1. List the cards you already hold
Use the exact card name, including whether it is a personal or business card. Start with benefits you expect to use in your normal routine. Your issuer's current benefit pages and your account are the reference for your card's terms.
2. Record the reset period and requirements
Benefits may reset monthly, quarterly, twice a year, by calendar year or by card anniversary. Do not assume that a credit resets when your annual fee posts. Note whether enrollment, an eligible merchant or a particular booking method is required.
- Benefit: what the credit or perk covers.
- Period: when it starts and resets.
- Requirements: enrollment, payment or booking conditions.
- Usage: what you have used, what remains and what still needs checking.
3. Confirm usage before treating a credit as available
A listed credit is not proof that you still have it left. Check earlier activity for the current period. If you are unsure, keep it marked as something to verify rather than counting the full amount as available.
4. Set reminders that leave time to act
Choose reminders early enough to check the terms and use a benefit if it fits an existing plan. For rotating categories, keep the activation task separate from tracking purchases. Confirm activation with the issuer.
5. Compare recorded value with annual fees
Keep potential benefits separate from benefits you actually used. Nominal credit amounts are not automatically savings: a perk you would not otherwise use may be worth less to you. Record value consistently and use the same card-year period when comparing it with the fee.
A benefit is only useful if it fits spending you would do anyway. Buying extra things solely to use a credit can cost more than the benefit is worth.
A spreadsheet or a benefits tracker
A spreadsheet gives you a flexible place to record the details, but you maintain the list and arrange reminders yourself. Card Shark brings supported card details and reminders together. You still mark benefits as used; manual tracking does not require connecting your bank.
How Card Shark fits the routine
- Choose your cards from the card catalog.
- Check the relevant benefits and confirm what you have already used.
- Choose reminders and record benefits as you use them.
- Review recorded benefits and rewards alongside each card's fee.
Card Shark is coming soon to iPhone for US cardholders. See the free features or join the launch waitlist.
Questions before you start
Does every benefit reset at the end of the year?
No. The reset period depends on the benefit. Check each benefit's terms instead of using one date for the whole card.
Will an app enroll me in a benefit?
A tracking reminder is not enrollment. Complete any required activation or enrollment with your issuer and confirm it succeeded.
Where can I check a benefit that looks wrong?
Start with your issuer's account and current terms. In Card Shark, you can also report an issue with a card's details. See support for the steps.