Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card: Q4 5x on Groceries/Dining; 20k Points Sign-Up Bonus, No Annual Fee

The 5x categories for Q4 2026 have been announced: grocery stores, dining, and the American Red Cross. I think this lineup is much easier to use than Q3, especially grocery stores and dining. These are basically everyday-spending categories where you can gradually max out the $1,500 quarterly cap.

• Grocery Stores: Grocery stores earn 5x; Walmart and Target do not count. This is very useful for regular grocery shopping. If your usual spending is not enough, you can also check whether the grocery stores you often visit sell gift cards that fit your needs.
• Dining: This is the most interesting part of Freedom Flex for Q4. The card already earns 3x on dining, and the quarterly 5x is effectively an additional 4x, so the final earning rate can be 7x Ultimate Rewards. With Paze, it can stack up to 17x: if your account has the current targeted Paze 10x offer and the restaurant supports Paze payments, then 10x Paze + 7x dining can theoretically reach up to 17x. The Paze promotion currently runs through December 31, 2026, with up to $1,500 in purchases counted each month.
• American Red Cross: Eligible donations can earn 5x.
• The Q4 5x categories still count up to a combined $1,500 in purchases, and activation is required first: activation link

The Q3 2026 5x categories are still available through September 30: gas stations and EV charging, public transit, select live entertainment, and United Way. This lineup is fairly suitable for summer travel. That said, maxing it out is still not easy, since there are not many especially convenient places to buy high-value gift cards. Details are as follows:

• Gas Stations and EV Charging: You basically have to use this category organically. Some gas stations may sell gas cards or other gift cards.
• Public Transit. Merchants in this category include operators of passenger trains, buses, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.: Loading money onto a public transit card may be a way to lock in some of this 5x in advance.
• Select Live Entertainment. Merchants in this category sell tickets for live in-person entertainment such as major sporting events, zoos and aquariums, concerts, theatrical productions, museums, tourist attractions and exhibits, amusement parks, circuses, carnivals, bands, and entertainers. Ticket agencies selling on behalf of the entertainment venue are included. Some merchants that sell tickets for in-person entertainment are not included in this category; for example, movie theaters, bowling alleys, horse racing tracks, casinos, and dance hall/clubs. Purchasing from a hotel/concierge is not included nor excursions or purchases as part of a travel package. Tickets to various attractions and concerts count, but movie theaters do not. Overall, this is good for going out and traveling.
• United Way: charity organization.
• activation link

This card is still worth keeping long-term. After all, the quarterly 5x categories are generally quite good and easy to max out. Q4 is especially straightforward with grocery stores and dining, so there is basically no need to go out of your way. The card also earns 3x at restaurants and drugstores. When paired with CSP or CSR for points transfers, 5x Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for higher value. The welcome bonus is the standard 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points, redeemable for $200.

• Chase Freedom Flex application link

Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card Overview

Benefit Analysis

• Earn 5x points and accumulate points quickly: Grocery stores, online shopping, department stores, and gas stations appear in different categories each year. If you max out the categories for a full year, you can earn 30,000 Ultimate Rewards points. For the 5x categories and detailed analysis, see: Summary of Quarterly 5x Credit Card Categories
• Shop and Earn shopping portal: Chase’s own Shop and Earn shopping portal lets you earn additional Ultimate Rewards points on top of the normal points from using your card. It currently has more than 1,000 merchants, and the earning rates change frequently, so it is worth checking before making a purchase.
• 3% cash back on dining and drugstores (3x points): Typical drugstores, such as CVS and Walgreens, sell a large number of third-party gift cards, including Amazon, eBay, and Visa gift cards. You can buy them with this card to effectively earn 3x at other merchants.
• 5x points on bookings through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal: Eligible travel booked through Chase Travel earns 5x points. The price is not always the lowest, so when using it, I still recommend comparing against the airline or hotel’s official website and other booking sites.
• No foreign transaction fee: Starting September 20, 2026, the foreign transaction fee will be removed, so this card will be reasonable to consider for spending when traveling outside the United States.
• Cell phone protection will be discontinued on September 20: Eligible losses are covered only through September 19, 2026. The previous benefit provided up to $800 per claim, up to two claims per 12 months, with a total limit of $1,000 and a $50 deductible per claim.
• Travel insurance: If your flight is delayed or canceled for covered reasons, you may be able to receive certain compensation.

