Chase Ultimate Rewards - Chase Freedom 5% grocery - doesn't work on gas cards?

A couple of weeks ago I was at a stop&shop and bought $150 in Shell gas cards and a couple of coke bottles. The statement just closed, and my analysis showed that I got the category bonus on the coke but not on the gas cards! Unfortunately I don't have the receipt with me to see how it was broken down, though I can imagine that they would separate the two so that I would pay sales tax on the coke but not on the gas cards.

Has it happened to anyone before? Can I call Chase and ask about the missing points or would it just direct unwanted attention from the chase inquisition for me? Any advice on how to shop for gas cards in a way that would give me the category bonus? This is the first time I tried this trick and I have been reading over the web that this should work. Apparently not necessarily...

This post inspired me to check my last Chase Freedom statement ...

In Q2, I've spent $320 on bonus categories (grocery + movie theater). I've received the 5% on $306 of that. I've spent at least $250 of that on gas cards, so seems like my gas cards count.

I've made sure to buy something else in addition to the gift cards each time I go ...

I don't know how you would resolve this with Chase. Can you try again, maybe buy a $25 card, and see how that goes? If it works, you can call and ask why certain things didn't get marked as 5x ...

Are you absolutely sure you didn't get bonus credit somewhere else?

I'm suspecting that your "stop & shop" purchases weren't automatically categorized as "grocery store" purchases.

What may be obvious to you as a grocery store may not be categorized as one under Chase's system.

Are you absolutely sure you didn't get bonus credit somewhere else?

I'm suspecting that your "stop & shop" purchases weren't automatically categorized as "grocery store" purchases.

What may be obvious to you as a grocery store may not be categorized as one under Chase's system.

According to BluePrint, the entire amount was categorized as "grocery stores".

Chase receives zero information about items in one's purchase; all they see is a total amount & a merchant name/category.

I wonder if the purchase in question happened to fall near the end of the billing cycle, when Chase often fails to apply the bonus until the next statement. OP, are you sure your recent bonus points aren't attributable to otehr activity earlier in the cycle?

Chase receives zero information about items in one's purchase; all they see is a total amount & a merchant name/category.

I wonder if the purchase in question happened to fall near the end of the billing cycle, when Chase often fails to apply the bonus until the next statement. OP, are you sure your recent bonus points aren't attributable to otehr activity earlier in the cycle?

You're probably right! The purchase did happen close to the end of the billing cycle, and I did have a similarly small purchase close to the end of the previous billing cycle. Yes that makes more sense. Thanks!

You're probably right! The purchase did happen close to the end of the billing cycle, and I did have a similarly small purchase close to the end of the previous billing cycle. Yes that makes more sense. Thanks!

Yup, sounds like it! Mystery solved. :p

. This also happened to my food grocery purchases in April of about $30. The bonus posted in the following statement in May.

Chase receives zero information about items in one's purchase; all they see is a total amount & a merchant name/category.

I thought they did with some merchants. I remember the offer stating grocery purchases at WMT and one other mass marketer (may have been target) would qualify but other purchases wouldn't so with some merchants they must be able to tell.

I have bought gift cards at Kroger for other retailers and as far as I can tell, I got the bonus points. I wish Chase would do a better job of telling you what purchases you earned the bonus points at.

Are you absolutely sure you didn't get bonus credit somewhere else?

I'm suspecting that your "stop & shop" purchases weren't automatically categorized as "grocery store" purchases.

What may be obvious to you as a grocery store may not be categorized as one under Chase's system.


Just taking a guess here... but "Stop & Shop" is a major grocery chain in New England. This post might have been thinking of it as a kind of mini-mart.

I thought they did with some merchants. I remember the offer stating grocery purchases at WMT and one other mass marketer (may have been target) would qualify but other purchases wouldn't so with some merchants they must be able to tell.
This is true and my grocery purchases at both Walmart and Target have posted at 5X points. I have been keeping a spreadsheet with grocery purchases so I will know when I have reached the max $1500.