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Update 7/1/22: These 5% spending categories for Q3 2022 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 2022 (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 / Freedom Flex
- Gas Stations
- Car Rental Agencies
- Movie Theaters
- Select Live Entertainment
- 5% cashback on up to $1,500 spend in combined purchases of this quarter’s categories
- Eligible retailers & exclusions
- Activation link
Gas stations will be the easiest way to max out your $1,500 spend on gift cards, provided you have gas station chains near you that allow you to buy gift cards with a credit card.
Some people will be able to max out this category organically though seeing as the ‘Select Live Entertainment’ category includes sports events, theme parks, ticket agencies, zoos, etc.
Discover It
- Restaurants
- PayPal
- 5% cashback on up to $1,500 in purchases
- Activation link
Discover will be the easiest 5% card to max out this quarter seeing as PayPal is an eligible category. All kinds of gift card-selling websites and apps allow PayPal as a payment method. I’ll probably just preload Slide with $1,500 on July 1 and be done with it.
Citi Dividend
- Gas Stations
- Home Improvement Stores
- 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
A lot of people will have maxed out their $6k annual spend on their Citi Dividend card(s) last quarter because grocery stores and drugstores were the two eligible categories. If you didn’t max those out yet, you can buy gift cards from both gas stations and home improvement stores. The best option will likely be to wait until Lowe’s is running another Visa gift card deal where you get a $15 Lowe’s gift card when buying a $200 Visa gift card as you’ll make a profit and earn 5% cashback at the same time.
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.