The Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex Credit Cards Bonus Categories for October – December 2023 are Wholesale Clubs, PayPal and Select Charities
The 2023 fourth quarter bonus categories for the Chase Freedom credit card and the Chase Freedom Flex card are out and points/cash back earning for spend on those categories can be activated starting September 15, 2023.
Bonus Categories
The Freedoms’ fourth quarter bonus categories include:
- Wholesale Clubs (Costco, Sam’s Club, etc.)
- PayPal
- Select Charities
All purchases made in these categories earn 5% cash back – or my favorite, 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent – on up to $1,500 in combined purchases.
Bonus earnings at Wholesale Clubs, Select Charities and via Paypal will begin October 1, 2023, and run through December 31, 2023.
If you haven’t received your activation email yet, you can activate the fourth quarter categories here.
Obviously, you can activate your fourth quarter bonus categories at any point between now and December 14, 2022, to ensure you earn the bonus cash back/Ultimate Rewards points. I usually get it out of the way as soon as it becomes available to make sure I don’t forget.
How to Play It
Wholesale Clubs
While Chase doesn’t expressly mention the wholesale clubs associated with bonus earning, it’s pretty fair to say the most obvious ones would be included. Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale, etc. are what fit into this category.
One thing to be aware of, per Chase’s Wholesale Club Exclusions…”Gas, fuel, wholesale specialty service purchases such as travel, insurance, cell phone and home improvement will not qualify in this category.”
And…”Mastercard not accepted at Costco warehouses or at gas stations.” So, the old Freedom card (Visa version) can be used at Costco to earn the 5%/5x bonus points, but the Freedom Flex card (Mastercard) cannot. Just something to be aware of if Costco is your go-to wholesale club.
Outside of regular purchases, many wholesale clubs sell discounted gift cards to a variety of retail and restaurants. Buy the gift cards to earn the bonus points and they use them when you shop/dine at that particular establishment.
PayPal
I used to equate PayPal with eBay buying and selling, and not much else.
Well, that’s changed.
PayPal is similar to many of the mobile wallet payment systems, in that it is becoming more widely accepted as a payment method at a variety of merchants.
If you’re not familiar with setting up a PayPal account for making purchases, you can get details at this PayPal link.
Just look for the PayPal logo when making an online purchase, and be sure your Chase Freedom card is loaded to your PayPal account as the payment method.
And, for retailers that are set up to accept PayPal for in-store purchases (some grocery stores come to mind) you can scan the PayPal app at checkout to pay.
And just like that, you’ll earn 5%/5x on your purchase.
Select Charities
The following charities will earn 5%/5x when you use your Freedom or Freedom Flex to donate…American Red Cross, Equal Justice Initiative, Feeding America, Habitat for Humanity, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Leadership Conference Education Fund, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Urban League, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, United Negro College Fund, UNICEF USA, United Way, World Central Kitchen, GLSEN, Out and Equal, Sage.
The Freedom Flex Card
If you don’t yet have a Freedom Flex card, now is a great time to apply.
The Freedom Flex is offering its usual sign-up bonus of $200 after spending $500 within 3 months from account approval.
Here’s a quick overview of the Freedom Flex’s regular bonus earning categories.
- Earn 5% on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter (Wholesale Clubs, Select Charities and PayPal for Q4 2023)
- Earn 5% on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants including takeout and eligible delivery services
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1% on all other purchases
This makes the Freedom Flex card a really enticing card to hold and spend on regularly.
You can get details and apply at this link.
We get a points bonus for each approved application when our links are used to apply. Thank you should you apply using the links above.
Wrap Up
The Q4 2023 bonus categories for the Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cards are Wholesale Clubs, Select Charities and PayPal.
For those not familiar with PayPal, it might seem like a wasted category but don’t dismiss it too quickly.
A large number of merchants offer PayPal as a checkout option for online shopping. And, now, in-store, as well. And the number is growing.
It might be worth looking at the PayPal link above to see if setting up a PayPal account is something you want to do.
Considering the ability to earn 5% cash back this coming quarter on purchases made via PayPal, it might be worth the effort.
