【Updated 2021.1】We previously only suspected that this extra bonus multiplier could be used for WeChat Pay, and now DPs show that it does indeed work. If you have the old Ink card CIP, that would mean 9x UR; the new CIP can also earn 7x UR. Screenshot below:

Image from WeChat reader Yishi Liu, charged on Freedom (3% FTF)

By the way, this quarter’s CF/CFF quarterly 5x category is online purchases, which happens to work with WeChat as well.

【Updated 2020.11】According to DOC, Chase sent out a targeted promotion for an extra 4x UR on monthly bills (5x UR total), on up to the first $2,000. This also happens to work with WeChat.

  • Check here: chase.com/mybonus
  • Or check your email for: activate this invitation with one click and earn a total of 5% back on your monthly bills
  • Highly targeted
  • Ends 2020.12.31

One quiet note: if you’re not worried about Chase, you could buy first and then cancel; Chase generally does not claw back the extra bonus points. Don’t overdo it, though—maintaining a good relationship with Chase may be worth more than these extra UR points.

【The following article was originally published on 2020.11.4】

A few days ago, we found that WeChat Pay now consistently posts under the wechatpay category for both online and offline QR-code payments (computer/network purchases). That category is not very friendly, since for most US credit cards it only earns the standard 1x. However, things are not completely hopeless. Based on testing over the past few days, KUKU has compiled the cards that currently earn category bonuses. AMEX, aside from special promos, still uses the old category and earns only 1x. VISA/Master/Discover, however, have a bit more potential.

How WeChat Pay codes

In most cases, WeChat Pay codes on VISA/Master/Discover as computer network / broadband services (Computer network and information services, Bills & Utilities). Sometimes it may also code as internet services (this does not usually happen with regular spending; Internet/Cable Services). You can basically think of it as online or broadband-type spending. So if you want to earn bonus rewards, the angle is to look at cards that bonus these kinds of charges. Back in the Wechat*TG and Wechat*DD era, the strongest cards were:

It’s unfortunate, but don’t worry—there are still replacement options, although you may not want to hold them, or they may already be discontinued.

Broadband/internet bonus cards

There really are not many credit cards that bonus this category. In fact, most readers probably do not have any of them unless there is a quarterly 5x category or some other promo. Most cards that bonus phone/internet-type spending are business credit cards, and the vast majority are from Chase【the notorious 5/24】.

  • Bills & Utilities or Internet, cable and phone services

My list may still miss some cards, so if you know of others that earn a bonus here, please leave a comment and let us know.

Chase credit cards

For ongoing bonus earning in this category, the main options are currently business cards:

Let’s take a look at the power of the king of WeChat Pay, the Chase Ink Plus business card【discontinued】.

Now let’s look at the points posting. Image from reader CK. This card is so old that most people have probably already canceled what is now a WeChat super-card, or they hold the somewhat weaker 3x Chase Ink Preferred instead.

Image from reader CK, using the old version of CIP

The Chase Ink Plus business card is no longer open to new applicants, but the Chase Ink Preferred business card is still available, and its annual fee is only $95, making it much more suitable than the CSR as a WeChat credit card.

Apply now

Full review

Chase Ink Preferred Business Credit Card

A strong choice for people with heavy spending in specific categories, Chase business card

  • Welcome bonus: 90,000 Ultimate Rewards (Spend $8,000 in the first 3 months after opening)
  • Rewards: 3x on travel, shipping, internet/cable/phone services, and advertising (Travel, Shipping purchases, Internet, Cable and Phone services, Advertising), on up to the first $150k; all other purchases 1x
  • Redemption: Redeem for cash at 100 UR = $1; can transfer 1:1 to airline miles or hotel points; can redeem at 1:1.25 toward travel purchases; value 1.6 cent/points
  • Annual fee: $95
  • Apply now>>

Citi credit cards

Quarterly bonus cards

With FTF, usually 3%:

  • US Bank Cash+ (choose Cell phone Provider; has FTF; net return is about 2%; up to the first $2,000 per quarter)
  • Chase Freedom Flex (appears occasionally; has FTF; can earn 5x UR minus 3%; up to the first $1,500 per quarter)
  • Citi Dividend (almost never appears; has FTF; net return is about 2%; up to the first $6,000 per year)

Without FTF:

This ABOC card is probably fairly hard to get approved for.

Everything bonus cards

These need to have no FTF to begin with. There are not many such cards, and we’re using a minimum of 2% as the cutoff; otherwise using WeChat would be a losing proposition. Ranked by rewards rate:

Among these, the PayPal Master credit card is pretty interesting. In short: if you spend a lot on it, your account may get shut down; if you do not spend on it, your account may also get shut down. So we do not recommend choosing it. The SoFi card has not been publicly launched yet, so the details are still unclear.

PayPal Key

PayPal Key virtual card has been tested and can be linked to WeChat Pay (5205 is easier to link, while 5581 seems much harder). However, KUKU strongly does not recommend it. Although you can link PayPal to a card that earns quarterly bonus rewards on PayPal purchases and get elevated returns (5x or even more), we still do not recommend it for the following reasons:

  • There is a 1.1% FTF
  • PayPal’s exchange rate is not very favorable
  • Most importantly: it may trigger WeChat risk controls, and getting the restriction removed can be a huge hassle (virtual cards have no physical card image and no paper statement)

Especially if you need to clear a risk-control flag, it can become a major headache.

Special offer

AMEX refer offers an extra 3x points or 3% cash back, and cards that earn MR and have no FTF are the most recommended.

Conclusion

As soon as one workaround appears, another limitation follows. Although WeChat Pay changed the card categories we used to recommend for linking to WeChat, it also created a new group of cards that are especially useful for WeChat Pay.

Unfortunately, these naturally high-earning WeChat Pay cards are all business credit cards, and most of them come from Chase, so many people are probably blocked by the 5/24 rule. At the same time, Chase Ink Preferred has a high requirement for length of credit history, and if you do not have 3-4 years of credit history, we do not recommend trying for it.

The remaining question is: when will WeChat Pay stop earning bonus rewards too? My personal view is that as long as the transaction still shows up as wechatpay, these bonus categories will probably remain. After all, the share of cardholders who can actually use them has dropped significantly. The rewards look great, but they are hard to get, which may actually be the best kind of promotion.

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