What's a Credit?
A credit is a benefit from your credit card that offsets purchases in specific categories. When you make an eligible purchase, the credit automatically applies as a statement credit.
Examples
| Card | Credit | Value | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Gold | Dining Credit | $10 | Monthly |
| Amex Platinum | Uber Credit | $15 | Monthly |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | Travel Credit | $300 | Annual |
Why Track Credits?
The average premium cardholder leaves up to $1,500 in credits and points on the table every year. Tracking helps you:
- Remember what credits you have available
- Use credits before they expire
- See if your annual fee is worth it
- Maximize the value of your cards
Quick math: If you have 3 premium cards with $50/month in combined credits, that's $600/year. Miss just 2 months? That's $100 left on the table.
Credit Statuses
| Status | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Redeemed | Fully redeemed this period | Nice work |
| Partially Used | Some value used, more remaining | Use the rest |
| Available | Ready to redeem this period | Use it |
| Not Tracked | You've turned tracking off for this credit | Re-enable if needed |
Period Boundaries & Timing
Credits reset at midnight Eastern Time. This applies to all period types:
- Monthly: Resets at 12:00 AM ET on the 1st of each month
- Quarterly: Resets at 12:00 AM ET on Jan 1, Apr 1, Jul 1, Oct 1
- Semi-Annual: Resets at 12:00 AM ET on Jan 1, Jul 1
- Annual: Resets at 12:00 AM ET on Jan 1 (or your anniversary)
Timezone note: Period boundaries are based on Eastern Time because many card issuers operate on ET, so we use it as a safe default to make sure your tracking lines up with how your bank actually resets the credit. If you're not in ET, that means a "monthly" credit ending on January 31st actually ends at midnight ET, which may be late evening on the 30th in Pacific Time.
Credit History Range
Your credit tracking history is scoped to the periods in each card's Card timeline. A new card begins with one current period whose opened date defaults to the first of the month when you add it. Edit that date from My Cards under Manage Card > Card timeline.
Note: Timeline periods determine when Cardzen treats you as holding the card. Calendar credits still reset on their normal boundaries. Anniversary-based credits use the current period's opened date and fall back to an estimated window based on when you added the card if no opened date is set.
Anniversary credits without an opened date show an estimated-date note because the reset window is inferred from the month you added the card rather than your real anniversary. Other credit surfaces may still show dates and expiring-soon counts from that estimate. Edit the current period in Card timeline to replace the estimate with exact dates.
Closing a card ends its current period. Cardzen keeps saved credit facts for eligible historical reports, excludes gaps between ownership periods, and stops present-tense credit tracking after the closed date. If you receive the same card again, add a new current period instead of changing the old closed period.
Managing Credits
Track your credits in My Credits.
How to Update Credit Status
- Find the credit in My Credits
- Click on the credit
- Select status:
- Redeemed: Fully used
- Partially Used: Enter the amount you used
- Not Used: Reset to available
- Not Tracked: Skip this credit. It is excluded from your totals, streaks, and AI recommendations until you turn tracking back on. Use this for credits you never plan to use (or that don't apply to you), so they stop affecting your stats.
- Save
When to Update
- After you use a credit (dining, Uber, etc.)
- At month end for automatic credits that post on a schedule
- When reviewing your benefits
- When you decide a credit doesn't apply to you (you don't use Uber, you don't fly that airline, etc.). Mark it Not Tracked so it stops counting toward your totals and doesn't break your streaks.