Chase Freedom Q4 2019 Categories: Paypal, Department Stores, Chase Pay

Chase has announced the quarterly 5% categories for the Freedom card, to be valid during the fourth quarter of 2019 (October 1 – December 31) on up to $1,500 in purchases:

  • Paypal
    • This is my personal favorite as I find myself using Paypal to pay online quite often; if I make my Freedom the default payment option in Paypal on October 1st, it should get maxed out in no time.
  • Chase Pay
    • This is really a terrific category given that it’s possible to use Chase Pay via Samsung Pay which can be used basically anywhere (ht r/churning). There are also, of course, various retailers who accept Chase Pay directly, like Starbucks, Best Buy, and Shell.
  • Department Stores
    • Chase is usually good about releasing a long list of which retailers will qualify. I expect it’ll include the likes of Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdale’s, and to exclude the likes of Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.

These aren’t yet showing on the Chase site that I can see, but being reported by OMAAT, presumably from their Chase contacts. You still have a couple more weeks to maximize the Q3 2019 categories on Freedom and other cards. 
    Chuck
  • On September 13, 2019, 13:10

View Comments (105)

  • Anybody else getting it coded as a cash advance when trying to pay someone else with Paypal?

    • I tried charged with 5% cash advance fee. talked to customer service and waived the fee. but still did not get rewards, working with them. if not success, I will loose 30$

  • Use paypal to send a payment of $1500 to a family or friend but use the "goods and services" option so it charges the receiver the 3% fee. it shows on credit card as a purchase, have the friend send you the money back other ways. 3% paypal fee of $1500 is $45, but you net 7500 UR points or $75. if you want to liquidate for cash then its a $30 money maker. just sending using "friends and family" from paypal will not activate this as a coded purchase.

    • Tried this but I am getting a cash advance fee and my freedom is coding as cash advance. Anything I can do? I am using "pay friends and family"

  • purchased subway through their app and selected PayPal as the payment method. It didn't show up on Chase's statement as a PayPal transaction. Yall should double check everything is posted right.

  • If I activate cash back today, will the paypal spendings happened before the activation date also get 5% cash back? Just found I forgot to activate the cash back this quarter.

    • No, only from the point of activation. I have successfully messaged support and say I thought I had activated it like I have done every quarter and they've adjusted for me.

  • Anyone know where I can buy Amazon gift cards online using paypal? Thought it would be easy but cannot seem to find it.

  • Always use paypal person to person when it's a 5% category on Discover or Freedom. My SO sent me money via freedom and paypal and it coded as professional services no problem. A week later I did the same thing via paypal with my freedom and it coded as a cash advance. No idea why there is the discrepancy.

  • I was recently denied Ultimate Rewards points for using Chase Pay through Samsung Pay. In previous quarters it worked. Check yours points.

    After asking Chase secure messaging,
    "Please know that to qualify for the 5% cash back
    the purchase should be paid by Chase pay. Since, you have
    made the payment through Samsung Pay hybrid window it is
    considered as Samsung Pay payment and hence did not
    qualified for 5% cash back."

    • Worked for me, test purchase 10/19.

      Interesting math, though.

      + Bonus from 4Q 5% category: Chase Pay 4
      + 1% (1 Pt)/$1 earned on all purchases 1
      Total Points 4

      Did a VGC 10/26, will know in a few days how the points go.

      • Following up on my comment below, VGC from 10/26 via chase pay via samsung pay posted with 5x.
        + Bonus from 4Q 5% category: Chase Pay 2,018

  • I do think that you can use Paypal in-store. You need to add Paypal as a "payment method" on the Google Pay app, and wherever Google Pay is used, you can use. My only question is does anyone know you need to have NFC enabled phone to use Google App (and hence Paypal in store)? ?

    • It'll only take from your Paypal available balance, not any other funding source like a credit card. If your Paypal balance is zero, the charge won't go through in-store using Google Pay.

  • I have two separate PayPal accounts, both with different bank accounts linked. It's a legacy from when PayPal used to differentiate between "personal" and a "business" account though they are both personal accounts, but PayPal used to allow you to have one for personal and one for business.

    Anyways, has anyone ever sent $1,500 from one PayPal account you own to another? I'm just wondering what are my odds of getting my accounts frozen or shutdown. Thanks

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