- Earn 5% back on groceries, fitness, salons, spas, and Norwegian Cruise Line purchases in Q1 2025.
- Chase Freedom® cardholders should enroll for bonus cash back by March 14, 2025.
- Competitor Discover earns 5% cash back on restaurants, home improvement, and streaming services.
Introduction to Chase Freedom 5% cash back
Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders can earn 5% bonus cash back each quarter with the click of a button.
Every quarter, cardholders can earn 5% cash back (5x points) on up to $1,500 spent in combined purchases across designated categories (then 1%). Bonus categories change every three months, and cardholders must activate the bonus before they can begin earning extra points.
These rotating categories also apply to cardholders who have a Chase Freedom® credit card, which is no longer available to new applicants.
In Q1 2025, Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders earn 5% back on the first $1,500 cumulatively spent on groceries, gyms, spa services, and Norwegian Cruise fares for a total of $75 cash back.
Q1 2025 bonus categories
Q1 2025 falls between January 1 and March 31. This quarter's bonus categories are gyms and other fitness centers, groceries, salon and spa services, and Norwegian Cruise Line fares.
Chase Freedom Flex® and legacy Chase Freedom® cardholders can activate bonus categories online or through their Chase account until March 14, 2025. Once activated, the bonus retroactively applies to all eligible purchases made between January 1 and March 31, 2025.
Chase Freedom Flex® categories for Q1 2025
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
19.49% - 28.24% Variable
Earn a $200 bonus
Good to Excellent
- No annual fee
- Generous bonus cash-back categories
- Great welcome bonus
- Booking through Chase Travel℠ can restrict outside earning potential
- Varying percentages and rotating calendar categories require extra attention
- 3% foreign transaction fees
The Chase Chase Freedom Flex® is a great pick if you want one of the best no-annual-fee cards with big earning potential and impressive benefits. It's an even better choice if you already collect Ultimate Rewards points with other Chase cards, because you can combine your points and potentially get even more value.
Chase Freedom FlexChase Freedom 5% cash back overview
The Chase Freedom Flex® is Business Insider's top pick of the best 5% cash-back credit cards because it earns excellent returns on select spending categories each quarter. Cardholders earn rewards in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which can be cashed out at a rate of 1 cent per point, or used for travel in far more lucrative ways.
That's why you can think of the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom® bonus categories as earning you either 5% back or 5x points.
How the 5% cash back program works
Participating cardholders can earn $75 back, or 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, each quarter if they max out the $1,500 of combined bonus spending.
The Chase Freedom Flex® and its cousin, the Chase Freedom® (no longer available to new applicants), both earn 5% on certain bonus purchases, which we'll discuss below.
Enrollment and activation
Cardholders must activate the quarterly bonus categories to be eligible for cash back or bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Chase announces new bonus categories approximately two weeks before the new quarter begins, and you'll receive an email prompting you to activate the promotion through your online account.
It's really easy to activate your 5% cash back: Just go to the Chase Bonus landing page and input your last name, the last four digits of your eligible Freedom card, and your five-digit zip code. You'll see a notification confirming your participation as soon as you submit the right responses.
Understanding Chase's rotating categories
Participating cardholders earn 5% cash back on eligible purchases in the form of 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar, on the first $1,500 spent across all bonus categories.
Cardholders must activate the promotion by opting in on the Chase Bonus landing page every quarter by the deadline. Otherwise, they will earn the standard 1% per dollar spent.
Quarterly bonus categories
Chase Freedom Flex categories change every quarter but typically focus on household categories such as Amazon or Whole Foods purchases, PayPal transactions, or travel expenses. You'll often see popular categories on rotation, such as groceries and gas.
2025 rotating categories calendar
These are the bonus categories for 2025:
Q1 2025: Groceries, gyms and fitness, salon and spa services, and Norwegian Cruise Line purchases
Qualifying purchases made between January 1 and March 31, 2025, will earn 5% cash back per dollar: 1 base point, plus 4 bonus points.
