Why I got the Chase Freedom Flex and how I got the maximum cash back this quarter

As a TPG employee, I have a pretty solid credit card portfolio. I love using it American Express Platinum® Card to earn bonus points on flights, Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express to get cash back rewards on grocery and public transportation purchases and American Express® Gold Card to earn reward points when I eat out.

However, I’m always looking for ways to make my money work harder to accomplish my goals. Recently, I decided to add Chase freedom Flex℠ into my arsenal.

Here’s why I use that card and how I’m working to get maximum value from its cash back categories.

With an upcoming move this summer, I have a few big purchases coming up. I looked in buy-now-pay-later options like Confirm but also realize that these options will not earn me any points or cashback on purchases. Plus, they are not always interest-free.

Then I study the card with 0% introductory APR offer.

One of TPG’s 10 commandments of credit is “You must pay your balance in full.” However, the idea of ​​using a 0% interest card to make a large furniture purchase and letting my money grow in the money markets was quite appealing.

I wanted a card that I thought would be a useful and complementary addition to my other cards over a period of time, not just a short-term account. The Flex Freedom card that ticked all the boxes on my wishlist:

• 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (20.49% – 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fees apply)
• There is no annual fee
• Quarterly bonus categories give me 5% cash back when I activate – worth $300 per year alone.

Each quarter, Chase releases a number of categories within it Flex Freedom Cardholders earn 5% cash back that quarter on purchases up to $1,500 when they activate. All your purchases on the Freedom Flex earn 1%, so cardholders earn a 4% bonus to reach 5% quarterly earnings.

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For example, purchases on Amazon and Whole Foods typically earn 1% cash back, but because they’re part of the Q2 bonuses category, cardholders can earn an additional 4% on these purchases with a total cashback of 5%.

However, I didn’t realize at first that Chase was doing something new this quarter. It added two categories to its quarterly bonus list that earn more than 1% year-round – hotels through Chase Travel (which typically earn 5%) and restaurants (which typically earn 3%). To maintain a consistent quarterly bonus earning rate, Chase simply adds 4% to this year-round bonus earning rate.

This means that once activated, I earn an impressive 9% on hotels through Chase Travel and 7% on Freedom Dining. Once I realized this, I started making my plans to maximize these types of bonuses. (Thanks to my TPG colleagues for helping me understand them.)

Related: Freedom Flex Bonus Catalog

Even though I have other cards with dining rewards, the 7% cash back on dining this quarter means I’ll be cashing out Flex Freedom when the check arrives to maximize the refund amount.

I’ll keep track of my total spending, as that 7% goes back to a total of 3% after the first $1,500 bonus category spend. Then I’ll switch back to my default diet, American Express® Gold Cardto earn 4 Membership Rewards points for every dollar I spend on food purchases.

One this quarter Flex Freedom bonus category is Amazon; I’m glad to see that Chase is also including purchases at Whole Foods Market stores in this cashback category.

If I didn’t have it either Amex Blue Cash Preferred® Card, which offers 6% back to supermarkets, 5% back at Whole Foods Market would be very attractive. But since I already have a card that earns me more money at Whole Foods, I’m focusing my Flexible spending on restaurants.

Finally, this quarter, you’ll get up to 9% back on hotels with Flex FreedomBut you will have to book in advance Chase Travel℠ to reach that maximum.

Although 9% is quite tempting, I usually prefer it Book hotel directly. I chose travel as the bonus earning category above Bank of America® Custom Cash Rewards Credit Cardso I can book directly and still earn 3% using that card.

Between the 0% introductory APR offer and the opportunity to earn 7% back on food purchases this quarter, adding Freedom Flex to my wallet was a no-brainer. If I decide to take it Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®I will get even more value from the rewards I earn on my Freedom Flex.

For more details, see Full review of the Chase Freedom Flex.

Register here: Chasing freedom Flex