Brooklyn Lowery / Bankrate
From April 1 through June 30, 2025, the Chase Freedom Flex will offer 5 percent cash back on Amazon purchases and select streaming services (up to $1,500 in quarterly spending, then 1 percent back after the limit; note that activation is required). From June 1 through June 30, there will be an extra bonus category (internet, cable and phone services) which counts toward the same $1,500 quarterly spending limit.
My family typically spends around $400 per month on Amazon, which would get us to a total of $1,200 in April, May and June if we spend about as much as we usually do. To maximize the $1,500 promotional limit, we might need to think outside the box.
Internet, cable and phone services won’t help us because we get autopay discounts from our providers that are greater than 5 percent when we pay with a bank transfer (ACH transaction). Surely that’s because those transactions are cheaper for merchants to process than credit card purchases, so they incentivize it.
Streaming services won’t help us, either, since we get 6 percent back on those purchases with our Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express.
The best ways for my family to maximize the Q2 Freedom Flex categories
We can either:
- Stock up on Amazon purchases. We could pre-buy things that we know we’ll need in the future such as toiletries, paper products, non-perishable food and so on.
- Buy gift cards on Amazon. We could view this as an advance on our Q3 Amazon spending, loading up an Amazon gift card during the promotion and using it later. It’s also worth noting that Amazon sells a variety of gift cards for other retailers. This is my favorite tip if you’re falling short of the threshold since you can maximize your cash back on other purchases like those at Starbucks, DoorDash, Uber or another merchant that sells gift cards on Amazon.com. It extends the deal to additional types of spending that aren’t eligible if you buy directly from those other companies.
The Q2 categories are broader than you might think
There should be good ways for everyone to max out the Freedom Flex’s $1,500 limit on 5 percent bonus categories this spring. Like I said, Amazon is a potential goldmine since it sells a ton of products already, plus the gift card possibilities are almost infinite.
If you aren’t already getting at least 5 percent on streaming services or internet, cable and phone services, those are solid Freedom Flex options in Q2. If you set up auto-pay, make sure to change your payment method after the quarter if you get a better return for the rest of the year on another card.
For instance, if you move your SiriusXM or YouTube TV subscription over to the Freedom Flex in Q2 for the 5 percent streaming rewards, you can probably do better once it drops to 1 percent back starting on July 1 (or once you hit the $1,500 quarterly spending limit). If you have another cash back card that gives 2 percent back on everything, you’ll want to go back to that once the Freedom Flex promotion is over.
And remember that internet, cable and phone services only earn 5 percent back with Freedom Flex in June; whereas, Amazon and streaming services earn 5 percent back in April, May and June. All the purchases, however, count toward that $1,500 maximum spend.
Double up on internet, cable and phone services in June
You could potentially cram two months’ worth of internet, cable and phone payments into June if you’re strategic about your timing. Let’s say your bills are due on the 10th of each month. To earn 5 percent back across two billing cycles, you could make the June 10 payment sometime between June 1 and 10 and then you could pay the July 10 bill in late June.
There’s a strong subscription component to the Freedom Flex’s Q2 categories. I’m sure that Chase is hoping you’ll designate the Freedom Flex as your go-to card for Amazon; streaming; and internet, cable and phone in Q2, and then forget to change it in Q3 and beyond when the rewards payout dips from 5 percent back to just 1 percent. You can get more than 1 percent back from a lot of other rewards cards, though, so put a reminder in your calendar to switch once the promotion ends.
The bottom line
The Freedom Flex’s Q2 categories should be pretty easy for most cardholders to optimize, although they’re not as much of a slam dunk as last year when Amazon, restaurants and hotels were included in the spring of 2024. That was a broader (and more expensive) assortment. This year’s slate isn’t quite as appealing, but it still provides cardholders a good opportunity to maximize their rewards with a little planning.
Have a question about credit cards? E-mail me at [email protected] and I’d be happy to help.
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