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You credit card rewards could unlock a unique gift for a friend or family member this holiday season.
Crystal Cox/Business Insider
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 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.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
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. Some Chase cards also cover the application fee for NEXUS, which includes Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, plus allows for expedited entry into Canada.
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 NEXUS, Global Entry, or TSA PreCheck application fee.
For example, if you used your United℠ Explorer Card to pay for a friend or family member’s Global Entry application, you’d receive up to $100 statement credit. Meanwhile, your loved one gets the gift of expedited airport security and fast-track immigration — not bad considering this card has an annual fee of United℠ Explorer Card.
Up to $50 in Saks credits with the Amex Platinum
If you have The Platinum Card® from American Express, you can get up to $100 in statement credits each year when you use your card to shop at Saks Fifth Avenue.
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 Platinum Card to buy a holiday gift for someone on your list. And may I suggest, Diptyque candles ($72) make a lovely gift.
Up to $189 back toward a CLEAR® membership
One of the newest benefits added to the Platinum Card and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is up to $189 back in credit per year toward CLEAR® membership**. CLEAR® is an expedited security program that allows you to skip security screenings at select US airports (and a few sports stadiums).
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 American Express® Green Card also offers up to $189 per year in statement credits when you use the card to pay for CLEAR® membership and up to $100 per year in statement credits for LoungeBuddy purchases. So you have a few different options for gifting benefits from this card.
Airport lounge access by adding an authorized user
Some premium cards, including the Platinum Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, offer airport lounge access to authorized users. Adding an authorized user usually costs money (the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is an exception), but if you have a loved one who travels a lot, the gift of airport lounge access could make their journey much more comfortable.
For example, it costs $175 to add up to three authorized users to the Platinum Card, but each user will get access to Amex’s excellent range of lounges, including Priority Pass and Centurion lounges.
Both the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card include Priority Pass airport lounge membership for authorized users. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® charges $75 per additional card, but you can add up to four authorized users to the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card at no charge.
With the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, primary cardholders and authorized users can also access Capital One Lounges and over 100 Plaza Premium Lounges worldwide. That’s a fantastic deal considering you can add up to four authorized users for free.
Up to $400 toward a purchase with Dell
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers up to $400 in statement credits for Dell purchases in the US each year**, divided into two credits of up to $200 for each half of the year.
$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.
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 Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, your points are worth 1.25 cents each toward charity donations, and with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, they’re worth 1.5 cents apiece.
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 Platinum Card to cover checked baggage for both me and my aunt when we went skiing a few years ago — she appreciated the gesture, and I still got nowhere near the $200 limit that year!
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 Platinum Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can transfer the points you earn to a number of travel partners, and you can even book travel directly with Amex or Chase Travel, respectively.
You could also use airline miles from a card like the United℠ Explorer Card or hotel points from a card like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card to book travel for someone else.