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Chase Ultimate Rewards®

Q4 2024 Rotating Bonus Categories for Chase and Discover

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Registration is now open to activate your 5x/5% category bonus earnings on your Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom® and Discover it® Cash Back cards. For the fourth quarter of 2024, the bonus categories are:

  • Chase: purchases made with PayPal, and at McDonald’s, Pet Shops, Vet Services and select charities
  • Discover: purchases made at Amazon.com and Target

Chase 5x Bonus Categories

As usual, the bonus earnings rates only apply to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. If you max out your bonus category spending for the quarter, you’ll earn 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.

While 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points are worth $75 in cash, you can get way more value by transferring those points to any of the following cards:

Once your points have been transferred to one of the above cards, the value of those points are amplified even more! If you transfer the points to Chase’s travel partners like United Airlines, Southwest or Hyatt, you can get so much more value than the original $75. For example, 7,500 Chase UR points could be enough for a one-way flight to lots of great destinations!

For more information on Chase’s flexible points program, check out The Complete Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Key Things to Remember

  • You need to activate the 5x earnings rate by December 14, 2024
  • The promotion runs from October 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024
  • The promotion is valid on online purchases made with PayPal, and at McDonald’s, Pet Shops, Vet Services and select charities
  • The bonus earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1x

Note: As always, there are some exclusions to be aware of. For “PayPal”, payments made through the Xoom transfer service and Person-to-Person (P2P) transactions are not eligible for the bonus. With the “pets” category, purchases of the following pet-related services are excluded: boarding, grooming, walking, training, daycare and pet insurance. Finally in the “Select Charities” category, there is a defined list of charities that qualify, so you’ll want to review those on the Chase Merchant List.

How to Activate

Unfortunately Chase doesn’t automatically enroll you into the bonus category earning promotion each quarter. To activate, go to the Chase Activation website and enter your last name, zip code and the last four digits of your credit card.

Alternatively you can log into your Chase account and activate from there. Chase sprinkles links in lots of different places on their website, making it very easy to activate. In just a few minutes, I found a few different places to activate my cards for the upcoming quarter.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

You can also request to receive a reminder email from Chase prior to each quarter. Upon receipt of the email each quarter, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Discover 5% Bonus Categories

Discover also limits the bonus earnings to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. However, unlike Chase, there’s no option to earn points instead of cash. So maxing out your bonus category spending for the quarter will earn you $75.

That money can be redeemed as a statement credit, a direct deposit to a checking account or used to purchase 3rd party gift cards. Gift cards are often available with 5% to 20% added value, depending on the merchant.

You can also donate your cash back to charity or to pay for purchases on Amazon.com or with PayPal.

Key Things to Remember

  • The promotion runs from October 1, 2024 (or the date on which you activate the 5%, whichever is later) through December 31, 2024
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at Amazon.com and Target
  • The 5% earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1%

Note: “Amazon.com” purchases include those made through the Amazon.com checkout, like digital downloads, Amazon Fresh orders, Amazon Local Deals, Amazon Prime subscriptions, and items sold by third party merchants through the Amazon.com marketplace. This also includes purchases in-store at Amazon Go. “Target” purchases include those made in store at Target, Target.com, or through the Target app. Purchases from individual merchants and stand-alone stores within physical Target locations may not be eligible for this promotion. Purchases made online or through the Target app from Target affiliates, individual merchants or stand-alone stores may not be eligible for this promotion, including, but not limited to, targetoptical.com and targetphoto.com.

How to Activate

You won’t earn the 5% cash back bonus unless you activate this feature on your card each quarter. To do so, go to the Discover Online account page and click on “Log In to Activate.”

Discover also automatically emails you about 15 days prior to the start of the next quarter with a reminder. Upon receipt of the email, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Bottom Line

As has been the case for many years, both Chase and Discover chose their fourth quarter categories with holiday shopping in mind.

From a Chase perspective, having PayPal as a bonus category opens the door to earn 5x on virtually all online shopping. With PayPal, you can essentially turn every shopping category into a bonus category! Remember to set your Chase Freedom or Freedom Flex card as the default card in PayPal.

