Chase Freedom normally tells us the 5x points category way ahead of the third quarter but just like everything this year, it had to be done differently. It was kept a secret until this week where it was revealed that it will be what everyone wants the most… Gas cash-back!
Between July 1 and September 30, the Chase Freedom will offer 5x points on Lyft, Walgreens, and gas stations. The extra cash back is maxed out at up to a $1,500 spend or $75 in rewards. That’s quite a bit when it comes to saving at the pricey pump right now at almost $3 a gallon.
You may take it a step further and use Shell with a bigger bonus when you pay with Chase Pay. If you are not a fan of Shell gas stations then just make sure it’s not a warehouse club or grocery store where you fill up to get the 5%. It has to be an actual gas station retailer.
Another favorite on the list is Lyft. We normally take Uber because of the ShopYourWay giving $2 cash back on each ride but Lyft gives Delta Skymiles and Jetblue points so with the 5% cash back we will start using Lyft again. If you are new to the ride-sharing company here are some promos to sign-up with Lyft.
Walgreens is another favorite. We get so many things at Walgreens when we are in New York City, Denver, and Dallas. Walgreens normally has the cheapest RedBull and it makes a great drink mixer. Registration for this category will open on June 15.
Discover IT Card is normally offering the exact same category at five percent cash back but this time they are doing Restaurants. Take out both cards for the Summer road trip and use the Discover IT for dining and to gas up the car use the Chase Freedom.
$200 Bonus for New Accounts
If you’re new to the Chase Freedom Card you can get a $200 Bonus by applying here. You’ll get a $150 bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Chase Freedom Card waited until the last minute this coming quarter to announce their 5% back categories and it was worth the wait. They included not only grocery store purchases but also Paypal and Chase Pay. The Chase Pay will continue from the first quarter where we got to get 5% back at purchases at retail stores such as Best Buy and gas stations such as Shell with a bigger bonus.
5% Back on Paypal, Grocery Stores, & Chase Pay
Earn 5% back on Paypal, grocery stores, and Chase Pay during the months of April, May, and June, up to $1,500 maximum. All of these are useful categories:
Paypal. This includes regular online Paypal payments as well as in-store app payments with Paypal. It even includes if you use the Send Money feature in Paypal. If you owe a friend money for concert tickets or for dinner now is the time to send it and get 5% back.
Grocery Stores. Includes all regular grocery stores such as Whole Foods, H-E-B, Kroger, Albertsons and more. It does not include purchases made at Walmart, Target, discount stores, or warehouse clubs. You could double up on your cash back by signing up for Ibotta here.
Chase Pay. You can use Chase Pay at select merchants online and in-store. While it’s not as good as last quarter with mobile wallets like Samsung Pay and Apple Pay there are a few options such as Walmart and Potbelly sandwiches that take the payment option.
Discover IT Card is also offering the grocery stores category for the second quarter.
$150 Bonus for New Accounts
If you’re new to the Chase Freedom Card you can get a $150 Bonus by applying here. You’ll get a $150 bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Shell Fuel Rewards offers $0.35 Off per Gallon on your next Fill-up when you First use Chase Pay and fill-up at least 5-Gallons to activate the offer (follow the instructions below).
Just add your Shell Fuel Rewards loyalty card to your Chase Pay app, then fill-up at least 5 gallons, then you’ll get $.35 off per gallon on your second fill-up. The maximum benefit from this deal is $7 if you fill-up a full 20 gallons. Some people use Shell with Fuel Rewards regularly for the $.15 grocery bonus or Giant/SS/Kroger/Martins earnings.
Furthermore, you can get $.05 off per gallon with Gold status for new sign-ups or as a Chase Freedom and Sapphire cardholder instantly. Chase Freedom Card also has a 5% back on gas and Chase Pay purchases this quarter. You can also stack this offer with T-mobile Tuesdays.
Instructions:
Sign-up for Fuel Rewards from Shell if you have not already.
Download the Chase Pay App and Log in to your Chase Account
From the home screen, tap the “Wallet” icon and select the “Loyalty cards” tab
Now press “+”, then select Shell from the merchant list.
Enter your Shell Fuel Reward loyalty card number or Alt ID
Tap the “Add card” button – This will link your Fuel Reward Account with Chase Pay
Now you may start using the Chase Pay app at a participating Shell Station.
Open the Chase Pay App and tap the “Pay” button, then tap “At the pump.”
Enter the pump number and approve the transaction.
Enter your unique code at the pump and start fueling up.
