A new set of quarterly bonus categories for the Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex® cashback credit cards are on the way.
Every quarter, Chase mixes up the spending categories in which you can earn a 5% cash back bonus (or 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points) on up to $1,500 of spending on the card. Some quarters are easier than others.
The latest update on these Chase Freedom bonus categories for Q1 of 2025 includes grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), Norwegian Cruise Line, fitness clubs & gym memberships, and hair, nails, & spa services.
Keep reading for more information on these categories, how to put them to use, and why it might be worth sticking the Chase Freedom Flex® card in your wallet.
Chase Freedom & Freedom Flex Q1 2025 Bonus Categories
For the first quarter of 2025 (January-March), the new bonus categories are for spending at grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), Norwegian Cruise Line, fitness clubs & gym memberships, and hair, nails, & spa services.
Making your Freedom or Freedom Flex card the one you reach for when buying groceries is an easy way to maximize this quarter’s bonus categories. With that category alone, many people will have no trouble maxing this offer out.
You’ll also earn 5% cash back at fitness clubs and on gym memberships, so switching your monthly autopay over to your Freedom card at the start of the year might not be a bad idea. Other 5% categories include Norwegian Cruise Lines, as well as hair, nails, and spa services. You can find a full list of what counts and doesn’t count as a purchase in this bonus category on the Chase website.
Once you spend $1,500 across those bonus categories, you’ll revert to earning just 1% cash back (or 1x Ultimate Rewards points) until April 2025. That’s when the next set of bonus categories will go live.
You must activate these new Chase Freedom bonus spending categories to earn the additional cash back. Registration for the new categories is now open: Just head to the Chase bonus activation page to activate them.
So long as you register by March 14, 2025, any purchases you made in one of these bonus categories since January will get you 5% back.
The Basics of the Chase Freedom Flex Card
If you aren’t familiar with the Chase Freedom Flex® credit card, it’s a phenomenal cash back card with no annual fee.
That’s largely because of these rotating quarterly categories, in which you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 of spending each and every quarter.
You’ll also earn 5% back on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal and 3% back on several other categories like drugstores and dining purchases.
Looking for Points Instead of Cash Back?
If you’re after more Chase Ultimate Rewards points instead of cash back, you’re in luck.
So long as you hold a *chase sapphire preferred* or a *chase sapphire reserve* credit card, the cash back you earn from the Freedom cards can easily be moved into your Ultimate Rewards points balance. Every cent of cash back gets you 1 Chase point instead.
That means you can effectively earn 5x Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent on the bonus categories from the Freedom Flex card.
That’s a great deal and it makes the Chase Freedom Flex card the perfect complement to the Sapphire credit cards, as you’ll earn more on these bonus categories (and others) than you would by simply swiping your Sapphire card.
Read more: How to Transfer Points Between Your Chase Cards
What You Need to Know About the Chase Freedom Flex Card
- Sign-Up Bonus: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 in the first three months of card membership. The $200 can be converted to 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points if you carry either the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories: The bonus categories for Q1 2025 are grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), Norwegian Cruise Line, fitness clubs & gym memberships, and hair, nails, & spa services. These new categories go live Jan. 1, 2025.
- Earn 5% cash back on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
- Earn 5% cash back on Lyft rides through March 2025.
- Earn 3% cash back on dining, including takeout and delivery services.
- Earn 3% cash back at drugstores.
- No annual fee!
All information about the Chase Freedom Flex was collected independently by Thrifty Traveler and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
Learn more about the Chase Freedom Flex® (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
How to Activate Chase Freedom Categories Each Quarter
The additional 5% back available for both Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex cardholders will not be automatically applied each quarter. You’ll need to register for the promotion every quarter by following this link to the Chase website.
You’ll need to enter your last name, your billing zip code, and the last four digits of your credit card number. Then click “Activate Now” to register. It’s that easy.
Cardholders can also register using the Chase mobile app.
How Much Cash Back Can You Earn Each Quarter?
Chase limits the amount of cash back you can earn each quarter. And it’s a combined amount across all Chase Freedom bonus categories, meaning you’ll only be able to earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in total spend.
That means if you maximize the 5% back categories each quarter, you’ll earn $75 in cash back. Transfer that cash back to Chase Ultimate Rewards, and you get 7,500 points.
So if you were to maximize the bonus categories each quarter, you could earn a total of $300 cash back (or 30,000 Ultimate Rewards points) every calendar year.
Previous 5x Bonus Chase Freedom Categories
Here’s a quick look at what the Chase Freedom Flex and legacy Chase Freedom bonus categories have been in previous quarters. As you can see, categories vary widely throughout the year. But generally, they are categories that should fit fairly well into your everyday spending patterns.
| Quarter | 5x Bonus Categories |
|---|---|
| Q4 2024 | McDonald’s, PayPal, pet shops & vet services, and select charities |
| Q3 2024 | Gas stations, EV charging, select live entertainment and movie theaters |
| Q2 2024 | Hotels, restaurants and Amazon.com |
| Q1 2024 | Grocery stores, gym memberships, and self-care and spa services |
| Q4 2023 | PayPal, wholesale clubs, and select charities |
| Q3 2023 | Gas stations, EV charging, and select live entertainment |
| Q2 2023 | Amazon and Lowe’s |
| Q1 2023 | Target, grocery stores (excluding Walmart), fitness clubs, and gym memberships |
| Q4 2022 | Paypal and Walmart |
| Q3 2022 | Gas stations, car rental agencies, movie theaters, and select live entertainment. |
| Q2 2022 | Amazon.com and select streaming services |
| Q1 2022 | Grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target) and eBay |
| Q4 2021 | Walmart & PayPal |
| Q3 2021 | Grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target) and select streaming services |
| Q2 2021 | Gas stations and home improvement stores |
| Q1 2021 | Wholesale Clubs, Streaming Services, Internet, Cable & Phone Service |
| Q4 2020 | Walmart & PayPal |
| Q3 2020 | Amazon, Whole Foods Market |
| Q2 2020 | Grocery stores, gym memberships, streaming services |
| Q1 2020 | Gas stations, internet, cable, & streaming services |
Bottom Line
The Chase Freedom Flex card (along with the old Chase Freedom) offer 5% cash back (or 5x Ultimate Rewards) on up to $1,500 spent in rotating quarterly categories. The upcoming bonus categories for Q1 of 2025 are grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), Norwegian Cruise Line, fitness clubs & gym memberships, and hair, nails, & spa services.
If you can maximize the categories each quarter, you’ll earn an extra $75 cash back (or 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points). Make sure to activate the offer on Chase’s website before March 14 so that you don’t miss out.