With Discover, having a retailer like Amazon as a bonus category gets you 5% cash back on literally millions of items. If there are things you regularly buy from Amazon, consider buying in bulk this quarter. It’s also worth noting that purchases of Amazon.com gift cards, Prime subscriptions and Amazon Fresh orders will also qualify for 5% cash back.

Finally with Target, you have a brick and mortar version of Amazon.com. Consider buying groceries at Target during the quarter or doing holiday shopping at Target or online at Target.com.

Happy holidays, happy spending and most of all happy bonus earning!

Q3 2024 Rotating Bonus Categories for Chase and Discover

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Registration is now open to activate your 5x/5% category bonus earnings on your Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom® and Discover it® Cash Back cards. For the third quarter of 2024, the bonus categories are:

  • Chase: purchases made at gas stations, EV charging stations, select live entertainment and movie theaters
  • Discover: purchases made at Walmart and grocery stores

Chase 5x Bonus Categories

As usual, the bonus earnings rates only apply to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. If you max out your bonus category spending for the quarter, you’ll earn 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.

While 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points are worth $75 in cash, you can get way more value by transferring those points to any of the following cards:

Once your points have been transferred to one of the above cards, the value of those points are amplified even more! If you transfer the points to Chase’s travel partners like United Airlines, Southwest or Hyatt, you can get so much more value than the original $75. For example, 7,500 Chase UR points could be enough for a one-way flight to lots of great destinations!

For more information on Chase’s flexible points program, check out The Complete Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Key Things to Remember

  • You need to activate the 5x earnings rate by September 14, 2024
  • The promotion runs from July 1, 2024 to September 30, 2024
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at gas stations, EV charging stations, select live entertainment and movie theaters
  • The bonus earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1x

Note: As usual, there are various inclusions and exclusions for each category. What qualifies as “select live entertainment” will be the biggest question for most people. Merchants who sell tickets for live in-person entertainment such as major professional sporting events, concerts, theatrical productions, museums, and amusement parks are included. Some examples of merchants that are excluded from this category are bowling alleys, horse racing tracks, casinos, and dance clubs. It’s always best to check the Chase Merchant List to confirm everything that’s included and excluded in each category.

How to Activate

Unfortunately Chase doesn’t automatically enroll you into the bonus category earning promotion each quarter. To activate, go to the Chase Activation website and enter your last name, zip code and the last four digits of your credit card.

Alternatively you can log into your Chase account and activate from there. Chase sprinkles links in lots of different places on their website, making it very easy to activate. In just a few minutes, I found a few different places to activate my cards for the upcoming quarter.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

You can also request to receive a reminder email from Chase prior to each quarter. Upon receipt of the email each quarter, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Discover 5% Bonus Categories

Discover also limits the bonus earnings to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. However, unlike Chase, there’s no option to earn points instead of cash. So maxing out your bonus category spending for the quarter will earn you $75.

That money can be redeemed as a statement credit, a direct deposit to a checking account or used to purchase 3rd party gift cards. Gift cards are often available with 5% to 20% added value, depending on the merchant.

You can also donate your cash back to charity or to pay for purchases on Amazon.com or with PayPal.

Key Things to Remember

  • The promotion runs from July 1, 2024 (or the date on which you activate the 5%, whichever is later) through September 30, 2024
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at Walmart and grocery stores
  • The 5% earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1%

Note: As usual, there are inclusions and exclusions to be aware of in each category. Grocery Store purchases include those made at supermarkets, bakeries and grocery delivery services. Purchases made from Target, convenience stores, wholesale clubs, and discount stores are not eligible. Walmart purchases include those made online, through the Walmart app, and in stores. If you’re unsure what may be included or excluded, visit the Discover Cashback Calendar page to confirm.

How to Activate

You won’t earn the 5% cash back bonus unless you activate this feature on your card each quarter. To do so, go to the Discover Online account page and click on “Log In to Activate.”

Discover also automatically emails you about 15 days prior to the start of the next quarter with a reminder. Upon receipt of the email, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Bottom Line

I find Chase’s third quarter bonus categories quite disappointing. Discover, on the other hand, should be pretty lucrative for most cardholders.

