Both Chase and Discover offer credit cards with 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in spending per quarter in bonus categories that change each quarter and 1% back on all other purchases. To get the bonus cash back, you have to opt in, or "activate," the category each quarter.
A Citi credit card with similar terms — the Citi Dividend Card — is no longer available to new applicants. It pays 5% in rotating bonus categories that you activate and 1% on other purchases. There's no quarterly spending limit, but the total cash amount of cash back you can earn in a year is capped at $300.
Previous years are listed below the current categories, so you can see what's been offered in the past ... and what might be again?
Current Discover bonus categories
Cards that earn bonus rewards in these categories include the Discover it® Cash Back and the Discover it® Student Cash Back.
Discover bonus rewards categories for 2022 and 2023 |
|---|
| • Grocery stores*.
• Fitness clubs and gym memberships. | • Grocery stores*.
• Drugstores.
• Select streaming services. |
| • Gas stations.
• Target. | |
| | |
| • Amazon.com.
• Digital wallets. | |
*The grocery stores category does not include grocery purchases at Walmart or Target or at other superstores or wholesale clubs. |
Current Chase bonus categories
These bonus categories apply to the Chase Freedom® and the Chase Freedom Flex℠ (introduced in September 2020).
Chase Freedom® and Chase Freedom Flex℠ bonus rewards categories for 2022 |
|---|
| • Grocery stores.
• eBay. |
| • Amazon.com.
• Select streaming services. |
| • Gas stations.
• Car rentals.
• Movie theaters.
• Select live entertainment. |
| |
Current Citi Dividend bonus categories
Citi Dividend® Card bonus rewards categories for 2022 |
|---|
| • Amazon.
• Select streaming services. |
| • Grocery stores.
• Drugstores. |
| • Gas stations.
• Home improvement stores. |
| • Restaurants.
• Select travel. |
Categories from previous years
2021 credit card bonus categories
Discover cards 2021 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores (including Walmart Grocery Pickup & Delivery); CVS and Walgreens
Q2: Gas stations; wholesale clubs; select streaming services
Q4: Amazon.com; Target.com; Walmart.com
Chase 2021 bonus categories
Q1: Wholesale clubs; select streaming services; internet, cable and phone services
Q2: Gas stations; home improvement stores
Q3: Grocery stores; select streaming services
Citi® Dividend Card 2021 bonus categories
Q1: Amazon; select streaming services
Q2: Supermarkets; drugstores
Q3: Gas stations; home improvement stores
Q4: Restaurants; Best Buy
2020 credit card bonus categories
Discover cards 2020 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores; CVS and Walgreens
Q2: Gas stations; Uber and Lyft; wholesale clubs; Home Depot (June only)
Q4: Amazon.com; Target.com; Walmart.com; Best Buy (Nov. 25 to Dec. 31 only)
Chase 2020 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations; select streaming services; internet, cable and phone services
Q2: Grocery stores; gym memberships and fitness clubs; select streaming services
Q3: Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market
Citi® Dividend Card 2020 bonus categories
Q1: Fitness clubs; supermarkets
Q2: Drugstores; Amazon.com
Q3: Home improvement stores; streaming services
Q4: Best Buy; online purchases from warehouse clubs
ABOC cards 2020 bonus categories
Q1: Recurring payments (including utilities, insurance, phone/cable/internet, streaming, subscription services)
Q2: Dining; groceries; gas, rideshare and transit
Q3: Dining; entertainment; travel (airfare, cruises, car rentals, hotels, travel agencies); gas, rideshare and transit
Q4: Holiday shopping (including superstores, department stores, electronics stores, Costco.com and Amazon.com)
2019 credit card bonus categories
Discover cards 2019 bonus categories
Q2: Gas stations; Uber and Lyft
Q4: Amazon.com; Target (in-store and online); Walmart.com
Chase Freedom® 2019 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations; tolls; drugstores
Q2: Home improvement stores; grocery stores
Q3: Gas stations; select streaming services
Q4: Department stores; PayPal and Chase Pay
Citi® Dividend Card 2019 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations; Home Depot
Q2: Drugstores; fitness clubs
Q3: Airlines and car rentals
Q4: Best Buy and department stores
ABOC cards 2019 bonus categories
Q1: Dining; groceries; pharmacy
Q2: Home improvement (including warehouse and wholesale clubs)
Q3: Travel purchases (airfare, cruises, car rentals, hotels, travel agencies)
Q4: Automotive purchases (including services, repairs and parts)
2018 credit card bonus categories
Discover cards 2018 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations and wholesale clubs
Q4: Amazon.com and wholesale clubs
Chase Freedom® 2018 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations; internet, cable and phone service; and purchases via Chase Pay, Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay.
