Freedom Flex Q3 categories: Solid, but not spectacular

In 2024, I completed a “perfect year,” maximizing all of the quarterly bonus categories on the Chase Freedom Flex®* card for the first time since signing up in 2011. I’ve fallen off the pace in 2025, however, and I’m not confident that the card’s third-quarter bonus categories are going to get me back on track.

From July 1 through September 30, 2025, the Freedom Flex will offer 5 percent cash back at gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations, on Instacart and on select live entertainment purchases (for example, certain concerts, sporting events and museums). Activation is required and the 5 percent rate applies on up to $1,500 in quarterly spending (after that, the payout is 1 percent cash back).

A deeper look at the Q3 2025 selections

I have never used Instacart, and this promotion probably won’t encourage me to do so for the first time. I get an even higher return (6 percent cash back) at U.S. supermarkets with my Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (up to $6,000 in annual spending, then 1 percent back after that). Plus, I prefer grocery shopping in-person because I like seeing what’s fresh, what looks good for dinner, etc.

I’ll use the Freedom Flex at gas stations because the best rewards rate I can earn on my other cards is 3 percent on the Blue Cash Preferred. But I don’t drive all that much — over the past three months, my family has only spent $419 on gas.

Of course, as much as I like to find ways to maximize rewards on my family’s everyday spending, it never makes sense to overspend to earn credit card rewards. My best bet to optimize the Q3 bonus categories with money I would have spent anyway is via the live entertainment category. This also made the list in Q3 last year, and I was surprised how much I spent on live entertainment during those three months.

Plotting a Q3 2025 rewards strategy

My family tends to plan vacations and other outings well in advance, so a lot of our Q3 2025 entertainment is already booked and paid for. I’m going to think about ways to pre-plan some Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 activities over the next three months to coincide with the Freedom Flex promotion.

We went to Disney World in late 2024, so reserving those park tickets ahead of time was a great way to take advantage of the Freedom Flex’s 5 percent categories in Q3 2024. This year, our plans may not fit as neatly, since our only Q4 trip is likely to be Christmas with the grandparents, and we’re planning a Disney cruise for Q1 2026. Few, if any, of those trip expenditures are likely to qualify as live entertainment.

In Q3 2025, I suspect I’ll fall short of the $1,500 spending cap (as I’m likely to do in Q2 as well). I’m okay with that. Maybe I’ll earn $40 or $50 instead of the $75 I would get by maximizing the $1,500 spending limit. It’s still free money. Above all else, a good credit card rewards strategy revolves around paying your bills in full each month (to avoid interest and credit score damage) and avoiding overspending. Everything else is gravy.

Looking back at the first half of 2025

The first quarter of this year was easy to maximize, since grocery stores were among the Freedom Flex’s 5 percent categories. With a family of four, I typically spend well over $1,500 on groceries in three months.

With less than two weeks remaining in Q2, I’ve only spent $726 in those bonus categories, less than half the limit:

• Amazon.com
• Select streaming services
• Internet/cable/phone services (the latter only applies from June 1 through June 30)

I get autopay discounts from my internet, cable and phone providers which require me to pay via a checking account. It’s worth it for me to do so, since the discounts are greater than the 5 percent I would earn by using the Freedom Flex.

I don’t spend much on streaming services, and my Blue Cash Preferred offers better rewards on those purchases, anyway.

I could potentially stock up on toiletries, non-perishables or gift cards from Amazon.com to maximize the $1,500 quarterly rewards cap before June 30 (they even offer gift cards from other retailers). But I’m hesitant to tie up too much money in this fashion. How much toothpaste or toilet paper do I really need? And like many Americans, I already have hundreds of dollars in gift cards lying around, which I have been meaning to use. As much as I like maximizing credit card rewards, the best choice for my family is to save the money, even if it means leaving some rewards on the table.

The bottom line

The Freedom Flex doesn’t suit my spending habits quite as well in 2025 as it did in 2024, but I still like the card. It doesn’t charge an annual fee, and in addition to whatever I get from the 5 percent rotating categories, this is my go-to card for dining (3 percent cash back year-round, with no spending cap).

And while nothing is official for Q4, that’s usually a pretty easy one to maximize given the typical holiday shopping focus (for instance, PayPal was one of the categories last year).

To borrow a baseball metaphor, they can’t all be home runs. It’s okay to hit singles and doubles, too.

Have a question about credit cards? E-mail me at ted.rossman@bankrate.com and I’d be happy to help.

*The information about the Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.