Update: DEAD! Don’t miss it if this becomes alive again. Sign up for deal notification alerts here!
-Chase Freedom Visa-Earn 10,000 Ultimate Rewards points when you spend $500 in 3 months.
There is no annual fee for Chase Freedom!
—————————————————
-09/14 is the last day to activate your Q3 Chase Freedom 5% categories. Although they are called “5% categories” you really get 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent which can be cashed out for 5% cash. For $1,500 in spending you will earn at least 7,500 Ultimate Rewards points. If you or your spouse has a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Ink Plus, or Ink Bold card you can transfer Freedom points over to one of those cards and then transfer them at a 1:1 ratio into much more valuable airline miles (United, British Airways, Southwest, Korean, etc) or hotel points (Hyatt, etc). The $1,500 quarterly limit is per Freedom card.
-If you have a Chase checking account you will also earn a 10% bonus on all points earned during 2013 on your January or February 2014 statement. That means you’ll earn a whopping 5.5 points per dollar in these categories or 8,250 points each quarter.
The 5 point categories for 2013 are as follows:
Q1, January – March: Gas stations, Drugstores & Starbucks
Q2, April – June: Restaurants, Movie theaters, and Lowe’s.
Q3, July – September: Gas stations, Theme parks & Kohl’s
Q4, October – December: Select department stores & Amazon.com
Here is a link that explains where you will and won’t earn the 5 points per dollar for this quarter.
Q3 Spending: You will earn 5 points per dollar on gas stations and on all items sold by gas stations. Many gas stations sell a variety of gift cards and even vanilla reload and other prepaid cards! I picked up Giant Eagle cards at GetGo last year which are good for groceries, gas, gift cards (great when there is a sale on them at Giant Eagle), and even the liquor agency located inside Giant Eagle.
-You can buy Kohl’s gift cards to lock in savings. There are offers to buy amusement park season passes for next year and go for free this year as well.
-I have been buying One Vanilla gift cards at 7-Eleven on my Freedom cards. Most 7/11s are categorized as gas stations, you can confirm each one on the Visa merchant categorization site. The system wouldn’t let me buy Vanilla Reloads but I was able to buy 3 $500 One Vanilla cards for $1,514.85. Then I went next door to Walmart to load them onto Bluebird cards using the last 4 digits of the card as the pin number without even needing to register the card. 8,250 points for $14.85…yes please! That’s 0.18 cents per point or in more practical terms that’s like buying a nonstop one-way business class ticket to Israel on United for $108 or a one-way short-haul flight on American for $8.10.
Of course if you have an Ink Plus, Ink Bold, or Ink Cash card you will earn 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent all year round on telecom, cable, internet, as well as everything from office supply stores, which includes gift cards to other stores and prepaid cash cards that can be used anywhere. With the Bold/Plus cards that’s capped at $50,000 per year and with the Cash card that’s capped at $25,000 per year. The cards also earn 2 points per dollar year-round at gas stations and either hotels (Bold/Plus) or dining (Cash)
Leave a Reply
28 Comments On "Last Days To Register For Freedom Q3 Bonus Spending"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
I used my freedom card this summer at Queens zoo ($1,100) and received the bonus reward points!
@night-owl:
I hope they gave you a monkey or something really good for that price 😯
@Dan: hahaha lol
tried buying vanilla reloads and other prepaid cards and one-vanilla cards at 7-elevens in NJ and NY but they said they cannot accept credit cards for these purchases. any info or experience or suggestions with this. what state were you able to buy the one-vanilla cards
@Davidd:
Ultimately it’s up to the store but the system will allow One Vanilla cards.
I don’t get it. When I click on it it goes to the application about 5%, but nothing about UR points. BTW, can these UR points be transferred to AA?
@Dan: did you ever purchase one vanilla cards in NY/NJ if so where?
Dan
Lol, I paid for about 200 kids. I was surprised (thrilled-5x pts) it was considered a theme park. Wasn’t on their list of parks.
@Mutty:
Read the post.
@Davidd:
Considering I live in OH, no. Though I don’t see why the state would matter, the system takes it either way. Just up to the employee.
@night-owl:
Figured 😉
Very cool, thanks for the report.
I just signed up for the 5% bonus. the website says you have until the 14th to sign up…
@Knish:
As did this post…
Can I open a chase checking account in a state where there’s no chase bank (ie online) so I could get my 10% back?
If not, can I add my name to my wife’s chase checking (which she has in a different state) and get my rewards? Can I add my name online or only in person?
Thanks!!
Visa merchant categorization site categorized 7-11 as “AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS -7542”, does this mean gas stations?
Is the $1500 for all spending or just the limit on the bonus categories?
@Sean: The limit to get 5 point/ dollar. If you spend more, you’ll only get 1 point/ dollar.
Will Amazon payment work for Q4?
@IW:
Are you never in a state where there is a Chase bank?
@PointsToFly:
I would assume no.
@love this blog:
No.
I got a bonus for both Sapphire Preferred Visa & CSP Mastercard versions.
My Ink Bold when it was open was a MC & my Ink Plus is a Mastercard.
Now that Chase is branding them as Visa versions – can one get the bonus again?
@ih:
You can get it again regardless of mastercard or visa.
Dan,
Thanks you for your reply!
Can I open it even if my address is not in that state?
How do you get the Vanila Gift Cards on your Bluebird card?
i have a permanent vanilla card mailed to me for free i asked blue bird if i could transfer funds from that vanilla card to the bluebird and they said cannot
can someone advise@Warren: @Warren: @Warren:
@IW:
Yes.
@Warren:
At the WalMart ATM of with any cashier at Walmart.
can someone please explain to me how to make the debit card to bluebird transfer on the money machine in Walmart. can seem to get it right
do you need a chase account for these cards? does it help in any way?
Dan,
Why keep a Chase Sapphire Preferred with an annual fee – If you can simply use this no-fee card and get the same benefits?
Shouldnt we transfer the points the other way (i.e. – sapphire to freedom) and close down the sapphire?
Thanks
@dyb2:
Just click load money card and swipe your bluebird card. Then fund it with a gift card.
@yitz g:
No.
It gives 10% more points as the post says.
@Leo:
Same benefits?
Freedom can’t transfer points to miles. A foreign transaction fee also applies to Freedom and not to Sapphire.
Plus Sapphire offers 2.14 points per dollar on dining, airfare, hotels, car rentals, etc.
If a 711 is considered a gas station on the visa link, does that mean MasterCard views it the same? Cause my freedom is a MasterCard. As well, a chase rep told me they can tell if it was a gas purchase or a convenience purchase, and they only give 5 points for the gas. Should I assume he is incorrect?