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 Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex® cashback credit cards. A new set of quarterly bonus categories are on the way.
The latest update on these bonus categories covers July 1 through Sept. 30, 2026, including:
- Gas stations and EV charging
- Public transit
- Select live entertainment
- Donations to United Way®
Overall, Chase delivered a pretty solid array of options for earning bonus points this coming quarter. With summer roadtrip season upon us – and the price of gas what it is – many travelers will no doubt appreciate earning 5% back at the pump. And even if you don't plan to drive much this summer, you'll still earn 5% back on public transit.
Meanwhile, the live entertainment category could be quite useful in its own right. This includes things like major sporting events, zoos and aquariums, concerts, theatrical productions, museums, tourist attractions and exhibits, amusement parks, circuses, carnivals, bands, and entertainers. Ticket agencies selling on behalf of the entertainment venue are also included.
Keep reading for more information on these categories, how to use them, and why it might be worth keeping the Chase Freedom Flex® card in your wallet.
- Chase Freedom & Freedom Flex Q3 2026 Bonus Categories
- The Basics of the Chase Freedom Flex Card
- Looking for Points Instead of Cash Back?
- What You Need to Know About the Chase Freedom Flex Card
- How to Activate Chase Freedom Categories Each Quarter
- How Much Cash Back Can You Earn Each Quarter?
- Previous 5x Bonus Chase Freedom Categories
Chase Freedom & Freedom Flex Q3 2026 Bonus Categories
For the third quarter of 2026 (July through September), the new bonus categories are for spending at gas stations and EV charging, public transit, select live entertainment, and donations to United Way®.
Once you spend $1,500 across all three of those bonus categories, you'll revert to earning just 1% cash back (or 1x Ultimate Rewards points) until July 2026 – when the next set of bonus categories will go live – with the exception of Chase Travel, which typically earns 5% back (or 5x Ultimate Rewards).
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 now!
So long as you register by Sept. 14, 2026, any purchases you made in one of these bonus categories since July 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 cashback 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 on select purchases.
You'll also earn 5% back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠ and 3% back on several other categories like drugstores and dining purchases.
Note that the Chase Freedom Flex charges foreign transaction fees, so it's best to take advantage of the dining bonus at restaurants in the U.S.
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 also 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 Chase Ultimate Rewards per dollar spent on the bonus categories from the Freedom Flex card.
That's a great deal, and it makes the 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
- Earn 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠.
- Earn 2% cash back on Lyft rides through September 2027.
- 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 ahead of time 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 |
|---|---|
| Q2 2026 | Amazon, Chase Travel, and Feeding America® |
| Q1 2026 | Dining, Norwegian Cruise Line, The American Heart Association |
| Q4 2025 | Old Navy, Chase Travel℠, and department stores |
| Q3 2025 | Instacart, gas stations, EV charging stations, and select live entertainment. |
| Q2 2025 | Amazon, and select streaming services |
| Q1 2025 | grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), Norwegian Cruise Line, fitness clubs & gym memberships, and hair, nails, & spa services |
| 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 |
Bottom Line
The Chase Freedom Flex card (along with the old Chase Freedom) offers 5% cash back (or 5x Ultimate Rewards) on up to $1,500 spent in rotating quarterly categories. The upcoming bonus categories for Q3 of 2026 are gas stations and EV charging, public transit, select live entertainment, and donations to United Way®.
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 Sept. 14 to avoid missing out.
The original Chase Freedom is a Visa card so you can use it at Costco. It’s still available when doing a downgrade. I downgraded my Reserve to it last year. You just have to ask for it.
The Capital One Venture and Capital One Venture X are better cards to use at Costco since these Visa cards earn 2X points at Costco and Capital One and also have a decent set of transfer partners.