Difference between revisions of "Quarterly bonus categories"

Revision as of 17:16, 2 April 2021

Easily Earn Points for Free Travel, Boost your rewards with "Pick Your Own Category", "Rotating Category", and Gift Cards

Q2 2021 is underway. Make sure to activate for this quarter's categories. More details about the quarter's categories are available on the activation pages.

For information and tips about using these cards to optimize the rewards you earn on your spending, make sure to look at our Advanced Bonus Category Optimization guide.

Freedom Flex Card Guide	Gas stations and home improvement stores. That's great for people who have large home improvement projects planned or need to replace an appliance. Lowes, Home Depot, and many Gas Stations also sell gift cards that you can use at other merchants, such as Amazon. You can activate retroactively until mid-June. Activation Webpage. Chase hasn't announced their categories for the rest of the year.
Discover it Card Guide	Gas stations, wholesale clubs, and select streaming services. Gas stations and wholesale clubs often have gift cards available. You'll only earn bonus rewards on purchases that are made after you activate each quarter. Activation Webpage Discover has already announced their complete 2021 schedule: Jul - Sep: Restaurants and PayPal. Oct - Dec: Amazon, Target.com, and Walmart.com.
Citi Dividend Guide	Supermarkets and Drugstores. These are two of the easiest to use categories. Whatever you don't spend naturally, you can make up with card purchases. You'll only earn bonus rewards on purchases that are made two or more days after you activate. Activation Webpage.
Nusenda Reward Card Guide	Movies, Restaurants, Home Improvements. Restaurants are an easy category, but there is a good chance that you are already have other cards that earn good bonus rewards for this category. See the notes about Home Improvement above. It's nice to earn bonus rewards for movies, but it won't add up to much. Nusenda has had the same schedule every year: Jul - Sep: Gas, Education. Oct - Dec: Restaurants, Hotels, Airfare.
ABOC Platinum Rewards Card Webpage	Home Improvement, Gardening, Amazon.com and major Online Retailers. These are easy categories. Once you set up your card, you are automatically enrolled for every quarter's bonus categories. Category Details ABOC has already released their complete 2021 schedule: Jul - Sep: Travel. Oct - Dec: Groceries, Food Delivery Services, Liquor Stores, Amazon.com.

Activating the U.S. Bank Cash+ Card

Unlike the other "pick your own category" cards, you need to re-activate the categories on the Cash+ card every quarter. Any spending made that quarter before activation won't earn bonus rewards. Activation Webpage.

