Chase has published their 5% Cash Back Calendar for 2025! If you hold a Chase Freedom or Chase Freedom Flex credit card (or are interested in applying for one), here is everything you need to know about taking advantage of Chase’s rotating 5% cash back categories.
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What are 5% rotating categories?
Chase Freedom & Freedom Flex cardholders receive 5% cash back on specific spending categories that rotate every quarter. This quarterly bonus is capped after spending $1,500 each quarter (earning you a total of $75 in cash back or 7,500 UR points if you also hold an eligible Chase UR card). Any additional spend beyond the $1,500 limit will only earn you 1%.
It is worth mentioning that Chase has multiple cards with “Freedom” in the name, but not all of them are created equal. Neither the Chase Freedom Unlimited nor the Chase Freedom Rise are eligible to earn 5% cash back on rotating categories.
Chase usually picks 2-3 separate categories per quarter to earn the 5% bonus. For the first three months of 2025, Chase Freedom & Freedom Flex cardholders earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases, fitness clubs/gym memberships, hair/nail/spa services, and Norwegian Cruise Line purchases.
The 5% categories are generally relevant to most travelers, so you will likely find yourself earning bonus cash back every quarter.
One thing to note: cardholders must activate your bonus every quarter in order to earn your 5% cashback. You can activate your bonus via Chase’s website or directly in the Chase app.
Chase’s 5% Cash Back Calendar
Chase does not publish their entire 2025 calendar of quarterly rotating categories at the very beginning of the year. Here are each of the 5% cash back categories that have been announced so far for Chase Freedom & Freedom Flex cardholders:
- Q1 2025 (January-March): Grocery Stores, Fitness Clubs/Gym Memberships, Hair/Nail/Spa Services, and Norwegian Cruise Lines
- Q2 2025 (April-June): TBD
- Q3 2025 July-September): TBD
- Q4 2025 (October-December): TBD
Chase vs Discover: The Battle of the 5% Calendars
Chase’s Freedom & Freedom Flex credit cards compete directly with the Discover It card which follow a similar quarterly rotating category model.
As someone who holds all three of these, I find that Chase’s quarterly category can sometimes overlap with Discover’s current bonus category. For example, both Chase & Discover offered 5% cash back on grocery store spend in Q1 2023.
Maximizing 5% Rotating Cash Back Categories
While the Discover IT & Chase Freedom cards are solid no-annual fee credit cards, they are even better when combined with other cards (including each other).
In months when there are no overlapping categories, I keep both cards in my wallet so I can choose to swipe either card whenever I can earn 5% cash back.
However, there are times when the Chase & Discover 5% bonus categories overlap. In those quarters, you can use both a Chase Freedom card and a Discover IT card to continue earning 5% cash back on more than $1,500 in total spend (instead of only earning 1% on any extra spend beyond each card’s $1,500 cap).
Further Reading: Want to earn even more rewards? Check out a list of our most valuable credit cards for non-rev travelers.