Q2: Grocery stores, PayPal, Chase Pay
Q3: Gas stations, Lyft, Walgreens
Q4: Department stores, wholesale clubs, Chase Pay
Citi® Dividend Card 2018 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations, car rentals.
Q2: Home Depot, home furniture stores
Q4: Best Buy, department stores
2017 credit card bonus categories
Discover cards 2017 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations, ground transportation, wholesale clubs
Q2: Home improvement stores, wholesale clubs
Chase Freedom® 2017 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations, local commuter transportation
Q2: Grocery stores, drugstores
Q3: Restaurants, movie theaters
Q4: Walmart, department stores
Citi® Dividend Card 2017 bonus categories
Q1: Home Depot, home furniture stores
Q2: Drugstores, fitness clubs
Q3: Airlines, Hilton hotels
Q4: Best Buy, department stores
2016 credit card bonus categories
Discover cards 2016 bonus categories
Q1: Gas, ground transportation
Q3: Home improvement stores, Amazon.com
Q4: Amazon.com, department stores, Sam's Club
Chase Freedom® 2016 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations, local commuter transportation
Q2: Grocery stores, wholesale clubs
Q3: Restaurants, wholesale clubs
Q4: Department stores, wholesale clubs
Citi® Dividend Card 2016 bonus categories
Q1: Home Depot, home furniture stores
Q2: Drugstores, fitness clubs
Q3: Car rentals, Hilton hotels
Q4: Best Buy, department stores
2015 credit card bonus categories
Discover cards 2015 bonus categories
Q1: Gas, ground transportation
Q3: Home improvement stores, department stores, Amazon.com
Q4: Amazon.com, department stores, clothing stores
Chase Freedom® 2015 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores, movie theaters, Starbucks
Q2: Restaurants, Bed Bath & Beyond, H&M, Overstock.com
Q4: Amazon.com, Audible.com, Diapers.com, Zappos.com
(Note: In a special promotion offered in 2015 only, the $1,500 quarterly limit on spending eligible for bonus rewards was reset on Nov. 23, meaning that Chase Freedom® cardholders got a "fresh" $1,500 to spend for bonus cash back. Further, from Nov. 23 to Dec. 31 of that year, Amazon.com spending earned 10% cash back, rather than 5%.)
Citi® Dividend Card 2015 bonus categories
Q1: Macy's, home furniture stores
Q2: Home Depot, home and garden stores
Q3: Airlines, Hilton hotels
Q4: Best Buy, department stores
2014 credit card bonus categories
Discover cards 2014 bonus categories
Q2: Home improvement stores, furniture stores, Bed Bath & Beyond
Q4: Online shopping, department stores
Chase Freedom® 2014 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores, movie theaters, Starbucks
Q4: Amazon.com, Zappos.com, select department stores
Citi® Dividend Card 2014 bonus categories
Q1: Macy's, drugstores, fitness clubs
Q2: Home Depot, home furniture stores, home and garden
Q3: Car rentals, Hilton hotels, theme parks, movie theaters
Q4: Best Buy, department stores, toy stores
