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2023 shall be right here in a couple of weeks, and Chase is kicking off the brand new 12 months with a bang. For the primary quarter, Chase Freedom (now not accessible to new candidates) and Chase Freedom Flex℠ cardholders can rejoice with the return of bonus class favorites grocery shops and fitness center memberships in addition to a brand-new Target class.
Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders can now activate 5% money again (or 5 factors per greenback) on the Q1 bonus classes. The bonus-earning Q1 window begins Jan. 1 and runs by March 31, 2023.
After activation, cardmembers can earn 5% again (or 5 factors per greenback spent) on as much as $1,500 of spending in these classes throughout the eligible quarter, and 1% (or 1 level per greenback spent) after that.
As we enter a brand new 12 months, many people are making resolutions associated to enhancing our bodily and monetary well being. With these Q1 classes, cardholders shall be rewarded for his or her new fitness center memberships in addition to the grocery looking for cooking extra at residence.
And for the primary time, cardholders may also be rewarded for his or her Target purchases. No matter what resolutions you are spending to realize, you’ll be able to earn bonus rewards together with your Freedom or Freedom Flex card.
Here’s the way it all works.
Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex Q1 2023 classes
From Jan. 1 by March 31, 2023, Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex cardmembers can earn 5% money again (or 5 factors per greenback) on spending within the following classes:
- Grocery shops.
- Fitness membership and fitness center memberships.
- Target.
As famous above, you could activate your card to unlock the bonus-earning potential in these classes.
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It’s easy to finish this course of on-line by your Chase account — together with your final identify, final 4 digits of your card and ZIP code. Registration is open now.
Analyzing the Q1 bonus classes
Whether you are seeking to make a giant fitness center membership buy to push you towards your well being targets or simply wish to maximize your each day spending, these classes make it straightforward so that you can earn rewards in your targets in Q1.
Here are the bonus particulars:
- Target: A brand new quarterly class for Chase Freedom, Target presents the chance to avoid wasting on every thing from clothes and residential items to electronics and toys.
- Grocery shops (excluding Walmart): Cardmembers can earn money again on purchases for cooking and eating at residence. Additionally, cardmembers can earn 5% money again on Instacart purchases (grocery retailer deliveries solely) when activated by Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- Fitness Club and Gym Memberships: For those that’ve set a 2023 health objective, incomes money again on health membership and fitness center memberships might help cardmembers make wholesome selections for themselves and their wallets.
Note that Chase limits the 5% again (or 5 factors per greenback) to the primary $1,500 spent in mixed bonus classes every quarter you activate the bonus. After you attain the utmost, you will earn 1% again on these purchases.
Frequently requested questions on Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex bonus classes
How do rotating classes work?
Each quarter, Chase pronounces a bunch of bonus classes that may earn 5% money again (or 5 factors per greenback) all through the upcoming three-month interval. Generally, these classes are introduced midway by the month earlier than the brand new quarter begins to provide cardmembers time to activate new classes beforehand. However, you’ll be able to activate your classes up till halfway by the final month of the quarter.
The classes are likely to repeat periodically — for example, grocery shops, restaurants and fuel stations are all frequent classes that you just’ll discover steadily pop up on the cash-back calendar. So relying on the classes and whether or not you’ll be able to maximize them, these two playing cards can provide fairly a pleasant chunk of money again or bonus factors over the course of a 12 months.
Related: Check out our full Chase Freedom Flex card overview
How a lot money again can I earn every quarter?
Chase limits the 5% again (or 5 factors per greenback) to the primary $1,500 spent in mixed bonus classes every quarter you activate the bonus.
While that won’t sound like lots, that money again provides up over time. Maximizing the cash-back classes every quarter, you’ll earn $75 in money again quarterly and as much as $300 per 12 months. For a no-annual-fee bank card, that’s plenty of worth.
Alternatively, for the reason that money again you earn comes within the type of Ultimate Rewards factors, you’re taking a look at a possible of as much as 30,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards earned annually. If you even have a premium product, such because the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you’ll be able to mix the Ultimate Rewards factors you earn together with your Chase Freedom or Freedom Flex card with these you earn out of your extra premium Ultimate Rewards-earning card, and so they turn out to be totally transferable.
In that case, TPG values Chase factors at 2 cents apiece, so the 30,000 you’ll be able to earn in a 12 months could be value extra like $600.
How do I activate my 5% classes every quarter?
You can head over to Chase’s web site to activate your 5% money again (or 5 factors per greenback) for this quarter. You may also register by your Chase cellular app, making one much less bank card web site you’ll want to go to recurrently this 12 months.
Here’s methods to register:
- Head to the Chase bonus activation web page or log in to your Chase account.
- Enter your final identify, the final 4 digits of your card quantity and your billing ZIP code. If you don’t have your card readily available, log in to your Chase account to retrieve these digits.
- Click “Activate your 5%” to register.
- If you’ve gotten a number of Chase Freedom playing cards, ensure to register each.
- Save a screenshot of your activation, simply in case there are any points later — although you also needs to obtain a “You’re Activated!” affirmation e-mail.
Can I’ve each the Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex to double my incomes potential?
