[Points Posting] [Expired] Chase Freedom: Earn 5% On Your Top Category (Or 9% On PayPal) Up To $1,500 In Spend

Update 1/24/22: Points are posting now for this promo from Q4 2021.

Update 2: According to the media rep that originally sent us this offer this is only available to Freedom Flex cardholders and not vanilla Freedom cardholders. This seems to make sense as the offer only shows up on the Freedom Flex F.A.Q and not the vanilla Freedom F.A.Q.

Update: I’ve updated to make post clearer and to try and answer a few F.A.Q’s. Very possible some information is still inaccurate as this promotion isn’t exactly clear. It might make sense to wait a few days until we can get all of the questions answered and the promotion is clear.

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • Chase is offering Freedom cardholders 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in total spend on the category they spend the most in from October 1 – December 31, 2021. If this category already earns 5% from the rotating categories you’ll earn 9% total cash back. You must be enrolled in the rotating categories offer to be eligible for this bonus.

The Fine Print

  • This offer is separate from your quarterly bonus category offer, but automatically added to your account when you activate your Q4 bonus categories. You’ll earn 5% cash back on up to $1500 in total spend in the eligible rewards category where you spend the most from October 1 – December 31, 2021. That’s 4% additional cash back on top of the 1% cash back per $1 USD spent that you earn on all purchases.

Our Verdict

Eligible categories include: travel (including transit), dining, home improvement stores, select streaming services, select live entertainment, gas stations, drugstores, fitness clubs, grocery stores (not including Target and Walmart purchases). It seems that PayPal itself is not an eligible category for the additional 5%, but it will pass the merchant code back (e.g if you make a purchase at a grocery store but pay using PayPal). PayPal is a 5% rotating category this quarter and these two promotions stack (total of 9% cash back [1% base rate plus two 4% bonuses]). This should be relatively easy to maximize for most people.

Seems people have a lot of questions regarding this, so some F.A.Q’s:

  • I’ve already maxed out my quarterly 5% category, what happens? The terms state this promotion started on October 1 through December 31, 2021 so you should automatically earn 9% on the purchases you’ve already made. Just keep in mind the spend needs to be in one of the eligible top categories (see above) to be eligible. I think most people will probably need to complete more spend unfortunately.
  • Does this apply to Chase Freedom cardholders, or only Chase Freedom Flex cardholders? According to the media rep that sent us this deal, it only applies to the Freedom Flex card and not the Freedom card,
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

295 Comments
newest
oldest most voted

MC
MC (@guest_1472018)
October 24, 2022 21:53

Anyone seen any signs of a repeat for 2022?

JP
JP (@guest_1328325)
February 8, 2022 14:18

Anyone else still waiting for their 4% to post from this promo. Both P2 and I haven’t gotten the bonus yet. 2nd billing statement closed yesterday

S
S (@guest_1328612)
February 8, 2022 23:18
  JP

DELETED.. I just checked again and my bonus posted BUT it turns out I misunderstood the promotion. I thought PayPal was an eligible for the top spend category! UGH!!

Carter
Carter (@guest_1331562)
February 14, 2022 09:11
  S

I’m in the same boat as you. Bonus just posted but only got 631 bonus points… I thought Paypal was eligible for the top spend category

QC
QC (@guest_1334016)
February 17, 2022 23:37

But I remember I saw on chase.com that Paypal counts as a category and should give 9% cashback.

JP
JP (@guest_1338901)
February 24, 2022 22:02
  QC

I think we are SOL here, I used PPK on costco and didn’t earn extra 4%. They got us!

jd
jd (@guest_1338919)
February 24, 2022 23:04
  QC

QC , I think you remembered wrong or you read wrong. Paypal was the quarterly bonus but was not a top spend category. The only way to get 9% stack was if you used Paypal at a merchant that was in a top spend category like drug store, grocery, etc. Its spelled out in the “our verdict” section in the OP.
JP costco was not a top spend category nor a quarterly category i don’t think…

Jroam
Jroam (@guest_1321439)
January 26, 2022 07:05

As the kool aid man would say, Oh Yeah!

Ethan
Ethan (@guest_1321303)
January 25, 2022 20:46

Not on my account. How do I tell if my card is Freedom Flex? I had it 5 years. I have another Freedom Unlimited. Thanks.

Celia
Celia (@guest_1321307)
January 25, 2022 20:58

Freedom Flex is a separate product. Been around a few years.

atexit8
atexit8 (@guest_1321308)
January 25, 2022 20:59

The card says Flex on it.
The card is new. Came out in 2020.
Did you apply for it or product change to it?

Ethan
Ethan (@guest_1321326)
January 25, 2022 21:54

Thanks for the hint. I didn’t change it so mine is not Flex

ieatdogfood
ieatdogfood (@guest_1321206)
January 25, 2022 17:51

OK I finally figured it out. I had a statement close on or right after the bonus points were awarded. I looked at my statement and I saw this.

“+ Addl 4%/$1 on top spend grocery strs 6,000“

My top spend for last quarter was $1,500 in grocery (stacked with 1st year grocery and paypal) for 13% cashback total. Glad it worked out.

scott7k
scott7k (@guest_1321149)
January 25, 2022 16:35

6000 points pending for P2 but nothing for P1.

P1 card was opened after this was announced – is it possible it was only for existing card members?

Has anyone else who opened the card after this announcement gotten the points?

Novacat05
Novacat05 (@guest_1321551)
January 26, 2022 13:17

I did a product change on my CSP(not worth another AF) to the Freedom Flex on 10/21, still got points from this promo. The oldest comment here is on 10/18, so it was after they announced.

b
b (@guest_1321146)
January 25, 2022 16:32

Is the Top Spend Offer going to repeat for Q1 and forward?

atexit8
atexit8 (@guest_1321304)
January 25, 2022 20:56
  b

It would be nice since Q1 is groceries and double-dip.

Sam F.
Sam F. (@guest_1321072)
January 25, 2022 14:45

How are people seeing this as “top spend” bonus? I see pending points, but have no idea how many points I should be getting for last month for normal spend or quarterly spend and for “top spend.”

sg77
sg77 (@guest_1321085)
January 25, 2022 14:58

If you’re getting more points than you expect based on normal & quarterly spend, you can probably assume that it’s this top spend bonus (unless you referred someone and the amount matches a referral bonus). Especially if you didn’t spend anything this statement period, and if the amount pending matches what you’d expect from spending in a top category earlier in the quarter. It’s unlikely that Chase would happen to give you extra points for some other reason, and extremely unlikely that those extra points would happen to match the amount you expect for the top category.

t0dd0
t0dd0 (@guest_1321005)
January 25, 2022 12:01

Got all my bonus. Thank you CHASE

ieatdogfood
ieatdogfood (@guest_1320974)
January 25, 2022 11:11

Hard to tell when the bonus isn’t itemized and you have a lot of transactions this past month/statement.

atexit8
atexit8 (@guest_1321065)
January 25, 2022 14:26

My top spend category was Drugstores.
I spent $1027.65 at CVS.
Most of it was the $1011.90 was from the two $500 VISA gift card that I bought with Paypal at CVS.
4% x $1027.65 = 4110.6 points and Chase shows 4129 points pending.
close enough.

1% base + 4% Paypal + 2% drugstores on the original Oct , Nov , Dec statements
+ 4% top spend at drugstores that will show up in my Feb statement
= 11%

I should have bought another $500 VISA gift card at CVS.
Darn!