The wide range of categories makes it easy to accumulate rewards on the Freedom Flex card. We have covered most of the important perks above, however, here is a detailed description of the features that are offered on Flex.
Cash Back Rewards
You can earn 5% cashback on the combined purchases up to $1500 on the categories that you activate each quarter.
You can earn 5% cashback on travel purchases that are made through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
You can earn 3% cashback when you use your Freedom Flex card for dining, takeout, and eligible delivery services.
You can get 3% cashback for the purchases you make at the drugstores.
All other purchases will earn 1% cashback.
Activation of Quarterly Bonus Category
To receive a bonus on the quarterly category for the first quarter of 2021, you must activate the bonus category before March 14, 2021. The bonus categories announced for the first quarter are wholesale clubs, select streaming service providers, internet, cable, and phone services.
To activate your bonus category, click on the following link .
The rewards you earn using your Freedom Flex card do not expire as long as your account remains open. Flex card does not have a minimum limit set that you must meet to be able to redeem your cashback.
More on Flex rewards
There is no annual fee for Freedom Flex, which is a form of savings by itself. We have also mentioned here some of the other interesting rewards offered on Flex.
Door Dash: With this card, you get complimentary Door DashPass benefits on eligible orders for the first 3 months after activation. After the third month, you will be auto-enrolled for Door DashPass membership with a 50% discount applied to the on-going membership rate.
Beyond the first year, you will have to pay full price for the DashPass membership.
Lyft: By using your flex card to commute you can earn 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2022. You can also earn $10 Lyft credit once per month for every five rides you take monthly.
Shop Runner: You can enjoy the complimentary Shop Runner membership with your Flex card and avail 2-day shipping from various retailers.
Explore Freedom Flex Protection Benefits
While we have looked at the rewards, Freedom Flex also has an array of attractive protection benefits.
Purchase Protection: You get up to 120 days of coverage against damage or theft on eligible purchases that you make using your Flex card.
Extended Warranty: Flex offers up to 1 year of extended warranty on U.S. manufacturer’s warranty, on eligible purchases that have a warranty of three years or less.
Cell Phone Protection: You get coverage of up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year in cell phone protection against theft or damage. Your phone must be listed on your monthly cell phone bill, and the payment must be made using an eligible card such as Flex.
Auto-Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Your rental car can receive coverage against theft and collision damage. To be eligible for this benefit, you must decline the collision insurance offered by the rental company, and charge the entire rental cost to your card. For more details, you can refer to your guide to benefits.
The protection benefits available to you are Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Travel and Emergency Assistance Services, Fraud monitoring & alerts, and Free Credit Score & Identity Restoration Services.
Drawback:
This card would have been perfect had there been no foreign transaction fee. In comparison, there are many other cashback cards that no longer charge this fee. You would incur a foreign transaction fee of 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars when you use your Flex Card to shop abroad.
Price protection is the benefit that allows you to claim the difference in price when an item you recently purchased is offered for less. While this benefit has been removed from most cards, few cards continue to offer it.
Most people get confused between Price and Purchase protection. Purchase protection is a benefit that you can claim in case of accidental damage, theft, or loss of an item you recently purchased.
To be eligible for price and purchase protection you must meet certain conditions, which are also time bound. These terms and conditions vary based on the credit card issuer’s policies. We have covered purchase protection in detail in our blog, to learn more click here.
Presenting to you few cards with price protection, rewards, along with other benefits.
Wells Fargo Visa Signature card
Wells Fargo Visa Signature card is a card for those who want to earn cash back on all purchases. The maximum rewards you can earn with this card is in the first six months of your account opening.
You can earn up to 5x points up to $12,500 spent on purchases made in categories such as gas, grocery, drugstore, and 1x points on all other purchases.
Once you have reached the spending threshold or have completed six months, all your purchases made using this card will earn you 1 point for $1 spent.
The points earned will get you more value when you redeem them for airfare rather than cash redemption. You also have the option to combine your points with another Well Fargo card.
This card has an attractive introductory period for balance transfer and purchases which is 15 months, should you choose to explore them.
