Chase Freedom Flex® Rotating Categories for Winter 2025 (Q1)
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Most people enjoy the holidays, but you probably also breathe a sigh of relief when they’re over. Why not take advantage of Chase Freedom Flex® bonus cash back and book a cruise on the Norwegian Cruise line? If your plans don’t include travel, you can take advantage of 5% cash back at Norwegian Cruise Line®, grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), fitness clubs and gym memberships, or hair, spa, and nail services. You need to activate by March 14 and you can earn a total of $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter, and after that, 1% cash back.
Credit cards that feature rotating categories are a dime a dozen, but the Chase Freedom Flex® is better than most because you can also earn 3% cash back at restaurants including takeout and eligible delivery services and drug stores and 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase Travel(SM).
Chase Freedom Flex® 2025 Quarterly Cash Back Calendar
Chase always offers some intriguing bonus categories. Here’s a look at the 2025 5% quarterly cash back calendar:
January – March | April – June | July – September | October – December |
---|---|---|---|
Grocery Stores (excluding Walmart® and Target®), Norwegian Cruise Line®, Fitness Clubs & Gym Memberships, Self-Care & Spa Services | To be announced March 15, 2025 | To be announced June 5, 2025 | To be announced September 15, 2025 |
You must activate the quarterly rewards categories to earn the maximum cash back. You can sign up for alerts from Chase if you need a reminder to do this. You’ll have to activate your bonus categories by March 14, 2025 to earn the elevated rewards for Q1.
To activate quarterly bonus categories, go to your Chase account or activate through the mobile app. You can also activate quarterly categories by calling Chase at the number on the back of your credit card or by visiting a personal banker at a branch.
Keep in mind that your purchase needs to code as the correct category to earn the cash back. Grocery stores include supermarkets, merchants that offer a full-service grocery line of merchandise including a deli and a bakery, as well as small grocery stores. Warehouse clubs, Target, and Walmart are not included.
How to Maximize Your Rewards
The best way to use a credit card like the Chase Freedom Flex® is to pair it with a “daily driver” card that earns elevated cash back on every purchase. You want to get at least 2% cash back from your daily driver card. Some examples of daily driver cards are Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card or the Citi® Double Cash Card.
The Chase Freedom Flex® makes an excellent category king credit card, or third credit card in the 1-2-3 cash back system. By category king card, we mean the card hits one or two categories with an excellent rewards rate.
Related: How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Credit Cards
To maximize your travel rewards, consider pairing the Freedom Flex with two other Chase cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. You can only hold one Sapphire card at a time, so choose the one that makes the most sense for you. All three cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. If you combine all the points you earn to one of the Sapphire accounts, your points will be worth more when redeemed for travel.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® gives you the most bang for your buck, with points being worth 50% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel(SM). However, if don’t want to pay a hefty annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card will give you a 25% boost if you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel(SM) and the annual fee is much lower, so it’s perfect for the occasional traveler.
Read more: The Ultimate Guide to the Chase Trifecta
There’s one more option for maximizing rewards called rewards stacking. That’s what we call investing your rewards. The key is to match your spending with the right credit cards to maximize your cash back. Then, put those dollars in an investment account and watch your stash of cash grow.
Summary
Be nice to yourself after the holidays as you destress and recharge. Why not use your Chase Freedom Flex® to plan a Norwegian Cruise, and then get your hair done, perhaps followed by a relaxing massage? You deserve it!