Yes, you’ll be able to have each playing cards. So if you have already got the Chase Freedom and wish to add the Chase Freedom Flex to your pockets, you’re free to take action. Remember that the unique Freedom card is now not open to new candidates.
But if you happen to’d somewhat solely have one, the Freedom Flex is out there as a product change.
And in fact, you’ll additionally wish to make sure you’re eligible for a brand new Chase card.
How do I maximize my Freedom and Freedom Flex playing cards?
The most necessary factor is to be sure to activate your card to earn the 5% money again (or 5 factors per greenback) every quarter within the particular classes, after which really use your card for purchases in these classes.
You can arrange a recurring reminder in your calendar, or you’ll be able to join the TPG e-newsletter (we ship out a reminder when it’s time to activate each quarter — plus suggestions and tips for maximizing your card technique and scoring some wonderful award redemptions).
Better but, paired with a Chase bank card that earns totally transferable Ultimate Rewards factors just like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, the Chase Freedom Flex’s 5% money again successfully turns into 5 Ultimate Rewards factors per greenback, as you’ll be able to be taught all about in our information detailing the “Chase Trifecta.”
In that case, you’ll be capable to switch the factors earned with the Freedom Flex to Ultimate Rewards factors and to journey companions like Southwest, Hyatt and United.
What are frequent bonus classes for the Freedom and Freedom Flex?
Of course, you’ll additionally wish to just remember to’ll probably be capable to maximize different bonus classes all year long. For reference, listed below are the earlier Chase Freedom quarterly classes all the way in which again to 2012, so you’ll be able to resolve if frequent classes make sense to your spending patterns:
| Year/Quarter | Bonus Categories |
|---|---|
| 2023 – Q1 | Grocery shops, fitness center memberships and health golf equipment, Target. |
| 2022 – This autumn | PayPal and Walmart. |
| 2022 – Q3 | Gas stations, rental vehicles, film theaters and choose reside leisure. |
| 2022 – Q2 | Amazon.com and choose streaming providers. |
| 2022 – Q1 | eBay and grocery shops. |
| 2021 – This autumn | PayPal and Walmart. |
| 2021 – Q3 | Grocery shops and choose streaming providers. |
| 2021 – Q2 | Gas stations and residential enchancment shops. |
| 2021 – Q1 | Wholesale golf equipment, choose streaming providers and web, cable and cellphone providers. |
| 2020 – This autumn | PayPal and Walmart. |
| 2020 – Q3 | Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market. |
| 2020 – Q2 | Grocery shops, fitness center memberships and health golf equipment, and choose streaming providers. |
| 2020 – Q1 | Gas stations; web, cable and cellphone providers; and choose streaming providers. |
| 2019 – This autumn | Chase Pay, PayPal and shops. |
| 2019 – Q3 | Gas stations and streaming providers. |
| 2019 – Q2 | Grocery shops and residential enchancment. |
| 2019 – Q1 | Gas stations, drugstores and tolls. |
| 2018 – This autumn | Wholesale golf equipment, shops and Chase Pay. |
| 2018 – Q3 | Lyft, Walgreens and fuel stations. |
| 2018 – Q2 | Groceries, PayPal and Chase Pay. |
| 2018 – Q1 | Mobile wallets, fuel stations and web, cable and cellphone service retailers. |
| 2017 – This autumn | Walmart and shops. |
| 2017 – Q3 | Restaurants and film theaters. |
| 2017 – Q2 | Grocery shops and drug shops. |
| 2017 – Q1 | Gas stations and native commuter transportation. |
| 2016 – This autumn | Wholesale golf equipment, drugstores and shops. |
| 2016 – Q3 | Restaurants and wholesale golf equipment. |
| 2016 – Q2 | Grocery shops and wholesale golf equipment. |
| 2016 – Q1 | Gas stations and native commuter transportation. |
| 2015 – This autumn | Amazon.com, Zappos.com, Audible.com and Diapers.com. |
| 2015 – Q3 | Gas stations and Kohl’s. |
| 2015 – Q2 | Restaurants, Bed Bath & Beyond, H&M and Overstock.com. |
| 2015 – Q1 | Grocery shops, film theaters and Starbucks. |
| 2014 – This autumn | Amazon.com, Zappos.com and shops. |
| 2014 – Q3 | Gas stations and Kohl’s. |
| 2014 – Q2 | Restaurants and Lowe’s. |
| 2014 – Q1 | Gas stations, film theaters and Starbucks. |
| 2013 – This autumn | Department shops and Amazon.com. |
| 2012 – Q3 | Gas stations, theme parks and Kohl’s. |
| 2012 – Q2 | Restaurants and film theaters. |
| 2012 – Q1 | Gas stations, drugstores and Starbucks. |
Bottom line
Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cardmembers can now activate the 2023 Q1 bonus classes to earn 5% again (or 5 factors per greenback) on Target, grocery retailer, and fitness center membership purchases.
In addition to the rotating 5% money again bonus classes, the Freedom Flex accrues 5% money again on journey booked by Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% money again on drugstores, 3% money again on eating (together with eligible supply providers) and 1% limitless money again on all different purchases.
Official software hyperlink: Chase Freedom Flex with a sign-up bonus of $200 money again after spending $500 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening.
Additional reporting by Emily Thompson, Stella Shon and Chris Dong.