Caroline Lupini 
Comments
June 23, 2020 
The Chase Freedom credit card is one of my favorite ways to
The quarterly bonus categories are capped at $1,500 in spend each quarter. This means that you can earn up to 7,500 Ultimate Rewards points every three months when you max out the bonus opportunity.
Each quarter, the Chase Freedom quarterly bonus calendar is updated with the latest offers for 5%
Below is what we know about the quarterly rewards calendar so far, including how to activate your 5% bonus and tips for maximizing the bonus categories.
Chase Cashback Calendar Bonus Categories Revealed for Q4 2019: Department Stores, PayPal and Chase Pay®
- October to December 2019: Department stores, PayPal and Chase Pay®
July to September 2019: Gas Stations and Streaming Services.April to June 2019: Grocery Stores and Home-Improvement Stores.January to March 2019: Gas Stations, Drugstores, Tolls
Chase has revealed the bonus categories for the third quarter of 2019. Let’s take a closer look at what we already know.
JULY to SEPTEMBER 2019
Gas Stations and Streaming Services
Chase has announced the 2019 third quarter 5% bonus categories for the Chase Freedom card. This quarter, Chase Freedom is targeting your need to get around … and be entertained.
The categories that will earn 5% cash back in the third quarter are gas stations and streaming services. Cardholders must activate this cashback offer to receive the bonus points. Activation is open right now and goes through September 14, 2019.
Gas stations – fill’er up! This quarter you’re getting 5% cash back when you top-up your tank using the Chase Freedom card. And Chase is pretty loose about what defines a gas station: It includes not just a typical corner gas station, but also grocery stores, warehouse stores and discount stores where gasoline is sold, as well as truck stops, convenience stores, even airline fuel companies.
Streaming services – Sure, Game of Thrones ended (with a bit of a whimper) but you still need your entertainment. So this quarter make sure you’re using your Chase Freedom card to pay for subscriptions to online streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Apple Music, Spotify, and others. Alas, HBO isn’t on the list.
APRIL to JUNE 2019 (EXPIRED):
Grocery Stores and Home-Improvement Stores (EXPIRED):
Chase has announced the 2019 second quarter bonus categories. This quarter, the Chase Freedom card is targeting pretty much everyone, since we all have to eat. And if you’re the do-it-yourself type, then you’ll certainly benefit this quarter as you shop for the items you need to spruce up or improve your house or apartment, or as you beautify your yard or garden with new plantings for the spring.
The categories that will earn 5% cash back are
Grocery stores – stock up your pantry, freezer and fridge – and don’t forget to grab any household items you might otherwise buy at a pharmacy, hardware store or elsewhere. Everything you buy at the supermarket gets you the 5% cash back bonus this quarter. But don’t do your shopping at Walmart or Target – the bonus offers does not apply there.
- Home-improvement stores – Flowers for the yard, vegetables you’re your garden … a new paint job for the house, and any of untold numbers of home-improvement projects you’ve been meaning to do. Now’s the time to get around to them since this quarter you’ll get 5% cash back on everything you buy at stores such as Home Depot, Lowes and others.
JANUARY to MARCH 2019 (EXPIRED):
Gas Stations, Drugstores, Tolls (Expired)
Chase has released the 2019 first quarter bonus categories. This quarter, the Chase Freedom card is targeting people going on road trips or those that have a lot of medical bills.
The categories that will earn 5% cash back are gas stations, tolls, and drugstores. Cardholders must activate this
Gas stations – fill up your car and save. Road trips and your daily commute are less expensive with this 5% cash back offer. - Drugstores – drugstores offer more than prescription and over-the-counter medicine. Many offer toiletries, cosmetics, and a small section of groceries.
- Tolls – reduce the sting of toll roads with 5% cash back on your morning commute or your weekend getaway.
