The Guide to Chase Quarterly Bonuses in 2024

You must qualify for and activate your bonus every quarter — the bonus itself will vary by card.

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Updated · 2 min read
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Depending on your specific Chase credit card and the promotions available, it may qualify for a quarterly bonus. Each quarter, you may earn extra Chase Ultimate Rewards® points or cash back through qualifying spending.

If you have the Chase Freedom Flex® card or Chase Freedom® card, each quarter you can activate a 5% cash back bonus in select Chase Freedom® categories and Chase Freedom Flex® categories (based on the Chase 5% cash-back calendar).

Here's how to take advantage of Chase quarterly bonuses.

Chase Freedom categories calendar

As with any credit card offer, you’ll want to be sure to read the fine print to make sure your spending will qualify for the bonus, but here are the categories you can expect to earn bonus rewards on in 2024.

Jump to here to activate the ability to earn the bonus (how you do this depends on the card you have).

Chase Freedom® and Chase Freedom Flex® bonus rewards categories for 2024

Q1 (Jan. 1-March 31)

  • Grocery stores.

  • Fitness clubs and gym memberships.

  • Self-care and spa services.

Q2 (April 1-June 30)

  • Select hotel bookings.*

  • Restaurants.

  • Amazon.com.

Q3 (July 1-Sept. 30)

  • Gas stations and EV charging.

  • Select live entertainment.

  • Movie theaters.

Q4 (Oct. 1-Dec. 31)

  • McDonald's.

  • PayPal.

  • Pet shops and vet services.

  • Select charities.

*Includes bookings made directly with the hotel and prepaid bookings through Chase's travel portal.

What are Chase quarterly bonuses?

Chase offers quarterly bonuses — where you can earn either extra points or extra cash back, depending on your card — to all Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders and to other Chase credit cardholders who both qualify for and activate their quarterly bonus on Chase’s website.

These can be extra points or cash back that you get for spending on certain purchases, including groceries, restaurants and streaming services.

🤓Nerdy Tip

The quarterly rotating 5% bonus on the Chase Freedom Flex® is usually capped at $1,500.

How do you check if you qualify for a Chase quarterly bonus

Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders

If you have the Chase Freedom Flex® credit card, you’re guaranteed to have a new bonus every quarter that's listed on the quarterly calendar.

Other Chase cardholders

If you have a Chase credit card other than the Chase Freedom Flex® card, you’ll need to visit chase.com/mybonus to see if you qualify for a quarterly bonus. Once you’re on the site, enter the last four digits of your credit card, your last name and your ZIP code.

For example, a prior quarterly bonus on a Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offered 5,000 bonus points for every $5,000 spent during the quarter, up to 15,000 points.

Common Chase Freedom categories

Different cards can be targeted for different types of bonuses and, aside from the Chase Freedom Flex®, it’s possible that your Chase credit card may not qualify for a quarterly bonus during a specific quarter.

In our Chase Freedom spending category review, we determined these purchase types were more common than others:

  • Amazon.com.

  • Gas stations.

  • Groceries.

  • Home improvement stores.

  • Movie theaters.

  • Restaurants.

  • Select streaming services.

  • Starbucks.

  • Spending at least $5,000 on your Chase card in a quarter.

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How to activate a Chase quarterly bonus

Activating your Chase quarterly bonus is easy, although the process differs depending on the type of Chase card.

Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders

To activate your Chase quarterly bonus for your Chase Freedom Flex® card, you’ll need to visit chasebonus.com and register for the bonus by the date listed on the Chase Freedom Flex® calendar.

Other Chase cards

To activate your Chase quarterly bonus for non-Chase Freedom Flex® cards (for example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the United℠ Explorer Card), visit chase.com/mybonus. If you qualify for a Chase quarterly bonus, it will automatically be activated when you check to see if your card qualifies.

When should you activate your Chase quarterly bonus?

Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders

To receive a quarterly bonus, Chase Freedom Flex® cardholders must activate their bonuses by the date listed on the Chase Freedom Flex® calendar. For instance, to qualify for the July to September quarterly bonus, you’ll need to activate no later than Sept. 14.

Other Chase cards

For all other Chase cards, you generally need to activate no later than the last day of the bonus period to qualify. Since different cards may have different bonuses offered, we’d recommend checking chase.com/mybonus at least once every three months to see if your card qualifies for a bonus. It never hurts to set a calendar reminder on the first of the month.

How to make the most of Chase quarterly bonuses

Savvy spenders can use Chase quarterly bonuses to maximize the number of points they get and put spend on the card based on the bonus they qualify for.

For instance, you may not normally put your grocery spending on the United℠ Explorer Card as you’d only get 1x miles for those purchases. But if you qualify for a quarterly bonus — such as 5x miles spent at grocery stores — you may want to do so for that quarter to maximize your points earnings.

Additionally, if the bonus comes in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, cardholders can often receive more value by forgoing cash back and instead redeeming points by transferring them to travel partners, including:

  • Air Canada.

  • British Airways.

  • Emirates.

  • Hyatt.

  • United Airlines.

Chase quarterly bonuses, recapped

Chase quarterly bonuses are a great way to earn extra points or cash back for spending that you may already be putting on your Chase credit cards. If you have the Chase Freedom Flex® credit card, you’ll want to take note of the Chase quarterly bonus calendar and remember to activate your bonus each quarter.

For all other Chase credit cards, we recommend checking the bank's website at least once every three months to see if you qualify for a bonus. Once you activate your bonus and read the fine print, be sure to take advantage of the categories to maximize the number of points you earn with your Chase credit cards.


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024:

Chase Cards from our Partners
Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1.5%-5%

Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Cashback

Intro offer

Up to $300

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

60,000

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Points
Chase Freedom Flex

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Flex®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1%-5%

Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Earn 5% on Chase travel purchased through Chase Travel®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.

Cashback

Intro offer

$200

Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

See more Chase cards
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