Do this now: register for 2017 third quarter bonus earning
/July 1 marks the beginning of the third quarter of 2017, which means if you have credit cards with quarterly earning bonuses, it's time to register.
Chase Freedom
In the third quarter of 2017 Chase Freedom cards will earn 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent at restaurants and movie theaters, on up to $1,500 per Freedom account. Not too exciting from a manufactured spend standpoint, but I'll happily keep a Freedom in my wallet and pay with it when eating out or going to the movies.
Activate bonus earning on each of your Chase Freedom cards separately here.
Discover it
The Discover it 5% cashback category is restaurants, which is fine if you don't have a Chase Freedom card or spend more than $1,500 at restaurants per Chase Freedom account you have.
Log into your Discover account to activate next quarter's bonus category here.
Citi Dividend
Citi Dividend cards limit total cashback to $300 per calendar year, but don't impose quarterly limits. That means you were best off maximizing your Citi Dividend cashback last quarter, at drug stores. If you missed that opportunity, you can still earn 5% cash back at Hilton properties and on airline purchases in the third quarter of 2017.
Activate your bonus earning here.
US Bank Cash+
Unlike the other cards here, US Bank allows you to pick 2 categories in which to earn 5% cash back on up to $2,000 in total spend. In the third quarter of 2017, your options are:
There are few options for manufactured spend here, but some high-value categories persist: if you are planning to make a big cell phone or laptop purchase, you can stack portal cashback with a Cash+ card for a significant discount on those big-ticket items. Likewise even mid-range furniture can be obscenely expensive, making it easy to max out the $2,000 cap on 5% bonus earning.
Select your bonus categories here.
Reminder: register for hotel promotions
As I mentioned on Monday, the last thing you want to do is realize you were eligible for a hotel bonus after you've already checked out. Don't let that happen to! Register for all the currently available hotel promotions now, before you forget.
