Chase Freedom 2012 Cash Back Bonus – $200

We now have the first credit card bonus offered by Chase in 2012- Receive a $200 cash back bonus when you apply for the Chase Freedom MasterCard. Many have become familiar with the Freedom card because of its simplicity and great rewards program. There is another $100 bonus floating around for this particular card but the $200 is the best we have seen since the now expired $300 deal from last year. Chances are this incentive is the best we are going to see for the Freedom card at least for the next few months.

The terms of the offer are pretty easy to complete. All you need to do is spend $500 in new purchases during the first 90 days of account opening. Chase will deposit 20,000 points into an “Ultimate Rewards” account that you can then use to either have the money deposited into a checking account, have a check mailed, or the fastest and my personal favorite have the money applied as a statement credit. You can also redeem the points for gift cards, airfare, hotel stays, car rentals, or merchandise. I use the Freedom card as one of my primary cards because it is a great card with no annual fee. That means you do not have to worry about forgetting to close this card within the first year and getting hit with a $90-$150 annual fee like some of the other incentives being offered right now.

Bonus points will be deposited within 6-8 weeks after you meet the $500 spending requirements. This particular offer is valid for new Freedom account holders and you must be current on your payments when they go to apply the extra points. The Freedom card offers you up to 5% cash back in rotating categories similar to the Discover card and up to 10% when you shop online through the Ultimate Rewards mall. Up to the first $1500 in purchases are eligible for the 5%. Every other purchase earns 1%.

List of 2012 5% categories:

• 1st quarter: Amazon.com and Gas Stations
• 2nd quarter: Movie Theaters and Grocery Stores
• 3rd quarter: Gas Stations and Restaurants
• 4th quarter: Hotels, Airlines, BestBuy and Kohls

Visit the Chase website here to apply and for full terms and conditions. Apply for this card today before the standard $100 offer takes its place.