How to Optimize Chase Freedom, Discover it Cash Back for Q4 2021

It’s never too early to get started on your holiday shopping. And this quarter, the $0-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex℠ and the older Chase Freedom® feature bonus categories that can make it cheaper to fill up your cart — at home and in person. The same is true for eligible Discover cards like the popular $0-annual-fee Discover it® Cash Back.

Nerdy tip: The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has largely replaced the Chase Freedom®. The latter is closed to new applicants but can still be used by existing cardmembers, which is why we’ve included it.

From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021, eligible cardholders can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined quarterly spending in the below categories (once you activate them):

Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Freedom®:

Discover it® Cash Back and select Discover cards:

• Amazon.com.

• Target.com.

• Walmart.com.

For both cards, all non-bonus category spending earns 1% back.

Chase cardholders will have to activate their categories online or in the Chase app by Dec. 14 to be eligible for bonus cash back, which can be earned retroactively. For select Discover cards, holders will earn elevated rewards starting from the date cash-back categories are activated online.

Here’s how to get the most out of your rewards this quarter.

Whether you’re in the market for some clothes and gadgets ahead of the gift-giving season, or just looking to do your weekly grocery run, Walmart has got you covered. The retailer’s massive breadth of inventory makes it a good place to get everything on your list. And when you use your Chase Freedom Flex℠ or Chase Freedom® there this quarter, you’ll be rewarded.

The cards’ 5% cash back applies to purchases made at physical Walmart locations, as well as on Walmart.com and at Walmart-branded gas stations. If the retail giant is your go-to store for essentials, it likely won’t be difficult for you to hit the $1,500 quarterly bonus rewards maximum with whichever card you have.

Additionally, when you add the Chase Freedom Flex℠ or Chase Freedom® as your primary PayPal payment method, you’ll earn 5% back every time you use your card for qualifying purchases through the payment service.

A wide variety of popular merchants accept PayPal, including Target.com, Walgreens.com and Apple, as well as streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. But you can also shop at independent sellers and small businesses that accept PayPal — say, for Small Business Saturday — and get rewarded just the same.

It’s important to note that although Walmart and PayPal are two separately featured Chase bonus categories this quarter, purchases made at Walmart using PayPal will only earn a total of 5% cash back.

Starting from the date of activation, eligible Discover cardholders can earn 5% back for online purchases made at three major retailers this quarter: Amazon.com, Target.com and Walmart.com. All three sellers offer a wide range of merchandise, including groceries, home appliances and clothing, making them useful places to get much of your shopping bases covered. Enrollment required.

Note that only purchases made online — with the exception of some Amazon-affiliated stores listed below — will qualify for bonus rewards.

Nerdy tip: Amazon.com, Target.com and Walmart.com all sell gift cards — both to their own stores and to various external retailers — which also qualify for Discover’s bonus rewards this quarter. This means that if your budget allows it, you can pile up on gift cards to use this holiday season and earn elevated rewards for doing so.

Amazon.com: Amazon loyalists will be rewarded for all purchases made with their eligible Discover cards, through the online retailer. This includes digital downloads, Amazon Fresh orders, Amazon Prime subscriptions, as well as third-party merchants that sell through Amazon.com. Additionally, in-person purchases made at Amazon Go stores, Amazon Bookstores and Amazon 4-Star will qualify for 5% back as well.

Target.com: Unlike Amazon, only purchases made online through Target.com or through the Target app will qualify for the Discover card’s 5% cash back.

Walmart.com: Shoppers will get rewarded for any spending they do at Walmart.com and through the Walmart app. This includes grocery delivery and pickup as well.

If you’re an avid Walmart shopper and you have both an eligible Discover card and Chase Freedom card, you could very well max out both cards’ $1,500 spending caps by shopping at the retailer. If you do most of your shopping elsewhere, however, the overlap of Walmart and Walmart.com as bonus categories probably won’t prove useful.