New 3rd Quarter 2013 5% Rotating Cash Rewards Credit Cards
3rd quarter cash back is here! It’s time to reevaluate the cards you are carrying to take advantage of 3rd 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.
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 exactly how it works: swap out the 2013 2nd Quarter 5% Rewards and maximize your cash rewards for 3rd 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.
3rd Quarter 2013 5% Cash Rewards Credit Cards
Discover it. The Discover 5% cash back for 3rd quarter 2013 is at the top of my list with gas stations this quarter. Originally, Discover said they’d offer 5% for “summer fun” this quarter, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they add some more categories later in the summer. As of right now, the 3rd quarter 2013 Discover More 5% categories are:
- Gas Stations
See the entire 2013 Discover Rewards Calendar.
Citi Dividend. If you are planning additional travel this summer, Citi has you covered with the 5% cash back! They added Hilton hotels as a category this summer, but you might want to compare it to earnings you get if you have a Citi Hilton HHonors card. The 3rd quarter 2013 Citi Dividend 5% categories are:
- Hilton Hotels
- Theme Parks
- Car Rental Agencies
- Movie Theaters
Chase Freedom. The Chase Freedom card will also offer both gas stations and theme parks this summer. I also noticed they rolled out an easy text signup for the rotating cash back. The 3rd quarter 2013 Chase Freedom 5% categories are:
- Gas Stations
- Theme Parks
- Kohl’s
See the entire 2013 Chase Freedom Rewards Calendar and the Best Way to Maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards Points.
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 (up to $6,000 per year) |
| 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 | SimplyCash® Business Card from American Express | 5% cash back |
| Costco | Fidelity Credit Card | 2% cash back |
| Travel | Barclaycard Arrival | 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 3rd 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:
