topic Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus? in Credit Cards

Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

yowhatimean — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 22:36:10 GMT

Hey everyone, I just saw that Chase has a 3% cash back offer for the FU card (killer deal). But since I have the card already, I was going to have my fiancee sign up for the card to utilize the 3% back for the first year. But I was also curious if anyone knew or has been able to do the refer a friend where you can get the $100 referral in addition, the new cardholder still gets the 3% instead of the usual 1.5% on all transactions with the $150 sign up bonus. When I tried to do the refer a friend, the only offer I'm seeing is 1.5% and earning $150 bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months.

Thanks in advance.

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

simplynoir — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 23:07:50 GMT

Best guess why you're not seeing the "better" offer on the refer friend is because the 3% cashback is a limited time offer that will be pulled eventually before the card becomes the default 1.5% with the $150 SUB. Chase probably sees no need to change that referral if that's the case.

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 00:23:12 GMT

Keep in mind that 3% only surpasses 1.5% once you spend $10k in the first year - there are quite a few ways to get more value out of $10k spend. Honestly man for anyone that nabbed the $300 bonus for $500 spend got the realest deal on the FU

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 01:29:38 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Keep in mind that 3% only surpasses 1.5% once you spend $10k in the first year - there are quite a few ways to get more value out of $10k spend. Honestly man for anyone that nabbed the $300 bonus for $500 spend got the realest deal on the FU

Exactly this. I doubt many people will actually spend 10k of non special category expenses in any given year. I believe even people with relatively high income would find that requirement a bit much if they re trying to maximize their return on spend as at least half of their credit card spend would probably fit in category spend which already earns 3% or more. If you have a good relationship with chase and you can get the 300 bonus it's not even close.

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

yowhatimean — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 04:08:09 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Keep in mind that 3% only surpasses 1.5% once you spend $10k in the first year - there are quite a few ways to get more value out of $10k spend. Honestly man for anyone that nabbed the $300 bonus for $500 spend got the realest deal on the FU

When did that offer take place? That definitely sounds like the better deal for sure.

Last year alone I spent $24k on my FU card, so I figured I would be close to that number again since I also have the CSP card which I use to transfer my points to. And would also lead to me using the CSP less since it will get more points back at restaurants and travel.

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 05:05:19 GMT

The $300 for $500 spend offer was pretty recent, probably the last couple of months. I don't remember the exact dates but i believe it was targeted and I'm not sure how to get yourself targeted.

That said, consider that if you do replace CSP spend with FU spend, you can't really value those purchases at 3x, in regards to the FU earnings, because you would otherwise be getting 2x anyway on the CSP. So those purchases you should only value at 1x, in terms of how lucrative the FU would be with the 3x deal.

So for the sake of argument let's say you manage to put $24k on the FU for 3x, but that all $24k is in dining and travel. You'd actually still come up short of the standard FU offer - that $24k, in relation to the $10k break even point, would actually be like $8k in terms of the point difference of just using the CSP. At that point, the $500 spend requirement for the standard FU offer is moot imo

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

yowhatimean — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 06:57:26 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
The $300 for $500 spend offer was pretty recent, probably the last couple of months. I don't remember the exact dates but i believe it was targeted and I'm not sure how to get yourself targeted.

That said, consider that if you do replace CSP spend with FU spend, you can't really value those purchases at 3x, in regards to the FU earnings, because you would otherwise be getting 2x anyway on the CSP. So those purchases you should only value at 1x, in terms of how lucrative the FU would be with the 3x deal.

So for the sake of argument let's say you manage to put $24k on the FU for 3x, but that all $24k is in dining and travel. You'd actually still come up short of the standard FU offer - that $24k, in relation to the $10k break even point, would actually be like $8k in terms of the point difference of just using the CSP. At that point, the $500 spend requirement for the standard FU offer is moot imo

I see what you're saying now. Makes a lot of sense. But if the $24k spend is not from restaurants and travel and then I decide to spend say $10k on travel and restaurants that would normlly be spent on the CSP, but now spent on the FU for a total of $34k, wouldn't that make it more lucrative now to do it that way and make the 3% worthwhile? Or like you were suggesting, better options out there to utilize a bonus like this?

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 12:43:07 GMT

If you are gonna spend that much on your FU anyway then the 3% is worth it for you. With simple math 10k is the cutoff point for the regular offer and 20k for the targeted one. If you over those amounts 3% nets you more than the sub.

Btw the 300$ sub on the freedom cards isn't new but we used to hear that mostly chase private clients were targeted. Probably now they expanded their targeting group.

Also why you have the CSP and not the CSR? The increased redemption rate would probably offset the extra cost on each own for you. Unless you are using trasfer partners so you don't really care for that.

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

yowhatimean — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 19:14:34 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
If you are gonna spend that much on your FU anyway then the 3% is worth it for you. With simple math 10k is the cutoff point for the regular offer and 20k for the targeted one. If you over those amounts 3% nets you more than the sub.
Btw the 300$ sub on the freedom cards isn't new but we used to hear that mostly chase private clients were targeted. Probably now they expanded their targeting group.
Also why you have the CSP and not the CSR? The increased redemption rate would probably offset the extra cost on each own for you. Unless you are using trasfer partners so you don't really care for that.

I don't think I would fully utilize the benefits of the CSR since it has the higher AF. With the CSP I have an added AU to help spend more on the card. Since I only normally spend about $10k annually on the CSP, would it make sense to upgrade to the CSR? What's the breakeven for the CSP vs the CSR? I just use the CSP mostly to transfer UR points between our 3 cards (CF, CFU, CSP).

