With September nearing an end, so too is Q3 2017. And finally, the Chase Freedom Q4 2017 Bonus Category has been announced.
Expectations
Chase Freedom’s Q4 bonus category was something to look forward to. That because, a couple of years ago, the Q4 category used to simply be amazon.com. But this began to change, with Costco and other discount warehouse stores making the list in 2016. It was hoped that Amazon would make the list again in 2017, though that seemed less likely when Chase launched its new Amazon Rewards Visa cards. So if Amazon isn’t an option for the Q4 bonus, then what merchant or merchant type(s) would be?
Chase Freedom Q4 2017 Bonus Category
For Q4 2017, the Chase Freedom bonus categories will be Walmart stores and department stores. Yay. As one of the most popular retailers in the nation, I understand why Chase would want to use Walmart as a bonus category. But it also makes me scratch my head, as Walmart isn’t shy about expressing its dislike of credit cards (and their interchange fees). Personally, I try to avoid shopping at Walmart for a variety of reasons, so that’s a category that won’t do me any good.
The department store category, however, is more useful to me. For this promotion, the following merchants qualify as department stores:
- JCPenny®
- Kohl’s®
- Macy’s®
- Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack
- Sears®
- Barney’s
- Baskins
- Bealls
- Beiter’s
- Belk
- Bergdorf
- Goodman
- The Big Store
- Bloomingdale’s
- Bon-Ton®
- Bergner’s®
- Boston Store®
- Carson’s®
- Elder-Beerman®
- Herbergers®
- PARISIAN
- Younkers®
- Boscov’s®
- Burke’s®
- Cayman’s®
- Cee & Cee Department Store
- Cook Brothers
- Dillard’s
- Flemington Department Store
- Getz’s®
- Gumps
- Jeffery
- Joe brand
- Loehmann’s
- Lord & Taylor
- Magic Mart
- Neiman Marcus and NM Last Call
- RH Renny
- Saks Fifth Ave and Off 5th
- Von Maur®
- Weaver’s Store
Definitely some great options in that list. I do particularly like Nordstrom Rack, Nordstrom, and Off 5th. And, pro tip, Nordstrom Rack is a great place to pick up quality aloha shirts from brands like Tori Richards and Reyn Spooner at significant discounts.
Chase Freedom Q4 2017 Bonus Category Final Thoughts
The Q4 2017 Chase Freedom bonus categories may not include amazon.com again, but it isn’t a terrible mix of merchants either. I do like some of the options in the department store group, though this is yet another quarter in which I won’t be able to maximize the bonus again. In fact, Q3 2017 is the only time so far that I’ve actually maximized my Freedom quarterly bonus (5% on $1,500 in cumulative spend).
And whether you think you’ll make use of the bonus categories or not, you should probably register. It costs nothing to do so and will only benefit you if you do end up taking advantage of them. To register, visit the activation link between now and December 14, 2017.
For all my Hawaii friends/family, it’s worth repeating that Chase Freedom earns Ultimate Rewards points. Ultimate Rewards points may, of course, be transferred 1:1 into Korean Air SkyPass miles, which may be redeemed for flights on Hawaiian Airlines. And as you may recall, Korean SkyPass award redemptions on Hawaiian are much lower than equivalent HawaiianMiles awards.