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Credit Card News
Chase Announces Freedom 5% Bonus Categories for Q3 2023
As the second quarter of the year nears its end and summer gets underway, Chase has announced what spending categories its Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders will be able to earn up to 5% cashback on during Q3.
About the bonus categories:
Starting July 1st and running through September 30th, Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardmembers will be able to earn up to 5% back in three categories: gas stations, EV charging, and “select live entertainment.” For gas stations, Chase notes that this includes merchants that sell automotive gasoline that can be paid for either at the pump or inside the station, while the EV charging portion includes purchases of services at charging stations available to the public.
As for the “select live entertainment” category, this will include merchants that sell tickets for in-person entertainment, with some cited examples including sporting events, zoos/aquariums, concerts, theatrical productions, museums, tourist attractions/exhibits, amusement parks, and more. However, some non-included examples include movie theatres, bowling alleys, casinos, etc.
In order to earn the 5% on these categories, cardholders must activate the offer on ChaseBonus.com by September 14th. Additionally, the 5% is capped at a total of $1,500 in combined bonus category spending for the quarter. This means that the maximum amount of cashback possible from this deal is $75.
In the background:
Per usual, Chase’s reveal comes a couple of weeks after Discover announced its 5% category picks for the third quarter. While Discover’s offer also includes gas stations and EV chargers, It cardholders will be able to earn up to 5% back on purchases made using the card via digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and others. As with Chase, this offer must be activated and is capped at $1,500 in combined bonus category spending.
My thoughts:
Given the summer road trip theme, it’s no surprise that both Chase and Discover choose to feature gas stations and EV chargers as part of their quarter that runs from July through September. In the same vein, the Live Entertainment category strikes me as an inspired pick for the season. On the other hand — and perhaps this is just a bit of bias as an It cardholder — I personally prefer Discovers Q3 slate instead. Mostly, that’s because I see the digital wallets category being more useful than the live entertainment one. By the way, if you want to earn 3% back on live (and non-live entertainment) year-round, I’d recommend checking out the Capital One SaverOne card.
In any case, hopefully Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders will be able to make use of next quarter’s bonus categories and enjoy their summer.