Q1 2022 5% Quarterly Categories: Activate, Offers & Suggestions (Freedom/Flex, Discover, Dividend, Cash+ & more)

It’s now possible to activate/enroll all 5% category credit cards for the first quarter of 2022, including the Chase Freedom, Chase Freedom Flex, Discover IT, Citi Dividend, US Bank Cash+ and a few others. In this post we’ll provide the activation link for each card and links to track your spend, along with strategies to help increase spend in these categories.

Dates: January 1st – March 31, 2021. Store purchases can usually be done until the last minute while online purchases should be given a buffer zone of a day or two.

Chase Freedom – Grocery, eBay

Activation Link / FAQ / Sample Stores & Exclusions / Our original post

With your Freedom and Freedom Flex cards, earn 5% back this quarter on up to $1,500 in spend at Grocery Stores and on eBay.

• Grocery Stores – always a useful category; you can also buy gift cards at the grocery store for future use or for use at other places, e.g. Amazon or Visa gift cards.
  • Grocery Stores category include supermarkets, merchants that offer a full service grocery line of merchandise including a deli and bakery as well as smaller grocery stores.
  • Does not include Walmart and Target, per the terms
  • (The 5x Grocery stacks with the Grocery signup bonus for those who have that. Note, since both your new cardmember bonus and quarterly bonus are earned as 4% bonus cash back on top of the 1% cash back earned on every purchase, the most you will earn per $1 in grocery store purchases in Q1 is 9% cash back: 1% earn on every purchase, plus 4% for the quarterly bonus, plus 4% for the new cardmember bonus.)
• eBay – should work for all regular purchases on eBay, and possibly for eBay seller fees as well.

Tip: Click this link (login required) to check how far you are along the $1,500.

Discover – Grocery, Fitness, Gym

Activation Link / Our original post

With your Discover card, earn 5% back this quarter on up to $1,500 in purchases at Grocery Stores, Fitness Clubs, and on Gym Memberships.

• Grocery Stores – always a useful category; you can also buy gift cards at the grocery store for future use or for use at other places, e.g. Amazon or Visa gift cards.
  • There’s overlap here with Discover and Chase Freedom which isn’t fun for someone who has limited Grocery spend.
• Fitness Club and Gym Memberships – try paying out your yearly dues if that’s something that interests you

Activate to earn 5% Cashback Bonus at Grocery Stores (stand-alone) and Fitness Club & Gym Memberships from 1/1/22 (or the date on which you activate 5%, whichever is later) through 3/31/22, on up to $1,500 in purchases. Grocery Store purchases include those made at supermarkets, meat lockers, bakeries, smaller grocery stores, and grocery delivery services. All purchases made at Walmart, Target, convenience stores, wholesale clubs, discount stores, and supercenters are not eligible. Fitness Club & Gym Memberships include membership fees and purchases at health clubs. Athletic or recreation facilities may be eligible. Virtual and in-person fitness classes may be eligible. Individual merchants and stand-alone stores within fitness clubs, gyms, athletic or recreation facilities may not be eligible in this category.

Citi Dividend – Amazon, Streaming

Landing Page | Our Original Post

With your Dividend card, earn 5% back this quarter at Amazon.com and on select Streaming Services. Citi is different than the other cards in that you have a $6,000 annual cap rather than a $1,500 quarterly cap. Thus, you can get 5% back on up to $6,000 in this quarter, you can save the entire amount for a different quarter, or you can use part up each quarter. Some people might prefer to save their Dividend bandwidth for another quarter later this year in hopes there’ll be a useful category.

• Amazon.com – useful, though less-so for someone who already has a 5% Amazon credit card
• Select Streaming Services – includes Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, Apple Music, CBS All Access, Disney+, AT&T TV NOW, ESPN+, fuboTV, HBO Max, NBA League Pass, Netflix, Pandora, Showtime, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, SiriusXM, Vudu, YouTube Red, YouTube TV, and Tidal

US Bank Cash+/Elan – Select your Categories

Activation link | Merchant List | Our Original Post

U.S. Bank Cash+ and Elan Max offer 5% cash back in two categories, up to $2,000 combined total per quarter. Keep in mind that Car Rentals was recently replaced with TV, Internet, and Streaming Services.

Here are the current options:

• TV, Internet, and Streaming Services
• Home utilities
• Select clothing stores
• Cell phone providers
• Electronic Stores
• Gyms/Fitness
• Fast food
• Ground Transportation
• Sporting goods
• Department Stores
• Furniture Stores
• Movie theaters

Tip: Login here, then scroll down and click on the red “View Your Cash+ History” button.

Bank of America Cash Rewards

Our Original Post

The Cash Rewards card from Bank of America offers 3% back on one selected category, up to $2,500 per quarter. If you don’t select anything it defaults to gas. Once you selected a category for one quarter, that remains your category in the future unless you change it. Each calendar month you can change it if you’d like, but you’re always limited to $2,500 for the entire quarter.

• Gas (default)
• Online Shopping
• Dining
• Travel
• Drug Stores
• Home Improvement/Furnishings

This category is especially lucrative for those who have Preferred Rewards status with Bank of America which can get you 5.25% back on one of these categories at the higher relationship level.

Lots of useful categories here. Important note: the Cash Rewards card also offers 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs up to $2,500 per quarter, and that $2,500 limit combines with the Category Selection limit. After spending $2,500, you’ll earn 1% back on everything.

Other Cards with 5% Category

ABOC – Discontinued

Since August 27, 2021, the ABOC Platinum rewards card has moved to a new rewards provider and no longer offers the quarterly 5x categories.

Nusenda FCU – Gas, Grocery

Landing Page | Our Original Post

• Earn 5% this quarter on up to $1,500 in purchases on Gas and Groceries.

This is on top of the regular 1% for a total earn of 6% back.

Affinity FCU – Gas, Wireless, Cable

Landing Page | Our Original Post

• Earn 5% this quarter on purchases on up to $3,500 in purchases for Gas, Cellular, Wireless, Cable, and Satellite.

The 5x is on top of regular earn for a total of 6x or 7x, depending on the card.

Abound CU – Health, Fitness

Landing page | Our Original Post

• Abound Credit Union Visa Platinum card offers 5% on up to $2,000 in purchases for Health and Fitness purchases.

5% off merchants classified as Clubs/Membership, Miscellaneous Food Stores, Sporting Good Stores, Shoe Stores and Sports Apparel/Riding Apparel.

Vantage West [AZ] – Select your Category

Landing Page | Our Original Post

Get 5x points on the category of your choice, up to $1,500 per quarter. Eligible categories:

• Travel
• Restaurants
• Utilities [water, cell, electric, etc.]
• In-Store Wholesale Purchases [Costco, Sam’s Club, etc.]
• Department Stores
• Hardware & Home Improvement Stores
• Charitable Organizations
• Pharmacies & Drug Stores
• Amazon.com