If you won’t spend $1,500 this quarter in gas, tolls, or prescriptions, remember that many
OCTOBER to DECEMBER 2018 (EXPIRED):
Department Stores, Wholesale Clubs and Chase Pay (EXPIRED)
The Chase Freedom fourth quarter categories are department stores, wholesale clubs, and payments made via Chase Pay. With all of the sales during Black Friday and leading up to the holidays, it will be easy to max out the 5%
Chase Pay is now accepted at a variety of stores, including
If you still are unsure if you spend $1,500 to max out the 5% cash back benefit and earn 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards, remember that many department stores and wholesale clubs offer gift cards that you can use all year long. My local wholesale club offers discounts up to 20% on gift card packages that we take advantage of on a regular basis.
JULY to SEPTEMBER 2018 (EXPIRED)
Gas Stations, Lyft and Walgreens
The Chase Freedom third quarter categories are
And the next time you need a prescription filled or to do some light
MORE READ:
10 Reasons to Book Flights Using Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
10 Ways to Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards
After $1,500, you will still earn one point per dollar spent, just like on all other purchases.
Vote for the Next Chase Freedom Rewards Calendar Category
We don’t know for sure what the bonus categories are going to be for Q3 of 2019 just yet, but we want to give you the chance to vote on what you would like to see next. After you make your selection, you’ll be able to see how other readers have voted, too.
Loading ...How to Activate the 5% Rewards Categories
You have to keep track of the Chase Freedom calendar because you have to activate the
You can activate your 5% bonus categories as early as two weeks before the next quarter starts. For example, activation for Q2 2019 began on March 15, 2019.
It’s also possible to activate your Chase Freedom bonus categories over the phone, by email, at a Chase ATM or at any Chase location.
Activation is required by the middle of the last month of each quarter in order to be eligible for the bonus points. For example, July through September activation must take place by September 14.
Even if you wait until the last minute to activate, you will still earn bonus points from all of your purchases during the entire quarter, but don’t wait too long to activate. It won’t be possible, and you will not earn any bonus points for that quarter.
You’ll usually see your bonus points on the statement in which the purchase was made, but you may not see it until the next billing statement. Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for travel or converted to cash back at a rate of one cent per Ultimate Rewards point.
Tips for Maximizing Your 5% Cash Back
In order to maximize the cash back from the 5% bonus categories with the Chase Freedom, you should spend $1,500 in those categories each quarter. This will net you 7,500 Ultimate Rewards points, which can be redeemed for $75 in cash back.
In Q2 2019, the bonus categories are grocery stores and home-improvement stores, such as Home Depot, Lowe’s and others. But be aware that
Better yet, if you plan your shopping correctly, you can easy max out your bonus since you can buy a lot more than groceries at a grocery store. Many of the household items you might pick up at a pharmacy, a hardware store or elsewhere you can buy at a the supermarket to ensure you collect as much of the bonus cash back as possible.
Get a Chase Sapphire Card and Get Even More for Your Points
Perhaps the easiest way to maximize your return is by combining the Freedom card with either the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve card. If you do, then you can combine the points you earn and take full advantage of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program.
With the Sapphire cards, you’ll be able to transfer the
How to Get 6.25% Back
Perhaps the best option you’ll have after transferring your Freedom points to your Sapphire card account is redeeming for travel through the Ultimate Rewards online travel portal. Not only can you book flights, hotel stays and more with nearly any travel provider, but you’ll be able to do it at a discount. That’s because you’ll get 1.25 cents per point with the Preferred card and 1.5 cents per point with the Chase Reserve credit card.
Think about it.
If you max out your spending at $1,500 in a quarterly bonus category with your Freedom card, you’ll get 7,500 points. Those points are worth $75 in cash back. But if you transfer the points to your Sapphire Preferred card, you can redeem them for $93.75 in travel through the UR travel portal. That’s a return of 6.25%!
It can get even better, though, if you have the Sapphire Reserve. Those same 7,500 points would be worth $112.50 through the travel portal. That’s a whopping 7.5% return on your initial $1,500 in spending!