Now Earn 10X Points (10% Back) on Hotels and Car Rentals With These Cards!

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Here’s an opportunity to earn lots of cash back or points for Chase Freedom®  and Chase Freedom Unlimited cardholders!

For the entire month of March 2017, you can earn 10% cash back (10 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1) on up to $2,500 in hotel and car rental purchases made through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.

So if you spend the full $2,500, you’ll earn $250 cash back or 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points!  That’s a sweet deal.

I’ll share details of the promotion!

Chase Freedom & Freedom Unlimited 10X Promotion

Link:   Chase Freedom & Freedom Unlimited

Link:   Chase Freedom

Link:   My Review of the Chase Freedom

Link:   Chase Freedom Unlimited

Link:   My Review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited

Through March 31, 2017, Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Unlimited cardholders can earn 10% cash back (10X Chase Ultimate Rewards points) on hotels and car rentals booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.

You’ll earn 10X on up to $2,500 in combined spending.  So the maximum you can earn through this promotion is $250 or 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points ($2,500 in spending X 10% or 10 points per $1).

Normally, you’d only earn 1% cash back (1 Chase Ultimate Rewards point per $1) with the Chase Freedom.  And 1.5% cash back (1.5 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1) with the Chase Freedom Unlimited.  So you’ll earn much more with this promotion.

And you could potentially get even more value from your points by transferring points to hotel and airline partners if you also have one of these cards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Chase Ink Business Preferred
• Chase Ink Plus (no longer available)
• Chase Ink Bold (no longer available)

If you spent the maximum and earned 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you’d have enough to transfer to United Airlines for a round-trip domestic coach ticket.  Or a night at a fancy Hyatt hotel like the Grand Hyatt Kauai where Emily and I stayed!

Not a Good Deal for Everyone

At first glance, this deal seems like a no-brainer if you have one of these cards and have paid travel this month anyway.  But there are disadvantages to this deal!

1.   You Won’t Earn Hotel Points

Major hotel chains treat the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal like any other 3rd-party website.  So you typically will NOT earn hotel points or elite stay credits when you book this way.

And there’s no guarantee you’ll have your elite status recognized during your stay, so you might miss out on valuable perks like free breakfast or late check-out.

That said, if you’re booking an independent or boutique hotel, or don’t care about points or status, this is an excellent deal.

2.   No Primary Car Rental Insurance

I always check the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal when I book a rental car, because their prices are often very cheap compared to booking directly through the rental company.

But keep in mind, the Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Unlimited do NOT offer primary car rental insurance.  You might prefer to use a card that includes coverage, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, instead.

3.   Sometimes, Limited Options

Not every single hotel or car rental agency appears on the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.  So if the hotel you’re interested in isn’t listed, you’re out of luck.

In my experience, prices on the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal are usually competitive with other websites.  But it’s still worth shopping around to be sure you’re getting the best deal.

Bottom Line

For the entire month of March, Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Unlimited cardholders can earn 10% cash back (10X Chase Ultimate Rewards points) on hotels and car rentals booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.  On up to $2,500 in combined spending!

That’s a good deal.  But keep in mind, you won’t earn hotel points or stay credits when you book hotels through the portal, and you might not have your elite status recognized.

And if you’re renting a car, it might be better for you to use a card which offers primary rental insurance, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred.