Credit Card News
Chase Freedom Surprise Category Revealed, Starts March 1
As Chase celebrates the 15th anniversary of its Freedom cards, the bank is adding a surprise fifth category to its first quarter 5% bonus line-up.
About the surprise category:
Chase Freedom/Freedom Flex cardholders can earn up to 5% back on yet another category before the end of Q1. Starting March 1st, Tax Preparation and Insurance will be eligible for this quarter’s bonus.
According to Chase, the Tax Preparation and Insurance category will include merchants that provide consumer in-person or digital tax preparation services as well as health, automobile, homeowners, renters, medical, or life insurance providers. However, product warranties and trip insurance purchases are excluded from the category.
This surprise category joins the four previously announced options: Grocery Stores, Fitness Clubs; Hair, Nails, and Spa Services; and Norwegian Cruise Lines. For the Grocery Stores category, supermarkets, smaller grocery stores, and “merchants that offer a full-service grocery line of merchandise including a deli and bakery” are included, while two notable exceptions are Target and Walmart stores along with warehouse clubs and some other stores that don’t primarily sell groceries.
Meanwhile, although health clubs, gyms, fitness centers, and other services related to physical fitness are covered under the Fitness Clubs category, virtual or at-home fitness services are not included nor are massage therapy locations, dietary and weight management counseling services, or personal trainers. As for other exclusions, the Hair, Nails, and Spa Services category doesn’t cover medical facilities, while sailings purchased through third-party vendors or travel agencies won’t qualify for the Norwegian Cruise Lines category.
Despite the addition of another category, as a reminder, 5% back quarterly bonuses are capped at a total of $1,500 back in combined bonus category spending. This means that, at most, cardholders can earn a maximum of $75 in bonus cashback per quarter. Freedom/Freedom Flex cardholders will also need to activate their quarterly bonus by visiting ChaseBonus.com. However, those who have already activated their bonus for Q1 2025 will automatically be eligible for the Tax Preparation and Insurance category starting March 1st.
My thoughts:
It’s a pretty cool idea for Chase to have an extra surprise bonus category that’s valid for the last month of the quarter. Moreover, given the timing, Tax Preparation and Insurance is a solid choice in my opinion. Of course, the only downside is that the $1,500 cap is still in place, meaning that those who already made use of the other four categories this quarter won’t be seeing any further benefit. Still, kudos to Chase on this one — and I look forward to seeing what surprises are in store for the rest of the year.
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