgrade a card and when I cancel.

That’s it! A few minutes now can easily be a few hundred dollars back. If you’re thinking about a new card for 2027, here are my top 10 offers right now. And sign up for my weekly newsletter so you never miss a deadline like this.

Updated October 27, 2026 with Bilt’s new rules. Credits change, so double-check in your card’s app before you book.

Advertiser Disclosure: The Rewards Mom has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. The Rewards Mom and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some other links in this post are referral links, which means I may earn a bonus if you sign up, at no cost to you.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, please visit Rates and Fees.

For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, please visit Rates and Fees.

For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit Rates and Fees.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit Rates and Fees.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please visit Rates and Fees.