Update, 03/11: Don’t forget that you have to register your card by 03/14 to participate in the Q1 bonus categories!
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Update, 01/08: I’ve already spent the $3,000 max on 2 Freedom cards this quarter on Vanilla Reloads from CVS and moved the funds over to Bluebird to pay off the Freedom bill. Total points=15,360. Total cost=$23.70. Hard to beat that!
If your local store does not have Vanilla Reloads you can also use MVDs.
Read this post for more information (with pictures) on the entire process.
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-Chase Freedom Mastercard-Earn $100 cash back (in the form of 10,000 Ultimate Rewards points) when you spend $500 in 3 months.
-Chase Freedom Visa-Earn $100 cash back (in the form of 10,000 Ultimate Rewards points) when you spend $500 in 3 months.
There is no annual fee for Freedom!
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You can now click here to activate your Q1 Chase Freedom 5% categories.
Although they are called “5% categories” you really get 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent which can be cashed out for 5% cash. For $1,500 in spending you will earn at least 7,500 Ultimate Rewards points.
If you or your spouse has a Sapphire Preferred, Ink Bold, or Ink Plus card you can transfer Freedom points over to one of those cards and then transfer them at a 1:1 ratio into much more valuable airline miles (United, British Airways, Southwest, Korean, etc) or hotel points (Hyatt, etc)
If you are grandfathered for Freedom Exclusives you also get 10 points per transaction and a 10% bonus on base spend points.
The 5 point categories for 2013 are as follows:
Q1, January – March: Gas stations, Drugstores & Starbucks
Q2, April – June: Restaurants, Movie theaters, and Lowe’s.
Q3, July – September: Gas stations, Theme parks & Kohl’s
Q4, October – December: Select department stores & Amazon.com
Here is a link that explains where you will and won’t earn the 5 points per dollar this quarter
Don’t forget that at gas stations and drug stores you can buy gift cards for other stores so that you earn 5 points per dollar there as well.
Plus many drug stores and gas stations carry Vanilla Reload cards, so that means 5 points per dollar and you can cash out the cards with Bluebird!
Of course if you have an Ink Bold, Ink Plus, or Ink Cash card you will earn 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent all year round on telecom, cable, internet, as well as everything from office supply stores, which includes gift cards to other stores and prepaid cash cards that can be used anywhere. With the Bold/Plus cards that’s capped at $50,000 per year and with the Cash card that’s capped at $25,000 per year. The cards also earn 2 points per dollar year-round at gas stations and either hotels (Bold/Plus) or dining (Cash)
Can points from the chase sapphire be transferred to avios points?
And would you know if avios can be used from Northern Ca to Southern CA (SFO-LAX or so)? And if yes, would you know how much?
@Dan:Chase bank online was attacked today by Al-Qassam Cyber Fighters by a denial of service attack(overwhelming their servers). Just remember the one universal hebrew word is Shalom and the one universal arabic word is Jihad. Enough said.
dan, Chase freedom or Ink? Which card do you recommend? (and if Ink which one?
Dan
If I apply for the Chasecard today, Im assuming it will be too late to register for the quartly promo?
Just a reminder – drugstores are an easy place to find cheap items and most drugstore chain cashiers couldn’t care if you use a credit card on a less than a dollar purchase. I just used my freedom in cvs on a 25 cent snack bag. So with the 5% + 10 points + 10% off the total points i basically got it for free. Im sure Dan could explain exactly how much you would make on such a purchase.
After reading all of your posts, and I must say they are very informative, I am left wondering what card should I and or my husband have separately and what should we share? Won’t we accumulate more points by sharing? Can we transfer to combine points?
@Mogro17: Does your E-ZPass really charge your credit card for each toll? More likely, your card is charged a certain amount, say $25 or $50, or whatever amount E-ZPass determines based on your regular usage patterns, to prepay your E-ZPass account whenever your E-ZPass account balance drops below a threshold. So you will only get the 10 bonus points each time your card is charged.
Hey Dan,
I have been trying to open a cc for a while now, I just graduated from college, have no debt but I’m not working yet so banks won’t give me a cc. I tried chase capital1 and even Macy’s. I have a couple thousand dollars in savings. Any advice on what to do?
@Dan Can I use my Chase Freedom card w/exclusives for my E-Z pass thereby giving me 10 points every time I go through a $.50 toll? That would be awesome.
Dan,
I bought an American Express Prepaid card at Office Depot and also applied for a permanent Amex card. Do you know what refill cards (besides Vanilla reload cards) OD sells in order to load money into the permanent Amex card? Thanks.
ah – phew! Thx Dan (I haven’t had the card long!)
@JAG:
5 point bonuses post on the 2nd statement.
anybody had their CVS Vanilla Reload buys post on their Freedom statement yet? My first one ($500) did, but it seems it didn’t trigger the 5%. Shows “1/5 CVS $504.95” (I bought a $1 newspaper along with it). Card was registered for Q1 on day one of window. Point Summary on the statement shows only 197 points for the Jan-Mar 5%. A bit concerned about coding =(
Hi Dan
I have been looking in Lakewood for VR or MVD with no luck!
