Chase Freedom® Cash-Back Rewards | Everything About Chase Freedom Rewards (Amazon, Cashback, Calendar)

Read This Guide to Learn All About Chase Freedom® Cash-Back Rewards for This Year

We know that you want a credit card with ideal perks. You want to see the best options out there. Maybe you have heard that the Chase Freedom® rewards are top-notch, but you want to check it out for yourself first.

We have done all that research for you with our guide to the Chase Freedom® cash-back credit card. We will tell you everything you need to know about Chase Freedom® rewards, including:

• All the important details of the card (like interest rates and fees)
• How to collect Chase Freedom® points
• How to earn even more cash back through the Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar
• Different ways to redeem your points (like Chase Freedom® Amazon cashback rewards!)
• Whether or not Chase Freedom® points expire
• Things to consider when figuring out if this is the right card for you

Once you have read through the guide, you will know if the Chase Freedom® cash-back system and the Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar is right for you.

Chase Freedom® Card: The Basics

Before we get into anything fun and exciting, like the Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar or Chase Freedom® Amazon rewards options, let’s focus on all the important card details.

Here is what you need to know about using this card:

• New Card member Offer: $150 bonus after you spend $500 in the first 3 months from opening your account
• Annual Fee: None
• Minimum Interest Charge: None
• Credit Needed: Good to Excellent
• 0% Intro APR for the first 15 months
• 15.49% – 24.24% APR after the first 15 months based upon your creditworthiness
• 0% balance transfer APR for the first 15 months
• 15.49% – 24.24% balance transfer APR after the first 15 months based upon your credit worthiness
• $5 or 5% of the amount for a balance transfer fee, whichever is greater
• $10 or 5% of the amount for a cash advance fee, whichever is greater
• 25.49% cash advance APR
• 3% foreign transaction fee

If you are wondering what others think about the Chase Freedom® card, here are a few online reviews:

• The Chase Freedom® card receives 4 out of 5 stars from 103 reviews on Credit Karma
• Nerdwallet gave the card 4.6 out of 5

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The Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar

Whenever you use your Chase Freedom® card, you are earning 1% cash back on every purchase. But Chase also has a Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar that shows you specialty categories that can earn you 5% each quarter.

Image Source: Chase

Keep in mind the Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar 5% offer is only for the first $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter.

For this year, the Chase cash back calendar looks like this:

• From January to March, the Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar had “gas stations” as the specialty category. You would earn 5% cash back pumping gas.
• From April to June, the Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar has grocery stores and drugstores as the 5% cash back category (not including Wal-Mart and Target).This means you can shop for groceries as usual while earning 5% toward rewards.
• From July to September, the Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar will have a “Summer Fun” category. The details will be unlocked June 15, 2017.
• From October to December, the Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar will have a “Holiday” category. The details will be unlocked September 15, 2017.

Here is a big hint to help you earn this 5% cash back. You must visit the Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar website and “activate” that reward option before you earn the rewards. It will not be automatic.

Shop Through Chase: Earn More Cash Back

Another way to earn more Chase Freedom® points, outside of the Chase cash back calendar specials, is Shop Through Chase. This is a program that can let you earn up to 15% cash back.

Here is how it works:

• You log into your Chase account
• You see a list of merchants, the items they are selling, and the percentage you get cash back
• You buy the item and receive the cash back

It is a great idea to check the Shop Through Chase website before you do any online shopping or gift buying. That way you can see if any items have a high cash back offer.

Chase Freedom® Rewards Choices

Now that you know exactly how Chase Freedom® points work and what to expect from the Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar, let’s go over what to do with all of those points.

This feature may be called the Chase cash back calendar, but the card is officially called the Freedom® card. This freedom means you can choose cash or any of the gift card options, like Chase Freedom® Amazon rewards.

Image Source: Chase

Here is a list of all your redemption options:

• Chase Freedom® Amazon Cashback Rewards
• Lowe’s Chase Freedom® Cash-Back Rewards
• Best Buy’s Chase Freedom® Cash-Back Rewards
• Darden Restaurants Chase Freedom® Cash-Back Rewards
• Macy’s Chase Freedom® Cash-Back Rewards

We will give you a quick overview of everything you can do with these rewards below.

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Chase Freedom® Cash-Back Rewards: Cash

The first (and maybe easiest) Chase Freedom® rewards option is simply to go for the Chase Freedom® cash-back.

