Difference between revisions of "Quarterly bonus categories"

Latest revision as of 13:25, 1 October 2021

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

Q4 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	PayPal and Walmart. PayPal is probably the easiest category of the year. You can pay via PayPal on many websites, or use it for taxes and charities. If you add your card to PayPal Key, you should be able to use it almost everywhere online. Remember that the promotion doesn't cover regular person-to-person payments. Another good option this quarter is to purchase gift cards at Walmart. You'll get credit for charges made before you register, but there is no reason to hold off. Activation Webpage.
Discover it Card Guide	Amazon, Walmart.com, Target.com. Perfect for the holidays, although many people are already earning 5% back at Amazon and Target (although not the 10% back you'd earn during your Discover card's first year. All three stores sell a wide variety of gift cards. You'll only earn bonus rewards on purchases that are made after you activate each quarter. Activation Webpage
Citi Dividend Guide	Restaurants & BestBuy. Hopefully, you already maxed out your annual cap with groceries or another category, as you likely already have good options for restaurants and you may not have things you want at BestBuy. You'll only earn bonus rewards on purchases that are made two or more days after you activate. Activation Webpage.
Nusenda Reward Card Guide	Retail stores (in-person or online), Restaurants. Should be easy to maximize with organic shopping or gift cards.

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

Send comments or suggestions to editor@travelstrategies.com or leave a comment below.

blog comments powered by Disqus

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{DISPLAYTITLE: {{Title|quarterly categories}} (2021)}}
 {{seo|description=This quarter's categories for the Freedom Flex, Discover It, and other rotating category cards}}
-{{Page|article|Card Strategies}}
+{{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.
+Q4 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 optimization|Advanced Bonus Category Optimization guide]].
+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}}.
 {{Main|article}}
 {{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.
+'''PayPal and Walmart'''.  PayPal is probably the easiest category of the year. You can pay via PayPal on many websites, or use it for taxes and charities. If you add your card to PayPal Key, you should be able to use it almost everywhere online. Remember that the promotion doesn't cover regular person-to-person payments. Another good option this quarter is to purchase gift cards at Walmart.
-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'll get credit for charges made before you register, but there is no reason to hold off. [//www.chasebonus.com Activation Webpage].
-You can activate retroactively until mid-March. [//www.chasebonus.com Activation Webpage]
 {{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.
+'''Amazon, Walmart.com, Target.com'''. Perfect for the holidays, although many people are already earning 5% back at Amazon and Target (although not the 10% back you'd earn during your Discover card's first year. All three stores sell a wide variety of gift cards.
 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.
 {{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.
+'''Restaurants & BestBuy'''. Hopefully, you already maxed out your annual cap with groceries or another category, as you likely already have good options for restaurants and you may not have things you want at BestBuy.
 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.
+'''Retail stores (in-person or online), Restaurants'''. Should be easy to maximize with organic shopping or gift cards.
-Nusenda has had the same schedule every year: '''Apr - Jun''': Movies, Restaurants, Home Improvements. '''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.
-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.
 {{/List|card}}
@@ Line 50: / Line 37: @@
 {{NextPages}}
 {{Next|Credit Cards 101}}
-{{Next|rotating category}}
+{{Next|uncommon categories}}
 {{Next|optimize rewards}}
 {{/NextPages}}
 {{/Page|article}}