It’s a new year and a new quarter, which means it’s also time for new Chase Freedom bonus categories!
Why I Love The Chase Freedom Card
The Chase Freedom® Card (review) is one of my favorite no annual fee credit cards, as it offers 5x points in rotating quarterly categories, for up to $1,500 of spending per quarter. Most people use this as a cashback card, meaning the 5x points really translates into 5% cashback in these categories.
The best part is that in conjunction with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review), Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (review), or Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card (review), points earned on this card can be converted into Ultimate Rewards points, and be transferred to the Ultimate Rewards airline and hotel partners.
Since I value one Ultimate Rewards point at significantly more than one cent, that’s my preferred use of those points.
Live: Chase Freedom Q1 2020 Bonus Categories
It might be time to move around credit cards in your wallet, because as of today you can start earning 5x points on the first quarter 2020 bonus categories on the Chase Freedom. Registration for this opened back on December 15, and you can earn 5x points for purchases between January 1 and March 31, 2020.
In Q1 2020, the Chase Freedom is offering 5x points on the first $1,500 spent on gas stations, select streaming services, and internet, cable, and phone services.
My Take On Chase Freedom Q1 2020 Bonuses
I’m less enthusiastic about the Q1 2020 bonus categories than I was about the Q4 2019 bonus categories. Of course everyone has different spending patterns, but personally:
- I spend almost nothing at gas stations
- My spending in the streaming services category is the tens of dollars per month, so the upside here is fairly limited
- I already earn 5x points on internet, cable, and phone services, with the Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card (review)
So personally I’m not terribly excited about the 5x points categories this quarter.
How To Register Your Chase Freedom Card
Registration is easy — just go to the registration page and enter your last name, billing zip code, and the last four digits on your card, and you’ll be registered.
How To Make Chase Freedom Point Even More Valuable
To recap, you earn points on the Chase Freedom, and each point can be redeemed for one cent cashback.
However, if you have this card in addition to one of the cards that accrue Ultimate Rewards points, you can transfer these points to Ultimate Rewards. Cards that accrue Ultimate Rewards Cards include the:
So 5% cashback converts into 5x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar with one of the above cards.
Chase Freedom Bonus Summary
The Chase Freedom is one of the best no annual fee cards out there, and I do everything I can to max out the 5x points category every quarter.
Personally the Q1 2020 bonus categories don’t interest me all that much based on my spending patterns, and based on the opportunity cost of the spending. I’m sure others will find these to be really useful, though.
What do you make of the first quarter 2020 Chase Freedom bonus categories?
Yay, gas!
With gas in two quarters each year, the Freedom becomes a 3x gas card. I might even switch internet/cable/phone away from the CIP.
Terrible. I only spend $25 a week on gas. $60 a month on internet. No monthly phone bill. I use to think the chase freedom was a 30k points a year card but now they have made it so hard to max each quarter. Wish they would have chase pay every quarter.
Yay, glad gas is coming back again. Haven’t used my Freedom card since September.
Gas! Excellent. three cars, 4 drivers(2 teens). 5X!
@Staradmiral – what categories do you spend so much in that you could max out the Freedom all 4 quarters…?
Ugh gas again? These last few years the Freedom has become a 1 or 2 quarter card for me (Grocery stores and if one quarter is PayPal/ChasePay or Amazon). Otherwise it is worthless. I’d love for Chase to give you a menu and let you choose what you wanted to bonus. Even if you could only have each option for one quarter per year and you had to visit Chase to set it every quarter.
They should just make the Freedom a 5x gas card
In fairness, there are plenty of us who don’t have business cards. I certainly don’t. Is this as good as last year’s? No. But I’m sure plenty of us can find ways to maximize this category (i.e. gift cards at gas stations).
@DM
I use to think chase freedom could be maxed each quarter. When they have chase pay (walmart accepts chase pay so you can do groceries there), groceries, or paypal then I can do it. But not gas…. They use to offer chase pay 3 quarters per year in like 2017.
Since I have the Chase Ink Cash Card these categories don’t do much for me as they already are covered. I also have the Citi Costco Anywhere Visa that gets me 4x on gas so I suppose I could get 1 extra pt. but not sure worth the bother.
I miss the good ol’ days when Restaurants were the 5x category at least once per year. Must have cost Chase a ton of money while that was running…
Weak. Living in NYC I’m exactly like Ben, I rarely have/use my car, don’t spend much on streaming and already have the Ink Cash card for 5x on utilities.
Would have been great if they had went back to drug stores. I miss the days of 5x at restaurants, was so easy to max that out.
This card would be useless to me. The only quarter that would benefit me would be the grocery quarter. I buy very little gas. I don’t use streaming services. And I rarely shop at department stores. Give back the dining quarter, and add a quarter for big box stores.
I buy a $500 visa gift card each month from my local 7-11 that my wife uses for our groceries when the 5x option is gas or drugstores. The $5.95 fee doesn’t bother me at all.
It’s a good thing this is a no AF card. Hardly use it anymore. Next quarter I’ll spend literally hundreds of dollars on gas, (no gas stations near me sell gift cards with a CC), so I guess 1,500 points for 3 months. Most of our dining spend is in Europe, which doesn’t count with Chase. Only quarter that works is grocery, which is another 7,500 points. Total around 9,00 points a year. As I said, I’ll keep the card as it’s a no AF card, but otherwise it would be cancelled.
For those who work and have to drive, gas is always a good one. Besides, it’s nice they didn’t just follow Discover again, so we get groceries and gas in 1Q20. You mentioned that you thought 4Q19 was great – department stores?
@Poms, most online stores have Paypal checkout option so it was particularly easy to use. Combine that with shopping portal of your choice for extra points/$$
I currently have the Chase Ink Biz Plus card and since I have just dropped below the 5/24 threshold I am looking at getting the Ink Preferred then the Ink Cash? I believe Chase does not offer the Ink Biz Plus anymore.
@ jimravello — That sounds like a good strategy to me!
do you think there will be an issue with having the old Ink Plus and getting the new Ink Preferred?
Ben
Uh hello. You don’t just need to buy gas at gas stations. Buy 1500 in gift cards.
He gets commission from Chase, how come he would (be so stupid to) encourage people to MS Freedom 5x?
May have been revealed but cannot sign up for it yet.