One of my favorite parts of a new quarter is learning the Chase Freedom (no longer available to new applicants) and Chase Freedom Flex’s bonus categories. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are the rewards I use most frequently, so I love deciding on my strategy to maximize bonus points with my Freedom Flex each quarter. The Freedom/Freedom Flex’s category bonus-earning is capped at $1,500 each quarter when you activate. If you hit that max every time, you’ll earn $300 per year. And if you have another card that earns transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, that’s 30,000 Ultimate Rewards points — worth $615 according to our valuations.
Here’s a look at how some of my fellow TPG staffers and I plan to maximize the 2024 first-quarter bonus categories: grocery stores, gym memberships and self-care.
Grocery stores:
- Senior credit cards editor Matt Moffitt’s go-to card for grocery stores is the American Express® Gold Card, which earns him 4 points per dollar spent on up to $25,000 in purchases at U.S. supermarkets per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar spent).
- Matt will switch his grocery-store spending to his Freedom card as he’ll earn 5% cash back this quarter.
Fitness club and gym memberships:
- The author usually pays her boutique fitness studio membership monthly with her Chase Freedom Unlimited card to earn 1.5 points per dollar spent.
- To take full advantage of the first quarter bonus category, the author plans to use her Freedom Flex to buy an annual membership at her local studio, earning 5 points per dollar spent.
Self-care and spa services:
- TPG senior content operations editor Madison Blancaflor is excited about the new self-care and spa services bonus category.
- Madison plans to buy gift certificates for herself to get monthly facials and manicures, and quarterly massages throughout the year. She’ll use her Freedom Flex to buy these to earn 5 points per dollar spent on these luxuries.
When it comes to maximizing credit card rewards, it pays to have a plan. And if you have the Freedom or Freedom Flex, plan ahead to take full advantage of your bonus-earning opportunities each quarter. If you play your cards right, you’ll get an impressive return on some purchases that may not earn bonus rewards during the rest of the year.