Chase’s third quarter categories are essentially the same as last year, with the addition of movie theaters. My main complaint is the lack of one really profitable category. Instead the categories are more niche — appealing to some, but probably not most.

If you drive a lot, the gas stations or EV charging categories could be useful. And on the surface, the live entertainment and movie theater categories could also be handy. People do tend to enjoy more live entertainment during the summer months, but it still feels hard to maximize the bonus points. How many sporting events and concerts do people realistically attend? Regardless of the merits of this quarter’s bonus categories, you should always activate the bonus to earn as many points as possible.

On the flip side, Discover’s categories are way more exciting and easier to max out. Combining Walmart and grocery store purchases fits perfectly into the spending habits of many Americans. If you find it difficult to earn the maximum cash back, however, remember that gift cards purchased at Walmart and grocery stores count towards the bonus earnings.

Happy spending and more importantly, happy bonus earning!

Q2 2024 Rotating Bonus Categories for Chase and Discover

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Registration is now open to activate your 5x/5% category bonus earnings on your Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom® and Discover it® Cash Back cards. For the second quarter of 2024, the bonus categories are:

  • Chase: purchases made at Amazon.com, restaurants, and hotels
  • Discover: purchases made at gas stations and EV charging stations, home improvement stores and public transit

Chase 5x Bonus Categories

NEW: Category Stacking

This quarter Chase is doing something new and exciting! Instead of the usual 5x points (or 5% cash back) on spending in the bonus categories, cardholders of the Chase Freedom Flex can earn bonus points from the quarterly categories in addition to the “always-on” categories. I’ll explain.

The Freedom Flex card earns 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining and 3x points at drugstores year-round. That’s in addition to the quarterly rotating 5x categories. Until now, Chase has never had a quarterly rotating category that overlapped with an “always-on” category. However, for Q2 2024, there are two overlapping categories!

So cardholders will earn a total of 9x points on hotel stays booked through Chase Travel and 7x points on dining. You might be asking, “wait, shouldn’t cardholders earn 10x and 8x points for those purchases?” That’s a great question, so I’ll explain why 9x and 7x are correct.

When Chase says certain categories earn 5x points for a quarter, what they really mean is that cardholders earn an extra 4x points on top of the 1x points that are earned for all purchases. Here’s the impact on the two overlapping categories:

  • Hotels booked through Chase Travel: 1x base points + 4x points from the “always-on” bonus + 4x points from the quarterly bonus = 9x points
  • Dining: 1x base points + 2x points from the “always-on” bonus + 4x points from the quarterly bonus = 7x points
CardRegular Earnings RatesQ2 Bonus Earnings Rates
Chase Freedom Flex- 1x points on all purchases; plus

- an extra 4x points on travel purchased from the Chase Travel Portal

- an extra 2x points on dining and drugstore purchases		- an extra 4x points on hotels booked from the Chase Travel Portal, restaurants and Amazon.com
Chase Freedom (no longer available to new applicants)- 1x points on all purchases- an extra 4x points on hotels booked from the Chase Travel Portal, restaurants and Amazon.com

The Basics

As usual, the bonus earnings rates only apply to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. If you max out your bonus category spending for the quarter, you’ll earn 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.

While 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points are worth $75 in cash, you can get way more value by transferring those points to any of the following cards:

Once your points have been transferred to one of the above cards, the value of those points are amplified even more! If you transfer the points to Chase’s travel partners like United Airlines, Southwest or Hyatt, you can get so much more value than the original $75. For example, 7,500 Chase UR points could be enough for a one-way flight to lots of great destinations!

For more information on Chase’s flexible points program, check out The Complete Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Key Things to Remember

  • You need to activate the 5x earnings rate by June 14, 2024
  • The promotion runs from April 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at Amazon.com, restaurants, and hotels (only hotels booked through Chase Travel will earn 7x, booking directly with hotels will earn 5x)
  • The bonus earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1x

Note: As usual, there are various inclusions and exclusions for each category. For the hotels category, purchases made directly with the hotel (earning 5x) and prepaid hotel accommodations made through Chase Travel (earning 7x) will qualify. For the dining category, merchants whose primary business is sit-down or eat-in dining, including fast food restaurants and fine dining establishments, will be included. Delivery and takeout services will also be included if they classify as a restaurant merchant. It’s always best to check the Chase Merchant List to confirm everything that’s included and excluded in each category.