The Chase Freedom® and Chase Freedom Flex® 5% bonus categories for Q1 2025 are:
Groceries
This bonus category includes:
- Supermarkets
- Merchants that offer a full-service grocery line of merchandise including a deli and bakery
- Smaller grocery stores
- Delivery service merchants, such as Instacart, will be included if they classify as grocery store merchants
Some merchants that sell grocery items are not included in this category such as warehouse clubs, discount stores, and drugstores, and merchants that specialize in only a few grocery items.
Purchases made at gas stations from merchants who also operate grocery stores are not included in this category.
Gyms and fitness clubs
Qualifying purchases in this category include exercise or athletic facilities that require membership and provide services related to physical fitness:
- Health and fitness clubs
- Fitness centers
- Fitness studios
- Gyms
- Aerobics, cardio fitness and other services such as yoga and cross fit training
Merchants that offer virtual and other at-home fitness services, personalized or therapeutic services such as massage therapy, dietary and weight management counseling and personal training, are not included in this category.
Hotels, motels, resorts, and central reservation services offering access to third-party facilities that include fitness clubs or gyms are not included in this category unless they classify as a fitness club or gym membership merchant.
Purchases of fitness or athletic equipment or apparel, other sporting goods, dietary food, health food or similar supplements, will not qualify in this category.
Hair care, nail care, and spas
Qualifying purchases in this category include spa and salon services:
- Hair care
- Nail care
- Massages
- Spa treatments
- Manicures
- Tanning
- Barber and salon services
Services provided by medical professionals or in medical facilities will not qualify.
Purchases of hair care, nail care, and spa services at merchants that classify their location in another category, for example spa services purchased in a hotel or airport, will not be included unless the merchant classifies the transactions in this category.
Purchases of related products and services, for example hair and skincare products purchased at a salon or an overnight stay at a spa, will also not be included unless the merchant classifies the transactions in this category.
Norwegian Cruise Line purchases
This category includes cruise fare purchased directly with Norwegian Cruise Line. Purchases through third-party vendors or travel agencies such as sightseeing activities, excursions, and tourist attractions, are not included.
2024 rotating categories calendar
Q4 2024: Paypal, pet care, select charities, and McDonald's
The Chase Freedom® and Chase Freedom Flex® 5% bonus categories for Q4 2024 were:
- Paypal transactions
- Pet care
- McDonald's
- Select charities
Q3 2024: Gas and EV charging, movie theaters, and live entertainment
The Chase Freedom® and Chase Freedom Flex® 5% bonus categories for Q3 2024 were:
- Gas and EV charging
- Movie theaters
- Live entertainment
Q2 2024: Amazon and Whole Foods, restaurants, and hotels
The Chase Freedom® and Chase Freedom Flex® 5% bonus categories for Q2 2024 were Amazon (including Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods), hotels, and restaurants.
During this quarter, Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders earned 9% back on hotels booked via Chase Travel℠ by stacking the rotating bonus with the card's built-in 5x on hotels booked via Chase Travel℠. Similarly, flights booked during this time earned 7% per dollar, thanks to the bonus 2% this card earns on travel: 1% base cash back + 2% cash back for travel + 4% additional cash back per dollar spent on a Q2 rotating category.
Q1 2024: Groceries, gym/fitness, self-care and spas
The bonus categories for Q1 2024 were grocery stores, fitness and gym club memberships, self-care and spa services.
2023
The quarterly bonus categories for 2023 were:
- Q1: Grocery stores, Target, and fitness club and gym memberships
- Q2: Amazon and Lowe's
- Q3: Gas stations, EV charging, and select live entertainment
- Q4: Wholesale clubs, select charities, and PayPal
2022
- Q1: Grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target) and eBay
- Q2: Amazon and select streaming services
- Q3: Gas stations, rental car agencies, movie theaters, and select live entertainment
- Q4: Walmart and PayPal
2021
- Q1: Cable, internet, and phone services, wholesale clubs, and select streaming services
- Q2: Gas stations and home improvement stores
- Q3: Grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target) and select streaming services
- Q4: Walmart and PayPal
2020
- Q1: Gas stations, internet, cable, and phone services, select streaming services
- Q2: Grocery stores, fitness club and gym memberships, select streaming services
- Q3: Amazon and Whole Foods purchases
- Q4: Walmart and PayPal
2019
- Q1: Gas stations, tolls, drugstores
- Q2: Grocery stores and home improvement stores
- Q3: Select streaming services and gas stations
- Q4: Department stores, PayPal, and Chase Pay
Tips for maximizing rewards
There are many ways for Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom® cardholders to further maximize their earnings.