Benefits offered on Wells Fargo Visa Signature:
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Cell Phone Protection: Up to $600 per claim.
You can make use of the mobile phone protection benefit which covers you up to $600 against damage or theft, however, to avail this benefit you must pay for the monthly phone bill using this card. You have to pay a small deductible to avail the protection, you can read more about it here.
Price Protection: up to 60 days
Purchase Protection: up to 90 days
Extended Warranty: 1 additional year on qualifying purchases.
Trip Cancellation/ Interruption Insurance: Yes
Lost luggage Reimbursement: Yes
Auto Rental Collision Coverage: Yes
Travel Accident Insurance: Yes
Drawback: The cash back you would earn for your purchases after the first six months or after reaching the spending threshold would be lower at 1x point. The purchases you make abroad are also charges a foreign transaction fee.
You can learn more details about Visa Signature benefits associated with Wells Fargo Visa Signature by visiting this link.
Capital One Spark Cash for Business
Capital One Spark Cash is not a personal card but a dependable business card that yields rewards on business purchases.
You get 2% cashback for all your business purchases. The cashback earned can be redeemed at any time as long as your account is active. You do not pay a foreign transaction fee for the purchases made abroad.
This card gives an early spend bonus of $500 when you make purchases for $4500 or more within the first three months of opening your account.
Features like recurring transaction list , purchase records download, and choose your due date make business banking easy with this card.
You can apply for employee cards and this won’t cost you an additional fee.
Benefits offered on Capital One Spark Cash for Business:
Annual Fee: The annual fee for the first year is waived and from the second year, an annual fee of $95 would be applicable.
Price Protection: up to 60 days
Purchase Protection: up to 90 days
Extended Warranty: up to one additional year on qualifying purchases.
Zero Fraud Liability: Yes
Drawback: For the first year your annual fee is waived ,however, from the second year the charges will be applied to your account. The variable APR offered on Spark Cash for business is high, and the card does not currently have a introductory APR offering.
You can read more about Spark Cash for Business on our blog
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
If you are a business traveler, you will love Capital One Spark Miles for Business.
Miles for Business gives you 2x miles for all the purchases you make using this card. There are no blackout dates and seat restrictions which makes travel arrangements convenient using this card. Also, you do incur foreign transaction fees for the purchase you make abroad.
You can earn 5x miles for hotel and car rental booking when they are made through Capital One travel.
To begin the miles journey, you can earn up to 50,000 early bonus miles when you spend $4500 on purchases within three months of account opening.
The points earned can be redeemed anytime for flight, hotel, and vacation bookings. The points can also be transferred to other travel partners.
You could qualify for a statement credit up to $100 when you pay for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application with Capital One Spark Miles for Business.
You can also get an additional card for employees at no additional cost.
Benefits offered on Capital One Spark Miles for Business:
Annual Fee: The first-year annual fee is waived, from the second year there is an annual fee of $95.
Price Protection: Up to 60 days
Purchase Protection: Up to 90 day
Extended Warranty: up to one additional year on qualifying purchases.
Zero Fraud Liability Protection: Yes
Roadside Assistance: Yes
Drawback: For the first year your annual fee is waived, however, from the second year the charges will be applied to your account. The variable APR offered on Spark Miles for business is high, and the card does not currently have a introductory APR offering.
Capital One Spark Cash for Business card and Miles for Business both come with car rental insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and travel accident insurance benefits.
The benefits listed above vary based on Visa or Mastercard, thus we suggest you confirm with the bank before applying for a card if you are interested in a particular benefit.
ABOC Platinum Rewards Mastercard
ABOC Platinum Reward Mastercard is a nice card that offers value through its ABOC Rewards Program.
Any purchase you make using your ABOC Platinum Rewards card earns you 1 reward point per dollar. However, you can earn additional 4 points per dollar on your first $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter made with your ABOC Platinum Reward Mastercard.
Your reward earnings begin with your first purchase, there is no cap on the points you earn. Also, the points earned do not expire.
You can also earn a $150 statement credit when you spend $1,200 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. You can redeem your reward points for travel, cash, or gift card.
