Current and Former 5% Cashback Bonus Quarterly Rotating Categories for Chase and Discover
Credit cards with 5% cashback bonus in specified categories let you earn some of the highest rewards available. These categories change every quarter. Stay up to date with the selections for Chase and Discover 5% cashback bonus cards.
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Both Chase and Discover offer credit cards that provide a 5% cashback bonus. The increased rewards are, however, available only in specific purchase categories, such as dining, grocery stores, or gas stations. On top, these categories change every quarter. All other purchases, outside the specified categories, earn a standard cashback reward of 1%.
Indeed, cards with rotating bonuses provide a unque rewards structure: generous rewards are accompanied with a dynamic approach to earning rewards. To maximize your cashback from rotating categories, savvy customers need to remember and regularly perform some small tricks:
- Always activate your 5% categories before the start of each quarter
- Avoid exceeding the quarterly spending limit for those categories
The key is to stay vigilant and keep up to date with the selection of current rotating categories.
How 5% Cashback Credit Cards Work?
Before anything else, you need to have an eligible credit card from Chase or Discover to participate in rotating 5% cashback categories. Chase’s Freedom Flex and Discover’s Discover it are among the top credit cards offering 5% cashback with rotating categories. You can explore other similar offers on our main page.
To start earning the increased 5% cashback bonus rewards, you must opt-in, or activate, the bonus categories each quarter. Activation takes just a few minutes and can be completed on the bank’s website or mobile app. Once the bonus categories are activated, you’ll begin earning 5% cashback on eligible purchases.
However, the 5% cashback earnings are not unlimited. You can only earn up to $75 cashback each quarter, based on a quarterly maximum spending limit currently set at $1,500 for both Chase and Discover.
After spending $1,500 in combined bonus categories, the cashback rate for those categories falls to the regular 1%. Fortunately, this maximum spending threshold resets every quarter, allowing you to continue earning elevated rewards.
5% Cashback Bonus Categories in Q1 2025 (Jan 1 - Mar 31)
Chase - Activate Now
- ✅ Grocery Stores (excluding Walmart® and Target®)
- ✅ Norwegian Cruise Line®
- ✅ Fitness Clubs & Gym Memberships
- ✅ Hair, Nails & Spa
Discover - Activate Now
- ✅ Restaurants
- ✅ Home improvement stores
- ✅ Select streaming services
5% Cashback Bonus Categories from Chase
Calendar and Activation: Chase 5% Cashback Bonus
Current Quarterly Limit: $1,500
5% Cashback Bonus Categories from Discover
Calendar and Activation: Discover 5% Cashback Bonus
Current Quarterly Limit: $1,500
Historical data from previous years
2025 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Grocery stores, Norwegian Cruise Line, Fitness Clubs & Gym Memberships, Hair, Nails & Spa
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Restaurants, Home improvement stores, select streaming services
2024 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Grocery stores, Fitness Club & Gym Memberships, Self-Care & Spa services,
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Amazon.com, Hotels, Restaurants
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Gas stations, EV charging, select live entertainment, movie theaters
Q4 (Oct - Dec): McDonald’s, PayPal, Pet Shops & Vet Services, Select Charities
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Restaurants, Drug stores
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Gas stations, EV Charging, Home improvement stores, Public Transit
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Walmart, Grocery stores
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Target
2023 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Grocery stores, Target, Fitness Club & Gym Memberships
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Lowe’s, Amazon.com
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Gas stations, EV charging, select live entertainment
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Wholesale clubs, Select Charities, PayPal
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Grocery stores, Drug stores, select streaming services
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Restaurants, Wholesale clubs
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Gas stations, Digital Wallets
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Target
2022 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Grocery stores, eBay
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Amazon.com, select streaming services.
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Gas stations, car rental agencies, movie theaters, select live entertainment
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Walmart, PayPal
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Grocery stores, Fitness Club & Gym Memberships
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Gas stations, Target
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Restaurants, PayPal
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Digital Wallets
2021 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Wholesale clubs, internet/cable & phone dervices, select streaming services
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Gas stations, Home improvement stores
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Grocery stores, select streaming services
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Walmart, PayPal
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Grocery stores, Walgreens, CVS
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Gas stations, Wholesale clubs, select streaming services
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Restaurants, PayPal
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Target.com, Walmart.com
2020 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Gas stations, internet/cable & phone services, select streaming services
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Grocery stores, Fitness Club & Gym Memberships, select streaming services
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Walmart, PayPal
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Grocery stores, Walgreens, CVS
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Gas stations, Uber, Lyft, Wholesale clubs
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Restaurants, PayPal
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com
2019 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Gas Stations, Tolls, Drugstores
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Grocery stores, Home improvement stores
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Gas stations, select streaming services
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Department stores, PayPal, Chase Pay
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Grocery stores
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Gas stations, Uber, Lyft
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Restaurants, PayPal
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Target, Walmart.com
2018 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Gas stations, internet/cable & phone services, Chase Pay, Android Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay
Q2 (Apr - Jun): PayPal, Grocery stores, Chase Pay
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Gas stations, Walgreens, Lyft
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Department stores, Wholesale clubs, Chase Pay.
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Gas stations, Wholesale clubs
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Grocery stores
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Restaurants
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Wholesale clubs
2017 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Gas stations, local commuter transportation
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Grocery stores, Drugstores
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Restaurants, Movie Theaters
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Walmart, Department Stores
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Gas stations, Ground transportation, Wholesale clubs
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Home improvement stores, Wholesale Clubs
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Restaurants
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Target
2016 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Gas stations, local commuter transportation
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Grocery stores, Wholesale Clubs
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Restaurants, Wholesale Clubs
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Department Stores, Wholesale Clubs, Drugstores
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Gas stations, Ground transportation
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Restaurants, Movies
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Home improvement stores, Amazon.com
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Department stores, Sam’s Club
2015 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Grocery stores, Movie theaters, Starbucks stores
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Restaurants, Bed Bath & Beyond, H&M, Overstock.com
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Gas stations, Kohl’s
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Zappos.com, Audible.com, Diapers.com
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Gas stations, Ground transportation
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Restaurants, Movies
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Home improvement stores, Department stores, Amazon.com
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Department stores, Clothing stores
2014 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Grocery stores, Movie theaters, Starbucks stores
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Restaurants, Lowe’s
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Gas stations, Kohl’s
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Zappos.com, Select department stores
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Restaurants, Movies
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Home improvement stores, Furniture stores, Bed Bath & Beyond
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Gas stations
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Online shopping, Department stores
2013 cashback 5% categories
Chase
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Gas Stations, Drugstores, Starbucks stores
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Restaurants, Movie theaters, Lowe’s
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Gas stations, Theme parks, Kohl’s
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Amazon.com, Select department stores
Discover
Q1 (Jan - Mar): Restaurants, Movies
Q2 (Apr - Jun): Home improvement stores
Q3 (Jul - Sep): Gas stations
Q4 (Oct - Dec): Online shopping
The information in this post has been collected independently by big4credit.com.