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Chase appears to be sending out targeted spending offers using your card to pay select bills. Stephen received the following offer on his IHG card:
The Deal
- New Chase targeted spending bonus on the IHG Rewards Club Credit Card (and possibly other cards) good for 5x bonus points on up to $2,000 in purchases when you pay select bills with your card between April 1, 2019 and June 30, 2019
- Email subject line says, “[Name], earn 5X bonus points on monthly bills.“
Key Details
- 5X Points Offer: To be eligible for this offer, you must log on to the website referenced in this offer and enroll by 06/30/19, 11:59 p.m. EST.
- You’ll earn 5 bonus points total for each $1 spent, on up to $2,000 in total spend on combined purchases in the reward categories listed below during the promotional period (4 additional points on top of the 1 point earned on each purchase).
- After $2,000 on combined purchases in the reward categories listed below, you go back to earning 1 point for every dollar spent, with no maximum.
- For a purchase to qualify for this offer, the merchant must submit charges to your credit card by the last day of the promotional period 06/30/19. All of your eligible purchases during the promotional period will be automatically counted, as long as you have enrolled by 06/30/19.
- Please allow up to 8 weeks after qualifying purchases post to your account for bonus points to post to your account.
- Rewards Categories: Internet, Cable, and Phone Service category merchants provide internet, cable, satellite television, radio, cellular, wireless data, and landline services. In addition, if you purchase or pay for your internet, cable and satellite television, phone or related services in a merchant’s store that is not registered by the merchant in the applicable services category, the purchase or payment will not qualify; for example, phone bill payments in a merchant’s store that register to Chase as a telephone equipment store. Utility category merchants provide electric, household fuel, water, and sanitation. Please note that purchases of equipment and some merchants that sell utility-related goods and services are not included; for example, electronics or other retail stores and merchants offering maintenance and cleaning services. Insurance category merchants provide health, automobile, homeowners, medical, and life insurance
Quick Thoughts
As seen in the terms above, the types of merchants that qualify are Internet, Cable, and Phone Service, Utilities, and Insurance.
IHG points certainly aren’t the most valuable currency on the market, but earning 5x on these might not be a bad return if you have a good use for IHG points. On the other hand, you could use a Chase Ink Cash card to earn 5x Ultimate Rewards points on several of these merchant types, which would be a better return.
While this wouldn’t entice me to regularly put these bills on my IHG card, paying $2K worth of bills for 10K IHG points is something I might consider just to maintain my IHG balance for times when I could buy cash & points reservations cheaply. Unfortunately, I wasn’t targeted.
If you have received a similar offer on another Chase card, let us know the details in the comments — I imagine there may be similar offers on other co-brand cards.
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Got the same offer on Chase BA Avios card. Will definitely use for insurance & utilities.
Perfect for water, gas, electricity
Got it on IHG, but trying to understand if Chase Ink Preferred or Cash can be better for utilities and how.
Ink Cash is 5X for cellular/landline/cable (in addition to other bonus categories).
Ink Business Preferred is 3x for Internet (and the phone/cable in addition to other bonus categories)
Ultimate Rewards are much, much more valuable than IHG points. IHG points are generally worth about half a cent each compared against room rates. Those Chase points can be used at a value of 1.5c each if you move them to a CSR card or they are potentially worth a lot more when transferred to partners. One of those partners is IHG, so you could transfer 1:1 there if you have a good redemption.
Specifically, the IHG bonus looks decent to me for insurance. It’s a return of about 2.5% in IHG points. Most cards don’t bonus insurance payments. Of course, a card like the Alliant Cashback Visa gives you 3% back in the first year and 2.5% back in subsequent years, so 2.5% in the form of IHG points isn’t necessarily great. However, like I said, if you have a good use for the points, this isn’t bad. I wouldn’t feel too bad about picking up 10K IHG points for $2K paid towards insurance.
I paid my insurance using TYP 5x targeted in January , using CFU for paying power bills, was thinking if i have a better card to switch to. not sure if IHG will code Plastiq as utility 😀 . Anyways Bofa Cash Rewards 3% is better with a checking account gold or platinum
Got a hyatt credit card spending offer, $4000 spending for extra 2000 hyatt pts.