ABOC Platinum Reward Mastercard does not charge you a foreign transaction fee for the purchases you make while traveling abroad on a holiday.
Benefits offered on ABOC Platinum Reward Mastercard
Annual Fee: $0
Price Protection: Up to 60 days
Extended Warranty: Up to 1 year on qualified purchases.
Zero Liability Protection: Yes
Mastercard ID Theft Protection: Yes
Drawback: You may quickly reach max out on your bonus cash back category and any purchase you make thereafter will earn you on 1 point per $1. There are other rewards cards which offer a higher flat cash back earnings that would be worth looking at.
Rakuten Cash Back Visa Credit Card
Formerly known as Ebates card, the card now goes by the name Rakuten Cash Back Visa credit card.
The Rakuten Cash Back Visa card is designed for shoppers who like to shop online and would like to buy from different stores. This card offers you the potential to earn cash back from over 2500 stores that participate in the Rakuten program.
You can an earn extra 3% cash back on qualifying purchases when you use your Rakuten Cash Back Visa card at Rakuten.com, Rakuten travel and for In-Store Cash Back offers. To learn about how In-Store Cash Back works, click here
You must link your Rakuten visa cash back card to your Rakuten account and then the link in-store cash back offer to be eligible for the extra 3% cash back.
Your first purchase using your Rakuten cash back visa card would earn you a $10 first purchase bonus which would be credited to your Rakuten account.
While signing up for a Rakuten account, you can choose to link your Amex membership rewards account to earn points instead of cash back. To know more about Amex membership rewards account linking, click here.
Your Rakuten card rewards can be redeemed on a quarterly basis by check or a deposit to your PayPal account. The minimum redemption amount which is required is $5.00.
Benefits offered onRakuten Cash Back Visa Card:
Annual Fee: No Annual Fee
Price Protection: up to 60 days
Purchase Protection: up to 90 days
Return Protection: up to 90 days
Drawback: Rakuten Cash back card rewards can only be redeemed on a quarterly basis, whereas most of the other cards allow you to redeem your points at any time.
To get the extra 3 % cashback, you have to link the in-store offers each time before making the purchase, whereas other rewards cards with rotating categories and flat cashback do not require reward activation on each purchase.
The benefits offered may vary depending on if the card you have applied for is a Rakuten Cash Back Visa Platinum or Visa Signature Credit Card.
While each of the cards is unique and offers different values, we do not recommend getting a credit card only for price protection benefit. Most issuers have a limit on the number of claims that can be submitted per year.
We suggest an evaluation of the pros and cons of each card before you consider applying for a new credit card.
Retailers are changing their return policies to adapt to the Covid-19 situation. They are making it easier for customers to return purchases by extending their return window. To make the return process easy, at Sift, we have put together a list of retailers indicating the change in their return policy.
Amazon
Amazon has extended the return period for the items bought between March 1 and April 30, 2020. You get up to May 31st to make a return.
Bath Body Works
Bath Body Works Covid-19 update and return policy page currently has no information regarding return window extensions.
Best Buy
Best Buy Any purchase made between March 1st and April 15th, 2020 has an extended return window till April 29th, 2020. Exceptions are items purchased with a third-party contract and major appliances.
Bloomingdale’s
Bloomingdale’s has a return time frame of 365 days from date of purchase but for items bought before April 1st, 2020, you get an additional 60 days. That means you get a total of 425 days from the time you bought a product to return it.
Purchases made online and after April 1st, 2020 in-store will continue to have the usual 365 days period of return.
Bonobos
Bonobos offer 45 days from the date of purchase for a full refund but currently, they have not indicated any extensions but seem to suggest chatting with their representatives in case you want to return an item.
Children’s Place
Children’s Place offers you time till June 1st, 2020 to return an item which was bought between 1st February and 31st March 2020.
Costco
Costco continues to have a 90-day return window from the date the member receives the product. Costco is not accepting returns on specific goods such as rice grains, toilet paper rolls, bottled water, sanitizing wipes, paper towels, and disinfecting spray.
Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy
All three retailers have extended their return window up to July 1st, 2020, for the purchases which were made between 1st January – 30th April.
Home Depot
Home Depot has modified its store return policy so that customers have more time for returning a purchase. You get up to 180 days from the date of purchase to make a return.
J.Crew
J.Crew has extended their return and exchange window to 60 days for items which were purchased after 1st March 2020.
Kohl’s
Kohl’s has a 180 day return period, but considering the current situation, they would be accepting returns outside of the 180 days window for the first 30 days after the Kohl’s stores re-open.
Macys
Macys is giving an additional sixty days beyond the original return date.
Return Window
Most Purchases
150 Days
Jewellery, Dresses and small electronic items
Upto 120 Days
Macy’s backstage and Last Act clearance
90 Days
Apple and Samsung Purchases
75 Days
Newegg
NeweggCovid-19 update and return policy page currently has no information regarding return window extensions.
Nordstrom
Nordstrom has set a time-frame for returns. They have indicated that each return would be dealt with individually. They do indicate that currently, curbside pickup is not available for in-store and online purchases.
You can initiate a return later at a Nordstrom store or return an item now through the mail by filling their online return and printing out the prepaid shipping label. However, in case of a return, the time taken to adjust a payment would take longer than 14 business days. To know more about their return policy you can click here.
Office Depot
Office Depot has stopped accepting returns and exchanges till April 19th, 2020. If you have a return that expires during this period you have a two week time as an extension beyond April 19th. We, however, suggest checking with customer care representatives regarding the extension dates.
Overstock
Overstock’s website does indicate an extension, however, if you would like to inquire about the return policy during this time, it would be best to send them an email or start a chat through their site.
Sephora
Sephora has indicated that it would accept in store-returns, with receipts, within 30 days of store reopening for purchases that were made on or after February 14th, 2020. For online purchases, the return period has been extended from 30 days to 60 days.
Staples
Staples has updated its return policy, as of 4/10/2020 they will no longer accept returns on open headsets, headphones or earbuds.
Target
Target has temporarily suspended in-store returns for the period of March 26 to April 26th. If the items have a “return by date” from March 26-April 26 then users will have until June 15 to return it. Online purchases from Target.com can be returned by mail after logging into your Target account and filling out details at the online return center.
Wayfair
Wayfair has paused the return collection of large items in certain areas. You must contact their customer care if you want to return an item and would like to know if your area falls within the limited returns zones.
These extended return windows are based on the updates posted on respective retailer sites. As the situation evolves these may change.
It’s the holiday season and the beginning of celebrations with family and friends. Everyone is creating a to-do list which may include ideas for accessorizing the home, buying presents and booking tickets to go visit their dear ones. While there may be a lot of expenses coming your way, by being mindful during these times will help you get the best deals and maximize your benefits.
We may have many credit cards in our wallet but picking the right one to pay for purchases can make all the difference.
Chase Freedom for Shopping at Department Stores
Chase Freedom credit card is ideal if you are going to be spending at a department store. Chase offers 5% cashback on combined purchases up to $1500 each quarter. For this last quarter of 2019, you can activate your category and gain 5% cashback on department store purchases. In addition, you continue to get 5% cashback this quarter if you are using PayPal or Chase Pay with your Chase Freedom card. You must activate this benefit before 14th December 2019.
All your other purchases will automatically earn you 1% cashback. With Chase Freedom card each quarter you have a new category where you will be able to earn rewards. Chase Freedom is a no annual fee credit card that earns you points and when these points are combined with a premium Chase card such as Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve the redemption value of the points increases. Also, redeeming the points for travel through Chase Ultimate portal gives you the maximum benefit.
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card suitable for Dining and Entertainment
Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card remains the best choice for those who love get-togethers whether it’s eating out or ordering in. This card offers the best cashback on dining and entertainment which is at 4% and those who love to cook also benefit as the purchase made at the grocery store will earn you 2% cashback (purchases at Walmart and Target superstores do not earn cashback). Everything else you spend you will receive cash back at 1%.
If a large portion of your expenses is food, going out to movies, sports events, and tourist attractions then using this card is beneficial as it earns maximum reward points for your purchases.
