The first quarter of 2026 5% bonus categories for the Chase Freedom Flex (our referral link) and original Chase Freedom credit card (no longer available) have been released and can now be activated.

The Chase Freedom 5% categories for 2026 1st quarter (January 1 – March 31, 2026) are Norwegian Cruise Line, Dining, and donations to the American Heart Association.

The 5% only applies to the first $1,500 spent on combined purchases each quarter. This means if you spend $1,500 on a combination of dining, Norwegian Cruise Line, and donations to the American Heart Association during the first quarter of 2026 you will receive a total of 7,500 points (1,500 plus a bonus of 6,000 points).

Don’t Forget to Activate

Please note, that in order to earn the 5% you must activate the offer each quarter (by text, email or other methods). You can register now or any time during the registration period and earn the full 5% for the entire quarter retroactively. Registration for the 1st quarter of 2026 ends on March 14, 2026.

Honestly these are not the most useful credit card categories as it will be harder to maximize the bonus next quarter. Dining is the category most people already spend money on, but the Chase Freedom Flex already offered 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.

Although the Chase Freedom and the Chase Freedom Flex are technically cash back cards, if you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Ink Business or Sapphire Reserve for Business cards you can transfer points from your Freedom account into one of those accounts and then can transfer those points to various Chase travel partners.