The Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card is among the hottest no-annual-fee cash-back bank cards available on the market. That’s due partly to its distinctive rewards program, which pays as much as 5% money again on choose purchases.
The centerpiece of that 5% cash-back tier is a set of quarterly rotating bonus spending classes. These classes are usually well-liked and broad: assume “gasoline stations” and “residence enchancment shops” moderately than “Valero” or “House Depot.” These classes are inclined to recur over time, with favorites like “gasoline stations” showing yearly or two.
Right here’s your cheat sheet to plan your bonus cash-back spending for the subsequent couple quarters, plus a glance again at the newest quarters to offer you an thought of what to anticipate farther sooner or later.
Chase Freedom 5% Money-Again Calendar for 2023
Chase usually releases its 5% cash-back classes a month or two prematurely of the quarter’s first day. That offers you some discover to plan massive purchases prematurely, but it surely’s not sufficient headway for annual planning.
With that in thoughts, that is what we find out about Freedom Flex’s 5% cash-back calendar for 2023 up to now:
| Quarter of 2023 | 5% Money-Again Classes | Activate By |
| Q1 (January 1 – March 31) | Grocery shops excluding Goal and Walmart, health membership & fitness center memberships | March 14 |
| Q2 (April 1 – June 30) | Not but introduced | June 14 |
| Q3 (July 1 – September 30) | Not but introduced | September 14 |
| This fall (October 1 – December 31) | Not but introduced | December 14 |
For historic perspective, these had been Chase’s 5% bonus cash-back classes for 2022. Count on some to recur in 2023 and past:
| Quarter of 2022 | 5% Money-Again Classes |
| Q1 (January 1 – March 31) | Grocery shops excluding Goal and Walmart, eBay |
| Q2 (April 1 – June 30) | Amazon.com and choose streaming providers |
| Q3 (July 1 – September 30) | Fuel stations, film theaters, automotive leases, choose stay leisure |
| This fall (October 1 – December 31) | Walmart and any purchases made by way of PayPal |
Find out how to Activate Chase Freedom Flex’s Bonus Money-Again Classes
To earn a 5% cash-back bonus on as much as $1,500 in mixed class purchases this quarter, it’s essential to manually activate your bonus money again. Log into your account or open the Chase cell app and click on “Activate” close to the 5% cash-back icon.
So long as you activate by the 14th day of the quarter’s final month (that’s March 14, June 14, Sept. 14, and Dec. 14), all bonus class spending as much as the quarterly class cap earns money again retroactive to the quarter’s very first day. This can be a massive benefit over the in any other case very comparable Uncover it® Money Again Card, which doesn’t have retroactive money again.
How Chase Tracks and Calculates Money Again
The Chase Freedom Flex card’s cash-back accounting is a bit technical, however there’s not a lot math concerned.
Like most bank card issuers, Chase distinguishes between purchases eligible to earn money again and cashlike transactions, which aren’t cash-back-eligible. Examples of cashlike transactions embrace:
- Stability transfers
- Money advances, together with ATM withdrawals
- Purchases of present playing cards
- Purchases of lottery tickets, on line casino chips, and different gaming tokens
Money-back-eligible purchases embrace most internet purchases made with retailers on-line and in the actual world. “Internet purchases” means the whole transaction quantity (together with tax, if relevant) minus any refunds, reductions, or chargebacks.
All cash-back-eligible purchases earn 1% money again with no caps or restrictions on incomes potential.
Eligible purchases within the bonus classes earn a further 4% money again for a complete of 5% money again — as much as the $1,500 mixed quarterly spending restrict, after which bonus class purchases earn limitless 1% money again.
Lastly, Chase Freedom Flex’s bank card statements distinguish between 1% base money again and 4% bonus money again. So should you really feel like Chase made a tabulation error or didn’t offer you credit score for bonus money again it’s best to have earned, you’ll be able to spot it proper there in your assertion or in your on-line account.
