This Quarter's Bonus Categories (2021)
Here is a list of the current (and often upcoming) categories for the different "rotating category" cards, as well information for registering your bonus categories on "pick your own category" cards.
For more 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.
"Rotating category" cards
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Chase Freedom Flex Card. Earns 5x Ultimate Rewards on a rotating set of categories. If you have a Chase Sapphire or Ink Preferred Card, you can transfer these points to airline or hotel programs, providing a value of about 8.5 cents per dollar. No annual fee. You can eventually get multiple copies of this card by converting other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards. | |
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Discover It Card. Earns 5% cashback on a rotating set of categories. But you’ll earn double the rewards during the first year. Discover cards aren’t accepted at every business, but that isn't very important for most of the merchants in most of its bonus categories. No annual fee. | |
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Nusenda Credit Union Platinum Rewards Card. Earns 5% on up to $1,500 per quarter just like the Discover It Card, but without the first-year bonus. No annual fee. | |
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The ABOC Platinum Rewards Card. Earns 5x points on up to $1,500 per quarter. Points are worth 1 cent when redeemed for travel or a bit less when redeemed through other mechanisms. No annual fee and a $150 signup bonus ($1,200 initial spend). |
Picking your category on "Pick your category" cards
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The U.S. Bank Cash Plus Card is the "standard" rotating category card. It has been around for the longest, is available throughout the whole country, and unlike the other cards, it allows you to choose two categories, instead of one. It earns 5% cash back, capped to $2,000 of bonus category spending each quarter. Inconveniently, U.S. Bank forces you to re-select your categories every quarter and you won't earn bonus rewards on those categories until you do so. No annual fee. | |
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If you can keep $100,000 of investment or retirement money at Merrill Lynch, the Bank of America Cash Rewards Card is another good option. Normally, it earns 3% on your choice of categories. But, if you have a total of $100,000 or more in combined assets at Merrill Lynch and Bank of America, you'll receive "Platinum Honors" status in their Preferred Rewards program and get a 75% bonus on your credit card reward points. This increases the effective reward rate to 5.25%. The Cash Rewards Card has a higher quarterly limit ($2,500 of spending) and is the only "pick your own category card" that lets you change your category every month, instead of every quarter. But many people just keep it locked to "online shopping" to earn bonus points on everything they buy online. No annual fee. | |
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The Vantage West Connect Card is available to people who live in certain parts of Arizona. It earns 5% in a single category of your choice but is capped at only $1,500 of spending each quarter. No annual fee. | |
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The Huntington Voice Cards are lower value options and require you to live near a branch. The personal version earns 3% in one category (up to $2,000 per quarter) and the business version earns 4% in one category (on up to $7,000 per quarter). But you can only apply in one of their branches located in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. No annual fee. | |
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The Synovus cards are similar to the Huntington Voice cards, but for people in the Southeast. Cards are only available in branches located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Depending on the card, you'll earn 3x points or 3% cash back and rewards are capped at $3,000 per quarter. The cashback and point-based reward versions have no annual fees. The Synovus Travel version has a $50 annual fee, but gives you a 20% rebate on travel purchase with points (3.6% cash-back rate), and earns 5x points (6% cash-back rate) on travel purchases as well. No annual fee. {{/List|card
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