Credit Cards 101

Credit Cards that Offer Bonus Rewards on Less Common Categories

Optimize Rewards by Using Different Cards for Different Purchases

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 {{Page|article|Earn Points|advanced optimization}}
-Q1 2021 is underway. Make sure to activate for this quarter's categories. More details about the quarter's categories are available on the activation pages.
+Q2 2021 is underway. Make sure to activate for this quarter's categories. More details about the quarter's categories are available on the activation pages.
 For information and tips about using these cards to optimize the rewards you earn on your spending, make sure to look at our {{Link|advanced optimization|Advanced Bonus Category Optimization guide}}.
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 {{List|card}}
 {{CardItem|Freedom}}
-'''Wholesale Clubs, Internet, cable, and phone services, Select streaming services'''.  Many people will want to continue to pay their mobile bill with a card that provides free cell protection. If you switch any subscription services to your Freedom Flex, make sure to switch back at the end of the quarter, and consider paying for at least April's bill a little early.
+'''Gas stations and home improvement stores'''.  That's great for people who have large home improvement projects planned or need to replace an appliance. Lowes, Home Depot, and many Gas Stations also sell gift cards that you can use at other merchants, such as Amazon.
-All the warehouse clubs sell a variety of 3rd party gift cards and you can buy the club's own gift cards to use later in the year. Unlike the older Freedom Card, the Freedom Flex is a Mastercard and can't be used in-store at Costco, but it can be used on Costco online. If you want to shop in-store, you could use the Freedom Flex to buy a Costco gift card online and then use that in the store.
+You can activate retroactively until mid-June. [//www.chasebonus.com Activation Webpage].
-You can activate retroactively until mid-March. [//www.chasebonus.com Activation Webpage].
+Chase hasn't announced their categories for the rest of the year.
-Chase has announced their categories for '''Apr - Jun''': Gas Stations and Home Improvement Stores. That's great for people who have large home improvement projects planned or need to replace an appliance. Lowes, Home Depot, and many Gas Stations also sell gift cards that you can use at other merchants, such as Amazon.
 {{CardItem|Discover}}
-'''Grocery stores, Walgreens and CVS'''. These should be relatively easy categories. You can always stock up on extra items towards the end of the quarter or purchase gift cards. Groceries bought at Walmart and Target don't count, with the exception of Walmart pickup and delivery purchases.
+'''Gas stations, wholesale clubs, and select streaming services'''. Gas stations and wholesale clubs often have gift cards available.
 You'll only earn bonus rewards on purchases that are made after you activate each quarter. [//www.discover.com/credit-cards/cashback-bonus/cashback-calendar.html Activation Webpage]
-Discover has already announced their complete 2021 schedule: '''Apr - Jun''': Gas stations, wholesale clubs, and select streaming services. '''Jul - Sep''': Restaurants and PayPal. '''Oct - Dec''': Amazon, Target.com, and Walmart.com.
+Discover has already announced their complete 2021 schedule: '''Jul - Sep''': Restaurants and PayPal. '''Oct - Dec''': Amazon, Target.com, and Walmart.com.
 {{CardItem|dividend}}
-'''Amazon, Select streaming services'''. Streaming services overlaps with the Chase cards. Amazon is an easy category and also sells a very wide variety of gift cards, including their own gift cards for use later in the year. Unfortunately, there is a good chance you already have one of several cards that already earn 5% at Amazon.
+'''Supermarkets and Drugstores'''. These are two of the easiest to use categories. Whatever you don't spend naturally, you can make up with card purchases.
 You'll only earn bonus rewards on purchases that are made two or more days after you activate. [//www.citi.com/credit-cards/credit-cards-citi/citi.action?ID=dividend-quarterly-offer Activation Webpage].
 {{CardItem|nusenda}}
-'''Groceries, Gas'''. These are both easy categories to use, however there is a good chance that you are already have other cards that earn good bonus rewards for these categories.
+'''Movies, Restaurants, Home Improvements'''. Restaurants are an easy category, but  there is a good chance that you are already have other cards that earn good bonus rewards for this category. See the notes about Home Improvement above. It's nice to earn bonus rewards for movies, but it won't add up to much.
-Nusenda has had the same schedule every year: '''Apr - Jun''': Movies, Restaurants, Home Improvements. '''Jul - Sep''': Gas, Education. '''Oct - Dec''': Restaurants, Hotels, Airfare'''.
+Nusenda has had the same schedule every year: '''Jul - Sep''': Gas, Education. '''Oct - Dec''': Restaurants, Hotels, Airfare'''.
 {{CardItem|aboc}}
-'''Groceries, Fitness Clubs, Hospitals, Pharmacies'''.  If you use for your Fitness Club, make sure to switch back at the end of the quarter and consider prepaying at least April's bill. Groceries are an easy category, but there is a good chance you already have another card that earns good grocery rewards. Hopefully, you won't have a chance to use the Hospital Category.
+'''Home Improvement, Gardening, Amazon.com and major Online Retailers'''.  These are easy categories.
 Once you set up your card, you are automatically enrolled for every quarter's bonus categories. [//www.platinumrewardsnow.com/Rewards_Calendar Category Details]
-ABOC has already released their complete 2021 schedule: '''Apr - Jun''': Home Improvement, Gardening, Amazon.com and major Online Retailers. '''Jul - Sep''': Travel. '''Oct - Dec''': Groceries, Food Delivery Services, Liquor Stores, Amazon.com.
+ABOC has already released their complete 2021 schedule: '''Jul - Sep''': Travel. '''Oct - Dec''': Groceries, Food Delivery Services, Liquor Stores, Amazon.com.
 {{/List|card}}