The first quarter 2026 5% bonus categories for the Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex® card are now live:
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Dining
- Donations to the American Heart Association
From January 1 through March 31, 2026, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases on Norwegian Cruise Line purchases, Dining, and donations to the American Heart Association. You must activate your categories at some point during the quarter. More on that below.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Chase Freedom calendar in 2026.
My take on the Q1 2026 Chase Freedom categories
I’m pretty lukewarm on this quarter’s categories.
I’ve never actually taken a cruise, so there’s a vanishingly small chance I’ll make a purchase with Norwegian Cruise Lines and the American Heart Association is not among the charities that I support financially.
Dining is somewhat useful because it means I’ll earn more points here—and I’ll probably use my Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex for dining this quarter when I’m not otherwise cashing a Resy credit or some other dining benefit on another card. But the card already earns 3% cash back on dining, so the marginal benefit isn’t’ that great.
Notable this quarter is the absence of grocery stores as a category. Groceries has been a category in the first quarter for the past couple of years, so its omission is notable. Hopefully this isn’t a sign that Chase intends to remove useful categories from this card’s rotating category lineup, but we’ll see…
Full Chase Freedom calendar 2026
Here is the currently announced cash back calendar for the Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex® cards.
- January-March: Norwegian Cruise Line, Dining, and donations to the American Heart Association
- April-June: (not yet announced)
- July-September: (not yet announced)
- October-December: (not yet announced)
How to activate Chase Freedom quarterly categories
You can activate your Chase Freedom cash back bonus categories without even logging into the Chase website. All you need is the primary cardmember’s last name, the last 4 digits of the Chase Freedom credit card and the billing zip code. Simply head to chasebonus.com to activate once categories are announced.
You may also receive an email with a one-click link to activate your cash back categories.
Once you have activated your Chase Freedom Flex categories, you’ll receive a confirmation email letting you know that you have activated your categories.
If you want more details on the specifics of the categories, the confirmation email you receive contains a link to the “Merchant List.” At this link, you’ll find details about what each bonus category includes. For categories that include “select” merchants, you’ll find a list of merchants participating in the quarterly category promotions.
Activate with one click from your email
If you’re a Chase Freedom Flex℠ or Chase Freedom cardholder, you should receive an email from Chase with a link to activate your quarterly category bonuses. This email is by far the easiest way to make sure that your category bonuses are activated. Simply click “Activate with 1 click” in the email and your bonus categories will be active.
When do I need to activate?
Typically, Chase allows you to activate your bonus categories on your Chase Freedom card from two weeks before the cash back quarter begins until two weeks before it ends.
Even if you forget to activate your cash back categories until late in the quarter, as long as you activate your categories before the activation deadline, you will earn 5% cash back for all eligible purchases (up to $1,500) that you made during the quarter.
Stacking the 5% categories with a welcome bonus: 9% cash back
In the past few years, Chase has periodically offered 5% cash back on up to $12,000 in purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, or both, as part of its welcome bonus through various channels. In the offer terms and conditions of the welcome bonus, Chase explicitly states that this bonus stacks with the 5% quarterly categories on the Freedom Flex card. This means it’s possible to get 9% cash back by stacking these bonuses.
See our coverage of the best current welcome bonus of the Chase Freedom Flex to find out if you can get a similar welcome bonus that stacks with the cash back categories.
About the Chase Freedom Flex®
The Chase Freedom Flex® offers 5% rewards on up to $1,500 in purchases in rotating categories each quarter when you activate.
Chase Freedom Flex® welcome offer
Offer: EARN A $200 BONUS after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
This link is a referral link. Someone from our team or community may earn a referral bonus if you are approved through this link
Annual Fee: $0
Rewards
- 5% in quarterly rotating categories
on up to $1,500 in total combined purchases each quarter when you activate. - 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3% on dining, including eligible takeout and delivery services.
- 3% on drugstore purchases.
- 1% on other purchases.
Rewards are marketed as cash back, but earned as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.
Ultimate Rewards® can be combined across cards you hold. If you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards card, you can transfer your points to Chase’s transfer partners or use your points for increased value when you book travel through Chase Travel℠. For more about using Ultimate Rewards, check out our guide on the Ultimate Rewards program.
Benefits
Consumer insurance benefits
- Purchase Protection.
- Extended Warranty Protection.
- Cell Phone Protection.
Travel insurance benefits
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance.
- Auto Rental Coverage.
- Travel and Emergency Assistance.
Partner benefits and statement credits
- 6 months of complimentary DashPass.
Requires enrollment and is subject to auto-renewal. Activate by Dec 31, 2027.
Rates and Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Foreign transaction fee: 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
Historical Chase Freedom 5% calendars
There is no guarantee that Chase will offer any particular bonus category until it is announced, but knowing what Chase has historically offered can give you an idea of what might be coming in the future.
Here are the previous 5% categories for both the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card and original chase Freedom card.
Chase Freedom cash back calendar for 2025
- January-March: Grocery stores, Norwegian Cruise Line®, Fitness clubs & gym memberships, Hair, nails & spa services
- April-June: Amazon, Select streaming services
- July-September: Instacart, Gas Stations, EV Charging, Select Live Entertainment
- October-December: Chase Travel℠, Department Stores, Old Navy, and PayPal
Chase Freedom cash back calendar for 2024
- January-March: Grocery Stores (excluding Walmart and Target), Fitness Clubs & Gym Memberships, and Self-Care & Spa Services
- April-June: Amazon.com, Hotels, and Restaurants
- July-September: Gas stations, EV charging, select live entertainment, and movie theaters
- October-December: PayPal, pet shops, and select charities
Chase Freedom cash back calendar for 2023
- January-March: Grocery Stores, Target, Fitness Clubs & Gym Memberships
- April-June: Lowe’s, and Amazon.com
- July-September: Gas stations, EV charging, and select live entertainment
- October-December: PayPal, Wholesale Clubs, and Select Charities
Chase Freedom cash back calendar for 2022
- January-March: Grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target purchases)
- April-June: Amazon.com and select streaming services
- July-September: Gas stations, car rentals, movie theaters and select live entertainment
- October-December: Walmart and PayPal
Chase Freedom cash back calendar for 2021
- January-March: Wholesale clubs, select streaming services, phone, cable and internet services
- April-June: Gas stations and home improvement stores
- July-September: Grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target purchases) and select streaming services
- October-December: Walmart and PayPal
Chase Freedom cash back calendar for 2020
- January-March: Gas stations, Internet, cable and phone services and select streaming services
- April-June: Grocery stores, fitness club and gym memberships, select streaming services
- July-September: Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market
- October-December: Walmart and PayPal
Chase Freedom cash back calendar for 2019
- January-March: Gas stations, tolls and drugstores
- April-June: Grocery stores and home improvement stores
- July-September: Gas stations and select streaming services
- October-December: Department stores, PayPal and Chase Pay
