New 2nd Quarter 2013 5% Rotating Cash Rewards Credit Cards
Spring is here! Which means 2nd quarter cash back is here! It’s time to reevaluate the cards you are carrying to take advantage of 2nd quarter 2013 cash rewards credit cards bonuses. Every quarter we reevaluate the cash back cards to make sure we get the highest cash back on each purchase including the credit cards that offer cash back on a rotating quarterly schedule.
In addition, you’ll need to switch around your cards again if you recently packed a special set of Credit Cards for Vacation.
As you switch out your cards, don’t forget to follow up on all your rewards and make sure you are earning the right cash back and maximizing all of your purchases.
By now, you know the drill: swap out the 2013 1st Quarter 5% Rewards and maximize your cash rewards for 2nd quarter 2013 to make sure you have the right cards, you are signed up for the 5% promotions, and you know where to use them.
2nd Quarter 2013 5% Cash Rewards Credit Cards
Chase Freedom. The Chase Freedom card will be the card of choice for restaurants this spring. The 2nd quarter 2013 Chase Freedom 5% categories are:
- Restaurants
- Movie Theaters
- Lowe’s
See the entire 2013 Chase Freedom Rewards Calendar and the Best Way to Maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards Points.
Citi Dividend. If you are planning home improvements this spring, Citi has you covered with the 5% cash back! The 2nd quarter 2013 Citi Dividend 5% categories are:
- Home Furnishing Stores
- Home and Garden Stores
- The Home Depot
Discover it. You’ll notice the switch from the old Discover More card to the new Discover it card this quarter. Both cards appear to have the same Discover 5% cash back for 2nd quarter 2013, although it’s just more home improvement categories. Quarterly rewards are much more fun when they are different across cards! The 2nd quarter 2013 Discover More 5% categories are:
- Home Improvement Stores
See the entire 2013 Discover Rewards Calendar.
No Sign Up Needed
And as always, here are the easier cash back categories, since you don’t need to sign up.
| Category | Card | Cash Back |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery Stores | Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | 6% cash back |
| Gas Stations | Pen Fed Platinum VISA | 5% cash back at the pump |
| Restaurants | Citi Forward | 5 ThankYou Points for every $1 |
| Target | Target credit card | 5% discount |
| Amazon | Citi Forward Card or Amazon Visa | 5% cash back 3 points per dollar |
| Wireless and Office Supplies | Ink Bold | 5% cash back |
| Costco | Fidelity Credit Card | 2% cash back |
| Travel | Chase Sapphire Preferred | Various |
| Everything Else | Gift cards purchased on American Express or Gift cards purchased on Ink Bold or Fidelity Credit Card | 6% 5% 2% |
How to Get Your 5% Cash Back
Here’s my checklist for rotating cash back programs:
- Sign up for all of the new quarterly cash back programs, even if you don’t know if you’ll use that card. To sign up, just log in to your account online and select the 2nd quarter 2013 5% cash back information. In order to earn the 5%, you have to enroll in each program quarterly.
- Write which categories to use each card for using a marker on the front of the card. It works really well to keep the cards straight!
Sign Up Bonus Offers
If you don’t have the 5% cash rewards cards I’m using, here are the ones currently offering sign up bonus offers:
- Ink Bold $500 Sign Up Bonus
- Chase Sapphire Preferred $400 Sign Up Bonus
- American Express Blue Cash $150 Sign Up Bonus
- Chase Freedom $100 Sign Up Bonus
- Citi $100 Sign Up Bonus
- Hot Free Money Deals: Barclaycard $440+ | $3,000+ in Bonuses
Thanks for the reminder. Registered my Chase card for groceries and set reminder to switch my gas purchases (speed pass) to switch back to AMEX Costco card from the Chase card at start of Oct.
As for dining, shame not many takes Discover. Will have to continue to use AMEX Costco card for 3%.
Schwab killed their credit card programs effective Oct. 1st, 2010.
http://www.schwab.com/public/s.....038;lvl2=m
Shawn,
Right they did end the sponsorship, thanks for the reminder. Talk about a bummer.
However, FIA is still running the 2% cash back… the important part! So I’ll still keep using it until that part goes away.
Have you found out what the replacement card will be named?
I have 2 Citi Dividend cards (1 MC and 1 AMEX) and have been with them since 2004. I purchased just under $5000 in new kitchen appliances when we moved into our new home in May 2011. I purchased the appliances online via the GE store and Citi refused to give me the extra 4% cashback on the purchases because the way the transaction was sent to them from the GE site; in a way that it did not fall under any of the home improvement categories. I called and emailed several times, even explaining that I would submit my receipts. Even though they ‘escalated’ the request, they did nothing stating they “are limited in our ability to assist with your request.” I bought appliances and that is clearly in the home improvement categories description of the Q2 2011 promotional incentive. What a joke. I am not using my Citi cards ever again…
Note, for AMEX Costco Card, in the latest June statement, they announced they will be lowering the rebate for dining from 3% to 2%
Oh no, Wayne! I haven’t gotten my statement yet, so I didn’t know they were changing it. That’s a bummer they’re lowering it, since it really was the best dining rebate around.
This is at bottom of the statement,
The TrueEarnings Program
With billing periods starting in August 2011, we are reducing the reward percentage earned for eligible purchases at restaurants from 3% to 2%. Accordingly, effective with your billing period starting in August 2011, in the Supplement to the Cardmember Agreement describing How Your Reward Program Works, “3% for eligible purchases at restaurants” is deleted and replaced with “2% for eligible purchases at restaurants”. However, if your
account was opened between August 1, 2010 and July 31, 2011, you will continue to earn 3% on eligible purchases at restaurants until the start of your 13th billing period. You will then earn 2% on eligible purchases at
restaurants as described in the Agreement.
am ex blue cash doesn’t recognize walmart for groceries or prescription purchases
Thnaks for the roundup! I’ve used the strategy of rotating credit cards myself to earn greater cash back.
Thanks for the reminder!
thank you. i love getting cash back on my purchases. the only thing i love more is getting a discount beforehand (don’t have to worry after that). chase is looking good to me now.
Hi again. Maybe you can help?? I tried to purchase Gift cards in my 4 grocery stores in my area (shop rite-A and P-Hannaford and Stop and Shop)with my amex preferred.These are all full line huge stores. I did find Subway and Bed Bath and Beyond, But where do you find cards from Walmart Kmart and CVS in grocery stores?(for the 6%) They all have the same ones. Except that this quarter you can get the 5% on drugstores from Chase. But are drugstore and walmart cards sold only in their own stores? Thanks