In Chase branches, it’s now officially showing their Q1 2016 category. Gas and local commuter transportation will earn 5x during January, February, and March 2016.
HT: TPG
Enrollment will available for this category from December 15, 2015 until March 14, 2016.
This makes Freedom’s categories the same as Discover’s who will be offering gas and ground transportation as well. Discover Q1 2016 category can already be activate, while Chase begins activation on December 15, as noted.
Remember, many gas stations sell gift cards and that can be an additional way of maxing out the categories.
Discover categories have the advantage of being doubled for many and becoming 10%, and Chase has the advantage of being more valuable than 5% cashback when paired with a real point-earning Chase card and being redeemed for travel.
Remaining Quarters
No official word yet on the remaining categories, but insider info suggests (1, 2) that it will look as follows:
- Q2 2016 Restaurants and probably a few others
- Q3 2016 Gas and local ground transportation again
- Q4 2016 Amazon and associated brands
Pretty similar to 2015, except that Q1 2015 was grocery and Q1 2016 will be gas.
Does Whole Foods ring up as a grocery merchant?
If you can activate on December 15th, can you start getting 5x points before January 1st. (Pre-Xmas)
Gas cards are a great gift for postman, UPS drivers, etc.
N, that’s not possible unfortunately.
I’m feeling like that’s a pretty weak quarter on Chase’s part… Seems like it would’ve been a stellar idea to add gyms or that sort of thing, folks would start paying in January and theoretically have autopay going…
Yup, although I imagine then a lot of people would’ve just prepaid for the whole year. Would be worth a test for at least one year you’d think anyway.
At least they’re including something for people without cars, but still, these categories are hard to max out. I’ve found it very difficult to find gas stations selling VGCs for credit.
Ymmv depending on the staff, but many Valero Corner Store gas stations , especially those in Texas, sell variable vgc’s up to $500 and will accept cc. Get the Corner store app to find them. Valeros that are franchized (non Corner Store) do not sell vgc’s.
Be happy!
yes, disappointing indeed they’re dropping groceries — and I’ve already been using Freedom less and less.
Yet before folks start pouring into Discover for gas…. check the fine print. The miserable Discover (see how many ways we can back out of our…) Deals is excluding cash purchases not just from places like Sams Club and Costco (as does Chase Freedom), but they’re also excluding purchases from gas outlets associated with grocery chains. (e.g., Kroger, Giant, Safeway, et. al.!)
This may end up being much fuss over nothing though, as gas soon will be selling close to a buck a gallon – thank the iranians, see today’s news flow. (and yes, I get it, the neocons & most presidential candidates in both parties are determined to blame Iran for everything, even now…. insane, but check out which country today check-mated the Saudis at OPEC…..)
Meant 2015
Really disappointing. Groceries is one category I can max out without gift cards. Everybody’s gotta eat. You’ve got to be a really heavy driver to get close to $1,500 in gas. Gas stations near me don’t make it easy to buy gift cards.
I drive a taxi for a living. Nuff said.
Pretty similar to 2015, except that Q1 2015 was grocery and Q1 2016 will be gas.
And except that it was 10x Amazon in 2014
All of the 7-elevens that used to sell VGCs out here switched to cash only. What other gas chains sell gcs? If it comes down to just buying gas cards in the stations I’ll pass. I get better value from ebay.
Stop and Shop gas stations sell Stop and Shop gift cards; I have used those in their grocery store to buy VGC at the service counter. It is a little bit of a pain as the the maximum denomination of the Stop and Shop gift card is $100. And some of the gas station clerks are clueless on how to ring-up the cards.
Most times I have go into the store, take $100 cards off the shelf, then go to the gas station to have them rung up. But with three Freedom cards it is worth effort for the 21.5k UR.
Are you saying that some Stop & Shops have their own gas stations? I’ve never heard of that. Where do you live?