Chase Q1 Bonus Categories 2026 for Chase Freedom
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Chase Q1 Bonus Categories 2026
Chase has announced its January 1 – March 31, 2026, bonus categories for Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex. These categories allow you to earn a 5% bonus on spending for specific categories.
The Chase Q4 Bonus Categories were Old Navy, Chase Travel, PayPal (December only), and Department Stores. Hopefully, you have already activated these, as December 14 was the last day to earn the elevated bonus points.
What are the new Chase Q1 Bonus Categories for 2026?
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Dining
- American Heart Association
While these appear lackluster, I do like the Dining one for me personally. Since I live in New York City, I can use this strategically to grab dinners or lunches over the next few months.
Though New Year’s is usually when many start their weight loss journey, you can use this opportunity to get healthy foods from different restaurants in your city.
I would ensure your Chase Freedom is enrolled in one of the many airline dining programs so that you can double dip.
How to earn additional points using the Chase Bonus Categories?
I would make sure your credit card is enrolled in one of the dining programs, such as:
Alaska Airlines: Atmos Rewards Dining
Almost all airlines have dining programs, so I would check out your favorite airline’s program.
How do I make sure I earn the 5% on the Chase Q1 Categories for 2026 with Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Flex?
You need to activate the bonus categories, and you can do that today! There are 6 ways to do that:
- Online: you can click here to activate
- Email: Check your email for activation
- Chase Mobile App: log in to the app to activate
- Phone: call the number on the back of your card, and a customer service rep can activate it for you.
- Chase: You can speak to a teller to help you activate the categories.
- ATM: If you are a Chase checking customer, you can activate the categories when withdrawing money.
If you have more than one card, you need to activate the bonus categories for each card. If you have more questions, check out this post from Chase. If you need to activate the 2025 Q3 Chase bonus categories for Chase Freedom Flex, use this link.
Is there a limit to how much you can earn from the Chase Q1 Bonus Categories?
Yes, you are limited to $1,500. This can be tracked on the website. Once you reach the limit, it goes back down to 1%.
Is there a deadline to activate the Chase Freedom Q1 2026 bonus categories?
Yes, more than likely it will be around March 14, 2026. It has not been published yet, but based on the past quarter, this is my estimate. All purchases must be posted to your accounts by March 30, 2026, to receive the additional bonus points/cashback.
Conclusion- Chase Freedom Categories 2026 Q1
I would highly recommend activating this offer to boost your monthly earnings, even if you are currently unsure about your spending in these categories. Using this strategy increased my points in the past few months when the categories included PayPal. I made all my holiday shopping purchases in December.
If you are looking for gifts for the traveler in your life, check out this gift guide.
