Chase ‘Pay Yourself Back’ Feature Could End on April 30
During the pandemic, Chase has launched several promotions that let cardmembers take advantage of perks and benefits while avoiding travel. One of those benefits is the ‘Pay Yourself Back‘ option that lets you use Chase Ultimate Rewards for eligible charges on your Chase cards.
Currently, the categories for Pay Yourself Back are: grocery stores and dining at restaurants (including takeout & eligible delivery services), home improvement stores and select charitable organizations. You can redeem for purchases in these categories made with your Chase card with Ultimate Rewards. The best value is for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders that can redeem points for 1.5 cents each.
Chase ‘Pay Yourself Back’ for now runs through April 30, but Doctor of Credit reports that the date could very well be the end of the program. If you look at the eligible charges in your account, the last day to use points if April 30. In my case, as shown below, I have 59 days to use points for purchases made on March 1.
That could mean that the program will end, or that eligible categories will change. Before the latest extension, Chase was showing 90 days, even though that would put the date beyond the expiration of the promotion. And in fact, Chase extended it until April 30th. So that makes it more likely that the program is ending or changing after the month is over.
Conclusion
Grocery stores are a popular category for most people and a big monthly expense. So if you plan to use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to cover charges with the ‘Pay Yourself Back’ feature, then I would suggest doing so before April 30. I doubt this program can get any better. The most likely scenarios is that Chase won’t extend it, or that categories will change, and no category is better than grocery stores.
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Interesting. There is no way, I mean NO WAY, that Chase built that Pay Yourself Back software, which I think is very user friendly, and then will throw it away after less than a year.
The categories will change, probably to something worthless, maybe to categories so worthless that I decide not to renew my CSR, but the Pay Yourself Back feature itself will not be killed off.
I have to give Chase a bow for thinking to change to dates on Pay Yourself Back charges to reflect the Apr. 30th date.
Probably to something completely overpriced like 1 800-flowers or edible arrangements.