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Not only have we just entered a new year but a new quarter as well and, as usual, that means that Chase has updated the bonus categories that it offers for holders of its Freedom credit cards. This quarter, there are three bonus categories for cardholders to enjoy.
Chase Freedom Flex® credit card 1Q 2024 bonus categories
The registration website for the Chase Freedom quarterly bonus categories has now been updated and in the first quarter of 2024 the Chase Freedom Flex® credit card (review) 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:
- Grocery stores (excluding Walmart & Target)
- Fitness clubs & gyms
- Self-care & spa services
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), Drugstores & Dining) – so make sure you’re making the most of those as well.
Thoughts
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:
The grocery store bonus category is mostly self-explanatory, although it’s worth pointing out that not every establishment that you may consider to be a grocery store will trigger the quarterly bonus.
Purchases made at larger stores that sell a wide variety of goods and groceries (e.g. Walmart, warehouse clubs and discount stores) as well as grocery purchases made at some smaller merchants (e.g. drugstores) and merchants that specialize in only a few grocery items will not trigger the quarterly bonus.
Also, purchases made at gas stations operated by merchants who also operate grocery stores will not trigger the grocery bonus nor will spending made with delivery service merchants unless they classify as a grocery store merchant.
When it comes to fitness clubs and gym memberships, the only merchants that won’t trigger the quarterly bonus are merchants that are obviously not primarily in the business of being a fitness club or gym but have some kind of affiliation to the fitness industry.
Examples of these include:
- Merchants that specialize in offering personalized or therapeutic services such as massage therapy, dietary and weight management counseling
- Personal trainers
- Merchants that sell a wide variety of general goods, which may include fitness or athletic apparel, sporting goods, dietary food, health food or similar supplements.
- Merchants with a primary category in lodging, hotel, motel, resort and central reservation services, offering access to a third party facility that include fitness clubs or gyms.
I think that this may be the first time that we’re seeing self-care & spa services appear as a Freedom bonus category so it’s probably worth a closer look at what exactly this category covers.
Chase says that this category includes merchants that specialize in providing services such as massages, spa treatments, manicures, tanning, and barber and salon services and that it excludes services provided by medical professionals and any services provided at a hotel spa whose charges don’t code as a spa service when they’re charged to your credit card.
I suspect that at hotels where the spa is a recognized brand name (e.g. Elemis, Mandara, etc…) you should trigger the cash back/points when you pay for your services (as long as you don’t room charge your spa treatment, but where the spa is very obviously simply part of the hotel, you’ll probably be out of luck.
Bottom line
The 1Q 2024 bonus categories for the Chase Freedom Flex® credit card and the legacy Chase Freedom credit card are now live and include grocery stores (excluding Walmart & Target), fitness clubs & gyms, and self-care & spa services. Registration for these bonus earning opportunities will remain open through 14 March (here) and bonus points will be earned for spending in these categories between 1 January and 31 March 2024.
