Discover and Chase 5% Rotating Categories for 2023

News /

If you have the Discover It Cash Back or Chase Freedom Flex (or Chase Freedom) then don’t forget to activate your quarterly categories in March, June, September, and December, before the next quarter begins.

Discover makes their categories available on the 1st of those months, whereas Chase allows activation on the 15th. So for example, if you want to activate Q4 categories for both cards at once, you’d have to wait until September 15th at the earliest.

Discover 2023:

  • Q1 Jan-March: Grocery Stores, Drug Stores, Select Streaming
  • Q2 April-June: Restaurants and Wholesale Clubs (including gift cards for Costco/Sam’s/etc.)
  • Q3 July-Sept: Gas Stations and Digital Wallets
  • Q4 Oct-Dec: Amazon and Target

Chase 2023:

  • Q1 Jan-March: Grocery Stores, Target, Gym & Fitness
  • Q2 April-June: Amazon and Lowe’s
  • Q3 July-Sept: Gas Stations, Electric Vehicle Charging, and “Select Live Entertainment”
  • Q4 Oct-Dec: Paypal, Wholesale Clubs, and “Select Charities”

Chase defines “Live Entertainment” as including: amusement/theme parks, professional sporting events, ticketing agencies, aquariums, museums, theatrical productions, zoos, and more.

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Review: Chase Instacart Mastercard

⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

In July 2022, Chase Bank introduced a credit card for Instacart. If you’re not familiar with Instacart, it’s a delivery service for groceries and other goods. You can choose to have things delivered or pick them up yourself, although in either case, note that many stores have higher prices when ordering through Instacart.

If this sounds overly limiting for a credit card, that’s because it is, in most circumstances. Let’s take a dive into the benefits and alternatives. This might work well for some people.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • 5% cash back at Instacart
  • 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase’s site
  • 2% cash back for dining, gas, and streaming
  • 1% cash back on everything else

SIGN UP BONUS

As of March 2023, the public sign-up bonus is a $100 Instacart credit plus one free year of Instacart+ (normally $10 per month or $99 per year). Although this is a low bonus, you do get the credit immediately, and there are no spending requirements.

It’s probably worth waiting for a higher offer. In summer 2022, the card had an introductory $200 bonus, and briefly had a $300 bonus in February 2023.

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Review: Capital One Savor

⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Capital One Savor Rewards Mastercard is a low-fee card which earns unlimited rewards for dining, entertainment, and more. For most people, alternative cards are a better option, especially the no-fee SavorOne from Capital One. Savor might be worthwhile for the first year in some circumstances, especially with Capital One’s new Uber partnership. Long-term, however, it’s a questionable choice.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

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Review: Wells Fargo Autograph Visa Signature

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The new Wells Fargo Autograph Visa Signature is an updated version of their no-fee ‘Propel’ card. These are basically the same card, except that the Autograph is Visa and Propel is American Express, and Autograph also earns bonus points for phone plans. Both are strong considerations for many wallets.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • 3x points on dining
  • 3x points on travel and transit (airfare, hotels, subways, parking, etc.)
  • 3x points on gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging
  • 3x points on select streaming and entertainment
  • 3x points on phone plans
  • 1x points on everything else

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Review: NIH Federal Credit Union Cash Rewards

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Cash Rewards Visa from NIH Federal Credit Union is a no-fee card aimed at covering everyday home expenses. It has fair cash back rates for groceries, gas, streaming, and more. It isn’t a go-to option for some people, but it’s definitely worth a look. It covers multiple useful categories.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • 1% foreign transaction fee
  • 3% cash back for groceries and wholesale clubs
  • 3% cash back on utilities and streaming
  • 3% cash back on gas ($6,000 annual spending limit), EV charging, and rideshare/taxis
  • 1% cash back on everything else

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Review: NIH Federal Credit Union Travel Rewards

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

The Travel Rewards Visa Signature from NIH Federal Credit Union is a no-fee card which earns decent cash back rates for travel and restaurants. It’s good for both domestic and international trips. The only big quirk is a spending limit on gas purchases, so you may want to consider other cards for that category.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • 3% cash back on travel (airlines, hotels, trains, buses, car or boat rentals, tours, tolls, rideshare, taxis, etc)
  • 3% cash back on gas ($6,000 annual spending limit) and EV charging
  • 3% cash back on dining
  • 1% cash back on everything else

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The Top 10+ No-Fee Cards For Health: Pharmacies, Drugstores, Gym Memberships

Credit Card Roundups /

Americans spend more on pharmaceuticals than any other country. More people could also benefit heavily from consistently going to the gym. As such, let’s explore some credit cards to maximize rewards in these health-related categories. What’s best?

