These will be the easiest 7,500 points I earn all year
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Right now, nothing is normal.
I know earning and using points to travel may not matter much at the moment, as we have more pressing priorities (read: ending a pandemic). But, one day, you'll have the luxury of caring about points and travel again. Slowly but surely, a new normal that includes travel will eventually return.
Visit TPG’s guide to all coronavirus news and updates
Even if earning points is at the bottom of your to-do list at the moment, getting good old cash back is probably still a priority. Either way, now is your chance to earn what might be the easiest 7,500 points (or $75 cash back) of the year.
Admittedly, I'm a bit terrified to tally up what my family spent on groceries in March, but we almost certainly set an all-time record for our household's grocery spending. Like many other families, we not only stocked the pantry more than usual, but we also cooked more meals at home than ever before. With all four of us eating three meals at home every day, groceries are currently a massive line item in our household budget.
Since that spending pattern doesn't look like it'll be changing anytime soon, the Chase Freedom's 5x points (or 5% cash back) bonus category of groceries this quarter could be the easiest way to earn bonus points this year (No longer open to new applicants). This bonus temporarily catapults the Freedom to the top of the list of the best credit cards for groceries.
If you have or can get the Chase Freedom (and activate the bonus categories by June 15), you'll earn 5% cash back or 5 points per dollar, , on the first $1,500 you spend in the quarter's bonus categories from April 1 to June 30. Technically, there are other bonus categories this quarter — not just groceries — but they aren't as relevant at the moment. So, we'll just zero in on that one perfectly timed bonus category.
The information for the Chase Freedom has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
New to The Points Guy? Want to learn more about credit card points and miles? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
Sadly, not all the places you might buy groceries are included in the Freedom's 5x bonus categories (sorry, Target and Walmart), but many places are -- including some grocery delivery services that I'm personally now relying on more than ever.
For example, Chase specifically calls out Amazon Fresh, Fresh Direct, HelloFresh, Home Chef, Instacart and Shipt on the list of included grocery merchants. This means you can safely order your groceries from your couch using these services, and still pick up 5x bonus points from home.
Related: Guide to online grocery delivery services
Like always, you can take the 5% cash back from this quarter's Freedom bonus categories, or get more value out of the bonus by pairing the Freedom with a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card. With one of those cards in your wallet, you can earn points instead of cash back, and get around 2 cents in value per point when maximizing your Ultimate Rewards points through transfer partners such as United, British Airways, Hyatt, Singapore Airlines and more (at least during normal travel times).
Whether you want to shop at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or have your groceries deposited outside your door by Instacart, this quarter's Chase Freedom bonus category is going to be the easiest bonus points I earn all year.
Application link: Earn $150 cash back on the Chase Freedom with $500 in spending in the first three months with no annual fee.