Chase’s Aeroplan Card Adds More ‘Pay Yourself Back’ Categories

Cardholders of the Aeroplan^® Credit Card are getting new redemption options via Chase Pay Yourself Back. These effectively function as statement credits that allow you to redeem your Aeroplan points to offset purchases made in select categories at a rate of up to 1.25 cents per point.

Here is a look at the new redemption options that are being added.

New Aeroplan Card Pay Yourself Back Categories

Previously, you’ve been able to use Pay Yourself Back with the Aeroplan card to offset your annual membership fee, along with purchases from grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart), dining, and general travel purchases (on up to 200,000 points through December 31, 2025).

Now, Chase has added 2 additional categories for cardholders, gas stations and home improvement stores, both of which are valid through December 31, 2025. This now gives you a total of 6 purchase categories in which you can redeem your Aeroplan points via Pay Yourself Back.

Not all of these redemptions hold the same value, though. Here are the rates you can expect when using your points:

• Home improvement stores and gas stations: 0.8 cents per point (redeeming 12,500 points provides a $100 statement credit)
• Travel purchases, annual fee, dining, and grocery stores: 1.25 cents per point (redeeming 8,000 points provides a $100 statement credit)

Additional Pay Yourself Back Categories Coming Later This Year

It has also been reported by AwardWallet that Chase is adding a new category each quarter through the end of the year, with upcoming categories set to be as follows:

• July 1 through December 31: Utilities and Department Stores
• October 1 through December 31: Amazon

Since the time of writing, Chase has confirmed that the information reported above is accurate and said it will share further details for each of these categories near the start of each quarter.

Is It Worth It?

When you redeem your points through Chase Pay Yourself Back, you lock in a redemption value of 1.25 cents per point, lower than our valuation of Air Canada Aeroplan points, which is 1.5 cents apiece.

For the most part, you’ll be able to get far more value out of your Aeroplan points when redeeming for flights through Air Canada and its partners. That said, if you have a large balance of points burning a hole in your pocket and don’t have plans to travel anytime soon, the Pay Yourself Back options give you more opportunities to extract some value.

Final Thoughts

Having more redemption options is always better than having fewer. Adding new categories like gas and home improvement stores can be beneficial, as these can be sizable purchase categories for many consumers.

Still, if you want to get as much value as possible out of your Aeroplan points, you’re better off skipping the Pay Yourself Back redemptions and opting for Aeroplan award tickets.