The Chase Freedom Flex earns 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories every quarter. These categories change every three months, and you must activate them before the quarterly deadline to earn the boosted rate. Missing the activation window means you earn only 1% on those purchases instead of 5%.
This guide covers all confirmed 2026 bonus categories, what each category includes, the $1,500 quarterly spending cap, and how to make the most of each quarter’s rewards.
How the Quarterly Bonus Category System Works
Chase selects a new set of spending categories every quarter. After you activate, you earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases across those categories during the quarter. Once you reach the $1,500 cap, spending in those categories drops to 1% cash back for the rest of the quarter.
Chase announces the upcoming quarter’s categories roughly halfway through the month before the new quarter begins. The activation window stays open until the 14th day of the last month in the quarter.
Here is the full activation schedule for 2026:
| Quarter | Dates | Activate By |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | January 1 to March 31 | March 14, 2026 |
| Q2 | April 1 to June 30 | June 14, 2026 |
| Q3 | July 1 to September 30 | September 14, 2026 |
| Q4 | October 1 to December 31 | December 14, 2026 |
If you hold multiple Chase Freedom cards, activate each one separately. The bonus applies per card, not per account.
Chase Freedom Flex 2026 Bonus Categories by Quarter
Q1 2026: Dining, Norwegian Cruise Line, and American Heart Association
Active dates: January 1 to March 31, 2026 (closed)
Q1 2026 covered three bonus categories:
- Dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- Norwegian Cruise Line purchases
- American Heart Association donations
Freedom Flex cardholders earned an elevated rate on dining during Q1. Because the card already earns 3% on dining as a fixed category year-round, the quarterly bonus stacked on top, bringing the total to 7% cash back on dining purchases during the quarter.
Q2 2026: Amazon, Whole Foods Market, Chase Travel, and Feeding America
Active dates: April 1 to June 30, 2026
Activate by: June 14, 2026
Chase announced on March 16, 2026 that Freedom and Freedom Flex cardmembers can earn 5% cash back on Amazon, Whole Foods Market, Chase Travel, and Feeding America through June 30.
Amazon and Whole Foods Market
Eligible Amazon purchases include items bought at Amazon.com, digital downloads, Amazon Fresh orders, Amazon Prime subscriptions, and products sold by third-party marketplace sellers through Amazon.com. Whole Foods Market covers in-store purchases and orders placed at wholefoodsmarket.com.
These purchases do not qualify for the 5% bonus:
- Purchases made through Amazon Pay at other merchants
- International Amazon retail sites (Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, etc.)
- Whole Foods products bought through Instacart, Shipt, Google Express, or similar third-party services
- Whole Foods event tickets, classes, or massage services
Chase Travel
Eligible Chase Travel purchases include prepaid flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities booked at ChaseTravel.com or by calling the number on the back of your card. FROSCH travel company bookings do not qualify, even when booked by phone. Any portion of a booking paid with points does not count toward the 5% category.
Freedom Flex cardholders earn an elevated rate here. Because the card already earns 5% on Chase Travel as a fixed year-round category, the Q2 quarterly bonus stacks to 9% total cash back on eligible Chase Travel purchases through June 30.
Feeding America
Donations must go directly through Feeding America’s official channels to qualify for the 5% bonus. Local chapter donations may not process correctly and could miss the bonus category code. Confirm you are donating through official Feeding America links before completing your transaction.
Q3 2026: Coming Soon
Chase announces Q3 2026 categories starting June 15, 2026. Based on the historical pattern, gas stations, EV charging stations, and select live entertainment are strong candidates. Activate starting July 1 once the window opens.
Q4 2026: Coming Soon
Chase announces Q4 2026 categories starting September 15, 2026. Chase Travel, department stores, and PayPal have each appeared in Q4 during multiple past years.
Maximum Cash Back You Can Earn Each Quarter
The 5% rate applies only to the first $1,500 in combined purchases across all active bonus categories each quarter. Purchases above that cap earn 1% back in those categories for the rest of the quarter.
Hitting the full cap earns $75 in bonus cash back per quarter. Maximizing all four quarters adds up to $300 per year with no annual fee offsetting the earnings.
Note that the cap applies to combined spending across all quarterly categories, not per category. For example, if you spend $1,000 at Amazon and $500 at Whole Foods in Q2, you have hit the $1,500 combined cap and both categories drop to 1% for the rest of the quarter.