Drawbacks

• If you want to convert points into airline miles or hotel points, you need an annual-fee Ultimate Rewards card, such as the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, and so on.

Points System Overview

• Point value: The average value is 1.6c/p, so 100 UR = $1.6 (Point Values and Analysis)
• Direct redemption: Cash redemptions are worth 1c; travel redemptions are worth 1c (without a premium card). Premium hotel redemptions or business/first class flights can yield 1.75c (with Ink Preferred or Sapphire Preferred), and 2c with the Sapphire Reserve.
• Point transfers: Transfer 1:1 to United miles (good for China–US economy, domestic US economy, and one-way tickets); transfer 1:1 to British Airways miles (good for China–Japan and short-distance domestic US redemptions); transfer 1:1 to Hyatt points (great for Hyatt hotel stays, with value up to 1.8 cents per point).
• Point features: Ultimate Rewards points can be freely moved among your own cards. They can also be transferred to one designated spouse or partner. To transfer points to airline miles or hotel points, you need support from Ink Preferred, Sapphire Preferred, or Sapphire Reserve. You can also transfer to the mileage or points account of an authorized user.
• My take: UR’s main airline transfer partners are United Airlines, British Airways, Aeroplan, and Air France. UA can book most Star Alliance award tickets, while BA covers some domestic US AA flights. On the hotel side, Hyatt is the best option and can often deliver about 1.6c in value per point, but Hyatt has a relatively small footprint in the US, so your choices may be limited. If you have the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve, booking flights, hotels, and activities through Chase Travel can get you 1.25c/1.5c in value, which is one of the best high-value options for beginners. Cash/gift card redemptions are worth 1 cent.
• Detailed analysis: Ultimate Rewards Guide >>

My Take:

This card is a revamped version of the original Chase Freedom credit card. It keeps the quarterly 5x cash back and adds 3x on dining and drugstores, plus 5x through the Chase Travel portal. All of these make the card worth keeping in your wallet long-term as an everyday card. After all, there are not many no-annual-fee cards that earn 3x on dining, roughly equivalent to about 5% cash back.

Dining is once again a 5x category for Q4, so the Freedom Flex’s built-in 3x on dining can stack with the quarterly additional 4x, resulting in 7x points. Earlier reader data points have already tested and confirmed this stacking method, and restaurants in Japan can also trigger it. What makes this even more interesting now is that starting September 20, this card will also remove its foreign transaction fee. So when traveling outside the United States, you can try using this card at restaurants as well. Whether overseas merchants are correctly recognized under the quarterly 5x category will still depend on the actual merchant coding.

Application

• The approval threshold for this card is moderate. I recommend applying if you have more than one year of credit history or a Chase checking account.
• If you already have the old Freedom card, it should not affect your eligibility for the welcome bonus or application for this card. If your Freedom has already been converted to Flex, then you cannot apply again.

• Chase application status check link (login required). Or call: 888-338-2586
• The 5/24 rule: if you have opened more than 5 new cards in the past 2 years (including cards from other banks), you will not be approved for a new Chase card
• You can be approved for at most two Chase credit cards within any 30-day period
• If you have received the welcome bonus on this card within the past 24 months (48 months for the Sapphire family), your application will be automatically denied
• You can call the reconsideration line (800-453-9719) to expedite credit card approval or request another review of a denied application.
• Having a Chase Checking account can help with getting approved for a credit card
• More information on applying for Chase credit cards

Application Link

• Chase Freedom Flex application link