As soon as you have earned at least $20 in Chase Freedom® cash-back points, you can choose to have cash go into either:

• Your bank account through direct deposit
• On your statement as an extra credit card payment

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Chase Freedom® Amazon Cashback Rewards

If you do not choose to get cash, you can opt for one of the many Chase Freedom® points gift card options. One of the best Chase Freedom® rewards options is the Chase Freedom® Amazon cashback.

The incredible thing about Chase Amazon rewards is the wide variety of options available at Amazon.com.

Your Chase Freedom® Amazon cashback rewards give you access to Amazon’s large selection of:

• Grocery and personal care items
• Home improvement items
• Baby and child items
• Books and ebooks
• Textbooks for college
• TV/movie streaming
• Home services
• Devices like Echo and Kindle
• Photos and prints
• Appstore
• And much more

This also means Chase Freedom® Amazon rewards gift card can make a great gift or a great item to donate to a shelter or school. College students can also benefit from Chase Freedom® Amazon cashback for textbooks.

If you want to see the full terms and conditions of choosing the Chase Freedom® Amazon cashback option as your reward, visit Amazon’s gift card page.

Keep in mind this Chase Freedom® Amazon rewards program is not the same as the “Chase Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card.” That card is a direct Amazon affiliate. The Chase Freedom® Amazon cashback reward choice is simply a gift card option.

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Chase Freedom® Cash-Back Rewards: Lowe’s

Though many people may go for the Chase Amazon rewards since there are so many options through Amazon.com, other people may feel that other Chase Freedom® points gift cards suit them best.

Another great option for you have for Chase Freedom® Cash-Back rewards is a Lowe’s gift card. This can be a solid choice for those who:

• Have recently moved into a home or are in the process of renovations
• Enjoy home improvement projects
• Know somebody who would want a Lowe’s card (makes a great gift you do not have to pay for!)

Chase Freedom® Cash-Back Rewards: Best Buy

Best Buy gift cards are a great Chase Freedom® rewards option for anybody who:

• Is interested in tech equipment or gaming in general
• Needs to buy a new, expensive electronic (like a TV) and wants to cut down on the price
• Wants to go in-store to get their items instead of using Chase Freedom® Amazon cashback to buy them online

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Chase Freedom® Cash-Back Rewards: Darden Restaurants

Like the Chase Amazon rewards, choosing Darden Restaurant gift cards gives you plenty of spending options, too.

When you use your Chase Freedom® points for a Darden Restaurant’s gift card, you are actually getting Chase Freedom® rewards at their six affiliated restaurants:

• Olive Garden
• LongHorn Steakhouse
• Bahama Breeze
• Seasons 52
• Yard House
• Red Lobster

Chase Freedom® Cash-Back Rewards: Macy’s

Finally, we get to the last rewards option: the Macy’s gift card. This Chase Freedom® points gift card option can be nice for many reasons:

• Any avid shopper
• A bridal shower or wedding gift
• A baby shower gift

Do the Chase Freedom® Rewards Ever Expire?

If you do not use the rewards points right away, do they expire? Do you have to trade in your points for those Chase Freedom® Amazon cashback gift cards right away to avoid missing out?

Not to worry. As long as your card is open, the reward points never expire. The only time this happens is if you close the account.

If you ever need to close this card, be sure to exchange the points first.

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Conclusion – Is Chase Freedom® Right for You?

There are countless high-value credit cards out there with unique rewards systems. How do you know if this particular Chase Freedom® rewards credit card is right for you?

Here are a few reasons this may be right for you:

• If you have at least good credit, you should be able to qualify
• No matter what you are buying, you always get that base 1% back
• Their Chase Freedom® Cash Back Calendar puts common categories like groceries as the 5% option
• Their Shop Through Chase program gives you even more options for Chase Freedom® points
• You can choose regular Chase Freedom® cash-back if you simply want cash
• You can choose from fabulous retailers (like Chase Freedom® Amazon cashback) for optimal Chase Freedom® rewards

This card is definitely not a travel rewards card, though. If that is your #1 reason for having a rewards credit card, you may want to look elsewhere.

If you want a no-hassle, straightforward, cashback style credit card that gives you the flexibility (or the “Freedom”) of gift card rewards, Chase Freedom® cash-back may be an excellent option for you this year.