Thread: home furnishings cash back with Chase Freedom and Discover More?

I would check with Chase to be sure, but I think your first assumption is correct. I have a feeling that Ikea is not "home furnishings," but rather a "discount" or some other type of store. I have no grounds for saying this other than just a hunch.

I've wondered myself about these shopping categories on the Chase card and will be interested to find out what you learn.

You should note that the caps on the bonus cashback are substantially higher on the Freedom card than on Discover, at least if your accounts are like mine.

If Chase can't/won't tell you, I would try asking the merchant. I think it is the merchant that decides how to categorize itself when it sets up its card processing system, but I could be wrong about this. However, I wouldn't expect the clerks at Ikea -- or other large stores -- to be any help with this at all. You'll probably only have any luck with small merchants where the proprietor is on site. This doesn't help you here, I know.

When Chase was doing the 3% cashback in the top three spending categories per month I was able to determine by examining the rewards allocation on my statement one month that a bakery/cafe where I often eat lunch is considered a retail establishment rather than a restaurant, even though the majority of its business is the latter from what I can tell. Knowing this, I stopped trying to get extra restaurant points at this place.

There was a news story a few months ago -- I think it was somewhere in New England -- about Amex Blue Cash cardholding customers of a natural foods grocery store who successfully pressured Amex to designate the store as a grocery store rather than a retail store, which secured the customers better cashback rewards. This kind of thing doesn't happen often, I'm sure.

When I'm not sure I will qualify for the 5% cashback I use my Fidelity Amex card, which I know will always get me 2%.

Good luck.

I have a feeling that Ikea is not "home furnishings," but rather a "discount" or some other type of store. I have no grounds for saying this other than just a hunch.

I second that.

I was able to determine by examining the rewards allocation on my statement one month that a bakery/cafe where I often eat lunch is considered a retail establishment rather than a restaurant, even though the majority of its business is the latter from what I can tell.

I've encountered that at many, many gas stations. Apparently the fees are higher for gas stations and some will deliberately misclassify themselves as a different type of category of business. There was a station a couple years ago I went to that showed up being labeled as a catering service on my bill. That was the last time I went there!

Discover's offer only include "home improvement". Does this mean places like Home Depot, Lowe's?

I have gotten the 5% at those two but I would second guess any independent, smaller hardware store. I like supporting local business but when it comes to jeopardizing my 5% I don't risk with the unknowns. Most restaurants are correctly identified but as jeffysdad's story shows it's not guaranteed by any means.

Good show, moxfyre.

This is good to know! But I don't shop at Ikea anymore because the last few times, everything I have bought has been defective, ha!