Doctor of Credit (H/T) has reported today that the Chase Freedom Flex 2nd Quarter 2021 categories will be Gas Stations and Home Improvement stores. These categories will also be available to those with the old Chase Freedom.
The Chase Freedom Flex and the old Chase Freedom are amazing credit cards for earning Ultimate Rewards (UR) points quickly on select categories. They are 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 either card to any of the above cards for access to transfer partners.
Overview
Gas stations are an excellent category for any 5x rotating card. The two Freedom cards, old and new, are no exception. People who are beginning to return to their daily commute should be able to maximize the gas category. Travelers with plans for a spring road trip are also in luck with this category. Therefore, a plethora of Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders should easily be able to maximize this category alone.
Plus, Chase is offering 5x UR points on home improvement store purchases. Home Depot and Lowe’s are two examples of qualifying stores. Home improvement stores are a nice category for the second quarter because it’s a popular time of year for home improvement projects.
Similarly, the Discover It is offering 5% cash back at Gas Stations, Wholesale Clubs, and select streaming services for the 2nd Quarter. You can use both the Freedom Flex (and/or old Freedom) and the Discover It together to get 5% or 5x UR points on gas stations. Having both a Discover It and a Chase Freedom (Flex) effectively doubles your spend limit for the quarter. Both cards also increase the amount of rewards you can earn.
Both Chase Freedom cards allow 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
People who have multiple cards could earn loads of points with the Chase Freedom Flex (and/or old Chase Freedom). But if they maximize the categories, they would earn only one point for every dollar they spend over the threshold. This is where bonus category cards come into play.
The optimal strategy for the second quarter is to use the Freedom or Freedom Flex at gas stations and home improvement stores until you spent $1,500. Thereafter, use the Discover It if you have that card. For those who don’t have a Discover It, some of the best cards for gas are the Chase Ink Business Cash, American Express Everyday Preferred Card, and the Citi Premier.
Final Draw
The second quarter of 2021 should be excellent for many Chase Freedom Flex and old Freedom cardholders. Chase really thought about consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic and picked two amazing categories as a result.
The current set of categories for the Chase Freedom cards are Wholesale Clubs, Streaming Services, and Internet, Cable, & Phone Services. Registration to earn 5x points closes today (March 14, 2021) 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 fourth quarter’s categories opens tomorrow, Monday, March 15, 2021. Use the same registration page link and follow the above steps to apply.
