Chase Freedom's Q4 5% Categories, and the Move That Makes Them Worth More

Chase set the Q4 categories for the Freedom and Freedom Flex, and how much they're worth to you depends on what else is in your wallet. From October 1 through December 31, 2026, both cards earn 5% back, or 5x points on the Flex, at grocery stores, on dining, and on donations to the American Red Cross.

The rate applies to $1,500 in combined spend across all three, not $1,500 each. Once you hit that ceiling, everything after earns the base 1% or 1x. Two more things people miss: Walmart and Target don't count as grocery stores, and you have to activate the categories before you spend, or those purchases earn nothing extra.

On their own, Freedom points are worth about a penny each, taken as cash back or a statement credit. But if you also carry a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or an Ink Business card, you can move your Freedom points onto that card and then transfer them to Chase's airline and hotel partners like United and Hyatt, where a point is often worth well more than a penny. Freedom on its own can't make that transfer.

That's what turns this quarter's 5x into more than grocery cash back. Paired with a premium Chase card, it's a cheap way to stockpile points you can actually turn into flights and hotel nights. The donation category is the quiet bonus: one of the few times a card rewards a charitable gift, so a year end Red Cross donation you were already making earns 5x on top.