American AAdvantage awards elite standing primarily based on the Loyalty Factors system, which means it’s potential to earn elite standing with bank card spending. American doesn’t observe the calendar yr for its elite standing program, or for incomes Loyalty Level Rewards.
With the tip of the elite yr arising quickly, I do know some folks get confused about how spending counts towards Loyalty Factors throughout that transition interval between elite years, so I’d prefer to cowl these particulars on this put up.
How February bank card spending accrues Loyalty Factors
The AAdvantage elite standing qualification yr doesn’t observe the standard calendar yr, however quite runs from the start of March of 1 yr till the tip of February of the next yr (on this yr’s case, from March 1, 2025, till February 28, 2026).
Understandably, one necessary query is when the cutoff is for bank card spending counting towards incomes Loyalty Factors for a specific elite yr. Does all bank card spending by way of the tip of February rely towards standing for the 2025-2026 program yr? Or is it primarily based in your bank card assertion deadline?
It’s query, as a result of usually Loyalty Factors put up primarily based on when your bank card assertion closes, quite than primarily based on if you really full spending. Nonetheless, for the interval round when this system transitions between years, there’s an exception, which is price being conscious of.
All bank card spending that posts to your account earlier than the tip of February counts towards the present elite qualification yr, so bank card assertion cut-off dates don’t issue into this. Simply make it possible for the cost has absolutely posted to your account (and isn’t simply “pending”) previous to the tip of the month.
In the meantime as you’d anticipate, bank card spending that posts to your account beginning in March will rely towards the next elite qualification yr. It’s price noting that Loyalty Factors earned for billing cycles closing in March might take longer to put up than common, due to the distinctive ways in which rewards are damaged up throughout that interval.
This identical coverage applies throughout American’s co-branded bank cards, whether or not you’re utilizing a private card just like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt World Elite Mastercard® (overview) or Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® (overview), or a enterprise card just like the Citi® / AAdvantage Enterprise™ World Elite Mastercard® (overview).
Loyalty Factors bonuses are additionally per membership yr
Simply as a reminder, two co-branded Citi AAdvantage playing cards additionally provide annual Loyalty Factors bonuses, unrelated to card spending:
- For the Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt World Elite Mastercard®, you’ll be able to earn as much as 20,000 bonus Loyalty Factors per yr with none spending requirement — earn 10,000 bonus Loyalty Factors after reaching 50,000 Loyalty Factors in a standing qualification yr, and earn one other 10,000 bonus Loyalty Factors after reaching 90,000 Loyalty Factors in the identical standing qualification yr
- For the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®, you’ll be able to earn as much as 15,000 bonus Loyalty Factors per yr with none spending requirement — earn 5,000 bonus Loyalty Factors after each 4 qualifying American flights, and you may make the most of that as much as 3 times per yr
These rewards are primarily based on the elite membership yr as nicely, which means eligibility for these resets on March 1 of yearly.
Backside line
With spending on American’s co-branded bank cards counting towards elite standing, I do know many individuals are attempting to do the mathematics on what number of Loyalty Factors they should rack up earlier than the tip of the present standing yr.
Not like different months, American counts all spending that hits the account earlier than the tip of February towards standing for the present yr, and all spending as of March 1 towards the next yr. So for this of the yr, it’s not the account shut date that issues, however simply when the spending hits the account.
How’s your American bank card spending on the lookout for February? 😉
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