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 21:04:42 GMT

If you spend $24k in non travel/dining, then you already hit the breakeven point on the FU. So then sure that extra $10k would be a bump over the CSP in that case since you already broke even.

But there are some great offers around: 50k TY points for $4k spend with Citi Premier (no AF year 1, can downgrade to Citi DC, Dividend, or TY Preferred for no AF), 60k Delta miles for $3k spend on Delta Gold card (no AF year 1, can downgrade to Delta Blue for no AF), 60k AA miles with $3k spend on Citi AAdvantage Platinum (no AF year 1, same downgrade options as Premier). The last 2 are supposedly dead, but the links are still active on uscreditcardguide . Com. Last month I got the AA 60k offer, was approved in a few hours, so I think it's still active. That right there is $10k spend, and I believe the total value of those points would be estimated around $2k. Based on standard valuations, that's actually a bit conservative, but let's just say 20% back. to get $2k value out of the 3% FU, tou gotta spend at least $33k, and that's if you highball the point value at 2cpp (cuz od transfer partners). If you cash it out for 1cpp, you'd have to spend $66k to equate the $10k between those 3 SUBs Those 3 are off the top of my head, but they're all great offers and I have one and will be going for the other two myself soon.

The CSR comes out to $55 more with the $300 credit, plus $75 for the AU (no AU fee on CSP as you know). $130 at 1x on travel and dining is $13k, so if you spend more than that it's worth it.

Take note, if Chase decides to nerf the CSR as the current rumor goes, you won't benefit so much from the 1.5x transfer rate and most of the advantage comes down to extra point earning, lounge access, free (limited) roadside assistance, and 6hr trip delay insurance.

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 21:15:13 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
If you spend $24k in non travel/dining, then you already hit the breakeven point on the FU. So then sure that extra $10k would be a bump over the CSP in that case since you already broke even.

But there are some great offers around: 50k TY points for $4k spend with Citi Premier (no AF year 1, can downgrade to Citi DC, Dividend, or TY Preferred for no AF), 60k Delta miles for $3k spend on Delta Gold card (no AF year 1, can downgrade to Delta Blue for no AF), 60k AA miles with $3k spend on Citi AAdvantage Platinum (no AF year 1, same downgrade options as Premier). The last 2 are supposedly dead, but the links are still active on uscreditcardguide . Com. Last month I got the AA 60k offer, was approved in a few hours, so I think it's still active. That right there is $10k spend, and I believe the total value of those points would be estimated around $2k. Those 3 are off the top of my head, but they're all great offers and I have one and will be going for the other two myself soon.

comes out to $55 more with the $300 credit, plus $75 for the AU (no AU fee on CSP as you know). $130 at 1x on travel and dining is $13k, so if you spend more than that it's worth it.

Take note, if Chase decides to nerf the CSR as the current rumor goes, you won't benefit so much from the 1.5x transfer rate and most of the advantage comes down to extra point earning, lounge access, free (limited) roadside assistance, and 6hr trip delay insurance.

This still doesn't seem very compelling to me as a general use card for the long term. Sure, it's a great churn value, and so is the Amex Plat. But I don't care for either card as general use cards, much better cards out there for that.

@I keep my Schwab Amex Plat so i can liquidate my churned MR points at 1.25, but that card only gets use for buying airline tickets @ 5x and the initial point reward bonus. Other than that its sole purpose is a perk and point liquidator card.

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 21:14:36 GMT

@Dustininst22, which card are you talking about? The FU? As a general use card, it only makes sense long term if Chase doesn't nerf their UR system. If they go with 'option 1' from the survey they sent out (all points transfer, but only points from cards with AF get the 1.25 or 1.5x redemption rates: you still would get the same value with transfer partners), it'll still be fine. Otherwise, yeah the card doesn't make sense long term.

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 21:16:12 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Dustininst22, which card are you talking about? The FU? As a general use card, it only makes sense long term if Chase doesn't nerf their UR system. If they go with 'option 1' from the survey they sent out (all points transfer, but only points from cards with AF get the 1.25 or 1.5x redemption rates: you still would get the same value with transfer partners), it'll still be fine. Otherwise, yeah the card doesn't make sense long term.

No, I was referring to your comments on the CSR.

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 21:32:23 GMT

Oh! Yeah, it only really makes sense long term if he truly spends $13k plus or whatever it was on dining and travel. Personally I got the CSP and am going for the Citi Prestijge and Amex Platinum anyway so the CSR has no real value to me, but the 4th night hotel benefit and the Centurion Lounge access make those 2 cards worthwhile for me - not to mention both cards offer free roadside that's more versatile than the CSR. Really, having either of those with the CSP would basically make the upgrade to the CSR redundant. Note Citi Prestige gets 3x on dining so that alone would kinda deflate the CSR even a bit more.

Re: Chase Freedom Unlimited 3% + Referral $100 Bonus?

CribDuchess — Sun, 29 Apr 2018 17:13:16 GMT

My DH and I both have the $300 bonus for $500 spend offer on the FU. However, it’s not showing up in the normal “Your Offers” area, as only the regular $150 for $500 shows up there.

The $300 bonus offer shows up if we click the “credit score” option. We never really pay much attention to that since it’s a Vantage score rather than a FICO score. However, the other day I happened to click it and after scrolling down in the credit score page, the $300 for $500 bonus offer for the FU was displayed. Of course I had to jump on that. 😀 Now I have to talk hubby into jumping on his offer, which isn’t such an easy task! 😞