Chase Freedom Flex 2023 bonus categories

Chase has long been a top issuer of cash back credit cards that earn cardmembers rewards on a diverse range of products and services. The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex℠*, in particular, earns:

• 5 percent cash back on activated bonus category purchases each quarter (on up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1 percent back)
• 5 percent cash back on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• 5 percent cash back on Lyft rides (through March 2025)
• 3 percent cash back on dining and drugstore purchases
• 1 percent cash back on all other purchases

While the original Chase Freedom®* credit card is no longer available to new applicants, the issuer recently announced its Q4 bonus categories for 2023, which still apply to existing Freedom cardmembers.

From October 2023 through December 2023, Freedom Flex and existing Freedom cardmembers can earn 5 percent cash back at wholesale clubs, select charities and PayPal.

Freedom Flex 2023 cash back bonus calendar

The first step to maximizing your bonus category rewards is keeping up with the Freedom Flex rewards calendar. There are new categories every quarter, and Chase announces them shortly before the quarter begins.

Here’s a look at Chase’s bonus categories for 2022 and 2023, so you can get an idea of what to expect each year:

How to activate your Chase bonus categories

Bonus categories must be activated each quarter to receive the full 5 percent cash back, and you can ensure they’re activated in a number of ways. For Q4, the activation window opens Sept. 15, 2023.

One of the easiest activation methods is to use the Chase Mobile app. You can also activate rewards through your account hub, by phone, by email or at a designated Chase location. If you need a reminder to activate, try setting one in your calendar to make sure you don’t miss out on any rewards categories.

Once you’ve activated a category, you’ll earn 5 percent cash back on all category purchases during the quarter — even those made before activation that quarter — for up to the $1,500 quarterly purchase maximum, then 1 percent back. If you have multiple Chase accounts, be sure you activate categories for each of them.

Maximize this quarter’s bonus categories

The Q4 Chase Freedom Flex bonus categories for 2023 reward purchases made at wholesale clubs, select charities and PayPal. Here’s how to maximize your rewards this quarter:

• Stock up on food, household items and holiday shopping at wholesale clubs.
• Give back this season with a donation to an eligible charity like the American Red Cross, Equal Justice Initiative or Feeding America, among many others.
• Check out with PayPal when shopping online to earn a boosted rate of cash back for this quarter.

Other Chase Freedom Flex benefits

Freedom Flex cardholders have access to the following perks, among others:

• Cellphone protection. If you use your Freedom Flex to pay your monthly cellphone bill, you’ll be covered for damage or theft of up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per year. A maximum of two claims in a 12-month period and a $50 deductible per claim applies.
• Travel insurance. With your Freedom Flex, you’ll receive both trip cancellation and interruption insurance, along with travel and emergency assistance services.
• DashPass membership. Your first three months of membership to DoorDash’s delivery service are free. After that, you’re automatically enrolled in the service with a 50 percent discount for nine more months. If you frequently order in, the savings from $0 delivery fees can quickly add up. Note, this offer must be activated by Dec. 31, 2024.

For more in-depth information on card perks, read through our Chase Freedom Flex benefits guide.

Comparison: Chase Freedom Flex rotating categories vs. Discover it® Cash Back bonus categories

The Discover it® Cash Back also offers rotating bonus categories. You can earn a total of 5 percent cash back on up to $1,500 in bonus category purchases per quarter (activation required; then 1 percent), plus 1 percent cash back on everything else.

In previous years, Discover announced its full year of bonus categories in advance, but the issuer has switched to a quarter-by-quarter cadence. Here are the Discover it® Cash Back bonus categories for Q4 2023:

• October through December 2023: Amazon.com and Target

Chase and Discover both like to reward similar types of spending, with grocery stores, gas stations and drugstores as some of the most popular and repetitive categories year after year. You’ll also frequently see major retailers like Amazon and Target each year.

The one big difference between Discover’s program and Chase’s program is that, with the Discover it® Cash Back, you’ll only earn 5 percent cash back on rotating bonus category purchases after you activate (on up to $1,500 in bonus category purchases per quarter, then 1 percent). With Chase, you’ll earn 5 percent cash back on all bonus category purchases made within the designated quarter — even if you don’t activate your bonus categories until the deadline, which is usually pretty forgiving. No matter which cash back card you choose, make sure you activate those categories to avoid losing out on rewards.

