Hi there, it's Ernest from Trip Astute. In this video, we're reviewing the second
quarter bonus categories for the Chase Freedom, Discover It, and Citi Dividend card.
(light chiming music)
I can't believe that we're almost a quarter the way through the year. With a
new quarter comes the time to review the rotating bonus categories for some of
our credit cards, specifically the Chase Freedom, Discover It, and Citi Dividend
card. I'll go through each one and share the new card bonus categories. Before we
jump into the new bonus categories, I wanted to let you know that we put
together a small wallet-size cheat sheet that you can download for free from our
website. If you're like me and you can't remember the categories, this should be
helpful. I'll include a link in the video description below. For the Chase Freedom
card, we're ending the first quarter bonus categories of gas stations,
internet, cable and phone providers, and mobile payments. Starting in April, you'll
earn 5% at grocery stores and for purchases made using PayPal and Chase
Pay. You'll get the 5% bonus for up to $1,500 of qualified spending. This is
great news for many reasons. One, a lot of us purchase groceries every week, so I
know some of my normal spend will earn me bonus points. But I personally like
the grocery store bonus category since you can often buy gift cards and other
non-food items in order to take advantage of the extra bonus. In fact, we
did a video a while back on buying gift cards to maximize your bonus. I wouldn't
overdo it since you don't want to raise any red flags with the issuers, but it can be
a great way to earn extra points or cash, especially with Mother's Day and
Father's Day around the corner. Also, the PayPal and Chase Pay purchases cover a
lot of different merchants. When checking out of many online stores, you can opt to
pay with PayPal or Chase Pay, which will earn you the 5% bonus. In fact, the bonus
covers online, mobile, or in-app purchases, so it should make it easier to take
advantage of this bonus category. I know Chase Pay is new and a bit
confusing, so we'll do a video soon on how to set it up and use it.
I've not actually used it myself, so I'm going to use it this week so I can share my
experience and tips in a video next week. For the Discover card, we're ending the
first quarter bonus category of gas stations and wholesale clubs, and
starting in April, you'll earn 5% cash back on grocery stores. Like the Chase
Freedom Card, this is a very lucrative bonus category as there are many ways to
get creative with your grocery spending. Also, the bonus is valid for up to $1,500
of qualified spending. Lastly, Citi Dividend users are ending
the first quarter bonus category of gas stations and car rentals, and for
quarter two 2018, will be receiving 5% at the Home Depot and home furnishing
stores. Keep in mind that home furnishing stores are classified as merchants that
primarily sell furniture for homes and do not include warehouse clubs, super-
centers, and discount stores. Also, the Citi Dividend card has a yearly award
bonus cap of $300 per calendar year, which means that you're not as restricted by a
specific quarter's bonus. You just need to track how much bonus you earn over the
entire calendar year. Since the Chase Freedom and Discover It are offering the
same bonus category in the second quarter, you might be wondering which
card I'll be using. For me, I'll be using my Chase Freedom card first since I
prefer to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points and can redeem them at 1.5
cents per point, which makes the overall earning rate for me a lot more than 5%.
If you want to know more about how I redeem points, check out our recent
videos on the topic. Make sure you log in and activate the bonus for these cards.
While you can wait until June 14th to activate your Chase Freedom bonus
category since Chase will award the points retroactively, you're better
off doing it now before you forget. Unfortunately, Discover and Citi won't
award you a bonus until you activate it, so do it now so you don't miss out. In
case you're interested in applying, as of March 2018, the Chase Freedom is offering
a $150 bonus opening and the Discover It card is offering a
cash back match for the entire year, so it's pretty lucrative. Also, in case
you're wondering about the Citi Dividend card, it's no longer available for new
applicants. If you're interested in these cards or any other credit cards, please
check out our credit card offers page. We've partnered with CreditCards.com
to link you to the latest credit card offers. Trip Astute does get a
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articles, updates, and giveaways. Until next time, travel safe and travel smart.