 

1. Chase Freedom Unlimited Visa or Chase Freedom Flex Mastercard

Both cards earn 3% cash back at drug stores, pharmacies, and restaurants. Unfortunately, gyms and fitness clubs aren’t included here.

They have the potential to earn more through The Chase Trifecta. This can easily become 4.5% cash back (or more) when combined with a Chase Sapphire Reserve. The Sapphire Reserve is also one of the only known cards to include some health/medical insurance when traveling (100+ miles from home). It’s not much, but it’s something, in case insurance doesn’t cover all your expenses. (Or if you have zero insurance.) The Chase Sapphire Preferred can also increase the value of points, but it’s inferior to the Sapphire Reserve in this case. The downside is that annual fees become involved with this strategy, so you’ll have to do the math and see if it makes sense beyond a year or so.

 

2. American Heritage Credit Union Cash Reward Mastercard

AHCU Cash Reward gets an unlimited 3% back at pharmacies, home improvement stores, gas, and groceries. Earning cash back in four categories is always a good deal. Anyone can join this credit union with a $5 donation during the member application process. Gyms and fitness clubs don’t seem to be under the 3% umbrella here.

 

3. Venmo Visa

Venmo earns 3% cash back in your top spending category each billing period. One of the valid categories is “Health and Beauty” which includes “Drug stores and pharmacies… and cosmetic stores that sell beauty products. This category also includes sports and recreation facilities that require membership such as health clubs, tennis, golf and swimming clubs.” This may not cover all gym memberships. It’s still a fairly flexible category.

 

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Review: U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards Card

⭐⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

In late October 2022, U.S. Bank released a new credit card, the Shopper Cash Rewards Visa Signature. It has a small annual fee and potentially high cash back for shoppers. The flexibility of the card to choose your own categories is both a pro and a con. Is the card for you? Let’s examine the features and benefits.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • $95 annual fee (waived the first year)
  • 3% foreign transaction fee
  • 6% cash back on your choice of 2 retailers ($1,500 quarterly spending limit)
  • 5.5% cash back on hotel and car rental reservations booked through U.S. Bank’s website
  • 3% cash back on your choice of an “everyday” category ($1,500 quarterly spending limit)
  • 1.5% cash back on everything else

Eligible retailers for the 6% cash back category:

  • Ace Hardware
  • Apple
  • Amazon.com
  • Anthropologie
  • Bed, Bath, & Beyond
  • Best Buy
  • Chewy.com
  • Crate & Barrel
  • Disney
  • Home Depot
  • Ikea
  • Kohl’s
  • Lowe’s
  • Lululemon
  • Macy’s
  • Menards
  • Nordstrom
  • Pottery Barn
  • QVC
  • Restoration Hardware
  • Target
  • Walmart
  • Wayfair.com
  • Williams Sonoma

List of retailers is subject to change.

Eligible “everyday” categories for 3% cash back:

  • Bills and home utilities
  • Gas and EV charging stations
  • Wholesale clubs (including Costco and Sam’s Club)

This list is also subject to change.

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Review: American Express Blue Cash Everyday

⭐⭐⭐, Credit Card Reviews /

In July 2022, AMEX updated its Blue Cash Everyday (BCE) credit card to become more competitive. Previously, the only point to the card was a downgrade option (to avoid multiple annual fees on the Blue Cash Preferred). Now that the BCE is potentially useful, let’s take a closer look.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

  • No annual fee
  • 2.7% foreign transaction fee
  • 3% cash back on groceries (up to $6,000 spent per year)
  • 3% cash back on gas (up to $6,000 spent per year)
  • 3% cash back on online retail purchases (up to $6,000 spent per year)
  • 1% cash back on everything else

Previously, the card earned 3% back on groceries, 2% back on gas and retail, and 1% on everything else.

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What Is An Emergency Fund and How Much Should Be In It?

Personal Finance /

An emergency fund is usually in a High Yield Savings Account (HYSA) that doesn’t have any fees. The “fund” is a set amount of money you never touch, except in emergencies.

The minimum is considered $1,000 since that will cover most things. A sudden dentist visit, a flat tire, or any other unexpected expense. There’s also extra peace of mind. An accident won’t immediately send you into debt. Backup cash is always useful.

Ideally, you already know what your budget is, and what your monthly expenses are. A “normal” emergency fund is 3 to 6 months worth of expenses. In case something major happens, like losing your job, the emergency fund will keep you stable for a while. A typical job search might take up to 6 months before your first new paycheck arrives. Job hunting, interviews, multiple-round interviews, onboarding, and other factors take time.

What’s best should be tailored to your individual situation. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution or dollar amount. An emergency fund could also be your annual health insurance deductible. This is typically $6,000 or so and varies by plan/region.

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