Potential Limitations and Restrictions on Bonus Money Again
For a radical accounting of the potential restrictions and limitations on bonus money again with Chase Freedom Flex, check with the cardholder settlement and bonus program phrases on Chase’s web site.
There are some frequent hangups price noting right here although, along with the overall ban on incomes money again on cashlike transactions. 4 well-liked bonus classes deserve particular point out.
1. Fuel Stations
This class covers purchases made at gasoline stations and journey facilities, normally together with:
- Gasoline purchases made on the pump
- Gasoline purchases made inside the shop or with the attendant on obligation
- Purchases made inside comfort shops connected to gasoline stations, corresponding to snacks, drinks, and automotive provides
“Fuel station purchases” usually don’t embrace purchases made at gasoline stations related to warehouse shops like Costco or superstores like Kroger.
At automotive retailers or service stations with gasoline pumps current, purchases of auto-repair providers, automotive components, automotive washes, and different automotive services might or might not depend as “gasoline station purchases” for cash-back functions. All of it relies on the service provider class code utilized by the seller.
2. Web, Cable, and Telephone Providers
This class covers purchases made with telecommunications suppliers, Web service suppliers, telephone corporations, and cable TV suppliers. Eligible providers embrace:
- House Web service
- Landline phone service
- Mobile phone providers and knowledge plans
- Cable TV service
- Flat-rate multiservice bundles supplied by telecom corporations, like cable-Web and cable-Web-landline
Purchases of telecommunications tools, corresponding to smartphones and modems, usually didn’t qualify for bonus money again until you made them straight with eligible service suppliers as a part of a service package deal.
3. Choose Streaming Providers
This class covers purchases made with choose streaming content material suppliers, together with:
Some eligible suppliers is probably not listed right here. As a result of the streaming panorama is in fixed flux, examine with Chase for a whole record of eligible suppliers.
4. Grocery Shops
This class contains most purchases made at grocery shops and supermarkets with the notable exception of Walmart and Goal areas with grocery store sections.
Different superstores might qualify as grocery shops for Chase’s functions, corresponding to Meijer and H-E-B. However sure “grocery retailer” purchases usually don’t, even when they’re made in qualifying shops:
- Purchases from shops’ ready meals sections
- Purchases at separate eating places and cafes inside a grocery store, corresponding to Starbucks and meals courts
- Alcohol offered individually from different grocery objects, which can even be depending on state regulation
6 Tricks to Earn Extra Money Again With Chase Freedom Flex
It doesn’t matter what’s incomes 5% this quarter, use these tricks to maximize your Chase Freedom Flex Card’s bonus cash-back earnings.
1. Set a Reminder to Activate Bonus Money Again Every Quarter
When you overlook to activate your bonus classes by the center of the final month of the quarter, you received’t earn any bonus money again throughout these three months — that means you miss out on as much as $75 in bonus cash-back earnings.
Chase sends out activation reminder emails about two weeks earlier than the beginning of every quarter. Clicking the hyperlink within the electronic mail prompts your bonus money again with no sign-in required.
In any other case, set a calendar reminder for the primary day of the quarter and activate your bonus money again then. Keep in mind, bonus money again is retroactive to the start of the quarter once you activate by the 14th of its final month.
2. Keep away from Utilizing Digital Wallets or Third-Occasion Fee Apps
Chase warns that transactions made utilizing digital wallets like Apple Pay and third-party cost apps like Sq. and PayPal might code in another way than normal transactions.
If that occurs, you earn simply 1% money again, even once you purchase from bonus class retailers. To be secure, don’t use these apps for bonus class purchases until they’re explicitly included within the 5% bonus classes for the quarter.
3. Set Up Autopay With Bonus Class Retailers
Per week or two earlier than the beginning of the quarter, arrange autopay with retailers eligible for bonus money again within the coming three months.
