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- The Chase Freedom card offers 5% cash back – or 5x points – in different categories each quarter.
- The categories for Q2 – April through June 2019 – have just been announced.
- You can combine your cash back with the points earned from cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, making it even more valuable.
Chase offers two strong cash-back cards – the Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Unlimited– that offer great rewards that you can combine with the points you earn from other cards. While both cards are slightly different, they’re both great options and both earn points quickly – I personally have both cards.
What’s unique about the regular Freedom is that while it generally earns 1% cash back – or 1x Chase Ultimate Rewards point per dollar spent, if you combine that “cash back” with the points you’ll earn from a card like the Sapphire Reserve– it earns 5% (or 5x points) in a different bonus category each quarter.
Chase has announced that this year’s Q2 bonus categories are:
- Home improvement stores, like Home Depot or Lowes
- Grocery stores (excluding grocery purchases made at stores like Target or Walmart)
Any purchases that fall into those three categories will be eligible to earn 5% throughout April, May, and June. The category list may be a short one, but it's potentially lucritive - home improvement projects can run high, and groceries are an obvious necessity.
The bonus is capped at $1,500 of spend each quarter. After that, you'll still earn the normal 1% back. Keep in mind that in order to get the bonus, you need to activate your account each quarter. To do so, just log into your account or visit this site.
Chase usually announces Q3's categories sometime in June; activation is scheduled to start on June 15.
If you don't have the card, this is a good opportunity to sign up. In addition to points you earn from spending, you'll get a sign-up bonus of $150 (or 15,000 Ultimate Rewards points) when you spend $500 in the first three months.
