Update 2/6/19: Chase has sent this offer out to Southwest & Hyatt cardholders. Hat tip to reader
Samagra R & Matt M. Don’t think you actually even need a card to use this offer though.
Update 1/21/19: Deal is valid through 2019. Another e-mail was sent out last week reminding people about this offer. A lot of readers requested more information/our thoughts so here is a delayed updated post.
Chase sent out another email today to those who have not already taken advantage of this offer. (thanks to readers Luke and Noah)
The Offer
Chase and Shell partnered to offer all Chase Freedom cardholders Fuel Rewards Gold status which gets you 5¢ off per gallon at Shell. Typically, Gold status requires doing 6 fill-ups per 3-month period; with this offer, you’ll have automatic Gold status for the year.
Promotion Page link | New Link
Both Freedom & Freedom unlimited are eligible. The weird thing is that they don’t ask for your Freedom card information, and from what I can tell, there’s no requirement to pay for the gas with your Freedom card. Seems like anyone might be able to signup on the dedicated Freedom page and get a year of Gold status with 5¢ off; it’s just a Freedom deal in the sense that it’s marketed toward those customers, as I see it.
The Fine Print
- This offer is only available to Chase customers who did not participate in a similar Fuel Rewards® offer in 2018.
- Gold status is valid through December 31, 2019
- Valid for both existing Fuel Rewards members and new members
- To qualify for the extended Gold Status offer for Chase customers, you must be a Chase customer, a Fuel Rewards member and swipe your Fuel Rewards card or enter your Alt ID when you fuel at a participating Shell station
- To continue your Gold status after 2019, you’ll have do 6 Shell fill-ups of 5 gallons+ during 2019
- Fuel Rewards savings are limited to twenty (20) gallons of fuel per purchase
Our Verdict
Deal is a bit ‘meh,’ to be honest. I’m even somewhat surprised it was worth it for Chase to enter into the partnership. I doubt they paid anything to Shell, but they loaned their name to it. Keep in mind IHG loyalty customers can get:
6¢ if you have Platinum status (available through the IHG credit card)7¢ if you have Spire Elite status
IHG program no longer available.
For those who regularly fill up at Shell, this is a nice way of saving up to $1 on each fill-up. It’s especially useful for those who take advantage of other Fuel Rewards deals and already get discounted gas from Shell – this deal will add another 5¢/gallon to the discount. Two recurring examples are getting 15¢ perdollar spent at select grocery stores with Mastercard and various Stop&Shop/Giant/Martin’s grocery promos to earn Fuel Rewards, even on gift cards occasionally. This Freedom deal sweetens the pot with an additional 5¢ off.
Chase also notes in a memo to their bankers that this promo will stack well with the Q1 2018 5% category which includes gas stations. As noted in our previous post, a lot of people might want to max that out with the mobile payments option instead.
Chase concludes to “look for similar promotions for other Chase products in 2018.” There’s no question that Chase’s promotion department is in overdrive.
Hat tip to reader D.
