Sneak Peek: 2016 Freedom 5X Bonus Points Calendar

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We now have a sneak peek of 2016’s 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points (5% cash back) bonus categories for the Chase Freedom!

Let’s take a look at the new bonus categories!

About the Chase Freedom Card

Link:   Chase Freedom – 15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points ($150)

Link:   My Full Review of the Chase Freedom Card

You can currently earn an increased sign-up bonus of 15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points ($150 in cash back) when you sign-up for the Chase Freedom card and complete the minimum spending.

This is 1 card I never plan on canceling.  That’s because there’s no annual fee and keeping this card for the long-term helps show Chase that you can pay your bills on time.

Building a good relationship with the bank makes it more likely they’ll approve you for more cards in the future!

Plus, you can earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on up to $1,500 in spending when you activate the bonus and use your Chase Freedom card to make purchases in different categories each quarter.

So if you take full advantage of this bonus each quarter, you’ll earn 30,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points by the end of the year (7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per quarter X 4 quarters).  You can redeem those points for $300 in cash back.

And if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Ink Bold (no longer available), or the Chase Ink Plus, you can transfer the Chase Ultimate Rewards points to airline and hotel partners like United Airlines and Hyatt for Big Travel!

Fancy a trip across the pond?  Transfer your 30,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United Airlines for a 1-way coach flight to Europe!

So spending with your Chase Freedom card can be very rewarding!  And now we have a peek at next year’s bonus categories!

Where Will You Earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards Points in 2016?

Drum roll, please!  Chase Freedom cardholders will earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on up to $1,500 in spending when they activate the bonus in the following categories next year:

January to March (Activate December 15, 2015 – March 14, 2016)

• Gas stations & Commuter Transportation

Gas stations often sell much more than just gas.  Some offer groceries, fast food, toiletries, and other items!

And if you live in a big city or you’re visiting from out of town, this is an easy way to save on local public transportation!

April to June (Activate March 15, 2016 – June 14, 2016)

• Grocery Stores & Wholesale Clubs

I love earning bonus points on shopping I do every day anyway!  Plus, you can stack this deal with coupons and other discounts for even more savings!

And wholesale clubs includes in-store and online purchases at places like Sam’s Club and BJ’s.

July to September (Activate June 15, 2016 – September 14, 2016)

• Restaurants & More

Everyone knows I’m a foodie at heart!  And when I can combine my 2 passions, travel and food, I’m ecstatic!

This category has been paired with a variety of other merchants in past, so there’s no telling what it could be this year!  But I’m crossing my fingers for Lowe’s because they carry such a wide variety of items!

October to December (Activate September 15, 2016 – December 14, 2016)

• Holiday Shopping

I’m happy to see return this category return again this year!  Shopping around the holidays gets tough on the wallet, which makes this a very welcome way to save.

Hopefully Amazon is included again this year.  They sell just about everything and with my Prime membership I get free 2-day shipping on those last-minute gifts!

Bottom Line

You can get 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on up to $1,500 with your Chase Freedom in the quarterly categories when you activate the bonus.

And next year you’ll be able to earn the bonus on commuter transportation & gas, groceries, restaurants, and holiday shopping!

You can earn as many as 30,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points from these new 2016 categories.  That’s worth $300 in cash.

And when you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Plus, or Chase Ink Bold, you can transfer those points to airline and hotel partners for Big Travel!