How to Activate

Unfortunately Chase doesn’t automatically enroll you into the bonus category earning promotion each quarter. To activate, go to the Chase Activation website and enter your last name, zip code and the last four digits of your credit card.

Alternatively you can log into your Chase account and activate from there. Chase sprinkles links in lots of different places on their website, making it very easy to activate. In just a few minutes, I found a few different places to activate my card for this upcoming quarter.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

You can also request to receive a reminder email from Chase prior to each quarter. Upon receipt of the email each quarter, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Discover 5% Bonus Categories

Discover also limits the bonus earnings to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. However, unlike Chase, there’s no option to earn points instead of cash. So maxing out your bonus category spending for the quarter will earn you $75.

That money can be redeemed as a statement credit, a direct deposit to a checking account or used to purchase 3rd party gift cards. Gift cards are often available with 5% to 20% added value, depending on the merchant.

You can also donate your cash back to charity or to pay for purchases on Amazon.com or with PayPal.

Key Things to Remember

  • The promotion runs from April 1, 2024 (or the date on which you activate the 5%, whichever is later) through June 30, 2024
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at gas stations and EV charging stations, home improvement stores and public transit
  • The 5% earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1%

Note: As usual, there are inclusions and exclusions to be aware of in each category. Gas station and EV charging stations affiliated with supermarkets, supercenters, and wholesale clubs may not be eligible. For home improvement, purchases made in store and online at home improvement retail stores, building supply stores, lawn, nursery, and garden supply stores are included. Finally, public transit purchases include local commuter passenger bus, rail, and ferry services. However, taxi and rideshare services are not included. If you’re unsure what may be included or excluded, visit the Discover Cashback Calendar page to confirm.

How to Activate

You won’t earn the 5% cash back bonus unless you activate this feature on your card each quarter. To do so, go to the Discover Online account page and click on “Log In to Activate.”

Discover also automatically emails you about 15 days prior to the start of the next quarter with a reminder. Upon receipt of the email, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Bottom Line

This should be a pretty lucrative quarter for both Chase Freedom/Freedom Flex and Discover cardholders.

Chase is giving cardholders some pretty easy ways to maximize bonus earnings this quarter. The beauty of having Amazon as a bonus category is that so many people already shop there, so you don’t have to change your regular spending habits. Just make sure you set your Freedom or Freedom Flex card as the default payment option. Restaurants is another great category and there’s the added bonus of earning 7x instead of 5x on those dining purchases.

In my opinion, Discover’s categories are less exciting than Chase’s. I work from home, so I won’t earn much from gas stations or EV charging. Of course, people who drive a lot for work or any other reason, will be much more excited about this category. With spring projects right around the corner, the home improvement category could have good earnings potential for many.

If you find it difficult to earn the maximum bonus points or cash back, remember that you can buy gift cards to hundreds of other merchants at Amazon and home improvement stores. Those gift card purchases count towards the bonus earnings and you can use them at any time in the future.

Happy spending and more importantly, happy bonus earning!

Q1 2024 Rotating Bonus Categories for Chase and Discover

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Registration is now open to activate your 5x/5% category bonus earnings on your Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom® and Discover it® Cash Back cards. For the first quarter of 2024, the bonus categories are:

  • Chase: purchases made at grocery stores, fitness clubs & gym memberships, and self-care & spa services
  • Discover: purchases made at restaurants and drugstores

Chase 5x Bonus Categories

As usual, the 5x earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. If you max out your bonus category spending for the quarter, you’ll earn 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.

While 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points are worth $75 in cash, you can get way more value by transferring those points to any of the following cards:

Once your points have been transferred to a card above, the value of those points are amplified even more! If you transfer the points to Chase’s travel partners like United Airlines, Southwest or Hyatt, you can get so much more value than the original $75. For example, 7,500 Chase UR points could be enough for a one-way flight to lots of great destinations!

