It’s a new quarter which means new 5% cash back bonus categories with cards like the Chase Freedom, Discover it, and more!
If you haven’t already, be sure to activate these bonuses to earn extra cash back and points on your everyday spending.
Remember to Activate Your 1st Quarter Category Bonuses to Earn Extra Cash Back While You Travel!
I’ll remind you of this quarter’s categories and how to register for these bonuses!
Earn More This Quarter From These Cards!
1. Chase Freedom
Link: Chase Freedom
Link: My Review of the Chase Freedom
Link: Activate the Chase Freedom Bonus
Through March 31, 2016, you’ll earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points (5% cash back) on up to $1,500 in spending at gas stations and on commuter transportation (including taxis, subways, local commuter buses, and trains) with the Chase Freedom card.
You must activate the bonus by March 14, 2016.
Earn 5X Chase Ultimate Rewards Points (5% Cash Back) When You Fill up With the Chase Freedom!
This is my favorite no-annual-fee card because you can easily earn lots of Chase Ultimate Rewards points or cash back in categories most folks spend a lot in anyway!
You can currently 15,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points ($150 in cash back) when you sign-up for the Chase Freedom card and spend $500 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account.
And if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Ink Bold (no longer available), or the Chase Ink Plus, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to airline and hotel partners like United Airlines and Hyatt for Big Travel!
Here’s my full review of the Chase Freedom card.
2. Discover it
Link: Discover it
Link: Activate the Discover it Bonus
You’ll also save this quarter at gas stations and on ground transportation (which includes commuter trains and buses, taxis, Uber, rental cars, and more) with the Discover it card.
And because the Discover card has no foreign transaction fees, it’s ideal for your Uber rides while outside the US.
You’ll earn 5% cash back in these categories on up to $1,500 in spending from when you activate the bonus until March 31, 2016.
With the Discover it Card, You’ll Earn 5% Back This Quarter on Gas and Ground Transportation – Even Rental Cars!
Keep in mind, you will NOT earn the extra 5% back if you book ground transportation (like rental cars or train tickets) through travel agencies or 3rd party sites like Orbitz.
Don’t forget, new Discover it cardholders (or folks who previously registered) can have their cash back doubled at the end of their 1st 12 billing cycles. So you can effectively earn 10% cash back on rotating bonus categories! That’s a great deal!
3. Citi Dividend
Link: Citi Dividend 2016 Calendar
Link: Activate the Citi Dividend Bonus
The Citi Dividend card is no longer open to new applicants. But if you’re an existing cardholders, you can earn 5% cash back at Home Depot and home furnishing stores through March 31, 2016.
Need to Get Organized or Freshen up Your Space for the New Year? Earn 5% Cash Back at Stores Like Ikea and Home Depot With the Citi Dividend
You can earn a total of $300 cash back each year with the Citi Dividend card. Whether you make the most of 1 category or spread your earnings throughout the year is up to you!
4. US Bank Cash+
Link: US Bank Cash+
Link: US Bank Cash+ Categories
Each quarter with the US Bank Cash+ card, you can choose new bonus spending categories.
You can pick two 5% cash back categories and one 2% cash back category (gas stations, groceries, or restaurants).
Earn Bonus Cash Back From a Wide Selection of Categories – You Choose!
There are a lot of 5% cash back categories! Here are a few ideas, but check the merchant examples for more details:
Bookstores – Barnes & Noble, Amazon Kindle Books, and some University Bookstores. Note: Some folks say they’ve received 5% back on many Amazon purchases besides books with this category.
Car Rental – Avis, Budget, National Car Rental
Cell Phone – AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
Charity – American Cancer Society, Kiva, The Salvation Army
Department Stores – Bloomingdales, JCPenney, Nordstrom Rack
Electronics Stores – Best Buy, Fry’s Electronics, TigerDirect
Fast Food – Chipotle, Panera Bread, Starbucks, and Cold Stone Creamery!
Furniture Stores – American Furniture, Ethan Allen, IKEA
Gyms – 24 Hour Fitness, Gold’s Gym, LA Fitness
Movie Theaters – AMC Theatres, Fandango.com, Regal Cinemas
Select Clothing Stores – Ann Taylor, Eddie Bauer, Old Navy
Sporting Good Stores – Big 5 Sporting Goods, REI, Sports Authority
If you don’t pick your categories, you’ll only earn 1% cash back on all spending until next quarter! So don’t forget!
Don’t Want to Fuss With Categories?
Some cards have terrific cash back bonuses all the time at stores where you can pick up a variety of items!
For example:
AMEX Blue Cash Preferred – 6% cash back at US grocery stores (up to $6,000 per year)
AMEX SimplyCash – 5% cash back at US office supply stores
Places Like Supermarkets Carry a Wide Variety of Items – Not Just Groceries!
Or consider cards which offer bonus miles, points, or cash back on all spending, like:
Barclaycard Arrival Plus – 2X Arrival miles on everything, worth 2.1% back when redeemed for $100+ travel expenses
Discover it Miles – 1.5 miles per $1 you spend (worth 1.5% back), doubled at the end of the 1st year, for an effective 3% back on everything
Bottom Line
It’s a brand new year, so it’s time to start earning 5% cash back in new bonus categories for Chase Freedom, Discover it, US Bank Cash+, and Citi Dividend cards.
Remember, you have to activate the new bonus categories to earn the extra cash back!
My favorite category this quarter is gas stations (with the Chase Freedom and Discover it). It’s easy to make the most of the bonus when you’d be buying gas and other items anyway!
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