You may normally arrange autopay with any service provider that sends you a month-to-month invoice or fees a month-to-month subscription charge. That usually contains:
- Streaming content material suppliers
- Telecommunications corporations
- Digital media suppliers
- Grocery supply providers
When you don’t need your Freedom Flex card to stay your default cost technique after the quarter ends, set a calendar reminder to take away the cardboard from every autopay vendor.
4. Plan Bonus Class Purchases in Advance
Chase reveals the approaching quarter’s cash-back classes a number of weeks — and typically longer — earlier than the quarter begins. As quickly as you understand what they’re, begin gaming out your bonus class spending for the subsequent three months.
As an illustration, if you understand residence enchancment retailer purchases will earn bonus money again subsequent quarter, you’ll be able to transfer up the beginning date of that long-planned DIY residence enchancment mission — or a minimum of purchase the provides you’re positive to want when the time comes.
This technique works finest for non-urgent purchases you don’t repeatedly make as a result of it’s simple to place these on the again burner. But it surely’s additionally efficient for important recurring spending, like your weekly grocery invoice.
Get into the behavior of grabbing your Freedom Flex card and hitting the grocery store, say, each Saturday at 9am to max out your 5% cash-back earnings for the quarter.
5. Make Main Purchases With Eligible Retailers (If It’s Value-Efficient)
When you don’t must spend extra to take action or the trouble of buying round isn’t price your time, reward bonus class retailers with enterprise you can simply as simply have given to different retailers.
As an illustration, if gasoline station spending earns 5% again this quarter and your automotive wants work, have a gasoline station mechanic deal with the restore, not a dealership or standalone restore store. On a $500 mechanic’s invoice, you’ll earn $25 money again — not a nasty low cost.
6. At all times Carry Your Freedom Flex Card With You
Lastly, hold your Freedom Flex card in your pockets always, even when it’s not your on a regular basis spending card. You by no means know once you’ll come throughout a chance to earn bonus money again.
Different Credit score Playing cards With Versatile Bonus Money-Again Classes
Chase Freedom Flex isn’t the one bank card with customizable or rotating bonus cash-back classes.
Two different well-liked cash-back playing cards have rotating or customized 5% cash-back classes: the Uncover it® Money Again Credit score Card and the Citi Customized Money℠ Card. One different has versatile 3% cash-back classes you could select: the Financial institution of America® Personalized Money Rewards Credit score Card.
Every has some similarities with Freedom Flex, particularly Uncover it Money Again. However none are carbon copies.
Uncover it Money Again Credit score Card
The Uncover it Money Again Credit score Card’s cash-back program has so much in frequent with Freedom Flex:
- Quarterly rotating 5% classes, usually one to 3 per quarter
- Bonus money again capped at $1,500 in mixed quarterly spending
- Above the cap, spending in bonus classes earns limitless 1% again
- Guide activation required every quarter
Uncover it Money Again does have a pair key variations with Freedom Flex, each good and unhealthy:
- Money again isn’t retroactive after activation, so it’s essential to activate earlier than the primary day of the quarter (or the date of your first eligible bonus class buy) to maximise your cash-back earnings
- Uncover doubles all money again earned within the first 12 months your account is open, together with bonus money again
- Different cash-back tiers are absent — no 5% again on eligible journey or 3% again at eating places and drugstores
Citi Customized Money Card
The Citi Customized Money Card has a unique method to bonus money again. Its bonus classes are everlasting, not rotating, and embrace:
- Eating places
- Fuel stations
- Choose transit
- Choose journey
- Choose streaming providers
- Drugstores
- House enchancment shops
- Dwell leisure
- Health golf equipment
- Grocery shops
Every billing cycle, you mechanically earn 5% bonus money again in your prime spending class for the interval. Citi caps month-to-month bonus money again earnings at $500 in eligible spend, or $25 in rewards, which is similar quarterly tempo as Freedom Flex and Uncover it Money Again.
