In theory, yes. In practice, YMMV. Why would you chance it and risk losing CP for 2019?

I am in the same boat and definitely will not be making any more charges until the ball drops.
Now I understand that many of us have a number of expenses that need to be paid before Dec 31 - taxes, school and/or camp fees, charitable contributions, etc. But better to sit tight.

This seems like a remote possibility - we've had a few cards compromised over the past few years, but never out of the gate. That being said, why would anyone chance it?

The best thing to do is to make a few large online purchases (always safer than in-person swipe transactions) and then put the card in your home safe until January 1.

We are making our purchases 12/31, all $4k

Quick Question - My December statement closed on the 15th, and my spend window closes Jan 3. With the holiday weekend/Monday being New Year's Day... is it riskier to complete my spend now? Or to complete spend over the holiday weekend and hope it all clears by the time my spend window closes on the 3rd?

I would make the spend now and make sure all $2k has posted before 12/30 to be safe as sometime late purchases that put you over don't generate the bonus until the following month

I would be more cautious. Maybe do a test expense on Amazon and see how long it takes to post, then you can determine the best course. If it takes only a day (typical) then I would run the final charge on Dec. 31. Honestly no reason to take chances with merchants you don't know. Run it up to $100 short of the $2k or $1k goal and then run the final charge close to the deadline.

I just brought my Plus card approx. $1900 with online donations (very little chance of fraud or overcharge), and will hold off until January 1 to go over the top (actually later that week as I will be traveling and don't want to bring the card - but then again my deadline isn't until late January).

P.S. received my card (in California) 6 business days after I was approved.

Question for the experts (no doubt answered in the first 95 pages): Annual fees and interest are excluded from the required purchases, correct?

Correct, they don't count toward the $2000 (or whatever) target for the bonus.

Just an FYI , Amazon charges when they SHIP and then it takes a day or so to post as a charge.............if your stuff has a shipping delay the charge will be held until it ships. If you buy an Amazon gift card there shouldn't be a problem.

IMO, he has statement drop 12/15 and needs to have his spend posted by 1/3/18................very little chance a statement drops in the next 11 days and if you wait until 12/31 to make purchases there is always a chance he misses the spend by date.

I play it very safe but our spend is not due until late January, Statement cuts tomorrow so we are using the cards for light charges, maybe $300 then the other $3700 will get charged next weekend, mostly Costco gift cards bought in person as online they take 4 days or so to bill

Yes, I should have clarified. E-gift cards ship immediately ;) For those of us who have Amazon Prime (isn't that everybody in USA??) everything ships by the next day, so again, there's at most 1 day delay.

Not everything Amazon sells is available via prime. I'm not positive but I think I have had delays on Prime shipments also, I know I have had delays, just not sure if it was Prime.

Don't forget to grab the free Jet Blue points for Amazon purchases

Are there any 50k offers out there these days?

Maybe at special desks at airports. I saw one at PHX last weekend.

Nope.

My wife got the 60k personal Premier and Plus cards on 10/1. My goal for her was to spend about $1900+ until 12/31, then go over $2000 for both cards. Well, today she just went over the $2k on one of the cards. Her statement date is 1/1. Most people report bonus posts after statement date, but I’m worried that a few people say their bonuses posted after spend was met, before the statement date. If there’s one thing that I can be happy about, it’s that there’s an $88 charge online from 12/18 that still says pending; it’s for party favors and I suspect they’ll finalize the charge once the favors are shipped. Shipment date is early December. Can a charge remain pending for 2 weeks?

I assume pending charges don’t count toward the $2000? Can