This morning, Chase revealed that the Chase Freedom 3rd Quarter 2020 categories to be Amazon.com and Whole Foods purchases.
The Chase Freedom is an amazing card for earning Ultimate Rewards (UR) points quickly on select categories. It’s best used in conjunction with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or the Chase Ink Business Preferred. This is because you can transfer points earned with the Freedom to any of the above cards for access to transfer partners.
Overview
Amazon.com was an interesting pick for the 3rd Quarter 2020. However, it is a sign of the current times. An increasing amount of people are shopping online and not going to brick-and-mortar retail stores even before the COVID-19 pandemic. But that number is going up even faster with the pandemic. Therefore, Amazon as a primary Freedom category is a pleasant and lucrative surprise for many cardholders!
In years past, the 3rd quarter has not been consistent for the Chase Freedom. Past categories have included Gas Stations, Dining, Streaming Services, Lyft, and Walgreens purchases. But given the current times, it is nice to see Chase helping their cardholders once again.
Furthermore, the addition of Whole Foods stores as a secondary category does not surprise me given that Amazon is the primary category. After all, Amazon owns Whole Foods. And there are quite a few people who shop for groceries at Whole Foods stores. For these cardholders, the 3rd quarter is like an extension of the 2nd quarter.
Moreover, the Chase Freedom allows you to earn 5x points on up to $1,500 spend within the bonus categories. That means you can earn 7,500 UR points per quarter if you maximize the categories. All categories share the maximum spend limit.
Strategy
Use the Freedom for the first $1,500 of category expenses. Thereafter, you should use any of the Amazon co-branded credit cards for Amazon purchases if you have one. Otherwise, use a flat-rate credit card.
Moreover, use a Grocery Store bonus category card for Whole Foods purchases if you spend more than $1,500 there next quarter. This is because you will earn only one point for every dollar spent after maximizing the categories.
Final Draw
The third quarter of 2019 should be bountiful for most Chase Freedom cardholders. You can purchase almost anything on Amazon.com and earn 5x UR points! That is incredible!
The current categories for the Chase Freedom are Grocery Stores, Gym Memberships, and Fitness Clubs. Registration to earn 5x points closes today (June 14, 2020) for those who have not registered. This is your last chance to register. All you have to do is click on this link to the registration page and enter your name, ZIP code, and the last four digits of your card’s number.
Registration for the second quarter’s categories opens tomorrow (Monday), June 15, 2020. Use the same registration page link and follow the above steps to apply.
