Design Highlights
- The bonus categories combine popular consumer spending areas: dining, travel (Norwegian Cruise Line), and charitable giving (American Heart Association).
- Targeting dining aligns with consumer trends favoring experiences and food-related expenditures.
- Norwegian Cruise Line appeals to travel enthusiasts, promoting vacation spending during the promotional period.
- Supporting the American Heart Association encourages charitable donations, enhancing community engagement and social responsibility.
- The promotion aims to attract diverse customers interested in food, travel, and philanthropy, maximizing rewards potential.
Chase is back at it again with its Q1 2026 bonus categories, and this time it’s serving up a tasty 5% cash back feast. Dining, Norwegian Cruise Line, and the American Heart Association are the stars of this show.
Sure, it sounds like a hodgepodge, but hey, who doesn’t love food, travel, and a good cause all in one? From January 1 to March 31, 2026, cardholders can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases across these categories. That’s no small potatoes.
Food, travel, and charity collide for 5% cash back from January to March 2026—what’s not to love?
Let’s break it down. If you have the Freedom Flex, you’re in for a wild ride. You can stack earn rates to score a whopping 7% back on dining. That’s 1% base, 2% ongoing Flex bonus, and 4% for this quarter’s bonus. All cards feature rotating quarterly categories for earning 5% back.
It’s like finding a five-dollar bill in your coat pocket—unexpected and oh-so-sweet. Meanwhile, the classic Freedom card and other rotating-category cards will stick to the 5% (or 5x points) on qualifying purchases.
But don’t forget that activation is key. You’ve got until March 14, 2026, to make sure you’re in the game. Activation process is essential to ensure you maximize your rewards.
Now, what qualifies as dining? If you’re thinking about hitting up your favorite restaurant or ordering from those food delivery apps, you’re probably in luck. But be wary—some merchants might play games with coding.
A gift card purchase may or may not count, so check before you swipe. And don’t even get started on how your donation to the American Heart Association needs to be processed correctly to snag that bonus.
It’s all about the merchant category code, folks. Just like with credit card rewards, insurance premiums can vary significantly depending on location and coverage choices. Norwegian Cruise Line is also on the list. If you’re planning a cruise—because who doesn’t want a vacation?—be sure to charge it through NCL’s merchant identity.
Otherwise, you might miss out on that sweet 5% bonus.
