Chase Freedom Flex
Last updated: June 19, 2026. Q3 2026 rotating categories listed. Confirm current categories and activate each quarter through Chase before the quarter begins. Verify terms with Chase before applying.
Core earning rates
- 5%Rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter combined, activation required). Categories change each quarter; see below for current and recent categories.
- 5%Travel purchased through Chase Travel.
- 3%Dining at restaurants worldwide.
- 3%Drug store purchases.
- 1%All other purchases. Also applies to rotating category purchases after the $1,500/quarter cap.
Card snapshot
What this card is built around
The Chase Freedom Flex is built around its rotating 5% quarterly categories, which change every three months and cover a wide range of everyday spending — gas, groceries, Amazon, PayPal, restaurants, and more, depending on the quarter. Combined with a fixed 3% on dining and drugstores and 5% on Chase Travel, the card covers most discretionary categories at above-average rates with no annual fee.
The card earns cash back natively, not transferable Ultimate Rewards points. But this distinction matters less than it sounds: if you hold a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred in the same Chase household, you can pool your Freedom Flex earnings into that account and convert them to transferable Ultimate Rewards points. This pairing strategy is one of the most effective ways to build a large UR balance at no additional cost.
Rotating quarterly categories
Q3 2026 (July – September 2026)
Gas stations and EV charging stations, public transit and commuting, select live entertainment venues, and United Way. Earn 5% on up to $1,500 combined across all Q3 categories. Activation required — activate through the Chase app or website before the end of Q3 2026.
How rotating categories work
Chase announces categories each quarter, typically a few weeks before the quarter begins. You must opt in — if you don't activate, those purchases earn 1%. The $1,500 cap is combined across all categories in the quarter, not per category. Purchases beyond $1,500 drop to 1% for the rest of that quarter.
What counts within a category
Whether a merchant codes into a given category depends on the merchant category code (MCC) assigned by the card network, not the type of purchase. For example, a gas station purchase made inside a grocery store may not code as "gas stations." Check Chase's quarterly category details for eligible merchant types and MCCs.
Recent quarters for reference
Recent past categories have included Amazon and digital downloads (Q4), grocery stores and streaming (Q1), and hotels and rental cars (Q2). Chase typically does not repeat the exact same combination each year but revisits popular categories. Categories are announced on Chase's website and in the app.
Ultimate Rewards pairing strategy
How the pairing works
Freedom Flex cash back lives in your Chase account as "Chase Cash" — it behaves like cash back and can be redeemed at 1 cent per point. But if you hold a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred in the same Chase login, your Freedom Flex rewards become combinable with those cards' Ultimate Rewards points and fully transferable to airline and hotel partners.
Why this matters
Transferred UR points to programs like United MileagePlus, Hyatt, Aeroplan, or Flying Blue often yield substantially more than 1 cent per point in practice. The Freedom Flex's 5% rotating categories effectively become 5x UR points per dollar when paired — meaningful earning that most standalone points cards can't match at no annual fee.
Protections and coverage
This card is a fit if…
- You're willing to activate rotating categories each quarter and track the quarterly cap — the 5% rate is among the highest available with no annual fee.
- You hold or plan to hold a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred, making Freedom Flex rewards transferable to airline and hotel partners.
- Your spending patterns naturally align with at least some of the quarterly rotating categories, dining, or drugstore purchases where the fixed 3% applies.
- You want a no-annual-fee complement card that feeds a larger Ultimate Rewards strategy without adding another annual fee to your stack.