Chase Freedom Q4 categories announced: PayPal, Chase Travel, Old Navy and department stores
Quick summary
- Cardholders can activate new rotating bonus categories for the final quarter of 2025, including travel bookings, department stores, Old Navy and PayPal (December only).
- Eligible purchases in these categories earn elevated rewards on up to $1,500 in combined spending from October 1 to December 31, with PayPal limited to December.
- Travel bookings now include flights, hotels, car rentals and attractions, expanding beyond previous hotel-only promotions.
- Department stores return as a bonus category after six years, and Old Navy appears for the first time.
What to consider
- Bonus rewards apply only to the first $1,500 in combined spending across all activated categories per quarter; after this, a lower rate applies.
- PayPal earns bonus rewards only in December, and department store purchases exclude supercenters such as Walmart.
- Travel bookings made through online travel agencies may not qualify for hotel loyalty points or elite status benefits.
What you'll miss from the article
- A detailed guide to maximizing quarterly bonus categories, including activation steps, historical category trends and strategies for combining rewards with other products.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Get ready to rack up rewards: Cardholders of the Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees) or the legacy Chase Freedom* can unlock 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) next quarter with Chase Travel℠, department stores, Old Navy and fan-favorite PayPal.
You can activate these categories now and start earning bonus rewards in these categories from the start of October. Once activated, you'll earn 5% back on up to $1,500 in combined spending across every category except PayPal from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 (then 1% back). PayPal is only available during the month of December.
Here's what you need to know about this quarter's categories.
*This card is no longer available to new applicants. The information for the Chase Freedom has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Chase Freedom Q4 2025 categories
From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, Freedom and Freedom Flex cardholders will earn 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) on up to $1,500 in combined purchases across these Q4 bonus categories (then 1% back):
- Chase Travel (boosted 9% cashback for Freedom Flex cardholders; 5% for Freedom cardholders)
- Department stores
- Old Navy
For the month of December, cardholders will earn 5% bonus cash back on PayPal.
PayPal returns for a sixth consecutive Q4, while department stores reappear for the first time in six years and Old Navy makes its debut.
Chase Travel also gets a fresh twist: Unlike last year's hotel-only promotion, all Chase Travel bookings — including flights, hotels, car rentals and attractions — qualify this time. Freedom Flex cardholders will earn 9% back, as the card's standard 5% Chase Travel rate stacks with a quarterly 4% bonus, according to a Chase spokesperson.
As noted above, you can activate this quarter's categories now to unlock their bonus-earning potential, and then start spending from Oct. 1 to earn rewards.
It's simple to complete this process through your Chase account; just provide your last name, the last four digits of your card and your ZIP code.
Analyzing the Q4 bonus categories
It's pretty clear these categories are designed with holiday travel and shopping in mind. Between visiting loved ones, picking up gifts and maybe even treating yourself, your spending can add up fast — so earning 5% cash back on many of those purchases can help take a bit of the sting out of your budget.
Here are the details:
- Chase Travel: If you're heading out of town to see friends or family — or thinking about gifting a trip — booking through Chase Travel can be a good move. Just note that booking through an online travel agency like Chase Travel can mean missing out on hotel points and elite status perks.
- Department stores: It's not often that department stores make the bonus list, so this is a nice inclusion. Chase says supercenters don't count, so purchases at places like Walmart likely won't earn bonus rewards.
- Old Navy: Whether you shop online or in-store, your Old Navy purchases will qualify. It could be a good excuse to pick up something for yourself while shopping for others.
- PayPal (December only): Lots of online retailers offer PayPal at checkout, and you might even be able to use it for some utility bills. Just make sure your Freedom card is set as your preferred payment method in PayPal — and remember to switch things back in January.
Remember that Chase limits the 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) you can earn to the first $1,500 spent in combined bonus categories each quarter you activate the bonus. After you reach the maximum, you'll earn 1% back (or 1 point per dollar spent) on these purchases.
