Credit Card News
Chase Freedom Announces 5% Bonus Categories for Q3 2024
With the official summer season about to begin, Chase has embraced the fun for its Chase Freedom third quarter 2024 bonus categories.
About the Q3 2024 bonus categories:
From July through September, Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders can earn up to 5% back in three (technically four) bonus categories. First up is gas/EV charging station. This includes gasoline paid for either at the pump or inside of the station. Exclusions include “merchants that do not specialize in selling automotive gasoline” such as truck stops, boat marinas, oil and propane distributors, and home heating companies. EV charging includes public electric vehicle charging stations but not at-home charging.
Next, cardholders can also earn 5% back on “select live entertainment.” This category includes ticketed entertainment, such as sporting events, zoos/aquariums, concerts, theatrical products, museums, tourist attractions, amusement parks, and more. Additionally, purchases from ticket agencies selling on behalf of venues will also qualify.
Lastly, the movie theatres category includes regular movie theatres as well as drive-ins. However, Chase warns that “purchases other than your tickets will not be included in the category unless they classify as a movie theater.” Because of this, in-theatre dining purchases and merchandise might not qualify.
In order to earn the 5% back in these categories during the quarter, cardholders will need to activate the offer by visiting ChaseBonus.com. Additionally, the 5% back is capped at $1,500 in combined bonus category spending. Thus, cardholders can earn a total of $75 back from this deal during the quarter.
As a reminder, while the Chase Freedom is no longer available to new cardholders, the Freedom Flex is.
What they’re saying:
In a press release, the GM of Chase Freedom Brent Reinhard said, “We want our cardmembers to be the heroes of their own summer stories. These cashback categories are all about creating moments that matter, from escaping into a movie to experiencing the electrifying energy of live theater or an esports championship. We’re thrilled to offer Chase Freedom Cardmembers extra value on cashbacking while enjoying meaningful experiences with their loved ones this summer.”
My thoughts:
After breaking the mold in Q2 by stacking bonus categories on top of existing Freedom Flex rewards, the third quarter is returning to normality. In fact, I’d say that these summer season selections are probably about the safest picks they could have made. That’s not a bad thing per se but it is notable seeing as Chase was trying some interesting new things earlier this year.
Comparing Chase’s Q3 selections to Discover’s, they really couldn’t be more different. While Chase’s picks emphasize summer fun (or just commuting, I suppose), Discover went in an “everyday essential” direction by offering 5% back at grocery stores and Walmart during the quarter. Of course, Discover also already did a gas/EV charging bonus category for Q2.
In any case, those with the Chase Freedom or Chase Freedom Flex should be sure to activate next quarter’s offer and make the most of these 5% bonus categories between July 1st and September 30th.