Chase has opened registration for the Freedom Flex card's fourth-quarter 2026 bonus categories, and anyone holding the card has until December 14, 2026 to sign up. From October 1 through December 31, the card earns 5x points (effectively 5% cash back for most people) on the first $1,500 spent in three categories: grocery stores, dining, and donations to the American Red Cross. That's up to 7,500 bonus points per quarter if you max out the cap.
Worth noting: the grocery category excludes Walmart and Target, so big-box supermarket runs won't count. Registration itself is quick — you just need your last name, billing zip code, and the last four digits of your card on Chase's activation page. The same Q4 categories apply to the older Chase Freedom card, though that one is closed to new applicants.
If you're still in Q3 2026, the current categories are gas stations, public transit, EV charging, select live entertainment, and United Way donations, also capped at $1,500 in spend. Those run through September 30.
Why do points people care about a no-annual-fee card at all? The Freedom Flex also earns 3x at drugstores and on dining year-round, but the real trick is pairing it with a premium Chase card. If you also hold the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Sapphire Reserve for Business, the points earned on the Freedom Flex convert into full Ultimate Rewards points — which can be transferred to Chase's airline and hotel partners. Many travellers value those points at well over a cent each, turning a simple cashback card into a feeder for award flights.
There's a fair caveat from the source: groceries and dining are categories where plenty of other cards already pay strong bonuses (think 4x rather than 1x), so for some households the incremental gain in Q4 will be modest rather than dramatic. And while donating to the Red Cross for points is a nice touch, nobody should pick a charity based on earning rates. Still, if food spending makes up a normal share of your budget — and for most people it does — hitting the $1,500 cap across groceries and dining is straightforward.
The practical takeaway is simple: registration is required every quarter, and it's the step people most often forget. Miss the December 14 deadline and those 5x earnings are gone, no retroactive credit. If you hold a Freedom Flex or legacy Freedom card, take two minutes now to activate before the quarter starts on October 1.