Just got the card today in the mail. The paperwork said that my first Payment Date is December 23rd. I sent a SM to Chase and asked them when my first statement will close and they said December 26th. So, it's only two weeks away with some wiggle room to figure out how to spend the remaining $100 or so to meet the $1k spend. Already plowed $800 on the card today. A lot better than waiting until mid-January...