Summer brings warm weather, long days, road trips and outdoor concerts, but this can also put a strain on your wallet.
If you want to earn a competitive return back on summer fun, the Chase Freedom Flex®* credit card rewards you each time you charge your EV, fuel up, or buy concert and movie tickets.
From July to September 2024, the Chase Freedom Flex earns 5% back for EV charging, gas stations, select live entertainment and movie theaters (on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate, then 1%). This is part of the card’s rotating bonus schedule, which offers high rewards rates on different categories four times a year.
Read more: Is EV Charging Cheaper Than Gasoline? We Did the Math to Find Out
A closer look at the Freedom Flex
CNET’S PICK
Chase Freedom Flex®
8.2/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
- Intro Offer
-
$200 Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 20.49% – 29.24% Variable
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- 670 – 850
Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 5% 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!; 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.; 3% cash back on dining and drugstores.; 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Rewards Rate
5%
5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!
5%
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
3%
3% cash back on dining and drugstores.
1%
1% cash back on all other purchases.
The Chase Freedom Flex is an impressive card all around. Its rewards cover more ground than most, featuring bonus categories that rotate quarterly as well as static rewards for drug stores, dining and travel booked through Chase Travel℠.
That’s a considerable amount of value for a card without an annual fee. It also gives new cardholders an opportunity to earn an easy payout with its welcome bonus. Whether you use the card for its latest categories or for dining out, hitting the required spending threshold should be all too easy.
Just make sure you’re not overspending in order to reach it or for the sake of earning more cash back. Credit card interest can quickly and easily wipe out any value you’d get from your rewards or the welcome bonus.
The new categories
So long as you activate your rewards by Sept. 14, 2024, you’ll earn 5% cash back on your first $1,500 spent in combined purchases for EV charging, gas stations, select live entertainment and movie theaters.
That means you can earn a total of $75 before your rewards fall to 1%. That may not seem like much, but it could put $75 toward your next road trip or concert. And since its other reward categories have no cap, you’ll continue to earn good rewards even after you hit the spending cap on its rotating categories.
EV charging and gas stations
It’s always nice to have a positive impact on the environment. If you’re an EV owner, it can be relatively tricky to find a credit card that earns a good rewards rate for EV charging, at least compared with gas card options.
This summer, you could earn 5% back on your EV charging with the Freedom Flex -- in addition to what you save on EV compared with buying gas. This category covers charging paid at charging stations, via mobile app, account/subscription or with an attendant. It doesn’t cover EV charging equipment purchases or residential charging purchases.
Gas purchases will be covered at gas stations, but purchases at truck stops, boat marinas, oil and propane distributors, and home heating companies aren’t included.
Select live entertainment
This category covers all the necessary ingredients of a great summer. For example, concerts, zoos, sporting events, theatrical performances and amusem*nt parks, among other things. What it doesn’t cover are bowling alleys, horse races, casinos, dance halls or clubs, or movie tickets. But that last one won’t matter.
Movie theaters
Few things are better than a summer movie and a fresh tub of popcorn. Use your Freedom Flex to purchase your movie ticket (which includes drive-ins) and you’ll earn 5% cash back.
Other credit cards to consider
The Freedom Flex isn’t the only rotating rewards card available this summer. Its top competitor is the Discover it® Cash Back*. It’s a good choice if you don’t spend in any of the Freedom Flex’s categories.
The Discover it Cash Back card offers one of the best welcome bonuses around. Discover will essentially double the rewards you earn at the end of your first year with the card, which is hard to beat.
Its rotating categories are great, too. From July 1 to Sept. 30, 2024, you can earn 5% cash back (on up to $1,500 spent quarterly, then 1%) on grocery store and Walmart purchases when you activate.
However, there are a few things that keep it from overtaking the Freedom Flex. For one, there are no static categories to earn in. Once you hit its $1,500 spending cap, you’ll earn 1% cash back for your purchases. Second, there are no retroactive rewards.
If you forget to activate your rewards, you’ll miss out on anything you would’ve earned at its 5% rate. With the Freedom Flex, even if you activate late you’ll still earn 5% cash back on any qualifying purchases made since July 1. The last day to activate your Freedom Flex rewards is September 14th, 2024.
CNET’S PICK
Chase Freedom Flex®
8.2/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
- Intro Offer
-
$200 Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 20.49% – 29.24% Variable
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 5% 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!; 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.; 3% cash back on dining and drugstores.; 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Discover it® Cash Back
8.1/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
- Intro Offer
-
Cashback Match Intro Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 18.24% – 28.24% Variable APR
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% for 15 months
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 5% Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate.; Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card
6.9/10 CNET Rating CNET rates credit cards by comparing their offers to those of their categorical competitors. Each card is individually evaluated through a formula which reflects the standards and expectations of the contemporary market. Credit card issuers have no say or influence in our ratings. How we rate credit cards
- Intro Offer
-
$200 $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
- Annual fee
- $0
- APR
- 19.24% – 29.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Intro Purchase APR
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases
- Recommended Credit A credit score is used to indicate an applicant’s credit worthiness and may provide guidance about account eligibility. It does not necessarily guarantee approval for any financial product.
- Good – Excellent
- Rewards rate
-
1% – 3% Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases).; Earn automatic 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases).; Earn unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
The bottom line
The Freedom Flex could be the card of the summer. If you’re an EV owner, avid concert enjoyer or cinephile, you won’t want to miss out on these boosted rewards for your favorite activities. And once you’ve hit the spending cap on its rotating rewards, the Freedom Flex still offers plenty of value thanks to its welcome bonus and dining and travel rewards.
*All information about the Chase Freedom Flex, Discover it® Cash Back, and Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.
