Apply for Amex Platinum in December for Triple Dipping in Annual Credits

The Amex Platinum (personal & business) cards have a steep annual fee ($695), but they offer a variety of credits to reclaim most of that fee back.

Amex Platinum Personal Vs Business Credits

Why apply for Amex Platinum cards in December?

Some of the Amex personal & business Platinum card credits (hotel credit, airline fee credit and Dell credit) reset on January 1st of every calendar year (highlighted yellow in the table above). One can triple dip into these credits by opening the Amex personal & business Platinum cards in the month of December (e.g., 1st credit in December; 2nd credit between January-Dec next year and the 3rd credit in January of the following year before closing the card) as explained below.

Triple Dip Earnings of $1200 for Personal Platinum

For the personal Platinum card, the $600 airline credits ($200 x 3) are easy to get and if one can successfully book the Hotel Collection or the Fine Hotels + Resorts three times that will bring $600 in additional credits for a total earnings of $1200.

Hotel Collection or the Fine Hotels + Resorts credit is difficult for me to claim frequently, since my travel involves going to remote scenic areas where none of these hotels exist. If you love exploring major cities, this Amex hotel credit is as good as cash (you just have to find the FHR for one night or the Hotel Collection for two nights).

Triple Dip Earnings of $1400 for Business Platinum

This results in enhanced business Platinum credits that can bring total earnings of $1400, from $800 in Dell semi-annual credits ($200 x 4) and $600 in annual airline credits ($200 x 3). The overall earnings effectively doubles the annual fee of $695.

It is important to purchase in-stock Dell items only in December (for the 1st credit), since you are short on the time frame to get the credits back. Dell only charges your credit card after the order has been shipped and typically ships in-stock items on the same day or the next. If for some reason there is a delay, one should quickly reach customer service to cancel and place another order.

Best Dell Items for Business Platinum credits

You just have to make sure to find some good stuff on Dell.com for either your personal use or for resale. Over the years, I have purchased some of the following items from the Dell Store:

• Samsung Galaxy Smartwatches
• Google/Nest Products
• Printers and toner
• Wireless keyboard and mouse
• Dell Small Form Factor computers
• Computer Monitors
• Bluetooth speakers
• Bose travel headphones
• Premium Bluetooth headphones and earbuds
• MicroSD Cards, SD Cards and USB Drives
• Amazon Tablets, Fire Stick, and Echo
• Ring Doorbell and accessories
• Webcam
• Alienware Laptop Bags
• Alienware Gaming Chairs
• Hard Drives
• Sony Mirrorless Cameras & Lenses
• Nintendo Switch Games
• NETGEAR Orbi Mesh Wi-Fi Systems

My Experience with Business Platinum Dell Credits

I opened an Amex Business Platinum in the 3rd week of December 2022 which was shipped overnight and I received it the next day. My statement closing date is set for January 17th 2023, which is when the annual fee is usually charged by Amex.

Dell Credits for $800 ($200 x 4)

I used the business Platinum card to buy $200 worth of goods on Dell.com which triggered the 1st Dell credits before the end of the calendar year (see the image below).

I repeated the process again in the months of January and July 2023 for the 2nd and 3rd set of Dell credits (see images below).

I am planning to make my next Dell purchase on January 1st 2024 so it will trigger the 4th set of Dell credits. My business Platinum annual renewal fee will be posted on 17th of January 2024 and from that point on, I will have 30 days to cancel my Platinum card and get the fee refunded.

Airline Annual Fee Credits $600 ($200 x 3)

I was able to obtain the $200 annual airline fee credit twice already (1st credit in December 2022 and the 2nd credit in August 2023) and planning to get the 3rd credit in January 2024 before I close the card. I use both my personal & business Platinum cards to purchase United Mileage Bank ($50-100), which typically trigger the airline fee credit ($50 amount consistently triggers the credit compared to the $100).

Can you request for a different credit card statement closing date?

If your your credit card statement is closing earlier than expected (to successfully triple dip into the annual credits), you can easily change the statement closing date (which also changes the payment due date) via chat or by calling customer service. Only Amex allows for changing the credit card statement closing date, which is not allowed by other companies like Chase and Citi. Amex requires you to make a payment after the first statement has been issued and then allows the closing statement date to change as needed.

Summary

I am planning to get another round of Amex business Platinum cards in December 2023 to triple dip again into the credits. I have already had multiple business Platinum cards before and I am hoping to find an NLL link (https://awardcracker.com/how-to-earn-points-stay-under-5-24-forever/). If this is your first time getting the Amex Platinum card, you should definitely apply in the month of December to maximize your earnings as described above.