Chase has revealed the rotating 5% categories for the first quarter of 2027 on the Chase Freedom Flex and the original Chase Freedom. From January 1 through March 31, 2027, the bonus categories are grocery stores and top streaming services.
The information did not come from a press release. It appeared at the bottom of the Q4 2026 activation emails Chase sent cardholders, which is months earlier than the issuer normally shares a calendar. Chase typically announces a quarter's categories a few weeks before it starts.
Six straight months of grocery
Grocery stores are also part of the Q4 2026 lineup, which runs October 1 through December 31 alongside dining and donations to the American Red Cross. That gives Freedom cardholders six consecutive months of a 5% grocery category, an unusually long run for a category that Chase normally spaces out.
The standing terms still apply. The 5% rate covers up to $1,500 in combined purchases in the bonus categories each quarter, which caps the bonus at $75 per quarter, and cardholders have to activate each quarter for it to count. Spending past the cap earns the card's base rate.
Chase has not published the Q1 2027 categories on its own rotating categories page yet, and it has not said whether the early reveal is a one time thing or a change in how it handles the calendar. The email did not list any category beyond the two.