Chase Freedom rotating categories history
| Year | Quarter | Bonus categories |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Q4 |
|
| Q3 | Gas and EV charging stations, Instacart and select live entertainment | |
| Q2 |
| |
| Q1 |
| |
| 2024 | Q4 | McDonald's (elevated 7% cash back for Freedom Flex cardholders), PayPal, pet shops and veterinarian services, and select charities |
| Q3 | Gas and EV charging stations, movie theaters and select live entertainment | |
| Q2 | Hotels booked through Chase Travel℠, dining and Amazon (different earning rates depending on the card, i.e., 9%, 7% and 5%, respectively, for the Freedom Flex; 5% for all three categories for the Freedom) | |
| Q1 | Select grocery stores, fitness club and gym memberships, and self-care and spa services | |
| 2023 | Q4 | PayPal, select charities and wholesale clubs |
| Q3 | Gas and EV charging stations, and select live entertainment | |
| Q2 | Amazon and Lowe's | |
| Q1 | Grocery stores, gym memberships and fitness clubs, and Target | |
| 2022 | Q4 | PayPal and Walmart |
| Q3 | Gas stations, rental cars, movie theaters and select live entertainment | |
| Q2 | Amazon and select streaming services | |
| Q1 | Grocery stores and eBay | |
| 2021 | Q4 | PayPal and Walmart |
| Q3 | Grocery stores and select streaming services | |
| Q2 | Gas stations and home improvement stores | |
| Q1 | Wholesale clubs, select streaming services and internet, cable and phone services | |
| 2020 | Q4 | PayPal and Walmart |
| Q3 | Amazon and Whole Foods Market | |
| Q2 | Grocery stores, gym memberships and fitness clubs, and select streaming services | |
| Q1 | Gas stations, internet, cable and phone services, and select streaming services | |
| 2019 | Q4 | Chase Pay, PayPal and department stores |
| Q3 | Gas stations and select streaming services | |
| Q2 | Grocery stores and home improvement | |
| Q1 | Gas stations, drugstores and tolls | |
| 2018 | Q4 | Wholesale clubs, department stores and Chase Pay |
| Q3 | Lyft, Walgreens and gas stations | |
| Q2 | Groceries, PayPal and Chase Pay | |
| Q1 | Mobile wallets, gas stations and internet, cable and phone service merchants | |
| 2017 | Q4 | Walmart and department stores |
| Q3 | Restaurants and movie theaters | |
| Q2 | Grocery stores and drugstores | |
| Q1 | Gas stations and local commuter transportation | |
| 2016 | Q4 | Wholesale clubs, drugstores and department stores |
| Q3 | Restaurants and wholesale clubs | |
| Q2 | Grocery stores and wholesale clubs | |
| Q1 | Gas stations and local commuter transportation | |
| 2015 | Q4 | Amazon, Zappos, Audible and Diapers.com |
| Q3 | Gas stations and Kohl's | |
| Q2 | Restaurants, Bed Bath & Beyond, H&M and Overstock | |
| Q1 | Grocery stores, movie theaters and Starbucks | |
| 2014 | Q4 | Amazon, Zappos and department stores |
| Q3 | Gas stations and Kohl's | |
| Q2 | Restaurants and Lowe's | |
| Q1 | Gas stations, movie theaters and Starbucks |
Chase Freedom bonus categories FAQs
How do rotating categories work?
Each quarter, Chase announces a group of bonus categories that will earn 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) throughout the upcoming three-month period (on up to $1,500 in combined spending each quarter).
Generally, these categories are announced halfway through the month before the new quarter starts to give cardmembers time to activate new categories beforehand. However, you can activate your categories until midway through the last month of the quarter.
The categories tend to repeat periodically. For instance, grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations are all common categories you'll notice frequently pop up on the bonus calendar. So, depending on the categories and whether you can maximize them, these two cards can offer quite a nice chunk of cash back or bonus points over the year.
How much cash back can I earn each quarter?
Chase limits the 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) to the first $1,500 spent in combined bonus categories each quarter you activate the bonus.
While that may not sound like a lot, that cash back adds up over time. Maximizing the cash-back categories each quarter, you'll earn $75 in cash back quarterly and up to $300 per year. For a no-annual-fee credit card, that's a lot of value.
Alternatively, suppose you have a card that earns transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees). In that case, you can combine the rewards from your Chase Freedom or Freedom Flex card with those you earn from your more premium Ultimate Rewards-earning card. By doing this, your rewards become fully transferable.
If you follow that method, your $300 in bonus cash back would be worth 30,000 Ultimate Rewards points. TPG's June 2025 valuations peg Chase points at 2.05 cents apiece, making the 30,000 points you can earn in a year worth $615.
How do I activate my 5% categories each quarter?
You can head to Chase's site to activate your 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) categories for this quarter. You can also register through the Chase mobile app.
Here's how to register:
1. Head to the Chase bonus activation page, or log into your Chase account.
2. Enter your last name, the last four digits of your card number and your billing ZIP code. If you don't have your card on hand, log in to your Chase account to retrieve these digits.
3. Click "Activate your 5%" to register.
4. If you have multiple Chase Freedom cards, make sure to register each one.
5. Save a screenshot of your activation in case of any issues later, though you should also receive a "You're Activated!" confirmation email.
Can I have both the Chase Freedom and the Chase Freedom Flex to double my earning potential?
Yes, you can have both cards. So, if you already have the Chase Freedom and want to add the Chase Freedom Flex to your wallet, you're free to do so.
Remember that the original Freedom card is no longer open to new applicants. If you'd rather only have one, though, the Freedom Flex is available as a product change.
Of course, you'll also want to ensure you're eligible for a new Chase card.
How do I maximize my Freedom and Freedom Flex cards?
The most important thing is to activate your card to earn 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar) each quarter in the specific categories and then use your card for purchases in those categories.
You can set up a recurring reminder in your calendar or sign up for the TPG newsletter. (We send out a reminder when it's time to activate every quarter, plus tips and tricks for how to maximize your card strategy and score some excellent award redemptions.)
In addition to the rotating bonus categories, the Freedom Flex accrues 5% cash back on all other travel booked through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases, 3% cash back on dining (including eligible delivery services) and 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases.
Better yet, when paired with a Chase credit card that earns fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Chase Freedom Flex's 5% cash back effectively becomes 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar. You can learn all about this in our guide detailing the "Chase Trifecta".
Bottom line
If you're a Chase Freedom or Freedom Flex cardholder, you will earn 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar spent) on Chase Travel, department stores and Old Navy from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31. PayPal is available as a bonus category for the month of December.
You can activate these categories now. And remember that Chase limits your quarterly bonus category earnings to the first $1,500 of combined spending each quarter.
To learn more, read our full review of the Chase Freedom Flex.
Apply here: Chase Freedom Flex