- Earn 5% back on Amazon and select streaming services in Q2 2025.
- Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders should enroll for bonus cash back by June 14, 2025.
- Competitor Discover earns 5% cash back on groceries and wholesale clubs like Sam's Club and BJ's.
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.
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
18.99% - 28.49% 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 FlexQ2 2025 Chase Freedom bonus categories
In Q2 2025, Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders earn 5% back on the first $1,500 cumulatively spent on Amazon and select streaming services for a total of $75 cash back.
Q2 2025 falls between April 1 and June 30.
Chase Freedom Flex® and legacy Chase Freedom® cardholders can activate bonus categories online or through their Chase account until June 14, 2025. Once activated, the bonus retroactively applies to all eligible purchases made between April 1 and June 30, 2025.
2025 rotating categories calendar
Qualifying purchases made during the bonus period earn 5% cash back per dollar: 1 base point, plus 4 bonus points.
Q2 2025: Amazon and select streaming services
The Chase Freedom® and Chase Freedom Flex® 5% bonus categories for Q2 2025 are:
Amazon
Amazon aficionados can get 5% back on everything Amazon this quarter including gift cards, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Prime subscriptions, items sold by third-party merchants, and Whole Foods purchases online and in-store.
Some purchases are excluded from the 5% cash back promotion:
- Merchants using Amazon Pay
- Amazon or Whole Foods international sites
- Whole Foods Market products or services through third-party sites such as Eventbrite, Instacart, Google Express and Shipt,
- Online purchases of Whole Foods Market (including through buyatab.com), event tickets or classes,
- Third-party or massage services through Whole Foods Market sites
- Purchases from Spa@Ink
Select streaming services
Cardholders also earn 5% cash back on subscriptions to the following services:
- Apple Music
- Disney+
- ESPN+
- Fubo TV
- HBO Max
- Hulu
- Netflix
- Pandora
- Paramount+
- Peacock
- Showtime
- SiriusXM
- Sling
- Spotify
- Vudu
- YouTube TV
Purchases other than subscription services, such as music or video downloads, equipment, and gift cards, are not included.
June only: internet, cable, and phone
In June, cardholders can earn 5% cash back on payments for services related to internet, cable, satellite TV and radio, cellphones, wireless data, and landlines. Equipment purchases do not qualify.
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, earned 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 included 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
Hair care, nail care, and spas
Qualifying purchases in this category included spa and salon services:
- Hair care
- Nail care
- Massages
- Spa treatments
- Manicures
- Tanning
- Barber and salon services
Norwegian Cruise Line purchases
This category included 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.
March bonus: Insurance payments and tax preparation services
Cardholders also earned 5% cash back on insurance payments and tax preparation services in March 2025.
How to earn 5% cash back with Chase Freedom
The Chase Freedom Flex® earns 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® (no longer available to new applicants) bonus categories as earning either 5% back or 5 points per dollar.
Participating cardholders can earn $75 back — 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points — each quarter if they max out the $1,500 cap on combined bonus spending.
Don't forget: Enroll to activate 5% cash back
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.
But 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. You'll receive an email prompting you to activate the promotion through your online account.
It's really easy to activate 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.
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.
Chase Freedom bonus categories 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.
Past bonus categories
2025
The quarterly bonus categories for 2025 were:
- Q1: Groceries, gyms and fitness, salon and spa services, and Norwegian Cruise Line purchases
2024
The quarterly bonus categories for 2024 were:
- Q1: Grocery stores, gyms and fitness, self-care, and spas
- Q2: Amazon and Whole Foods, restaurants, and hotels
- Q3: Gas and EV charging, movie theaters, and live entertainment
- Q4: Paypal, pet care, select charities, and McDonald's
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
How to maximize 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 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:
- 5 points per dollar on travel booked through Chase Travel℠ including airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and excursions
- 3 points on restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3 points at drugstores
- 1 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 rotating categories 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 , 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
18.99% - 28.49% Variable
Limited Time Offer: Earn a $250 bonus
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- Limited Time Intro Offer: Earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 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; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% 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 18.99% - 28.49%.
- 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 $250 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
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.
FAQs
What are Chase Freedom Q2 2025 categories?
In Q2 2025, Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders earn 5% back on Amazon and select streaming services, with a bonus category of internet, cable, and phone services in June.
How do I earn 5% cash back with the Chase Freedom card?
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.
What types of categories qualify for 5% cash back?
Chase's 5% cash back categories rotate every quarter. In Q2 2025, the bonus categories are Amazon and select streaming services, plus internet, cable, and phone services in June only.
Do I need to sign up for the 5% cash back every quarter?
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.
Can I earn 5% cash back on purchases beyond the $1,500 quarterly limit?
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.
What are some strategies to maximize my 5% cash back earnings?
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.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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