(A quick reminder: if you applied for the Marriott Currensea card using my referral link, you need to make one transaction within 30 days to receive the 2,000-point bonus.)
2025 is almost over! If you still have unused credit card benefits, especially from American Express, don’t waste them. Use them while you can!
UK Platinum
For UK Amex Platinum, the only remaining credits are dining credits. In the second half of the year, you get £100 for UK restaurants and £100 for overseas restaurants. If you haven’t used them yet, chances are you’re running out of time. The safest approach is to buy gift cards in person at a restaurant (e.g. The Ivy) and it will definitely trigger the credit.
Generally speaking, buying gift cards online doesn’t trigger the credit, but there are exceptions. For example, I just tested this successfully: buying a voucher online from Som Saa does trigger the credit.
Som Saa is a Thai restaurant in East London and it has been on my list for ages. I went a few days ago and was pleasantly surprised, great food and not expensive at all. Highly recommended!
In addition, according to other users, buying gift cards online from the French restaurant Bob Bob Ricard in London also triggers the credit, although it’s only valid for six months.
If you want to handle the overseas dining credit online, there are two main routes. The first is the US: if a restaurant sells gift cards online through Toasttab, it should work. You can refer to the map on the Use Your Credits website – just find restaurants that appear on both lists.
The second option is Japan. The system there works a bit differently: everything goes through the Pocket Concierge reservation service. If you’re planning a trip to Japan next year, you can book a restaurant now and prepay; date changes are allowed.
Additionally, some users have reported that buying gift cards online from Tragabuches in Madrid also triggers the credit. A reminder: Amex charges a 3% foreign currency transaction fee, and this fee is not reimbursed.
US Platinum
This year, the US Platinum card has become incredibly valuable, with loads of credit options.
First up, dining again: the Q4 $100 Resy credit. The method is the same as above: use Use Your Credits to find US restaurant websites that support Toasttab, and buy a $100 gift card from any of them. You can give it to a local friend or keep it for yourself; it seems they don’t expire.
Next is the $300 FHR credit for the second half of the year. I’m following a method shared online:
- Book a hotel far in advance for next year to trigger the $300 credit
- Then, next year, book another hotel costing $600+
- Cancel the first booking, and the credit reportedly won’t be clawed back
In theory, this should work. I’ll test it myself when the time comes.
As for Lululemon, I successfully bought gift cards online back in October, though I’m not sure if that still works now. Other credits, like United TravelBank and Oura Ring, are either standard plays or not something I’ve been tracking closely, so I won’t go into detail here.
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