(EXPIRED) Q3 2020 5% Quarterly Bonus Categories: How To Maximize With Gift Card Purchases & Activation Links

Update 7/1/20: These 5% categories are now live.

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There are several credit cards that offer 5% cashback in rotating categories each quarter. All of them can now be activated for Q3 2020 (July 1 to September 30), so here are their links and how to maximize them for gift card purchases in case you wouldn’t meet their respective spending limits through organic spend.

Cards, Categories, Limits & Activation Links

Chase Freedom

• Amazon
• Whole Foods
• 5% cashback on up to $1,500 spend in combined purchases of this quarter’s categories
• Eligible retailers & exclusions
• Activation link

Many people will be able to max out the 5% earnings organically through Amazon purchases. If you have any of the 5% allowance left over, you can easily buy gift cards from either Amazon or Whole Foods.

Note that purchases using Amazon Pay aren’t eligible, so using that as a payment method to buy gift cards from eGifter won’t work.

Discover It

• Restaurants
• PayPal
• 5% cashback on up to $1,500 in purchases
• Activation link

The fact that PayPal is one of the eligible categories makes it incredibly easy to spend $1,500 from July through September considering how many online stores accept PayPal as a payment method.

There are also numerous options for maxing out the $1,500 allowance by buying gift cards. For starters there’s PayPal Digital Gifts, while you can also pay with PayPal when buying gift cards from Fluz, Bitmo, MyGiftCardsPlus, eBay, eGifter and many more.

Citi Dividend

• Home Improvement Stores
• Popular Streaming Services including:
  • Amazon Prime Video
  • CBS All Access
  • fuboTV
  • Netflix
  • Pandora
  • Showtime
  • Sling TV
  • Spotify
  • Starz
  • Vudu
  • YouTube Premium
  • YouTube TV
• Total annual (calendar year) cash back is limited to $300 and includes additional cash back earned in connection with this offer (i.e. $6,000 total spend).
• Activation link

Both Lowe’s and Home Depot sell third party gift cards in-store. Lowe’s stores have a much better selection though which includes Visa and Mastercard gift cards, Amazon, grocery store gift cards and more.

US Bank Cash+

• Choose two of the following:
  • Home Utilities
  • Electronics Stores
  • Sporting Goods Stores
  • Ground Transportation
  • TV, Internet & Streaming
  • Department Stores
  • Select Clothing Stores
  • Gyms/Fitness Centers
  • Furniture Stores
  • Cell Phones
  • Fast Food
  • Movie Theaters
• 5% cashback on your first $2,000 in combined net purchases in your chosen 5% categories
• Activation link

The US Bank Cash+ categories don’t rotate each quarter, although you do get to change/maintain your selection of two categories. It’s a shame that grocery stores, drugstores, etc. aren’t eligible categories, but there are a few gift card options.

The electronics stores category presumably includes Best Buy. That means you can buy gift cards for Best Buy, Amazon and many other third party brands, plus Best Buy sometimes offers discounted gift card deals. Some department stores and clothing stores also have third party gift card racks.

ABOC Platinum Rewards

• Airlines
• Cruises
• Car rental
• Hotels
• Travel agencies
• Gas
• Tolls
• Ride share
• Earn 5% cashback on your first $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter.
• Activation link

The ABOC Platinum Rewards card has an extensive list of eligible retailers this quarter which includes additional categories that aren’t listed above:

• Airlines
  • 3000 – 3999
• Dining
  • 5812
  • 5813
• Fast Food
  • 5814
• Movies, Concerts, Theme Parks & Other Entertainment
  • 7832
  • 7922
  • 7929
  • 7991
  • 7996
  • 7998
  • 7999
• Gas
  • 5541
  • 5542
• Bus Lines, Tour Lines & Travel Agencies
  • 4131
  • 4411
  • 4722
• Tolls
  • 4784
• Ride Share
  • 4121
• Mass Transit
  • 4111
  • 4112
• Car Rental
  • 3355
  • 3357
  • 3359
  • 3366
  • 3387
  • 3389
  • 3390
  • 3393
  • 3395
  • 3405
  • 3412
  • 3441

If you wouldn’t otherwise spend $1,500 in the above categories, you might be able to buy gift cards from 7-Eleven or Speedway to earn 5% cashback. Otherwise, buying gift cards from restaurants is another option and you might be able to stack with bonus card promotions.