MORE LIKE THISCredit CardsCash Back Credit Cards
Cards with rotating bonus categories come with some of the highest credit card rewards rates available.
Both Chase and Discover offer credit cards with 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in spending per quarter in bonus categories that change each quarter and 1% back on other purchases. To get the bonus cash back, you have to opt in, or "activate," the category each quarter.
A Citi credit card with similar terms — the Citi Dividend Card — is no longer available to new applicants. It pays 5% in rotating bonus categories that you activate and 1% on other purchases. There's no quarterly spending limit, but the total cash amount of cash back you can earn in a year is capped at $300.
Previous years are listed below the current categories, so you can see what's been offered in the past ... and what might be again?
» MORE: Best cash-back credit cards and best 5% cash-back credit cards
Ready for a new credit card?
Create a NerdWallet account for insight on your credit score and personalized recommendations for the right card for you.
Current Discover bonus categories
Cards that earn bonus rewards in these categories include the Discover it® Cash Back and the Discover it® Student Cash Back.
Discover bonus rewards categories for 2024 | |
|---|---|
Q1 (Jan. 1–March 31) |
|
Q2 (April 1–June 30) |
|
Q3 (July 1–Sept. 30) |
|
Q4 (Oct. 1–Dec. 31) |
|
» MORE: NerdWallet's best Discover credit cards
Discover it® Cash Back | Discover it® Student Cash Back | Chase Freedom Flex® |
NerdWallet rating Learn More | NerdWallet rating Learn More | NerdWallet rating Learn More |
Current Chase bonus categories
These bonus categories apply to the Chase Freedom® and the Chase Freedom Flex® (introduced in September 2020).
Chase Freedom® and Chase Freedom Flex® bonus rewards categories for 2024 | |
|---|---|
Q1 (Jan. 1-March 31) |
|
Q2 (April 1-June 30) |
|
Q3 (July 1-Sept. 30) |
|
Q4 (Oct. 1-Dec. 31) |
|
*Includes bookings made directly with the hotel and prepaid bookings through Chase's travel portal. | |
» MORE: NerdWallet's best Chase credit cards
Current Citi Dividend bonus categories
Citi Dividend Card bonus rewards categories for 2024 | |
|---|---|
Q1 (Jan. 1 - March 31) | • Amazon.• Select streaming services. |
Q2 (April 1 - June 30) | • Grocery stores.• Drugstores. |
Q3 (July 1 – Sept. 30) | • Gas stations. |
Q4 (Oct. 1 – Dec. 31) | • TBD (In 2023: Grocery stores). |
» MORE: NerdWallet's best Citi credit cards
» MORE: Credit cards with customizable rewards
Categories from previous years
2023 credit card bonus categories
Click to view
Discover cards 2023 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores; drugstores; select streaming services.
Q2: Restaurants; wholesale clubs.
Q3: Gas stations; digital wallets.
Q4: Amazon.com; Target, including Target.com and the Target app.
Chase 2023 bonus categories
Q1: Target; grocery stores; fitness clubs and gym memberships.
Q2: Amazon.com; Lowe's.
Q3: Gas stations and electric vehicle charging; select live entertainment.
Q4: PayPal; wholesale clubs; select charities.
Citi Dividend Card 2023 bonus categories
Q1: Amazon; select streaming services.
Q2: Drugstores; grocery stores.
Q3: Gas stations; home improvement stores.
Q4: Grocery stores.
2022 credit card bonus categories
Click to view
Discover cards 2022 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores; fitness clubs and gym memberships.
Q2: Gas stations; Target.
Q3: Restaurants; PayPal.
Q4: Amazon.com; digital wallets.
Chase 2022 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores; eBay.
Q2: Amazon.com; select streaming services.
Q3: Gas stations; car rentals; movie theaters; select live entertainment.
Q4: PayPal; Walmart.
Citi Dividend Card 2022 bonus categories
Q1: Amazon; select streaming services.
Q2: Grocery stores; drugstores.
Q3: Gas stations; home improvement stores.
Q4: Restaurants; select travel.
2021 credit card bonus categories
Click to view
Discover cards 2021 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores (including Walmart Grocery Pickup & Delivery); CVS and Walgreens.
Q2: Gas stations; wholesale clubs; select streaming services.
Q3: Restaurants; PayPal.
Q4: Amazon.com; Target.com; Walmart.com.
Chase 2021 bonus categories
Q1: Wholesale clubs; select streaming services; internet, cable and phone services.
Q2: Gas stations; home improvement stores.
Q3: Grocery stores; select streaming services.
Q4: Walmart; PayPal.
Also in Q4 of 2021, holders of the Chase Freedom Flex® (but not the original Freedom card) could earn an additional 5% cash back in the eligible category where they spent the most money, on up to $1,500 in spending. Those categories: Travel (including transit); dining; home improvement stores; grocery stores (not including Target and Walmart purchases); drugstores; das stations; select live entertainment; select streaming services; fitness club. This came on top of the 5% earned on Walmart and PayPal purchases, meaning Flex cardholders could earn 5% on up to $3,000 in spending that quarter.
