Chase Freedom credit card
As I’ve tried to get my finances under control in the last year or so, I’ve organized my spending habits to make my credit cards work for me. To do so I’ve had to pick the right ones with the right benefits. The Chase Freedom credit card is one such card that I’ve used to my advantage and have benefited from as well.
Primary Cash Back Method
The Chase Freedom card should be your top choice if you are shopping around for a new credit card because it has a fantastic cash back program. Its main claim to fame is that each quarter earns you 5% cash back, up to $1,500, in select categories. For example, from January through March I’m earning cash back from Streaming Services, Wholesale Clubs and Internet/Cable/Phone services. Needless to say I have already maxed out on these categories but I’m still earning 1% on all purchases thereafter. However, there will be a quarter or two where I won’t come close to the maximum threshold because the categories end up being outside the main stores I usually shop at.
Bonus Cash Back Offers
With that said, the Freedom card does offer other ways to earn cash back. One such way is through their online portal where you can get up to 15% cash back from certain retailers. Of course you won’t see such a steep reward from big companies such as Apple or Microsoft. You’ll earn a modest 2% cash back, maybe a few percentage points more if there’s a special going on. The only catch here is you have to click on the link provided by Chase to be eligible for those rewards, and some other restrictions apply depending on the store you want to buy from.
Nevertheless, there is one more way to earn cash back and that is by activating certain stores/services that give you a limited time to buy from that particular location. In my experience, this is the least used feature of the card’s rewards program, but it’s there for someone.
Ways to Redeem
Finally, what good is a rewards card if the rewards are no good? This card has multiple ways to redeem your points starting with cold, hard cash. This can come either as a statement credit or as a deposit into your bank account. You can also redeem points for gift cards (193 options), travel and even at Amazon.com. All the aforementioned options have a redemption rate where 1,000 points get you $10. The last place you can redeem points is at Apple but the redemption rate is worse. At Apple 1,000 points only gets you $1 in credit.
So there you have it, this card offers what I consider are some of the best perks out there. If you’re on the market for a new card be sure to click the link below to get a statement credit of $200 dollars when approved for the card.