For more information on Chase’s flexible points program, check out The Complete Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Key Things to Remember

  • You need to activate the 5x earnings rate by March 14, 2024
  • The promotion runs from January 1, 2024 to March 31, 2024
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at grocery stores, fitness clubs & gym memberships, and self-care & spa services
  • The 5x earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1x

Note: As usual, there are some exclusions to be aware of. For grocery stores, Walmart, Target and warehouse clubs will not earn bonus points. In the fitness clubs & gym memberships category, services such as massage therapy, dietary and weight management counseling and personal training are excluded. Finally, for self-care and spa services, services purchased at hotels may not qualify. It’s always best to check the Chase Merchant List to confirm everything that’s included and excluded in each category.

How to Activate

Unfortunately Chase doesn’t automatically enroll you into the bonus category earning promotion each quarter. To activate, go to the Chase Activation website and enter your last name, zip code and the last four digits of your credit card.

Alternatively you can log into your Chase Freedom or Freedom Flex account and activate from there. Chase sprinkles links in lots of different places on their website, making it very easy to activate. In just a few minutes, I found a few different places to activate my card for this upcoming quarter.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

You can also request to receive a reminder email from Chase prior to each quarter. Upon receipt of the email each quarter, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Discover 5% Bonus Categories

Discover also limits the bonus earnings to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. However, unlike Chase, there’s no option to earn points instead of cash. So maxing out your bonus category spending for the quarter will earn you $75.

That money can be redeemed as a statement credit, a direct deposit to a checking account or used to purchase 3rd party gift cards. Gift cards are often available with 5% to 20% added value, depending on the merchant.

You can also donate your cash back to charity or to pay for purchases on Amazon.com or with PayPal.

Key Things to Remember

  • The promotion runs from January 1, 2024 (or the date on which you activate the 5%, whichever is later) through March 31, 2024
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at restaurants and drug stores
  • The 5% earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1%

Note: Restaurant purchases include those made at merchants classified as full-service restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, fast-food locations, and restaurant delivery services. Drug Store purchases include those made at stand-alone drug stores, pharmacies, online pharmacies, and some pharmacies located inside of retail stores. If you’re unsure what may be included or excluded, visit the Discover Cashback Calendar page to confirm.

How to Activate

You won’t earn the 5% cash back bonus unless you activate this feature on your card each quarter. To do so, go to the Discover Online account page and click on “Log In to Activate.”

Discover also automatically emails you about 15 days prior to the start of the next quarter with a reminder. Upon receipt of the email, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Bottom Line

Both Chase and Discover have some sweet spots when it comes to their first quarter bonus categories.

For Chase, the only category that’ll have broad appeal is grocery stores. Fitness clubs and spa services are pretty niche categories, but everyone buys groceries! Large families should have little problem maxing out their bonus earning this quarter.

Discover is also coming strong this quarter with restaurants and drug stores as the bonus categories. Remember that restaurants also include food delivery, so ordering delivery via apps like Uber Eats, Doordash, etc. will earn the 5% bonus.

If you find it difficult to earn the maximum bonus points or cash back, remember that you can buy gift cards to hundreds of other merchants at grocery stores and drug stores. Those gift card purchases count towards the bonus earnings and you can use them at any time in the future.

Happy spending and more importantly, happy 5x earning!

Q4 2023 Rotating Bonus Categories for Chase and Discover

By Leave a Comment

Registration is now open to activate your 5x category bonus earnings on your Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom® and Discover it® Cash Back cards. For the fourth quarter of 2023, the bonus categories are:

  • Chase: purchases made with PayPal, and at wholesale clubs and select charities
  • Discover: purchases made at Amazon.com and Target

Chase 5x Bonus Categories

As usual, the 5x earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. If you max out your bonus category spending for the quarter, you’ll earn 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.

