If you’re a loyal Chase Freedom® user, you probably already know you’ve made a great credit card choice. It’s one of the Nerds’ favorite cash-back cards, and will really come in handy during the 2014 holiday shopping season.
But the great news is that the Chase Freedom® has some tricks up its sleeve for 2015. Ready to find out more? Let’s dig in.
Chase Freedom®: The basics
Before diving into the new information, here’s a quick reminder of what the Chase Freedom® offers:
- You’ll earn 5% cash back in rotating quarterly bonus categories, up to $1,500 spent per quarter. For the fourth quarter of 2014, you’ll score 5% cash back on every dollar spent at select department stores, Zappos.com and Amazon.com.
- You’ll also earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases throughout the year.
- You’ll have the opportunity to score a signup bonus: Get a $200 Bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- The annual fee is $0
It’s also worth noting that with the Chase Freedom® you’re earning Chase Ultimate Reward points. You can redeem them for cash back, but if you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you also have the option to transfer them to that account and cash them in for a trip. If you shop smart and take advantage of the Chase Freedom®’s 5% categories, this could add up to a lot of points to travel with.
Finally, if you’re an iPhone 6 user, don’t forget that your Chase Freedom® is compatible with Apple Pay. As more and more retailers begin installing the infrastructure to accept mobile payments, you’ll be able to easily rack up Ultimate Rewards points with a single tap.
Exciting news about the Chase Freedom® in 2015
As if all the perks above weren’t enough, the Nerds just got some exciting information about what’s new for the Chase Freedom® in 2015. Let’s start with rewards: For the first quarter of 2015, you’ll be able to earn 5% cash back on every dollar spent at grocery stores (except Target and WalMart), movie theaters and Starbucks. Remember, you’ll earn the bonus cash back up to $1,500 spent between January and March 2015. After that, you’ll earn the standard (and unlimited) 1% cash back.
Also, newly issued and reissued Chase Freedom® will start coming with EMV chip technology. This upgrade is beginning in November 2014 and will continue throughout 2015. Getting a Chase Freedom® with a chip will help you prepare for the U.S. transition to EMV, which is expected to be complete by October 2015. This will lead to safer credit card transactions, and, consequently, more peace of mind for consumers.
Other tips for getting the most out of your Chase Freedom®
The Chase Freedom® offers a lot of great benefits, but here are a few Nerd tips for getting even more value out of the card:
- Explore all of your redemption options. In addition to using your points for cash back or transferring them to your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for travel, you can also use them for gift cards or to make purchases through Amazon.com. This flexibility means you’ll have an easy time finding something that has value for you.
- When you’re buying items online, try to shop through the Chase Ultimate Rewards bonus mall. You could earn 2%-15% back on your purchases.
- Sign up for alerts so that you’ll know when to go online and opt into new 5% categories. Although you can earn the bonus cash back retroactively, it would be a shame to totally miss out on the chance to score extra rewards.
For all the reasons described above, the Chase Freedom® is a great choice for 2015 and beyond. Be sure to keep it in mind, and check back with the Nerds as often as you can for other important updates!
Excited face image via Shutterstock
The post Love Your Chase Freedom® Credit Card? Here’s What to Look Forward to in 2015 appeared first on NerdWallet Credit Card Blog.
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