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We’re still a little over two weeks away from the start of the 3rd quarter of this year but, as usual, Chase has now revealed the Freedom 3Q bonus categories that will go live on 1 July ahead of time.
Chase Freedom Flex® credit card 3Q 2026 bonus categories
The registration website for the Chase Freedom quarterly bonus categories has now been updated and in the third quarter of 2026 the Chase Freedom Flex® credit card and the legacy Chase Freedom credit card will offer 5% cashback (or 5 points/dollar) on up to $1,500 of spending in the following categories:
- Gas Stations, public transit, and EV Charging
- Select Live Entertainment
- United Way
You’ll find a full list of what will and will not qualify for this quarter’s bonuses here, but the more important things to know are these:
Merchants that do not specialize in selling automotive gasoline (e.g. truck stops, boat marinas, oil and propane distributors, and home heating companies) are not included in the gas station category, so spending with these merchants will not trigger a 3Q category bonus.
If EV charging services are offered for free by a merchant or are included in their services, but other services/goods require payment, the transactions will not trigger the bonus.
EV charging equipment purchases and servicing for any use, including residential or commercial, are not included in this category.
Taxis, Limousines, and rideshares such as Lyft or Uber are not included in the public transit category.
Merchants that sell tickets for movie theaters, bowling alleys, horse racing tracks, casinos, and dance clubs are not included in the “select live entertainment” category so spending with these merchants will not trigger a 3Q category bonus.
As you’ll see below, however, most spending with amusement/theme parks, spending on sporting events, and spending with ticketing agencies will qualify for the “select live entertainment” category bonus.
Note: The screenshot above is a couple of years old and I can no longer find the same list online, but I have no reason to think that it’s not longer correct (nothing in the t&cs suggests that it is).
Don’t forget that these quarterly bonus categories are in addition to the permanent bonus categories that the Chase Freedom Flex® credit card offers – Travel (booked through Chase Travel℠), Drugstores & Dining) – so make sure you’re making the most of those as well.
Quick thoughts
Well, these are hardly the most exciting quarterly categories that we’ve seen, but I guess things could have been worse.
This quarter will cover the longest school vacations of the year so with kids needing to be kept entertained, having live entertainment spending as a bonus category for 3Q is going to be useful for a lot of families.
Likewise, the summer is often a time when people set out on road trips to visit family or to explore the country, so being able to earn 5% cash back (or 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar) on gas spending, on EV charging and on public transit will help offset some of the cost of travel (just remember that taxis/Uber/Lyft aren’t classified as public transit).
Bottom line
Chase has now revealed the Q3 bonus categories for its Freedom cards so we now know that between 1 July and 30 September 2026, holders of the Chase Freedom card and the Chase Freedom Flex® credit card will be able to earn 5% back (or 5 points/dollar) on up to $1,500 in combined spending made at gas stations, on EV charging, on public transit, on spending made with select live entertainment providers and on donations made directly to United Way.
Anyone holding a Freedom Flex® credit card or a legacy Freedom Credit Card should now head over to the registration page and make sure that they’ve registered their card(s) so they’re ready for the moment the bonus categories go live.
