Food is a big part of most people’s budget and if any of that spending takes place at restaurants, this is a good quarter to get some of that money back.  The Chase Freedom and the Discover It both offer 5% off at different categories each calendar quarter.  Last quarter, the Discover It offered 5% back on Gas while the Freedom offered 5% back on Groceries (among a few specific stores).  This quarter, BOTH cards are offering 5% back on restaurants, but you must activate the savings online before they will take effect.  Restaurants include everything from fast food to fine dining and even most cafes!  In addition to restaurants, each card offers a few additional locations that you can also save 5% at.  See below for all the details:

Discover It – 5% Back At Restaurants and Movies

In addition to restaurants as a 5% category, the Discover It card is offering 5% back at the movies.  This includes movie theaters, video rental stores, and buying tickets online from services like Fandango.  Activating the 5% back is as simple as logging into your online account and looking for a link on the right that says “Activate” next to a description of the deal, “5% at Restaurants and Movies on up to $1,500”.

To my knowledge, the Discover It does not currently have a public signup offer, but has offered $150 back after $750 in spending in the past.  It is possible to get $50 back after the first purchase if you use a referral link though, and the person who refers you will also get $50.  If you know someone who owns this card, ask them to refer you, otherwise you are welcome to use my referral link (Discover It $50 Bonus Referral Link) and I appreciate anyone who does.

Chase Freedom – 5% Back At Restaurants and Select Stores

In addition to saving at restaurants, the Chase Freedom also allows you to save 5% this quarter at Bed Bath & Beyond, H&M, and Overstock.com.  Activating the 5% for your Freedom card can be done by logging into your Chase account.

The Chase Freedom always has a public signup offer to get $100 back after your first $500 in purchases, but they have raised the bonus to $200 in the past.  It is also possible to get the same $100 bonus by going through a referral link and the person who refers you will also get $50 for a total of $150.  If you know someone who already has a Chase Freedom, ask them to refer you through their online Chase account.

Final Thoughts

Both of these cards max out your earning at $1500 of spending or $75 in rewards, but if you’re a big restaurant spender, split your transactions between both cards to maximize your return.  Both of these 5% back offers last from April 1st to June 30th, do don’t forget to add one of these cards to you wallet if you don’t normally carry it around.  It’s hard to do better than 5% back just about anywhere with a credit card, so be sure to maximize the opportunities when they line up with your regular spending.