The Chase Freedom FlexSM Credit Card (review) is an incredible no annual fee card belonging to Chase’s Freedom portfolio, which can help you maximize your points, thanks to its quarterly bonus categories. With a new quarter being around the corner, Chase has just opened registration for its Q4 2025 bonus categories, so I’d highly recommend registering ASAP, before you forget.
Note that these same bonus categories are also valid for the Chase Freedom Card, which is no longer open to new applicants.
In this post:
Why I love the Chase Freedom Flex
The Chase Freedom Flex Card is easily one of the best no annual fee cards out there, as it offers 5x points in rotating quarterly categories, for up to $1,500 of spending per quarter. Most people use this as a cashback card, meaning the 5x points really translates into 5% cashback in these categories.
The card has other bonus categories as well, as it offers 3x points (or 3% cash back) at drugstores and on dining.
The best part is that in conjunction with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review), Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (review), Sapphire Reserve for BusinessSM (review), or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (review), points earned on this card can be converted into Ultimate Rewards points, and be transferred to the Ultimate Rewards airline and hotel partners, or can be redeemed at a favorable rate through the Chase Travel Portal.
Since I value one Ultimate Rewards point at significantly more than one cent, that’s my preferred use of those points.
Chase Freedom Flex Q4 2025 bonus categories
For the fourth quarter of 2025, the Freedom Flex Card is offering 5x points on the first $1,500 spent with Old Navy, Chase Travel, and department stores. On top of that, exclusively for the month of December, it’s possible to earn 5x points with PayPal. As far as key dates go:
- You need to register between September 15 and December 14, 2025
- If you register, you can earn 5x points between October 1 and December 31, 2025
How to register your Chase Freedom Flex for 5x points
Registration is easy — just go to the registration page and enter your last name, billing zip code, and the last four digits on your card, and you’ll be registered.
My take on Q4 2025 5x points categories
Everyone has different spending patterns, so will have different takes on the quarterly bonus categories. Personally, the Q4 2025 bonus categories don’t excite me much, for the most part. There are other cards that consistently earn 5x points (or more) with credit card portals, and I don’t really shop much at Old Navy or department stores.
However, the 5x points on PayPal purchases in December has the potential to be useful, so that’s likely where I’ll be maximizing my spending this time around. That’s because you can link your card to PayPal, and then make online purchases with all kinds of retailers that way.
How to make Chase Freedom Flex points more valuable
To recap, you earn points on the Chase Freedom Flex, and each point can be redeemed for one cent cashback.
However, if you have this card in addition to one of the cards that accrues Ultimate Rewards points, you can transfer these points to Ultimate Rewards. So 5% cashback converts into 5x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar with one of the above cards.
Bottom line
The Chase Freedom Flex is one of the best no annual fee cards out there, thanks largely to the ability to earn 5x points in rotating quarterly categories. The Q4 2025 bonus categories have just opened for registration, so now is a good time to register. Between October 1 and December 31, 2025, it’ll be possible to earn 5x points with Old Navy, Chase Travel, and department stores. Furthermore, in December, it’ll be possible to earn 5x points with PayPal.
What do you make of the Q4 2025 Chase Freedom Flex bonus categories?
The Q3 and Q4 categories were not useful for our needs. For Q3, we have one EV that we charge at home, I buy gas infrquently for our 2 nd car, local gas stations in Chicago suburbs now want cash for purchase of gift cards, and we don’t spend large sums in entertainment. For Q4- other than the December PayPal category, I can’t see spending $$ at department stores or Old Navy. Glad this is a no fee card, but Chase is definitely making the category spend more narrow.
I'm considering getting rid of this card. It has become increasingly useless. The categories have become very specific and targeted. Categories also tend to conflict with other cards. It used to be general enough that applied to most people so relatively easy to hit the target, for example mobile phone. If they offer Amazon then I prefer to use the Amazon card, for example. Consider that Chase Travel prices tend to be more than airline...
I'm considering getting rid of this card. It has become increasingly useless. The categories have become very specific and targeted. Categories also tend to conflict with other cards. It used to be general enough that applied to most people so relatively easy to hit the target, for example mobile phone. If they offer Amazon then I prefer to use the Amazon card, for example. Consider that Chase Travel prices tend to be more than airline direct or other services and usually does not have the cheapest rates.
9x points for Chase Travel on a no-fee credit card is amazing - the overpriced Chase Sapphire Reserve only offers 8x.
"Department Stores" meaning like Macy's, Nordstrom, JC Penney, etc?
The max is $1500 that’s 7500 points. Am I missing something ?
Only December for Paypal? They've converted a category I'm usually able to max out over 3 months to one that's barely useful at all.
The combination of using Chase Travel with the 5X is really outstanding!
I received a message that if I put spend on my flex of $1000 the next $2500 would get an added 0.5% and if I maxed th a t the next $4000 would get another 0.5% (a 1% bonus). I haven't seen any bloggers discus this yet.
Worst I have seen in a long time.
4th quarter categories? LAME!
Why Paypal is only for December, that means we cannot use during the black friday deals to maximize
Meh. Maybe I will use this for my annual Creed fragrance purchase at Saks.
Terrible categories for me. I probably won't spend a single cent on any of these.
Seems weak. We went from groceries to Amazon to gas over the past three quarters to this. I'm sure I'll figure out a way to milk it but it won't be as naturally easy as other quarters.
I’m gonna be maxing this one out with PayPal