Chase Ultimate Rewards Holiday Promotion 2013 – Gifts Cards, Bonus Points, and Savings

Chase’s program — Ultimate Rewards — is back this year to offer up holiday promotions and provide value and and extra rewards to their customers.

From the beginning of November through the end of the year, card holders of Chase’s Chase Freedom®, Chase Sapphire(SM), and Chase Ink cards (those with Ultimate Rewards) will be eligible for the holiday promotions.

Here’s a rundown of the Chase Ultimate Rewards Holiday Promotion and what it’s offering customers this holiday season:

Chase Card-Specific Promotions

This year, Chase is offering up specific promotions for each of their three cards in Ultimate Rewards.

Chase Freedom Gift Card Sale

Chase Freedom card holders can receive 10 – 20 percent off select gift cards when they redeem their cash-back rewards.  These are great to either give as gifts or to use yourself at major retailers as a way to save.

Imagine this — You pick a retailer where you can get 20% off a gift card.  Buying a $100 gift card now only costs you $80 in rewards.  You’re already ahead.  Now use that gift card on sale items and you get even more out of your rewards.

You need to go through the Ultimate Rewards site to the specific retailers that have discounts.

Here are some of the offerings:

Calloway Golf – 20%

Old Navy, American Eagle Outfitters, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Spa Wellness Finder 365 – 10%.

Remember you are redeeming rewards points you have already earned to get these gift cards.

Cash Back Holiday Boost

You can earn 5% cash back at select department stores and at Amazon.com through 12/31/13.  This is on up to $1,500 in combines purchases and you have to make sure you activate this by 12/14/13.

Of course the timing is right on this, isn’t it?  How much shopping will you be doing at department stores and Amazon anyway.  I’m always grabbing stuff off Amazon (I have Amazon Prime and absolutely love the 2-day shipping, among other benefits – Use your card for Prime and you can get 5% back).

Here’s where you can get 5% cash back when you use your Chase Freedom Card:

• Amazon.com
• JCPenney®
• Kohl’s®
• Macy’s®
• NORDSTROM
• Sears®

And here are some other department stores: bloomingdale’s, CONWAY, Dillard’s, LOEHMANN’S, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Ave and Off 5th, and many more. (Check this page for an entire listing of retailers.)

Oh, and if you are shopping Amazon you can use your points to pay for your purchases at Amazon.com.

Chase has added a little extra for you when you shop these retailers through their Ultimate Rewards page: JCPenny, Macy’s, Sears, and Nordstrom.  When you shop these guys through the Ultimate Rewards portal you get an extra 5% cash back!  That’s a total of 10% back for these stores.

It’s not all department stores for the Ultimate Rewards bonus.  You can also get additional cash back for places like Groupon (4%), Living Social (5%), ProFlowers (15%), Toys ‘R Us (2%).  Keep in mind this is in addition to the 1% cash back you get for just using your card.

See this and other cards here.

Chase Sapphire and Ink from Chase

If you have the Sapphire or one of the Ink cards (their business card line) you can also earn extra when you shop through Ultimate Rewards.

Here are some places where you will earn bonus points for your spending: Home Depot (3 extra points per dollar), Walgreens (4 extra points per dollar), Sephora (7 extra points per dollar), Best Buy (1 extra point per dollar).

Remember

Rewards points and discounts are awesome ways to get more value out of your credit cards!  But if you are carrying a balance and paying interest then you lose and extra value you get from your cards.

Make sure you pay your credit cards off in full every month and don’t let the holiday frenzy make you go spend-crazy!

See these and other cards here.