How to Maximize Chase Freedom 5% Bonus Categories For Q1 (January - March) 2023

UPDATES:

• Chase Freedom 5% Q1 2023 is live from January 1 to March 31, 2023. The categories are: 
• Grocery Stores (excluding Walmart)
• Target
• Fitness Clubs & Gym Membership

The Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card and the old discontinued Chase Freedom Credit Card offer a 5% bonus of up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter. You will earn 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points if you can max out this offer. I value Chase points at 1.6 cents per point when combined with Chase's flexible points-earning credit card, so 7,500 points are worth about $120. If you just want simple cash back, 7,500 Chase points are equivalent to $75. 

Photo Credit: Chase

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Can You Have Two Freedom Cards and Earn a 5% Bonus Twice Per Quarter?

Chase bank does not allow you to simultaneously have two Freedom Flex credit cards with new applications. However, you can have multiple Freedom Flex cards if you can product change from another Chase credit card. For example, you already have a Freedom Flex credit card. You can downgrade your Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card to a Freedom Flex credit card, allowing you to have two Freedom Flex credit cards and earn 5% in bonus categories on each card. 

Furthermore, if you have the old Chase Freedom (not available for new applicants) and Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card, you can have both cards at once and earn 5% in bonus categories on each credit card. This will increase the maximum amount of Ultimate Rewards points you can earn by 5% to a total of $3,000 per quarter ($1,500 max per card). You must activate the 5% bonus offer on both credit cards below. 

Chase Freedom 5% Q1 2023 Bonus Categories & Activation Link

• Valid from January 1 - March 31, 2022
• 5% Bonus Categories for this quarter are:
• Grocery Stores (excluding Walmart)
• Target
• Fitness Clubs & Gym Membership
• Must activate the offer by March 14, 2022, to earn the 5% bonus
• Direct Link to Activate

How to Activate Chase Freedom 5% on Chase Mobile App

• Launch Chase mobile app and log into your account. 
• Tap on an eligible Chase Freedom credit card. 
• Scroll down until you see the 5% cashback section. 
• Tap on See details & activate
• Simply tap on Activate button to activate the 5% bonus category, and you're done!

How to Maximize Chase Freedom 5% Bonus Categories For Q1 2023

You should do organic spending as much as possible. You have 3 months to take advantage of this 5% bonus categories offer, so there's no need to rush things. 

Grocery Stores

• This covers several grocery stores, including supermarkets that offer full-service grocery items, such as Albertsons, Kroger/Fred Meyer, Meijer, Safeway, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods Market. See a list of example grocery stores here. 
• Grocery stores do sell various types of gift cards too. 
• Larger stores such as Target and Walmart, discount stores, warehouse clubs such as Costco, and drugstores such as Walgreens are not included in this category. 
• Delivery service merchants are also only included in this category if the merchant has set up such purchases to be classified in the grocery store category.

Target

• Target category includes Target stores, Target.com, Target branded gas stations operated by Target, and any other Target branded retail stores operated by Target.
• Merchants operating within or on Target premises, such as those selling fast food, beauty services, and gas stations, are not included in this category. 
• Target affiliate businesses and local delivery merchants are also not included in this category. 
• Purchases in the Target category, including grocery purchases, will earn the 5% bonus. 
• Target also sells various types of gift cards too.

Fitness Clubs & Gym Membership

• New Year, New You! 
• Massage therapy, dietary and weight management counseling, and personal training merchants are not included in this category.
• Merchants that sell various goods, such as fitness and athletic apparel, sporting goods, dietary food, health food, etc., are not included in this category. 
• Certain lodging, hotel, motel, resort, and central reservation services offering access to third-party facilities that include fitness clubs or gyms are only included in this category if the merchant has set up such purchases to be classified in this category.

How to Track Your Chase Freedom 5% Bonus Spending 

• Sign in to your Chase account online. 
• Click on your Chase Freedom or Chase Freedom Flex credit card.
• You should now see 5% cashback towards the top. Click on Details.
• You will see your spending progress bar there. 

How to Verify If A Purchase Qualifies For Chase Freedom 5% Bonus Category

I applaud Chase technology for this. Chase makes it really simple to find out how many reward points you earn from a purchase once the transaction is posted without having to wait until your credit card's statement is closed:

• Via Chase online or the Chase app, log in and click on your Chase Freedom or Chase Freedom Flex credit card. 
• Click on the purchase or transaction in question. 
• Scroll down until you see the Total points under Rewards earned with this transaction. 

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