Another quarter, another chance for CardName and Chase Freedom® cardholders to rack up 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent in bonus categories. If you have either of these cards in your wallet, don’t miss out on the opportunity to earn up to $75 in additional cash back.
Note: Chase Freedom® is no longer accepting new applications, but existing cardholders are still eligible to earn in the bonus categories. Information about Chase Freedom® and Chase Freedom FlexSM has been collected by CardRatings and has not been provided or approved by the issuer of the card.
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What are the Chase quarterly rewards categories for the first quarter of 2025?
From January through March 2025, Chase will award 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in total purchases made across four categories:
- Grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target)
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Fitness clubs and gym memberships
- Hair, nail, and spa services
Within each category, there are certain inclusions and exclusions according to Chase.
Grocery stores
Merchants in this category include supermarkets, merchants that offer a full-service grocery line of merchandise including a deli and bakery as well as smaller grocery stores. Some merchants that sell grocery items are not included in this category; for example, larger stores that sell a wide variety of goods and groceries, such as warehouse clubs, discount stores and some smaller merchants such as drugstores, and merchants that specialize in only a few grocery items. Purchases made at gas stations from merchants who also operate grocery stores are not included in this category. Delivery service merchants, such as Instacart, will be included if they classify as a grocery store merchant.
Walmart and Target purchases are not eligible.
Norwegian Cruise Line
This category includes cruise fare purchased directly with Norwegian Cruise Line. Purchases through third party vendors or travel agencies, such as sightseeing activities, excursions, and tourist attractions, are not included.
Fitness clubs and gym memberships
Merchants in this category include health clubs, exercise, or athletic facilities requiring membership and offering access to services related to physical fitness, such as fitness clubs, fitness centers, fitness studios, gyms, aerobics, cardio fitness and other services such as yoga and cross fit training in physical merchant locations. Merchants that specialize in offering virtual and other at-home fitness services, personalized or therapeutic services such as massage therapy, dietary and weight management counseling and personal training, are not included in this category.
In addition, certain lodging, hotel, motel, resort and central reservation services offering access to third party facilities that include fitness clubs or gyms are not included in this category unless they classify as a fitness club or gym membership merchant.
Purchases of fitness or athletic equipment or apparel, other sporting goods, dietary food, health food or similar supplements, will not qualify in this category.
Hair, nails, and spa services
This category includes hair care, nail care and spa services, such as massages, spa treatments, manicures, tanning, and barber and salon services, purchased at merchant locations that specialize in providing these services. These services are typically provided by licensed professionals, however, services provided by medical professionals or in medical facilities will not qualify. Purchases of hair care, nail care and spa services at merchants that classify their location in another category, for example spa services purchased in a hotel or airport, will not be included unless the merchant classifies the transactions in this category. Purchases of related products and services, for example hair and skincare products purchased at a salon or an overnight stay at a spa, will also not be included unless the merchant classifies the transactions in this category.
Chase 5% cash back calendar
The full Chase 5% cash back calendar for 2025 hasn’t been revealed yet – each category will be announced before the start of the new quarter. However, we can look back at the 2023 and 2024 categories to get an idea of what the future might hold.
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
2025
Grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target); Norwegian Cruise Line; fitness clubs and gym memberships; hair, nail, and spa services
TBD
TBD
TBD
2024
Grocery Stores (excluding Walmart and Target), fitness clubs and gym memberships, self-care and spa services
Amazon.com, hotels booked directly with the hotel (plus through Chase Travel℠), and restaurants
Gas stations, EV charging, movie theaters, and select live entertainment
McDonald’s, PayPal, pet shops and vet services, and select charities
2023
Grocery Stores (excluding Walmart), Target, fitness clubs and gym memberships
Lowe’s and Amazon.com
Gas stations, EV charging and select live entertainment
PayPal, wholesale clubs, and select charities
You’ll earn 5% back on the first $1,500 in combined spending on purchases in the bonus categories during each quarter. After that, you’ll earn 1% cash back on any additional spending.
This bonus cash back is in addition to the other great rewards offered by the CardName. Those are:
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3% cash back on drugstore purchases
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
How to activate Chase Freedom cash-back categories
In order to earn 5% cash back on each quarter’s bonus categories, you’ll need to activate the offer. Doing so is easy, though. Chase offers numerous ways to activate the bonus categories:
- Through your online account or the Chase bonus activation page
- In the Chase mobile app
- Via an email sent by Chase before the start of each new quarter
- By calling the number on the bank of your card
- At any Chase bank location
- When making a cash withdrawal at an ATM
The deadline for activating the Q1 2025 categories is March 14, 2025. Once you have activated the offer, all eligible purchases from the quarter will receive the bonus cash back.
While you are activating your Chase categories, don’t forget to also do so in your Discover account if you have an eligible card. Discover also has quarterly bonus categories that must be activated.
How to redeem Chase credit card rewards
Once you have earned cash back – whether from the quarterly bonus categories or regular spending – you have several options for redemption:
- Cash: Use your cash back as a statement credit or have it deposited into your bank account.
- Shopping: Cash back can be used to make purchases at Amazon.com.
- Gift cards: Choose from gift cards for a variety of merchants.
- Travel: Cash back can be used to pay for travel booked through Chase Travel℠.
Chase Freedom offers the ability to combine rewards
One extra perk of the CardName is the ability to combine rewards with other Chase cards. That’s because CardName rewards accumulate as Chase Ultimate Rewards points, the same points that cardholders of the CardName, CardName, CardName and the Chase Ink family of small business cards earn.
By combining rewards from multiple cards, you can maximize their value. For example, CardName members enjoy 25% more value when they redeem their points for travel through Chase Travel, and CardName cardholders can take advantage of 50% more value when redeemed that way.
That means the points you earn with the Chase Freedom account could be worth more if you redeem them under your Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve account. For more info about making these points work for you, check out our Chase Ultimate Rewards® points guide.
