Chase Freedom Flex 5% calendar

Updated October 27, 2026 · from RightCard's verified rewards data

The Freedom Flex (and the original Freedom card) earns 5% cash back on rotating categories each quarter, on up to $1,500 in combined purchases — after you activate. Here's the verified current calendar. The same window applies to both cards; they share one calendar.

Q4 2026 — 5% categories

Live now

October 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026

American Red Cross · Grocery stores · Restaurants

⚡ Activation required — turn the quarter on in your bank's app or site before the bonus earns.

Two things people miss

Activation isn't automatic. If you don't activate by Chase's deadline, those purchases earn the card's everyday rate instead. Activate early and you never have to think about it.

Some quarters read higher than 5%. The quarterly bonus is 4% on top of what the card already earns. Most categories earn 1%, so they reach 5%. Flex already earns 3% on dining, so a dining quarter can read 7% here and in the app.

The bonus follows merchant codes, not logos. A supermarket inside a superstore, or the gas pumps at a warehouse club, often code as something else. If you hold a Sapphire card too, those Flex points can be worth more than 1¢ each when pooled, and RightCard shows that math.

How this page stays current: RightCard's data pipeline re-verifies each card's official calendar weekly, and a bonus window is published only after two independent sources agree. This page is generated from that same data — no guesses, no "expected" categories.

Put it in your calendar: every verified quarter, with an activation reminder three days before it starts and a last-week nudge before it ends. Subscribe to the 5% calendar →

Get the alert on your phone

The RightCard app sends a private, on-device notification the day new Freedom Flex categories go live (and reminds you to activate). It also answers "which of my cards should I use here?" at any store. Free, no bank login.

Get RightCard on the App Store

FAQ

Do I need to activate the Freedom Flex 5% categories?

Yes. Activation is required each quarter. Activate in the Chase app or at chase.com; it takes under a minute.

Is there a cap on the 5%?

Yes — 5% applies to up to $1,500 in combined category purchases per quarter (then the everyday rate). That's up to $75 cash back per quarter.

Do Freedom Flex and the original Freedom have the same calendar?

Yes. Both cards share the same rotating calendar and the same activation.

When are next quarter's categories announced?

Chase usually reveals a quarter shortly before it starts. This page updates when the new window passes verification — we never publish guesses.

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