Must make an initial fill-up of at least 5-Gallons using Chase Pay to activate the offer
You will then receive a $0.35 off per gallon offer to use on your next fill-up w/ Chase Pay
The Chase Freedom credit card comes with rotating quarterly bonus categories where you can earn 5x points on your purchase of up to $1,500 per quarter instead of the regular 1x point per dollar spent. You can now start taking advantage of Chase’s 2018 first quarter rotating categories for this card. The 5% back categories with Chase Freedom really aren’t that exciting for me but this time around it covers what I spend money on the most. This includes cable and internet and phone services if you take out all of my travel purchases but you can do some of those too on Apple or Samsung Pay!
Coming this Summer 2023:
For this quarter, which includes January, February, and March, you can earn 5% cash back on the following:
Gas Stations
Internet, Cell, and Phone Services
Chase Pay, Android Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay
Go here for the rest of of the summer 5% back including Gas purchases.
$200 Bonus for New Accounts
If you’re new to the Chase Freedom Card you can get a $200 Bonus by applying here. You’ll get a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Android Pay, Apple Pay, Chase Pay, and Samsung Pay
Since purchases using Chase Pay, Android Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay trigger the 5% cash back, it should be easy to max out your $1,500 spend cash back! All you have to do is pay with the mobile app at participating stores, or while shopping online. You’ll probably be surprised with how many merchants accept mobile payments and you can normally tell when the card swipe box has a wifi looking sign.
Internet, Phone, and Cable Bills
You can also change your Internet, Cell Phone, and Home Phone service bills to charge your Chase Freedom card instead of the card that is currently being billed. If your combined bills are less then $1,500 for the three months, you can also pre-pay your cell phone bill, for instance, and it will just give you a credit on your bill for the coming months. This option is only good though if you are not currently using a credit card that earns 5x points. Keep in mind that you cannot purchase a phone and get the 5% back because it doesn’t cover equipment. It only covers the service.
Gas Stations
This is a great time to get 5% back at gas stations while fuel costs are higher than normal. Discover Card is also offering a 5% back at gas stations for the first 3 months of 2018. Our favorite Gas Station is Shell where they have a Fuel Rewards program and you can stack the savings on each fill-up.
There are many banks and credit unions to get your miles, points, and cash back from. If you want to maximize your points and miles you better start the right way especially because some banks count applications against you. The one bank in general with some of the best credit cards is Chase bank.
Chase knows they monopolize some of the hottest credit cards and we actually broke news back in the day they came out with the Freedom Card before any other site. It’s been one of the best cards of all-time with the quarterly bonuses. What Chase does is limit your approval based on how many cards you’ve applied for in the past with the “5/24 rule.”
We recommend you apply for a Chase Credit Card first before any other card because of the strict rule they mandated over a year ago. Grab a few Chase Cards then as soon as they accept you go for the gold with all the other fantastic cards on the market such as Discover It.
What does 5/24 rule mean?
It’s more of a credit card insider term meaning they typically won’t approve you for some of their cards if you’ve opened more than five accounts in the past 24 months. The following cards are subjected to this rule:
Discover Bonus Categories 2017
Use Your Discover it Card to Earn 5% Cash Back on Sam’s Club (in-store and online), Online Costco Purchases, and Gas in the first quarter of 2017. The ground transportation bonus category is broad. It includes purchases like subway passes, railway tickets, taxis and tour bus tickets. Plus, it will include rideshare such as Uber and Lyft spending. You can get up to $75 cash back each quarter on bonus categories with your Discover it card. if you do not have the Discover It Card you can get it here with a sign-up bonus!
The Discover 5X categories starting January 2017 will be:
1. Gas stations (Supermarket stations may not be eligible)
2. Ground transportation
3. Wholesale clubs – Sam’s Club, Costco (Online), BJ’s Wholesale
You can activate the bonus now for spending from January 2017 through March 2017.
Another great thing about Discover Card is they have no foreign transactions fees, so you can use it on bonus purchases when traveling to places such as London or Prague.
Chase Freedom Bonus Categories for 2017
The Chase Freedom bonus categories have been released for the first 2 quarters of 2017. You’ll get 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points (5% cash back) on up to $1,500 in combined spending when you spend at gas stations and on commuter transportation from January to March 2017. You can usually buy groceries, beer, lottery tickets, and more at gas stations!
You’ll also earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points when you shop at grocery stores and drug stores from April to June 2017, on up to $1,500 in combined purchases.
Chase Freedom normally tells us the 5x points category way ahead of the third quarter but just like everything this year, it had to be done differently. It was kept a secret until this week where it was revealed that it will be what everyone wants the most… Gas cash-back!
Chase Freedom Card waited until the last minute this coming quarter to announce their 5% back categories and it was worth the wait. They included not only grocery store purchases but also Paypal and Chase Pay. The Chase Pay will continue from the first quarter where we got to get 5% back at purchases at retail stores such as Best Buy and gas stations such as 