As a result of it’s all automated, you don’t have to decide on your classes or manually activate them. And since the classes are functionally everlasting — they’re technically topic to alter, however they hardly ever do — you’ll be able to plan your spending farther into the longer term than with both of the rotating cash-back playing cards.
Financial institution of America Personalized Money Rewards Card
The Financial institution of America Personalized Money Rewards Card does help you select your bonus cash-back class. Your choices embrace:
- Fuel
- On-line buying
- Eating
- Journey
- Drug shops
- House enchancment/furnishings
You may select one class from this record and might change your choice as usually as as soon as monthly.
Spending in your chosen class earns 3% money again, with restrictions. Every quarter, you’ll be able to earn bonus money again on as much as $2,500 in mixed purchases in your chosen 3% categor(ies) and the cardboard’s everlasting 2% cash-back classes: grocery shops and wholesale golf equipment.
When you maximize spending in your 3% class, you’ll be able to earn $75 in bonus money again. Maybe not coincidentally, that’s the identical quarterly tempo because the Citi Customized Money, Uncover it Money Again, and Chase Freedom Flex.
Chase Freedom Flex vs. Chase Freedom: Key Variations
It has been years since Chase accepted new functions for the unique Chase Freedom Card, however some Chase loyalists nonetheless have it of their wallets. So it’s price reviewing how Chase Freedom differs from its inheritor, Chase Freedom Flex, and why Chase Freedom Flex is a greater bank card general.
How the 5% Money Again Tiers Examine
The unique Freedom card restricted 5% cash-back earnings to a handful of favored spending classes that change (rotate) every quarter. This was its solely bonus money tier. All different eligible purchases earned a flat 1% money again, which was high quality on the time however is now decidedly ungenerous.
The Freedom Flex card improves upon the unique Freedom card’s cash-back regime. It has a everlasting limitless 5% cash-back class protecting journey bought via the Chase Final Rewards journey portal, plus a separate limitless 3% cash-back tier protecting restaurant and drugstore purchases (together with CVS and Walgreens).
Each playing cards cap the quantity of rotating 5% bonus money again you’ll be able to earn every quarter at $75 throughout all rotating bonus classes, or $1,500 in complete mixed purchases. Common purchases and bonus class purchases above the quarterly spending cap earn limitless 1% money again.
Different Card Options & Advantages
Apart from the totally different cash-back scheme, the brand new Freedom Flex Credit score Card sticks fairly near the unique. Each playing cards haven’t any annual charge, and although it’s not related for the unique Freedom card anymore being that it’s closed to new candidates, each have lengthy 0% APR introductory promotions and beneficiant sign-up gives for brand spanking new cardholders.
Closing Phrase
When you can maximize your Chase Freedom Flex cash-back card’s 5% cash-back classes quarter after quarter, you earn $300 in bonus money again yearly. That’s on prime of the limitless 1% money again on common purchases should you use your Chase Freedom Flex card for on a regular basis spending, limitless 3% again on restaurant and drugstore purchases, and limitless 5% again on Chase Journey purchases.
It does take effort to take care of an ideal cash-back file with the Chase Freedom Flex℠ Card. For starters, it’s essential to bear in mind to activate your bonus classes every quarter.
You additionally must ensure you’re truly incomes bonus money again once you assume you’re — one thing that’s much less seemingly once you use a digital pockets or third-party cost app like PayPal.
And should you don’t normally spend a lot in a selected quarter’s favored classes, incomes all of your money again on purchases for that quarter may not be doable.
However for a lot of, a problem like that is simply what they should assume extra deliberately about their spending. Incomes 5% money again is a victory in and of itself, however discovering methods to swap pointless transactions for bonus class purchases you could make anyway — that’s even higher.
For an in depth overview of the Chase Freedom Flex card, try our Chase Freedom Flex bank card evaluation. Whilst you’re at it, try our evaluation of its sister card, the Chase Freedom Limitless Credit score Card.