Strategic spending in bonus categories
Legacy Chase Freedom® cardholders will earn a flat rate of 1% on all purchases outside of the designated $1,500 bonus categories each quarter. However, Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders have much more opportunity to double-dip or even triple-dip on rewards.
Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders earn bonus points on the following purchases:
- 5x points on travel booked through Chase Travel℠ including airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and excursions
- 3x points on restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3x points at drugstores
- 1x points on everything else
Combining cards for more rewards
Chase-branded credit cards are particularly flexible when it comes to pooling and maximizing rewards. Points earned on the Chase Freedom Flex® and the Chase Freedom® can be transferred to certain travel credit cards for significantly higher value.
The top cards for bonus value are the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Each Ultimate Rewards point is worth 1.5 cents when redeemed for travel through Chase using the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, while points transferred to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card are worth 1.25 cents apiece.
You can learn more about which card is right for you in our comparison of the Chase Freedom cards.
Chase Freedom Flex card details
The Chase Freedom Flex® tops Business Insider's list of the best 5% cash-back credit cards — and these rotating bonus categories are why.
In addition to earning 5% back (5x points) on quarterly bonus categories, the Chase Freedom Flex® earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 5% back on Lyft rides through March 2025, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores, and 1% back on everything else.
The Chase Freedom Flex® is marketed as a cash-back card. But if you also have a Chase card that earns transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can combine rewards between the two cards and transfer them to Chase's airline and hotel partners.
The Chase Freedom Flex® is a no-annual-fee credit card. But it does charge foreign transaction fees, so don't use it for international purchases.
The Chase Freedom Flex® is currently offering $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
If you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can transfer your bonus to travel partners like United Airlines, Hyatt, and Marriott.
5% cash back credit card alternatives
If you want to explore other options before committing to the Chase Freedom Flex®, there's a very similar Chase card to check out, as well as cash-back credit cards from other issuers that offer different bonus category structures.
Also with quarterly bonus categories: Discover it Cash Back
$0
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
Earn Unlimited Cashback Match®
Good to Excellent
- From January 1 to March 31, 2025, earn 5% cash back at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%
- Discover will match your cash back earned at the end of your first account year
- No annual fee
- Cap on how much bonus cash back you can earn each quarter
- If the quarterly categories aren't convenient for you, you can earn more cash back with a different card
The Discover it® Cash Back is one of the best credit cards that offers 5% back on popular rotating categories up to a spending limit. Your rewards are matched by Discover after the first 12 months, and the card has no annual fee.
Discover it Cash Back- Intro Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
- Apply and you could get a decision in as little as 60 seconds. No annual fee.
- Start shopping and earning rewards in minutes with our digital card, before your physical card arrives in the mail, if eligible.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. Activate by mobile app for free.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 18.24% to 27.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- Terms and conditions apply.
This Discover it® Cash Back doesn't offer the ability to convert cash back into points for travel, but it does offer different 5% bonus categories each quarter of the year as well (from January 1 to March 31, 2025, earn 5% cash back at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%).
The Discover it® Cash Back earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter when you activate the bonus categories. This earning rate is similar to that of the Chase Freedom Flex®, so Discover it® Cash Back cardholders max out at $75 back each quarter, or up to $300 back each year.
The card has no annual fee, and earns 1% back on all other purchases. New cardholders will get all their cash back matched at the end of their first year, so if you earned $500 back total, Discover would match that for a total of $1,000 back (from January 1 to March 31, 2025, earn 5% cash back at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%). You can read our Discover it Cash Back card review for all the details.