CVS, 7/11..
Do u have any idea where can i get some?
thnx
Can i buy gift cards from pharmacies online? I dont live in the US. I hope the following doesn’t ruin that.
“Merchants in drugstores category sell over-the-counter medicines, supplements, various health-related items, and prescription drugs through an onsite pharmacy.” -chase
I went to a few gas stations to buy their gift cards so i can make use of the 1500$ towards 5% on the freedom card, But nobody allowed me to buy it with cc. any ideas in Brooklyn?
Dan I have a freedom card what’s best to do with points any ways to transfer the points ?
I applied for a chase business account writing Sole Proprietor but they sent me a letter saying I needed to prove my business address. Anyone know how I can do that?
@Dan:
Do you recommend using a cvs rewards card for mvr purchases?
@steven:
Yes.
@DealsSeeker:
YMMV.
@CAL:
Read:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/26616
why do i need the bluebird card for? just cash out and pay your bill later. no?
Hi Dan,
I have the Chase Freedom Visa Card, and applied for the Mastercard. They turned me down saying that one can’t have both the Visa AND Mastercard from Chase Freedom. Do you think that maybe things have changed since you got them?
when paying chase credit card from bluebird, all you need to do is select chase creditb card and put account number? it will for sure get to the right place? it seemed like it was very little info
@mark:
Technically you can find a broker to pay far more than that.
7,500 Ultimate Rewards points = $75. Correct?
got it & and 4 vr in queens is that @ cvs/
@chaim:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/26616
@dan sorry but what does mvd stand 4 ? and 4 vr in queens is that @ cvs/
@chaim:
People reported using a credit card for MVDs at CVS in Manhattan and for VRs in Queens.
YMMV.
hi dan, im having such trouble finding a cvs pharmacy or walgreens that allows me to pay for the vanilla reload cards with a cc I live in brooklyn, any idea??
@sol:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/26616
@Dalia:
Yes.
@mike:
7,500 points is not $375.
@Bob:
Even if they do it’s not a big deal. I didn’t purchase anything with it.
@yaakov:
Find more stores at vanillareload.com
It doesn’t go by state, they’ll take it anywhere. It’s just a matter of store or even employee policy.
When I was in Miami they said at the front no credit cards so I went to the pharmacy and they took credit cards there.
In Cleveland they’ve never given me any problems with credit cards.
in what states does CVS take credit cards for vanilla reloads? any other stores have it? Also, onto what cards can I reload greendot money packs?
Chase doesn’t count spend only at drugstores for $500 cards as unusual activity? Did you purchase anything else with the Freedom card(s)?
So just to confirm — On the Chase Freedom Card – If I spend $1500 at gas stations this quarter, that translates into 7500 Ultimate Rewards points. So those 7500 points at 5% translate into $375 cash? What am I doing wrong here?
Why is cvs part of the spending for q1? I it because its considered a drug store?
@Dan what do you mean by vanilla cash reloads? and what is bluebird and how do you you pay off your bill thru that??
Dan, can i buy on amazon a 2k gift card, then cash it out thru amazon payments?
I love your site, thanks for all the effort that you put into sharing.
How does “Bluebird,” work, is there an online application like “Serve,” or do you have to purchase it at a store?
Are there vr near lakewood?
Dan, I see you bought your Vanilla cards in CVS, but are all CVS’s considered drugstores for the 5% UR bonus?
where can i buy gift cards from amazon, i dont see it online
Kohls in howell has lowes gc’s and others too.
Anyone know of kohls near 08701 that has selection of gcs? I was in howell and brick both did not have?
Thank you Dan about the warning a few months ago. I am grandfathered because of you. Also, thank you for the advise about Kindle cards at BB, I completed my 4th quarter spending.
@ben: ben, I need to harass u about a bunch of stuff can u post ur email, phone and home address?
pleeeeeaaaasssssseeeeee, it’s real important stuff and cant wait
TIA
but i do see on united and aa, does delta not give?
how do i buy a giftcard from an airline? i searched on delta- nothing coming up….
@Chaya: sell to a dealer. 100,000= $1,800
If you get cash back through chase you get $1000 for 100,000 points
Is there ever a bonus to transfer amex membership rewards points to United or only to Avios and other devaluated mileage currency??
what is the best way to get the most out of Chase Freedom points? Do cash back or sell to a dealer?
@ben:
Freedom is a great free card, not sure if you’ll have luck with exclusives though.
@Mike:
No.
@RavKahaneTzadak:
Agencies like Orbitz just pass the charge onto the airline, so you do get the 5%.
@Deal Guy:
Yes.
@eli:
Right.
@DealGuy- yes
Doesn’t work for sapohire? Only freedom?
Can my wife transfer her Freedom UR points to my sapphire UR points?
please note that to get 5% for airline tickets it must be direct from the airline and not thru a travel agent or 3rd party company.
@ dan can you please post your email address
i wanna ask you something private..
Do u get 3000 to spend at 5 percent with AU?
@ ben what does grandfathered mean for freedom exclusive?
i have the sapphire preferred
should i apply for the freedom card does it pay??