Fixed Cash Back Rates You Earn Year-Round
These rates apply every day regardless of the quarterly rotation:
| Category | Cash Back Rate |
|---|---|
| Chase Travel bookings | 5% |
| Dining (restaurants, takeout, eligible delivery) | 3% |
| Drugstore purchases | 3% |
| Lyft rides (through September 30, 2027) | 2% |
| All other purchases | 1% |
When a quarterly bonus category overlaps with a fixed category (such as Chase Travel in Q2), the rates stack. Freedom Flex cardholders earn both the quarterly 5% and the fixed 5% on Chase Travel during Q2, reaching the 9% combined rate.
How to Activate Your Quarterly Bonus Categories
You must activate each quarter to earn the 5% rate. Purchases made before activation but within the same calendar quarter still qualify retroactively once you complete activation.
Method 1: Chase website
- Go to chase.com/FreedomFive or chase.com/FreedomFlex.
- Enter your last name, the last four digits of your card number, and your billing ZIP code.
- Click “Activate your 5%” to finish.
- Save a screenshot or look for the confirmation email labeled “You’re Activated!”
Method 2: Chase Mobile app
- Open the Chase Mobile app and log in.
- Go to your Freedom Flex card and find the quarterly activation section.
- Tap to activate.
Method 3: Phone
Call the number on the back of your card and request activation for the current quarter’s categories.
Method 4: Chase branch
Visit any Chase branch and ask a banker to activate the quarterly bonus for your card.
For a detailed step-by-step walkthrough covering all methods, see how to activate Chase Freedom Flex rewards categories each quarter.
If you need to activate a new card before you can access your account, see how to activate your Chase credit card.
How to Redeem Your Cash Back Rewards
Chase tracks Freedom Flex earnings as Ultimate Rewards points. Each dollar of cash back equals 100 points. There is no minimum amount to redeem and rewards do not expire as long as your account stays open and in good standing.
Available redemption options:
- Statement credit applied directly to your card balance
- Electronic deposit into an eligible Chase bank account in the United States
- Amazon checkout by linking your Freedom Flex card to your Amazon.com account and paying with points at checkout
- Gift cards for shopping, dining, and entertainment through Chase’s redemption portal
- Travel booked through Chase Travel
Bonus category earnings appear on your statement with a label such as “Bonus from Q2 5% category.”
If you hold a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can transfer your Freedom Flex points to that card. This unlocks airline and hotel transfer partners and typically increases the value per point above the standard 1 cent cash back rate.
Additional Benefits Beyond Cash Back
DashPass membership
New Freedom Flex cardmembers get six months of complimentary DashPass, which removes delivery fees and lowers service fees on eligible DoorDash and Caviar orders. After the free period ends, Chase automatically enrolls you at the current monthly rate. Activate by December 31, 2027. DashPass members also receive up to $10 off quarterly on non-restaurant DoorDash orders through December 31, 2027.
Lyft earnings
Pay with your Freedom Flex for Lyft rides and earn 2% total cash back through September 30, 2027.
Travel protections
The card includes trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance along with travel and emergency assistance services.
Intro APR offer
New cardmembers receive 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers from account opening. After the intro period, a variable APR of 18.24% to 27.74% applies.
No annual fee
The card carries no annual fee, so every dollar of cash back you earn represents net value with no offset.
Q2 2026 Spending Strategy
- Amazon: Amazon purchases can reach the $1,500 quarterly cap quickly if you shop heavily online. If you also plan to shop at Whole Foods, track your combined spending and leave room for both categories before hitting the limit.
- Chase Travel: Book any planned summer travel during Q2 while the 9% stacked rate applies for Freedom Flex cardholders. Eligible bookings through ChaseTravel.com include flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities. Summer travel fills up fast, so booking in Q2 rather than waiting until Q3 locks in both the best availability and the elevated earning rate.
- Feeding America: Donate directly through Feeding America’s official website to ensure the transaction codes correctly. Routing your donation through a third-party site or a local chapter may cause the purchase to miss the 5% bonus category.
- Set a Q3 activation reminder: Chase opens Q3 activation starting June 15, 2026. Add a calendar reminder so you can activate as soon as the window opens on July 1 and capture retroactive earnings from day one.
Grocery stores, gas stations, Amazon, Chase Travel, and PayPal are the categories that appear most frequently across the program’s history. Planning your spending around these categories in quarters when they appear gives you the most consistent return over the year.
