Chase Freedom & Flex 5% Categories for Q4 2020: PayPal, Walmart

Kenley Young
By Kenley Young 
Published
Edited by Paul Soucy
Chase Freedom & Flex 5% Categories for Q4 2020: PayPal, Walmart

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Chase has announced the 5% quarterly bonus categories for the Chase Freedom® and the brand-new Chase Freedom Flex℠, and they could come in handy for holiday shoppers.

From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2020, both cards will earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined spending on:

  • PayPal.

  • Walmart.

Cardholders must activate the categories online to receive 5% cash back. To qualify, you must activate by the 15th day of the last month of the quarter.

For the Chase Freedom®, all other purchases will earn 1% back. For the Chase Freedom Flex℠, you'll also earn:

  • 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

  • 3% back at restaurants.

  • 3% back at drugstores.

  • 1% back on all other non-bonus-category purchases.

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)

  • TBD (In 2023: gas stations and electric vehicle charging; select live entertainment).

Q4 (Oct. 1-Dec. 31)

  • TBD (In 2023: PayPal; wholesale clubs; select charities).

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

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ began accepting applications in mid-September 2020. The Chase Freedom®, on the other hand, is no longer accepting applications, but existing cardholders can continue to use it and earn rewards as before.

Both cards will have the same 5% quarterly categories.

PayPal has been a familiar category for the Chase Freedom® in recent years, having appeared on the card's bonus calendar in both 2018 and 2019. (In 2019, it was also featured in the fourth quarter.)

Walmart, on the other hand, hasn't been a 5% bonus category for the card since 2017.

Information related to the Chase Freedom® has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.

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