Chase and Discover Q2 5% Categories, Ness Card, Bilt x Lyft Partnership, Aspiration Zero, and More

In the month of March, plenty of news that could affect your wallet happened to spring up. So, I’ve compiled some of these top stories from this past month to share, including the latest bonus rewards categories, niche credit card product launches, a new way for Bilt costumes to earn points on rides, and more.
First up this month, Chase has announced its quarterly bonus categories for the Freedom Flex
After a Q1 that featured grocery stores, fitness clubs and gym memberships, and purchases at Target, Chase recently unveiled the 5% bonus categories that will be in effect from April through June. For the second quarter, Chase Freedom Flex customers can earn up to 5% back on purchases from Lowe’s or Amazon. Notably, this includes online or in-store purchases from Lowe’s and, according to Chase’s term, the Amazon category also covers Whole Foods. Per usual, the 5% bonus is capped at a combined total of $1,500 in spend for the quarter, for a total cashback amount of $75 from this offer. And, of course, cardholders will need to activate the bonus online. Overall, while this quarter’s picks may be a bit more limited, there’s still plenty of opportunity to earn 5% back this Spring.
Speaking of rotating bonus categories, Discover has also revealed their second quarter selections
Not long before Chase announced their Q2 categories, the Discover It card announced its April through June bonus category selections. Through June 30th, cardholders can earn up to 5% back at restaurants and wholesale clubs such as Sam’s Club, Costco, and more. Personally, as a Sam’s Club member, I’m definitely excited for that latter category while dining is also always a solid pick. By the way, while I’d say that this pair of categories tops Chase’s on their own, it’s worth remembering that the Freedom Flex already earns 3% back on dining year round, so a 5% dining category bonus on that card would be a bit of a letdown. In any case, Discover It cardholders should be sure to activate this bonus ASAP and remember the same $1,500 in combined category spend per quarter cap applies here as well.
Moving into new credit card options, Ness has announced a premium rewards cards with a focus on health and wellness
Last month, the company Ness announced the launch of a new rewards credit card aptly named the Ness Card, which is being issued by The Bank of Missouri. As mentioned, this new offering focuses on health and wellness both in its rewards structure and other perks.
First, the card is being billed as a premium offering and has an annual fee that meets that description, coming in at $349 a year. However, for that fee, cardholders will enjoy a number of credits and perks including up to $200 annually toward purchases from Health & Wellness Merchants, up to $100 in credits annually for Seed, up to $300 in credits annually for Parsley Health, and more. Plus, when cardholders spend $75 at Sweetgreen in a month, they can get $15 back in the form of a statement credit - and this can be done up to two times per month. As for rewards, the card earns 5 points per dollar spent at select Health & Wellness Merchants as well as 2x points on all other purchases. Additionally, customers can earn up to 20K Points from completing various healthy activities and can earn a 50000 point welcome bonus after spending at leats $6000 on the Ness Card within their first 90 days. That said, it should be noted that, while points can be redeemed for an average of 1¢ each for tselect brands, cashing them out for regular statement credits cuts that value in half.
Honestly, as someone not too familiar with the brands featured, it’s hard to know what to make of the Ness Card overall. However, to me, it seems they are definitely taking a page from Amex’s oft-criticized yet seemingly effective “coupon book” strategy given the number of branded credits featured. Ultimately, if any of what I said sounded good to you or you want to learn more, I’d recommend checking out the Ness Card site for yourself and drawing your own conclusion.
#creditcards #personalfinance #FioneyMoney

[@nesscard]

Thank you so much for the mention! 😁