I love having the Chase Freedom card in my wallet. And so does Emily
It has no annual fee. So it’s a fantastic card to keep forever because it’s free to have.
And the card has quarterly rotating bonus categories that earns 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points, or 5% cash back. For example, the current quarterly bonus categories (ends December 31, 2016) includes department stores, drugstores, and wholesale clubs including Costco.
Tracking your Chase Freedom 5X spend is important! Because you can monitor how close you are to reaching the $1,500 maximum each quarter. This way, you’ll be able to get the most rewards!I’ll show you how to track Chase Freedom 5X spend!
The Current Chase Freedom Offer
Link: Chase Freedom
Link: My Review of the Chase Freedom
You can earn 15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points ($150) when you sign-up for the Chase Freedom card and spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account.
You’ll also get:
- 2,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards bonus points ($25) when you add an authorized user who makes a purchase in the 1st 3 months of opening your account
- 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points (on up to $1,500 in spending) in rotating categories each quarter when you activate the bonus
- Unlimited 1 Chase Ultimate Rewards point per $1 on all other purchases
The card has no annual fee! But there are foreign transaction fees. So it’s NOT a good card to use overseas.
This is one of the Chase cards I currently have and will always keep. Because the quarterly 5X bonus categories are an easy way to accumulate Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which are my favorite flexible points!
And several other Million Mile Secrets team members love this card too! Like Scott, who always uses this card when the quarterly bonus category is restaurants. And other team members use it when supermarkets are included in the bonus category.
Big Travel With the Chase Freedom
Link: Why Chase Ultimate Rewards Is My Favorite Points Program
On its own, you can only redeem Chase Freedom rewards for cash back.
But when you have other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Ink Plus, or (no longer available) Chase Ink Bold, you can combine points and transfer to airline and hotel partners.
That’s why spending the maximum amount on the Freedom 5X bonus categories can help you get Big Travel!
Because you can earn 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points each quarter you spend the maximum $1,500 in the bonus category.
That’s 30,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points a year, which is enough for a free night at the most expensive Hyatt Category 7 hotels! Or you could get a one-way coach award ticket from the US to Europe on United Airlines and its partners.
Track Chase Freedom 5X Spend
Link: Activate Chase Freedom 5X Bonus Categories
Tracking your Chase Freedom 5X bonus spending can help you earn the most rewards. Because after you spend more than $1,500 in the bonus category, you’ll only earn 1 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 you spend.
And there might be another card in your wallet that earns more. For example the Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 you spend on all purchases. Or you can earn 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on all travel and dining purchases with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Here’s how to track Chase Freedom 5X spend.
Step 1 – Log-In to Chase
First, log-in to your Chase account.
Step 2 – View Chase Freedom Details
Next, you’ll see a summary of all your Chase credit cards.
Make sure you’re on your Chase Freedom account. Then, click “See details” on the right-hand side of the account summary page.
Step 3 – Track 5% Category Spending
Then, you’ll be able to see the rewards you earned in the bonus category for the quarter.
For example, I earned the maximum 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points ($75) on department stores, drugstores, and wholesale clubs like Costco, which is the current bonus category through December 31, 2016.
Remember, after you earn the maximum rewards for the quarter, you’ll only earn 1 Chase Ultimate Reward point per $1 you spend in the bonus category. So check your rewards to see if you have another card that can earn you more!
Bottom Line
With the Chase Freedom card, you earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on up to $1,500 in spending in rotating categories each quarter when you activate the bonus.
To track your 5X bonus category spending, simply log-in to your Chase account and view the progress each quarter.
Because after you hit the $1,500 in maximum spending per quarter, you’ll only earn 1 Chase Ultimate Reward point per $1 you spend. So it might be better to use a different card to earn higher rewards!