Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.
You have until December 31, 2018, to complete your $1,500 worth of 5X category spending on your Chase Freedom credit card to earn the maximum 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points this quarter. Here are ideas for how to do it plus save money at the same time. I’ll be doing many of these myself.
For me, the 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points aren’t about the $75 cash back. I use the points to get — at a minimum — ~$95 off my next flight. At best, I’m using the points for $150+ off an incredible hotel stay by transferring the points to Hyatt. I’m only able to do that because I move my Chase Ultimate Rewards points from my Freedom credit card to my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Move your Freedom points to any one of these 3 Chase credit cards to instantly boost their value:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (#1 credit card for folks new to using points for travel. No annual fee in year 1. I’ve kept this card for 5+ years.)
- Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card (biggest Chase point sign-up bonus and best business credit card)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (great pick if you know for sure you’ll be traveling a lot)
Everyone here on the Million Mile Secrets team has either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card OR the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. And many of us also have the Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card. (This will be my next Chase credit card!)
How to Earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards Points per $1 With Chase Freedom
- Turn on the bonus by clicking in the email Chase sends you OR log into your Chase Freedom account and click activate
- Spend up to $1,500 combined in the categories by the end date to earn 7,500 points
- If you haven’t yet activated the bonus this quarter, you have until December 14, 2018. It will also apply 5X points to your past bonus category purchases this quarter
How to Earn the Full 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Plus Save Money
This quarter you get 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent at
- Department Stores
- Wholesale Clubs
- Chase Pay
Department Stores
A simple example:
Go into a Macy’s store and you’ll get 5X points with your Freedom. But you can earn extra Chase Ultimate Rewards points by going to the
- Chase Shopping Portal
- Then Click to Macys.com
- And Check-out with your Chase Freedom credit card
And you’ll earn an extra 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1! That’s 3% cash back. Or do like I do and move your points to your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for much more valuable travel awards!
Note: The bonus rates in the Chase Ultimate Rewards Shopping Portal frequently change. Sometimes there are really great deals. And we’ll alert you to them here on Million Mile Secrets.
Now here’s a trick I’ve actually used at department stores when shopping in person. You know most department stores basically run non-stop promotions. So I always ask the cashier, “What promotions do you have right now?” And sometimes they tell me about discounts that I didn’t know about before I stepped into the store!
True Story: One time it was a charity discount. You donate a piece of used clothing and you get 20% off your entire order. So I literally gave her the shirt off my back!
Wholesale Clubs
Hint: Costco, Sam’s Club, etc., sell LOTS of stuff beyond groceries and socks. Look carefully in the aisles that you normally skip.
Go online: As much stuff as Costco has in the store, they have way more stuff on their website.
Liquor: You can buy a lot of liquor at Sam’s Club and such at already-great prices. Now you also get 5X points! Bottles of liquor are usually tough to earn bonus points on. So this is your chance.
Chase Pay
Chase Pay has released so many discounts recently!
Here are just a few recent ones (these are expired, just giving you an idea of what to expect):
- 1,500 points for using Chase Pay 5 times at merchants
- $7 off a movie ticket
- $10 off restaurants takeout orders
- 475 Starbucks Bonus Stars With Chase Pay
So you’ll earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 AND get the discounts. To be alerted to these, go get our free newsletter.
Bottom Line
I love my Chase Freedom credit card. But for me, it’s not just a cash back machine. It’s a travel trampoline! I bounce all my Chase Ultimate Rewards points from my Freedom card to my
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Because my Chase Ultimate Rewards points immediately gain 25% in value for travel. Instead of 1 cent per point for cash back, I can hop on the Chase travel site (it’s like Expedia) and get 1.25 cents each. So 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth $625 with no blackout dates.
But even better, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, and Chase Sapphire Reserve all enable you to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to their airline and hotel partners. And that’s how I’ve flown Business Class to Europe, stayed at luxury hotel suites on the beach in Mexico, and visited amazing places around the world.
- If you have a small business, first apply for the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card because it has the biggest sign-up bonus.
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is the right card if you’re beginning with using points for travel. Because there’s no annual fee in the first year so you can try out the travel points hobby with no risk.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve is what you want if you’re feel sure you’ll use all the top-notch travel benefits.