The 5%/5x categories on the Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex cards for Q4 2026 will be:
- Grocery – Always an easy one to use. Can also buy gift cards at grocery stores to maximize. (Note: Walmart and Target are excluded in the terms.)
- Dining – Another easy favorite for 5x earning.
- On the Freedom Flex, you always get 2x bonus (3x total) on Dining, and so for Q4 2026 you’ll end up getting 7x total (1x base + 2x bonus + 4x quarterly bonus).
- If you pay at a restaurant with your Freedom card on Paze (many restaurants are on Clover who accepts Paze), you should get 10x bonus from Paze + 5x from the quarterly category. On the Freedom Flex you should end up with 17x total. Wow!
- Red Cross donations – Reminder that starting in 2026 the IRS now allows a charitable deduction of up $1k/single or $2k/couple even for those who are not itemizing their deductions.
Once activated, you’ll earn 5%/5x points per dollar spent on grocery, dining, and Red Cross, up to $1,500 in spend throughout the fourth quarter of 2026.
Hat tip to Reddit user BaseballSubstantial1
