Why I Plan to Do All my End of Year Shopping at Walmart and Department Stores

One of the first rewards credit cards I signed up for was the Chase Freedom card. I still remember it to this day. I received a direct mailer for the card and it caught my eye. If I signed up and spent $500, I would get $100 back (that was the offer at the time)!

I read over the fine print to make sure I didn’t have to carry a balance. I was well versed in credit cards and how they worked, but not quite into rewards yet since I was in my 20’s.

Once I determined I could charge $500 in groceries and pay it off, avoid interest like the plague it is, then earn a free hundred bucks, I signed up. Shortly after, I was hooked.

Amazingly, I still have the Chase Freedom card. It’s the card I’ve had the longest, and it’s one that I use regularly. I have a few bills set up to be paid automatically with it, and I use it for quarterly bonuses depending on what they are.

I maxed out the 5 percent back on $1,500 spent at grocery stores from April through June, for example. I can easily spend $500 on groceries every month. And last quarter, when the bonus category was restaurants, I was able to rack up some bonus points during our travels. Unfortunately, we don’t eat out a lot at home.

That brings us to this quarter, which started October 1^st and lasts until the end of December. This particular quarter, the Chase Freedom is doling out 5 percent cash back at department stores and Walmart. Even better, Walmart.com is also included in the promotion, meaning you don’t have to step foot in one of their horrific stores.

Chase has an entire page set up to tell you which department stores are included and which are not. There are a ton on the list, but some of the stores I might actually shop at include:

• JCPenney
• Macys
• Sears
• Nordstrom Rack

I have a Kohl’s right by my house and I will also consider using my Chase Freedom card there. However, I am usually able to track down one of those 30 percent off coupons they offer for using your Kohl’s store card. Obviously, it makes more sense to save 30 percent vs. earning 5 percent cash back.

I won’t spend $1,500 on Christmas this year – not even close, but I still would rather earn extra rewards by sticking to these included stores. Most of the stuff I would buy on Amazon.com can also be purchased at Walmart.com, so this is an easy way to earn 5 percent back.

The Bottom Line

If you have the Chase Freedom card, don’t forget that the holidays offer a great opportunity to earn 5 percent cash back. And if you have premier Chase travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Preferred Business Credit Card, you can also pool your points for better travel redemptions and the ability to transfer points to popular transfer partners like Southwest, Hyatt, Marriott, United, and IHG Rewards.

Also, don’t forget to “activate” your card. If you haven’t done it yet, you can do so here.

Do you plan to max out your bonus category with the Chase Freedom card this quarter? Why or why not?

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