Chase Freedom Flex℠ cashback rewards calendar 2021

Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a strong credit card for earning 5% cash back on multiple categories. The catch: You must activate the 5% cashback categories every three months, and you’re capped at $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter. For all other purchases, you earn unlimited 1% cash back.

What is the cashback category for January to March 2021?

Wholesale clubs, select streaming services, Internet, cable and phone services are the new 5% cashback category in the January through March 2021 quarter. Wholsale clubs last appeared in the final quarter of 2018, while the other categories appeared during the same quarter in 2020.

Chase Freedom Flex℠ 2020 cashback calendar

Quarters	January–March 2021	April–June 2020	July–September 2020	October–December 2020
Primary 5% category	Wholesale clubs	Grocery stores — excludes Walmart and Target	Amazon.com	Walmart
5% sub category	Select streaming services, Internet, cable and phone services	Fitness club and gym membership	Whole Foods Market	PayPal

What were the card’s previous quarterly categories?

One of the exciting things about Chase Freedom Flex℠ is that its bonus categories aren’t set in stone. The categories change every quarter, which is a three-month period. If you’d like to read the tea leaves and try to predict what’s coming next, check out this chart to see previous bonus categories.

Year	Quarter	5% categories
2020	January-March	Gas stations Internet, cable and phone services Qualifying streaming services
	April-June	Grocery stores Gym memberships/fitness clubs Qualifying streaming services
	July-September	Amazon.com Whole Foods Market
	October-December	Walmart PayPal
2019	January-March	Gas stations Drug stores Tolls
	April-June	Grocery stores Home improvement
	July-September	Gas stations Streaming services
	October-December	Chase Pay PayPal Department stores
2018	January-March	Mobile wallets Gas stations Internet, cable and phone service providers
	April-June	Groceries PayPal Chase Pay
	July-September	Lyft Walgreens Gas stations
	October-December	Wholesale clubs Department stores Chase Pay
2017	January-March	Gas stations Local commuter transportation
	April-June	Grocery stores Drug stores
	July-September	Restaurants Movie theaters
	October-December	Walmart Department stores
2016	January-March	Gas stations Local commuter transportation
	April-June	Grocery stores Wholesale clubs
	July-September	Restaurants Wholesale clubs
	October-December	Wholesale clubs Drug stores Department stores
2015	January-March	Grocery stores Movie theaters Starbucks
	April-June	Restaurants Bed, Bath & Beyond H&M Overstock.com
	July-September	Gas stations Kohl’s
	October-December	Amazon.com Zappos.com Audible.com Diapers.com
2014	January-March	Gas stations Movie theaters Starbucks
	April-June	Restaurants Lowe’s
	July-September	Gas stations Kohl’s
	October-December	Amazon.com Zappos.com Department stores

Steps to activate your Chase Freedom Flex℠ cashback categories

Getting 5% cash back on your purchases is a solid deal. But you must activate each category to get your rewards.

When to activate

You can activate your Chase Freedom Flex℠ cashback categories two weeks before the quarter starts until the 14th day of the final month of the quarter.
This means for the January through March quarter, you can activate the 5% category now or by Sunday, March 14, and get cash back retroactively on all qualifying purchases.

How to activate

Choose among four ways to activate your categories:

• Visit the Chase Freedom Flex℠ or Chase Ultimate Rewards website. Provide your email and get notifications when it’s time to activate
• Call the number on the back of your card
• Visit a Chase bank branch
• Use an ATM while making a cash withdrawal if you’re a Chase checking customer

What counts as a 5% cashback category purchase?

Up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter in the accelerated categories earn 5% cash back. After that, and for everything else you buy, you earn 1% cash back. If you maximize your categories, you can earn $300 annually on these categories alone.

Compare cashback credit cards

Tips to maximize your Chase rewards

• Clear the signup bonus.
  Spend $500 on purchases within your first 3 months of card membership to earn bonus cash back. Plus earn 5% cash back at grocery stores on up to in the first year.
• Add an authorized user.
  Another cardmember on your account can help you quickly clear the signup bonus and reach the 5% cap on quarterly categories.
• Pair your card.
  The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is an excellent credit card by itself. But pair it with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for a solid points-earning combo.
• Transfer your points.
  If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, transfer your points to that card for redemption through Chase Ultimate Rewards at 25% higher value. Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® let you transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio with Chase hotel and airline partners.
• Link your card to PayPal.
  Quickly reach the cap when PayPal is listed in the 5% categories.
• Use a digital wallet.
  When Chase Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or a similar service is listed in the quarterly categories, use them to pay for purchases that otherwise don’t fall into the category for 5% back, instead of the base 1%.

Bottom line

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ can be a solid choice if you’re looking to get the highest cash back on multiple categories that rotate throughout the year. It can be an even better choice if you pair it with either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to maximize your rewards.

If you use a digital wallet — especially Chase Pay — you can earn 5% cash back on categories that aren’t listed in the quarters. Similar cashback cards don’t have this option.

Not sure if this card is right for you? Consider other cashback credit cards to find the strongest you’re eligible for.
The 3 types of cashback credit cards explained

Frequently asked questions

• What can I redeem my points for?

  Redeem your points for:

  • Cash as a statement credit or direct deposit into most US checking and savings accounts
  • Amazon.com purchases after you’ve linked your card to your Amazon account
  • Gift cards
  • Travel bookings
• Do I need to activate the 5% categories if I have multiple Chase Freedom Flex cards?
  Yes, you must activate the categories on all cards to earn accelerated cash back.
• Which digital wallet purchases get 5% cash back?
  Every purchase you make with your Chase Freedom Flex℠ card through Chase Pay, Google Pay, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay at checkout will earn 5% back if you’re enrolled in the quarterly category.