We’re about mid-way through March, so it’s time to find out what the Chase Freedom Q2 2018 bonus categories are.
Chase started 2018 off with a bang giving us super generous bonus categories. These categories included gas stations, cable/internet/phone providers, and digital wallets (Chase Pay, Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay). As a result, I was able to maximize my spend this quarter easily. However, the Q2 categories aren’t so great, maybe because the Q1 categories were too generous?
Chase Freedom Q2 2018 Bonus Categories
The Chase Freedom Bonus calendar has just been updated to include the Q2 2018 categories, and wow. If Q1 2018’s categories were generous and easy to maximize, Q2 2018’s categories are the exact opposite. And, this quarter’s categories are exactly those predicted by Doctor of Credit, which are grocery stores, PayPal, and Chase Pay. But I don’t really count Chase Pay, as only two merchants I shop at accepts it: Best Buy and eBags.
PayPal
Though I know I wouldn’t be able to maximize spend on groceries alone, I had doubts I could do the same with PayPal too. However, I didn’t realize how many merchants accept PayPal. So maximizing my spend may not be too difficult after all. The complete list of merchants can be found on PayPal’s page, but here are the merchants that stood out to me:
- Best Buy
- Canon
- eBags
- Macy’s
- Nordstrom
- Target
- Home Depot
- Uber Eats
Of course, Home Depot accepts PayPal in-store too. So, I guess if I’m going to do any housework, I ought to do it over the next quarter.
Chase Freedom Q2 2018, Final Thoughts
On balance, the Chase Freedom Q2 2018 categories aren’t terrible, but there’s no doubt that they aren’t as good as Q1. PayPal is accepted by a reasonable number of merchants, but Apple Pay, at least for me, is so much easier to use. And that’s because many places I shop at around Hawaii accept Apple Pay, including the salon I frequent and Sig Zane Design.
To register for the Q2 2018 bonus categories, visit the Chase Freedom website.