Discover now releases its categories before each quarter. For Q4 2024, these categories include Amazon and Target. Here's the Discover cash-back calendar.
Earn 5% on your top eligible monthly spending category: Citi Custom Cash℠ Card
$0
0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months
18.24% - 28.24% Variable
Earn $200 cash back (fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points)
Excellent, Good, Fair
- Flexibility to customize rewards by earning 5% cash back on up to $500 per billing cycle in your top spending category (from a list)
- Generous welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for or track
- Redeem for cash back, travel, gift cards, and more
- Only earns 1% back outside of $500 in top spending category each billing cycle
- Foreign transaction fee of 3%
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers a solid welcome bonus and 5% cash back on up to $500 in purchases in your top spending category every billing cycle. There's no annual fee and you won't need to keep track of rotating bonus categories, but keep in mind it only earns 1% back outside of your highest spend category each month.
Citi Custom Cash CardThe Citi Custom Cash℠ Card makes it easy to earn 5% cash back (5x Citi ThankYou points) without having to keep track of rotating categories or remembering to activate a bonus. Cardholders earn 5% back on up to $500 in spending (then 1%) on the eligible category they spend the most in that billing cycle.
Categories that qualify include:
- Restaurants
- Gas stations
- Grocery stores
- Select travel
- Select transit
- Select streaming services
- Drugstores
- Home improvement stores
- Fitness clubs
- Live entertainment
The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card offers a welcome bonus of $200 cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. If you also have the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or the Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants), you can pool your points and transfer them to Citi's airline and hotel transfer partners, which include JetBlue and Singapore Airlines.
Find out more in our Citi Custom Cash card review.
A strong Chase alternative: Chase Freedom Unlimited
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
19.49% - 28.24% Variable
Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy
Good to Excellent
- Solid flat cash-back rate
- You can combine cash-back rewards with Ultimate Rewards points if you have an eligible card
- No annual fee
- Some other cards offer a higher rate of cash back on certain types of purchases
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great choice for credit card beginners and experts alike. With no annual fee and a high earnings rate, it's worth considering as an everyday card — and it's even better when you pair it with an annual-fee Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Chase Freedom Unlimited- Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
- Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
- After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.49% - 28.24%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
If you don't want to keep track of quarterly bonus categories, you may want to consider Chase's other cash-back Freedom card instead.
The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 5% back on Lyft rides through March 2025, 3% cash back on dining and at drugstores, and 1.5% back on everything else with no limit. If you're a new cardholder, you can currently earn additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
Cash back earned on the Chase Freedom Unlimited® can also be transferred to Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points, so you could be earning at least 1.5x points on all your purchases — a very solid return on spending. Here's our Chase Freedom Unlimited review to learn more.
Chase Freedom 5% cash back frequently asked questions
In Q1 2025, Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders earn 5% back on groceries, gyms, spa services, and Norwegian Cruise fares on up to $1500 in combined purchases ($75 cash back).
Cardholders earn 5% cash back, in the form of Ultimate Rewards points, in bonus categories every quarter. The bonus categories are announced two weeks before the quarter begins and are capped at up to $1,500 for a total of $75 cash back in value.
Chase's 5% cash back categories rotate every quarter. In Q1 2025, the bonus categories are groceries, gyms, spa services, and Norwegian Cruise Line fare.
Yes, you must activate the bonus categories each quarter to qualify for 5% cashback. Activate the promotion via the Chase website or mobile app up to two weeks before the end of the quarter for bonuses to retroactively apply to all eligible transactions during the promotion period.
No, you cannot earn 5% cash back on bonus categories after you've reached a combined $1,500 across the quarter's bonus categories. However, you can continue to earn extra points per dollar spent if you use your Chase Freedom Flex® on eligible purchases such as restaurants, travel, and gas.
There are several ways to maximize Chase 5% cash back bonuses. You can set calendar reminders to use the card on bonus categories throughout the quarter, or use an app for tracking credit card rewards to help you track which card to use when checking out.
