Can You Use the Chase Ritz-Carlton $300 Travel Credit Now & Again in January 2017?

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Million Mile Secrets reader, Bob, commented:

Is the $300 annual travel credit with the Chase Ritz-Carlton based on a a calendar year?  Can I use $300 now and $300 again in January 2017?

Great questions, Bob!

The answer is yes!  This is a terrific benefit.  Because you can effectively get $600 in travel credit by January 2017.  Plus, there are many other perks that offset the annual fee.

I’ll explain how the annual travel credit works.

How Does the $300 Airline Credit Work?

Link:   Chase Ritz-Carlton

Link:   My Review of the Chase Ritz-Carlton Card

With the Chase Ritz-Carlton card you can earn a $300 annual travel credit each calendar year for qualifying airline purchases, which includes:

• Airline lounge passes
• Baggage fees
• In-flight entertainment & Wi-Fi
• In-flight meals
• Seat upgrades

Note:   Charges can sometimes take a few days to actually post (pending charges don’t count).  So don’t wait until December 31, 2016, to make a qualifying purchase!

Requesting the Credit

Unlike other credit cards, the travel credit on the Chase Ritz-Carlton is not applied automatically.

You’ll have to call Chase directly to request the credit for your qualifying airline purchases.  And the Chase representative might ask for details of your purchase.

To qualify for the credit, you must contact Chase within 4 billing cycles of the charge appearing on your statement.

Earn $600 in Travel Credit With 1 Annual Fee

The annual travel credit can be used each calendar year.  So if you applied for Chase Ritz-Carlton today, you could get $300 in credit by the end of 2016.  Then get another $300 in the beginning of 2017.

This is an easy way to offset the $450 annual fee.

In addition, you also get these perks with the card to make up for the annual fee.

• $100 discount on multi-passenger, domestic round-trip itineraries purchased through the Visa Infinite Discount Air Benefit – with no limit on the number of times you can use the discount
• $100 hotel credit for dining, spa or other recreational activities with each paid stay of 2 nights or longer at participating Ritz-Carlton hotels
• $100 statement credit for Global Entry

Note:   Even if you’re not eligible for other Chase cards because you’ve opened 5+ new cards in the past 24 months, you’re still eligible for the Ritz-Carlton card.

Bottom Line

The Chase Ritz-Carlton $300 annual travel credit works on a calendar year.  So you can get $300 in credit by the end of 2016.  And an additional $300 in credit at the beginning of 2017.

The annual travel credit can be used for qualifying airline purchases like baggage fees and seat upgrades.  The credit isn’t issued automatically.  So you’ll have to call Chase after you make your purchase.

How do you use the $300 annual travel credit?