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- Some premium cards offer annual statement credits or benefits you can use to gift to others.
- For example, the
Platinum Card includes up to $100 in annual statement credits toward Saks purchases**. - Several cards offer travel credits or airport lounge access you can share with a loved one.
- Read Insider’s guide to the best rewards credit cards.
If you need to find a last-minute gift for anyone on your list, don’t overlook the perks offered by several premium credit cards. Some card benefits reset at the end of the calendar year, so if you haven’t maxed them out yet, it’s a good time to consider sharing them.
We’re not just talking airline fee credits, either — you could also use statement credits for Saks, Dell, CLEAR membership, and other merchants. Or, for the traveler in your life, adding them as an authorized user to a card that offers Priority Pass airport lounge access could be a real treat.
Here are a few credit card perks you can share with others to spark your gift-giving imagination.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credits
Most good travel rewards credit cards nowadays offer a statement credit to cover the cost of applying for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
Even if you already have one of these trusted traveler program memberships, you can still use extra credits from your cards to pay for someone else’s Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee.
For example, if you used your
Up to $50 in Saks credits with the Amex Platinum
If you have
The benefit is divided into two statement credits of up to $50 — one for January to June, and another for July to December. So you can get up to $50 back when you use your
Up to $179 toward a CLEAR membership
One of the newest benefits added to the
Read more: How to use the Amex Platinum $179 CLEAR credit — and get through airport security faster
If you already have CLEAR, or don’t have use for the service, you can use your card to pay for someone else’s fee and get reimbursed with a statement credit.
The
Airport lounge access by adding an authorized user
Some premium cards, including the
For example, it costs $175 to add up to three authorized users to the
Read more: Your credit card could get you a free drink and a comfortable place to relax at the airport
Both the
Up to $400 toward a purchase with Dell
$200 might not make a huge dent in the price of a laptop, but consider using this statement credit to shop for accessories like a laptop case or a smart-home device like the Nest thermostat.
Donate to charity on a friend’s behalf with credit card rewards
There are numerous credit card, airline, and hotel loyalty programs that allow you to redeem rewards for charitable donations. If there’s a cause your friend or family member supports, you might consider making a donation on their behalf as a holiday gift.
Read more: If you have more points and miles than you know what to do with, consider donating them to charity
One method is to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for charitable donations through the Pay Yourself Back feature. Depending on the Chase credit card you have, you’ll get a 25% or 50% bonus in value when you use your points this way. For example, with the
Other options include using Amex Membership Rewards points for donations through JustGiving, or donating points and miles to help refugees start a new life through Miles4Migrants.
Pay for someone’s checked bag or incidental fees
Several American Express cards offer annual airline fee credits**, which reimburse you up to a specified dollar amount for expenses like checked bags and inflight purchases with your designated airline (you’ll have to choose one eligible airline, and you can change your selection each January).
The Platinum Card® from American Express — Up to $200 each yearThe Business Platinum Card® from American Express — Up to $200 each yearHilton Honors American Express Aspire Card — Up to $250 each year
Because you’re limited to one airline and the credit doesn’t apply to actual airfare, it can be difficult to use it all up. But you can use your card to pre-pay for someone else’s checked bags, seat selection, or even buy them a lounge day pass.
I used my annual airline fee credit from the
Use your points and miles to gift award travel
If you’re sitting on a stash of points or miles, don’t forget that you can use those rewards to book someone a flight or hotel stay. With cards like the
You could also use airline miles from a card like the
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