Chase Freedom Flex Q1 2026 Categories: Foodies Rejoice

The Q1 2026 rotating bonus categories on the Chase Freedom Flex® card aren’t what I expected, but I’m actually pretty happy with them.

From Jan. 1 through March 31, 2026, cardholders will earn an extra 4 percent cash back on dining, American Heart Association donations and Norwegian Cruise Line purchases. Activation is required and the promo is good for up to $1,500 in combined quarterly spending. After that threshold, American Heart Association and Norwegian Cruise Line spending earns just 1% cash back and dining reverts to the standard 3% earned by Freedom Flex cardholders.

In other words, up to the promotional spending limit, dining purchases will earn a total of 7% cash back (the normal 3% for dining + 4% extra from the promo). American Heart Association donations and Norwegian Cruise Line spending will earn 5% during the promo (the standard 1% that applies to most purchases + 4% extra).

Have a question about credit cards? E-mail me at [email protected] and I’d be happy to help.

A look back at prior first quarters

Grocery stores were a Q1 Freedom Flex bonus category. We’ll probably see grocery stores among the Q2, Q3 or Q4 selections that will be announced later in the year (I’m going to guess Q2 since Q3 usually has a summer travel/entertainment theme and Q4 usually leans into holiday shopping).

Dining was a Q2 2025 selection, but prior to that, it hadn’t appeared on a quarterly Freedom Flex bonus roster since 2017 (on the original Chase Freedom card; the Freedom Flex replaced it in 2020 and made dining a year-round 3 percent cash back category).

How Americans spend on dining

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent Consumer Expenditure Survey (which covered 2024 spending data), the average U.S. household spent $3,945 on “food away from home” (basically a synonym for dining out) in 2024. That compared with $6,224 on “food at home” (aka groceries). These figures are likely a bit higher now, due to inflation. But if we use the 2024 numbers as a guide, the average household spends about $1,000 per quarter on dining. In that case, you might expect to reach about two-thirds of the $1,500 quarterly bonus threshold if you spend like an average household in the dining category.

What counts as dining?

The Freedom Flex, like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, defines “dining” broadly. Here’s Chase’s definition:

“This category’s merchants’ primary business is sit-down or eat-in dining, including fast food restaurants and fine dining establishments. Merchants that sell food and drinks located within facilities such as sports stadiums, hotels and casinos, theme parks, grocery and department stores will not be included in this category unless the merchant has set up such purchases to be classified in a restaurant category. Bakeries, caterers, meal kit delivery services, and gift card merchants are not included in the category. Delivery and takeout services will be included if they classify as a restaurant merchant.”

In other words, it’s not just fancy restaurants with nice tablecloths and hefty price tags. A lot of takeout and counter service dining establishments will earn the same extra cash back rate as sit-down restaurants. You might even consider buying something like a DoorDash gift card or a restaurant-specific gift card to top off your cash back earnings (saving it for future use) if you’re not going to hit the $1,500 threshold with your regular Q1 spending. Just make sure you buy it directly from DoorDash or a restaurant (which should qualify for the extra cash back) — if you purchase the gift card at a grocery store or drugstore it won’t count as a dining purchase.

More on the other Q1 2026 bonus categories

The Norwegian Cruise Line and American Heart Association categories are specific and probably not applicable to most cardholders. If you’re planning a cruise, I’m sure Norwegian is hoping you’ll choose them. When a specific company is included like this, I strongly suspect that they pay for the privilege. It’s a form of targeted advertising, and further evidence of the “couponization” of credit card rewards.

As my colleague Ana Staples wrote about the American Express Platinum Card®:

“Most of these benefits are branded. That means if you’re trying to offset the annual fee with statement credits, the card will dictate where you spend. You’re to shop at Walmart regularly. Your gym is Equinox. Even digital entertainment credits only apply to Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock and The Wall Street Journal. Only subscribed to Netflix and Spotify? You’re out of luck.”

Norwegian Cruise Line

I actually have a perfect analogy with the Freedom Flex: My family is scheduled to take a cruise in Q1, but it’s a Disney Cruise and therefore not going to qualify for the Norwegian bonus (womp womp). I can also tell you that cruises are expensive — our family of four, for example, is spending a lot more than $1,500 on the cruise. If you’re able to isolate smaller cruise purchases (such as excursions or WiFi), those could combine with restaurant purchases to maximize (but not greatly exceed) the Q1 bonus threshold.

While you could look at 5% cash back on $1,500 in Norwegian Cruise Line spending as a $75 rebate, there’s an opportunity cost. For example, a $5,000 cruise booking would earn $110 in cash back if you max out the 5% category (5% x $1,500 + 1% x $3,500). But I have a different credit card that gives 2% cash back on everything, so I would actually be better off trying to maximize the Freedom Flex quarter at restaurants (and perhaps American Heart Association donations) and getting $100 back from a $5,000 cruise purchase on a 2% cash back card while still having the opportunity to earn $105 back at restaurants (remember, with activtation restaurants are actually earning a total of 7% back up to $1,500 spent) in Q1 2026.

American Heart Association

Turning to the American Heart Association, it’s a worthy cause, don’t get me wrong. But it’s a pretty random credit card rewards category. And odd timing, too (charitable donations spike in the fourth quarter due to the holiday spirit and the allure of a year-end tax deduction). The first quarter is a pretty quiet time for charitable donations, although perhaps that’s the point — to incentivize giving at a slower time of year. And changes to the tax code will allow more people to deduct charitable contributions in 2026, as opposed to 2025.

Still, we’re not talking about all charitable contributions qualifying for Freedom Flex bonus cash back in Q1. It’s just the American Heart Association. If you choose to give, that’s great, but this is unlikely to be the centerpiece of most cardholders’ strategy to max out $1,500 in quarterly spending. Great if it’s something you would have done anyway, or if you’re encouraged to top off your spending limit while doing some good and qualifying for a tax deduction. But for most people, restaurant spending is going to be the beginning, middle and end of their Q1 2026 Freedom Flex rewards strategy.

The bottom line

The Q1 2026 Freedom Flex categories have a new look. Restaurant rewards are broadly appealing, and most cardholders should be able to get a nice return on that spending. Seven percent cash back is hard to beat, especially considering the card doesn’t charge an annual fee.