Guide to using online shopping portals to maximize rewards

If you frequently shop online but don’t use a shopping portal, you may be missing out on earning extra points and discounts. When used effectively, making purchases through an online shopping portal can make a difference when it comes to maximizing your points and receiving discounts.

In this article, we will review:

• What online shopping portals are
• Different types of online shopping portals
• How to use an online shopping portal
• Important tips and tricks for online shopping portals
• Breaking down Chase Ultimate Rewards^®

An overview of online shopping portals

A shopping portal is a place online (or on your mobile phone) where you make purchases using a singular platform. Using a shopping portal can maximize your credit card’s rewards. Unlike card-specific deals that may only happen occasionally, shopping portals serve as a hub where you can make purchases and may be able to earn extra points.

Different types of online shopping portals

Depending on the accounts you have, you may have access to different types of online shopping portals. For example, you may have a shopping portal linked specifically to your bank, where you access the portal through the bank’s mobile app.

You may also access portals through travel-related sites, such as:

• Hotels (for earning points and discounts)
• Airlines (to earn miles)

How to use an online shopping portal

Rather than make a booking or purchase through an external shopping site, make your purchase through the online shopping portal of your choice. If you are interested in earning bonus points on purchases at retailers/brands, consider exploring your credit card-specific shopping portal.

If you want to travel, see if your bank has a travel portal where you can make your purchase and earn points/miles. You can also do this through an airline or hotel-specific portal.

Be sure to follow the instructions for making your purchase through the portal to help ensure that you receive the points you deserve.

Important tips and tricks for online shopping portals

Depending on the portal you use, you may want to be aware of the following:

• Rewards on certain purchases or retailers could change day to day
• You may not be able to apply outside discounts (like gift cards or coupon codes) on purchases made through an online shopping portal
• Keep an eye out for holiday or credit card-specific deals where you could earn even more points or receive special discounts
• Keep track of your points and look out for confirmation emails to help you stay on top of your rewards

Breaking down Chase Ultimate Rewards

If you’re a Chase cardmember, you have access to Chase Ultimate Rewards, an online dashboard where you can utilize the Shop Through Chase^® online shopping portal to do things such as book travel and make travel bookings. Note that you must be a cardmember with Freedom^®, Sapphire^® or Ink^® card products to access Ultimate Rewards and Shop Through Chase.

Using this platform can help you earn extra points when you make purchases at one of the many retailers or book airline tickets or hotel reservations. This is one case where using your card’s rewards program can be particularly helpful when it comes to maximizing the points you earn.

Those with access can also use Shop Through Chase, an overarching rewards platform where customers can view and redeem their rewards, as well as discover ways to earn bonus points on their purchases at participating online retailers.

By being a smart and savvy consumer, you can snag discounts and save money on future trips or purchases, all by taking just a few extra steps.