The Chase Slate® and the Chase Freedom® cards are not currently available to new cardholders. Please visit our list of the best Chase cards for alternative options.
On Monday, Chase announced the new benefits for several of its popular consumer credit cards.
As of Aug. 1, qualified cardholders can enroll through a new Instacart promotion and receive up to $15 a month — or quarter, depending on the card — in statement credits for using Instacart, as well as other perks, such as up to one year of complimentary delivery through Instacart+.
Below, Select details the new perks, how you can enroll and which cards qualify for the credits.
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New Instacart credits for certain cardholders
Instacart, along with other online grocery delivery services, exploded in popularity in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the online service is pulling out all of the stops as it faces more competition from other grocery delivery services.
If you're a current Chase cardholder and you've never used Instacart, now is the time to give it a try, especially with the opportunity to earn back up to $15 a month (or quarter) in statement credits.
Signing up for the Chase Instacart benefit
This promotion is quite simple to sign up for. If you currently have one of the following cards, you'll be able to qualify for the following benefits:
- Those with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or J.P. Morgan Reserve® cards can earn back up to $15 in statement credits each month, and score 12 free months of delivery via Instacart+.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® cardholders can earn back up to $15 each quarter in statement credits as well as six free months of Instacart+ delivery service.
- Those with the Chase Freedom®, Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom® Student cards can earn up to $10 back each quarter in statement credits for using Instacart, plus three free months of delivery through Instacart+.
- While Chase Slate® (no longer accepting applicants) and Chase Slate Edge® cardholders won't earn any statement credits, they can still receive three free months of Instacart+ deliveries.
If you have one of those cards, simply visit the Instacart website to register your card by July 31, 2024. Then, you'll be able to use your benefits immediately.
Note, however, that you'll automatically begin paying regular rates of $99 per year for Instacart+ services once your promotional period is over — if you don't want to keep using it, mark your calendar as a reminder to cancel the subscription before your trial ends.
Maximizing your new benefits
If you have one of the credit cards included in the promotion, there are a few ways to maximize your purchases to ensure you're getting the most savings.
Find additional Instacart promotions online
Instacart regularly releases its own promotions — for example, I recently received one for $10 off a $35 purchase at Publix via email. By using that promotion along with my Chase Sapphire Preferred $15 per quarter statement credit and the Rakuten cash-back portal, my total order would up being closer to $10.
Opt for pick-up instead of delivery
Having groceries delivered is a nice convenience, but you can get around paying extra to tip your delivery driver by picking them up yourself instead. Not that opting for pick-up with Instacart+ means you can also earn 5% back on eligible orders.
Use Instacart strategically
Keep in mind that the prices you're paying on Instacart may be higher than what you'd be paying when purchasing directly from the actual grocery store. While the statement credits may help to cover these elevated prices, be conscious of maximizing the benefit without overspending. I plan on using the credit for two to three things at a time to fully maximize the benefit.
Chase cards that qualify for the Instacart promotion
Here's a full list of the credit cards that qualify for the promotion and the perks you'll be getting:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is my favorite credit card since it has a modest $95 annual fee and earns valuable travel rewards. With this new promotion, you will now have six free months of Instacart+ and an additional $15 per quarter to spend on Instacart purchases to go along with the $10 you can earn back each month from GoPuff orders.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rewards
$50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3X points on dining, 3X points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Terms apply.
Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is another great travel rewards credit card that is part of the Instacart promotion. Though it does carry a steep $550 annual fee, it also comes with a long list of benefits including comprehensive travel insurance, travel credits, and airport lounge access, among others. Now, cardholders can enjoy a full year of Instacart+ membership and receive up to $15 per month in statement credits for shopping with Instacart.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Rewards
Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
Welcome bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Annual fee
$550
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
22.49% - 29.49% variable
Balance transfer fee
5%, minimum $5
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent
Terms apply.
Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve® review.
Chase Freedom cards
The Chase Freedom cards — which include the Chase Freedom® (no longer accepting applicants), Chase Freedom Flex℠, Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom® Student cards — are all offering three months of Instacart+ service for free, along with the chance to earn back $10 per quarter in statement credits.
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Rewards
5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate (then 1%), 5% cash back on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on drugstore purchases and on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services), 1% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
$200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in your first three months from account opening
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% for the first 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers
Regular APR
20.49% - 29.24% variable
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Member FDIC. Terms apply. Information about the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
Read our Chase Freedom Flex℠ review.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Rewards
Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% for the first 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers
Regular APR
20.49% - 29.24% variable
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Member FDIC. Terms apply.
Read our Chase Freedom Unlimited® review.
Chase Slate® and Slate Edge®
While the Chase Slate® has been discontinued, current Chase Slate cardholders can still get three months of free Instacart+, as can those who are Slate Edge® cardholders. Note that there are no opportunities to earn back statement credits for these cards.
Chase Slate Edge℠
Rewards
None
Welcome bonus
None
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% for 18 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers
Regular APR
20.49% - 29.24% variable
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3%
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Member FDIC. Terms apply.
Bottom line
The new Chase and Instacart benefits provide an easy way for qualified cardholders to score discounted groceries simply by having one of the credit cards mentioned above.
That said, if you're just trying to save money on groceries in general — or are not interested in using Instacart and other similar online delivery services — one of the cards mentioned in our best credit cards for groceries list may end up being a better fit for your shopping needs.
Read more
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Information about the Chase Freedom® Student credit card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