If you do not have a Capital One® Savor® Cash Rewards Credit Card then applying for one now would set you up for the year 2020. The annual fee is waived off for the first year, however, the following year onwards you would have to pay $95 as fees.
Chase Sapphire Preferred for Travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred is a good card to use to pay for the travel expenses not just during the holidays but also throughout the year. The 2x points earned on airfare, hotel bookings and dining at cafes and fine dining restaurants ensures a quick accumulation of reward points. If you want an extra 25% value for the points earned then you can make your hotel, airfare and car rental reservations through Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal.
The option to transfer your points to popular travel programs at 1:1 value makes Sapphire Preferred a versatile card for travel. Beyond these perks the Sapphire Preferred comes with add-on benefits such as trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance and more.
Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Cardfor Everyday Purchases and Balance Transfer
The cards mentioned above address a specific holiday requirement but here we have a card which is good for overall daily usage. There is no need to track rotating categories or monitor merchant code for the specific restaurant as every purchase you make using Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card earns you cashback.
You get 1.5% cashback when you spend on gas, groceries, clothing and more. The points earned do not expire as long as your account is active. It is also advantageous that there is no foreign transaction fee for the purchases you make abroad.
Balance Transfer Offer
If you have acquired a large amount on another credit card that has a higher interest rate you may want to consider transferring it to using Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards Credit Card. First-time applicants can qualify for the 0% interest rate on balance transfers for 15 months, beyond which variable APR will be applied.
If you apply for this card and are approved the introductory APR offer is available for new purchases. Essentially you would get 15 months to pay off the balance of any large purchase that you may make. Not having to pay an annual fee makes Capital One® Quicksilver® Cash Rewards an attractive credit card.
Each of these cards carries additional benefits such as travel accident insurance, extended warranty, and to know more about them you can click on the learn more option. We hope that by choosing the right card you are able to gain maximum value out of your credit cards during your holiday shopping.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is popular because of the liberal way in which you can use this card to earn cashback. You can get 5% cashback when you make a travel booking through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You have potential to earn 3% cashback on your dining, takeout, drugstore purchases. You can earn cashback at 1.5% on every other purchase.
You do not earn points for certain types of transactions such as balance transfers, cash advances, purchase of lottery tickets,buying gaming chips, gambling activities, issuance of checks to your account and interest charges.
The cashback you earn do not expire and there is no cap on the rewards you can acquire by using your card.
When starting out, it’s difficult being approved for a credit card, especially because of the lack of financial history. Deserve EDU MasterCard is designed for local and international students who don’t have a credit history or have a very limited credit history. To apply for this card students don’t require a cosigner and have to fill out the details in the application form to be approved.
If you have an SSN and a credit history then Deserve would evaluate your application similarly as done by all credit card companies.
If you do not have an SSN and credit history they would evaluate academic information, spending habits, income, and consider your passport & Visa details for approving a Deserve EDU Mastercard. Deserve has an internal mechanism through which they decide the credibility of the individual while approving for the credit card.
In this blog, we will be looking at the merits and demerits of getting a Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card. Wells Fargo Propel American Express® is worth applying if your everyday spendings are on gas, eating out, local travel and your entertainment are subscription based. You would be able to acquire points quickly on this card.
A credit card with flat cashback benefit is versatile because you don’t have to worry about categories, spending tiers. You can use it for all purposes and constantly keep earning points. Wells Fargo Cash Wise comes with a Flat Cashback Reward structure and an attractive joining bonus once you meet the spending criteria.
Exquisite is what comes to mind when you glance at the Mastercard® Titanium Card™. It is sleek and slender with a stainless-steel metal frame. Among the high-end travel cards, this card falls into the beginner category. Here we will be looking over the benefits that are offered against the steep annual fee that this card has. Each year you would have to pay $195 to carry this card. An additional card would set you back further by another $95.
The foundation on which an organization can grow is through efficient management of finances. A good business credit card can be an effective tool for keeping personal and business expenses separate. We are going to review Chase Ink Business Unlimited to understand how it can be useful to a business owner.
