How to Track Credit Card Bonuses, Credits, and Fees

Most lost rewards come from four small leaks: a missed minimum spend, expired credits, annual fees that post before a keep-or-close decision, and stranded or expired points. Four simple records close all four: a card ledger, a bonus tracker, a credits and fee calendar, and a points inventory. A notes app or a basic spreadsheet is enough. A 15-minute review on the first weekend of each month keeps it current.

The examples below are illustrative. Check every figure against the card's own terms. Every card should be paid in full each month.

The four leaks

Leak	What goes wrong	What fixes it
Missed minimum spend	The bonus is all-or-nothing, and the deadline runs from account opening	The bonus tracker
Expired credits	Monthly credits do not roll over	The credits and fee calendar
Fees on autopilot	The fee posts before a keep, downgrade, or close decision	The credits and fee calendar
Stranded or expired points	Inactivity rules, or closing the card that holds the points	The points inventory

Part 1: the card ledger

One row per card, including closed ones. The open-date column drives your Chase 5/24 count, fee timing, and anniversary credits. Example row:

Column	Example (Chase Sapphire Preferred)
Card and issuer	Sapphire Preferred, Chase
Account opened	The date from your first statement
Annual fee and when it posts	$95, in a stated month
Points program	Chase Ultimate Rewards
Job in the stack	Travel Earner (travel and gas)
Status	Open
Notes	Up to $100 hotel credit for stays booked through Chase Travel, each account anniversary year

Part 2: the bonus tracker

Save the offer on the day you apply, because offers change:

Field	Example (Chase Sapphire Preferred)
Offer (saved on apply date)	75,000 points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Deadline	3 months from account opening (for example, opened March 10 means about June 10; confirm with the issuer)
Counts toward it	Purchases only (no balance transfers, cash advances, or fees)
Monthly pace and buffer target	About $1,670 a month, finishing near $5,500
Target finish date	A few weeks before the deadline
Spent so far	Update weekly or monthly
Bonus posted	The date it posts
Eligibility rule	Copy it from the terms on the day you apply

Finish about 10% over and a few weeks early. See how to maximize sign-up bonuses.

Part 3: the credits and fee calendar

Credit or fee	Resets	Setup needed	Reminder
Amex Gold Uber Cash ($10)	Monthly	Add the card to your Uber account	Around the 25th of each month
Amex Gold dining credit ($10)	Monthly	Enroll	Around the 25th of each month
Sapphire Preferred hotel credit (up to $100)	Each account anniversary year	Book through Chase Travel	60 days before the anniversary
Every annual fee	Yearly	None	30 days before it posts

A decision 30 days before each fee posts gives you time to keep the card, ask for a retention offer, or change the product. See which cards are worth the annual fee.

Part 4: the points inventory

Record each program's balance monthly, with an expiration column:

Program	Expires?	Rule to note
Chase Ultimate Rewards	No, while the account is open	Move points to another Ultimate Rewards card before closing one
Amex Membership Rewards	No, while the account is open	Closing your only Membership Rewards card forfeits the points
Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards	No	None
American AAdvantage	After 24 months of no activity	Not while you are the primary cardholder on an AAdvantage card
Any other program	Varies	Copy the rule from the program's terms page

The 15-minute monthly review

First weekend of the month, same order every time:

Bonus tracker. Update the total on any card with a bonus in progress and compare it with the target date.
Credits. Use any unused monthly credit this week or let it go. Look for annual credits about to reset.
Fee calendar. Look 30 days ahead. If a fee is coming, do the keep, downgrade, or close math now.
Points. Update balances and glance down the expiration column.
Payments. Make sure every card is paid in full. If autopay covers the full statement balance, confirm it went through.

The fifth step keeps the other four worth doing. Interest on a carried balance costs more than any of these rewards pay back.

One more habit helps every day: a note on your phone saying which card goes with which category. Dining and groceries on one card, travel and gas on another, everything else on the third. Reaching for the wrong card at the register is a small leak of its own. For the stack behind that note, see the card stack framework, and run your spending through the free rewards calculator.

Cards mentioned

Chase Sapphire Preferred (issuer terms)
American Express Gold (issuer terms)

How to track credit card bonuses, credits, and fees: the card stack system