While 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points are worth $75 in cash, you can get way more value by transferring those points to any of the following cards:

Once your points have been transferred to a card above, the value of those points are amplified even more! If you transfer the points to Chase’s travel partners like United Airlines, Southwest or Hyatt, you can get so much more value than the original $75. For example, 7,500 Chase UR points could be enough for a one-way flight to lots of great destinations!

For more information on Chase’s flexible points program, check out The Complete Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Key Things to Remember

  • You need to activate the 5x earnings rate by December 14, 2023
  • The promotion runs from October 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023
  • The promotion is valid on online purchases made with PayPal, and at wholesale clubs and select charities
  • The 5x earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1x

Note: As always, there are some exclusions to be aware of. For “PayPal”, payments made through the Xoom transfer service and Person-to-Person (P2P) transactions are not eligible for the bonus. In the “Wholesale Clubs” category, gas, fuel, and specialty services such as travel, insurance, cell phone and home improvement do not qualify. Finally in the “Select Charities” category, there is a defined list of charities that qualify, so you’ll want to review those on the Chase Merchant List.

How to Activate

Unfortunately Chase doesn’t automatically enroll you into the bonus category earning promotion each quarter. To activate, go to the Chase Activation website and enter your last name, zip code and the last four digits of your credit card.

Alternatively you can log into your Chase Freedom or Freedom Flex account and activate from there. Chase sprinkles links in lots of different places on their website, making it very easy to activate. In just a few minutes, I found a few different places to activate my card for this upcoming quarter.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

You can also request to receive a reminder email from Chase prior to each quarter. Upon receipt of the email each quarter, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Discover 2023 5% Bonus Categories

Discover also limits the bonus earnings to the first $1,500 in spending in those categories. However, unlike Chase, there’s no option to earn points instead of cash. So maxing out your bonus category spending for the quarter will earn you $75.

That money can be redeemed as a statement credit, a direct deposit to a checking account or used to purchase 3rd party gift cards. Gift cards are often available with 5% to 20% added value, depending on the merchant.

You can also donate your cash back to charity or to pay for purchases on Amazon.com or with PayPal.

Key Things to Remember

  • The promotion runs from October 1, 2023 (or the date on which you activate the 5%, whichever is later) through December 31, 2023
  • The promotion is valid on purchases made at Amazon.com and Target
  • The 5% earnings rate only applies to the first $1,500 in spending across all categories, after which the earnings rate is 1%

Note: “Amazon.com” purchases include those made through the Amazon.com checkout, like digital downloads, Amazon Fresh orders, Amazon Local Deals, Amazon Prime subscriptions, and items sold by third party merchants through the Amazon.com marketplace. This also includes purchases in-store at Amazon Go. “Target” purchases include those made in store at Target, Target.com, or through the Target app. Purchases from individual merchants and stand-alone stores within physical Target locations may not be eligible for this promotion. Purchases made online or through the Target app from Target affiliates, individual merchants or stand-alone stores may not be eligible for this promotion, including, but not limited to, targetoptical.com and targetphoto.com.

How to Activate

You won’t earn your 5% cash back bonus unless you activate this feature on your card each quarter. To do so, go to the Discover Online account page and click on “Log In to Activate.”

Discover also automatically emails you about 15 days prior to the start of the next quarter with a reminder. Upon receipt of the email, you can activate via an easy 1-click activation button.

Bottom Line

As has been the case for many years, both Chase and Discover chose their fourth quarter categories with holiday shopping in mind.

From a Chase perspective, having PayPal as a bonus category opens the door to earn 5x on virtually all online shopping. With PayPal, you can essentially turn every category of shopping into a bonus category! Remember to set your Chase Freedom or Freedom Flex card as the default card in PayPal.

With Discover, having a retailer like Amazon as a bonus category gets you 5% cash back on literally millions of items. If there are things you regularly buy from Amazon, consider buying in bulk this quarter. It’s also worth noting that purchases on Amazon.com gift cards, Prime subscriptions and Amazon Fresh orders also qualify for 5% cash back.

Finally with Target, you basically have a brick and mortar version of Amazon. Consider buying groceries at Target during this quarter or doing holiday shopping at Target or online at Target.com.

Happy holidays, happy spending and most of all happy bonus earning!