There’s one more thing you need to know about the Discover it® Cash Back: Discover’s Cashback Match program will match all the cash back you earn at the end of your first year as a cardholder. Say you max out your bonus category spending and earn $75 cash back per quarter for the entire year. Discover will match your $300 in annual earnings with another $300 in cash back rewards at the end of the first year.

Comparison: Chase Freedom Flex rotating categories vs. Citi Custom Cash Card bonus categories

The Citi Custom Cash® Card doesn’t have rotating categories like the Freedom Flex, but it does deliver a new way to earn 5 percent cash back on changing categories. Instead of activating quarterly categories, you’ll automatically earn 5 percent cash back in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle (on up to $500, then 1 percent back). All other purchases earn 1 percent cash back.

At the end of the billing cycle, you’ll earn 5 percent cash back on purchases within one of these 10 categories — whichever you spent the most in that billing cycle:

• Restaurants
• Gas stations
• Grocery stores
• Select travel
• Select transit
• Select streaming services
• Drugstores
• Home improvement stores
• Fitness clubs
• Live entertainment

Where the Citi Custom Cash wins

The Citi Custom Cash is a lower-maintenance card since you won’t need to wait for specific bonus categories or activation dates. The same roster of 5 percent bonus categories is set in stone year-round.

Granted, you can’t formally select which bonus category you want each billing cycle, but you can track your spending to make the most of a category in a given billing cycle (and save larger expenses for another rewards card that carries no spending cap).

Speaking of available categories, you’ll also get a wider variety of purchases that may be eligible to earn 5 percent cash back with the Citi Custom Cash. The Freedom Flex and other 5 percent rotating bonus category cards typically have around seven or eight bonus categories throughout the year instead of the Custom Cash card’s 10. Though, it’s worth noting that many rotating category cards are now offering nine to 11 categories each year.

Where the Chase Freedom Flex wins

The Freedom Flex’s 5 percent rotating category structure does have a few advantages over the Custom Cash card’s rewards style. Most apparent is that the Freedom Flex bonus categories don’t have a spending cap for each billing cycle. Instead of a $500 spending cap each billing cycle, you’ll get a $1,500 spending cap each quarter. While each card’s total quarterly spending cap is equal, the Freedom Flex’s approach makes it easier to maximize cash back if you have a bigger purchase one month or a billing cycle with lots of expenses.

Further, the Freedom Flex typically has two or three 5 percent bonus categories each quarter, which is especially helpful for smaller categories, like streaming services. The card’s categories also tend to be a bit more diverse according to the season. For instance, you’ll usually earn heightened rewards on major online retailers, like Amazon.com, each year, but the Citi Custom Cash doesn’t earn rewards on online shopping at all.

Although the Custom Cash’s categories are geared more toward everyday spending and have rare offerings like rewards on live entertainment, you’ll probably only earn boosted cash back on grocery store purchases or other high-spend categories (like dining) each billing cycle, especially if it’s your primary credit card.

How to redeem rewards with Freedom Flex

In order to redeem rewards, your account must be open and in good standing. Rewards are technically tracked as Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and each dollar earned in cash back is equal to 100 points. Cash back can be redeemed as a statement credit or a direct deposit into an eligible checking or savings account at a U.S. bank. Your cash back rewards should show up immediately in your credit card account once redeemed. When you check your statement, you’ll see bonus category rewards listed as something like “Bonus from Q4 5 percent category.” As long as your account is open and in good standing, your points won’t expire.

Note that you can also redeem your points for travel via Chase Ultimate Rewards, gift cards and shopping with points at Amazon.com.

Alternatively, pairing the Freedom Flex with a more premium Chase credit card — such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® — has the potential to boost your redemption value between 25 percent and 50 percent if you redeem your points for travel through the Chase portal. Both of these premium cards charge an annual fee, however, so be sure your return in cash back will be worth the annual investment before you apply.

The bottom line

The Chase Freedom Flex is a stellar cash back option if you have good to excellent credit and plan to use your card to make a variety of purchases. Still, check out Bankrate’s picks for the best cash back credit cards for 2023 to see if there’s another cash back card that would be a better fit for you.

*The information about the Chase Freedom® and Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The issuer did not provide the content, nor is it responsible for its accuracy.