Citi Dividend Card 2021 bonus categories
Q1: Amazon; select streaming services.
Q2: Supermarkets; drugstores.
Q3: Gas stations; home improvement stores.
Q4: Restaurants; Best Buy.
ABOC cards 2021 bonus categories
Q1: Groceries; drugstores; health and wellness (fitness clubs, beauty and health spas, hospitals/medical providers); veterinary services.
Q2: Home improvement (including gardening stores and home furnishings); warehouse clubs; Costco.com; Walmart.com; Target.com.
Q3: Dining (including restaurants and fast food); travel (airlines, rental cars, hotels, timeshares, cruises and travel agencies); transportation (gas, tolls, mass transit, taxis and ridesharing services); entertainment (including movie theaters, tourist attractions and theme parks).
Q4: Dining (including restaurants and fast food); food delivery services (including DoorDash and Grubhub); groceries; liquor stores; Amazon.com.
2020 credit card bonus categories
Click to view
Discover cards 2020 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores; CVS and Walgreens.
Q2: Gas stations; Uber and Lyft; wholesale clubs; Home Depot (June only).
Q3: Restaurants; PayPal.
Q4: Amazon.com; Target.com; Walmart.com; Best Buy (Nov. 25 to Dec. 31 only).
Chase 2020 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations; select streaming services; internet, cable and phone services.
Q2: Grocery stores; gym memberships and fitness clubs; select streaming services.
Q3: Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market.
Q4: Walmart; PayPal.
Citi Dividend Card 2020 bonus categories
Q1: Fitness clubs; supermarkets.
Q2: Drugstores; Amazon.com.
Q3: Home improvement stores; streaming services.
Q4: Best Buy; online purchases from warehouse clubs.
ABOC cards 2020 bonus categories
Q1: Recurring payments (including utilities, insurance, phone/cable/internet, streaming, subscription services).
Q2: Dining; groceries; gas, rideshare and transit.
Q3: Dining; entertainment; travel (airfare, cruises, car rentals, hotels, travel agencies); gas, rideshare and transit.
Q4: Holiday shopping (including superstores, department stores, electronics stores, Costco.com and Amazon.com).
2019 credit card bonus categories
Click to view
Discover cards 2019 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores.
Q2: Gas stations; Uber and Lyft.
Q3: Restaurants; PayPal.
Q4: Amazon.com; Target (in-store and online); Walmart.com.
Chase Freedom® 2019 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations; tolls; drugstores.
Q2: Home improvement stores; grocery stores.
Q3: Gas stations; select streaming services.
Q4: Department stores; PayPal and Chase Pay.
Citi Dividend Card 2019 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations; Home Depot.
Q2: Drugstores; fitness clubs.
Q3: Airlines and car rentals.
Q4: Best Buy and department stores.
ABOC cards 2019 bonus categories
Q1: Dining; groceries; pharmacy.
Q2: Home improvement (including warehouse and wholesale clubs).
Q3: Travel purchases (airfare, cruises, car rentals, hotels, travel agencies).
Q4: Automotive purchases (including services, repairs and parts).
2018 credit card bonus categories
Click to view
Discover cards 2018 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations and wholesale clubs.
Q2: Grocery stores.
Q3: Restaurants.
Q4: Amazon.com and wholesale clubs.
Chase Freedom® 2018 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations; internet, cable and phone service; and purchases via Chase Pay, Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay.
Q2: Grocery stores, PayPal, Chase Pay.
Q3: Gas stations, Lyft, Walgreens.
Q4: Department stores, wholesale clubs, Chase Pay.
Citi Dividend Card 2018 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations, car rentals.
Q2: Home Depot, home furniture stores.
Q3: Airlines, movies.
Q4: Best Buy, department stores.
2017 credit card bonus categories
Click to view
Discover cards 2017 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations, ground transportation, wholesale clubs.
Q2: Home improvement stores, wholesale clubs.
Q3: Restaurants.
Q4: Amazon.com, Target.
Chase Freedom® 2017 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations, local commuter transportation.
Q2: Grocery stores, drugstores.
Q3: Restaurants, movie theaters.
Q4: Walmart, department stores.
Citi Dividend Card 2017 bonus categories
Q1: Home Depot, home furniture stores.
Q2: Drugstores, fitness clubs.
Q3: Airlines, Hilton hotels.
Q4: Best Buy, department stores.
2016 credit card bonus categories
Click to view
Discover cards 2016 bonus categories
Q1: Gas, ground transportation.
Q2: Restaurants, movies.
Q3: Home improvement stores, Amazon.com.
Q4: Amazon.com, department stores, Sam's Club.
Chase Freedom® 2016 bonus categories
Q1: Gas stations, local commuter transportation.
Q2: Grocery stores, wholesale clubs.
Q3: Restaurants, wholesale clubs.
Q4: Department stores, wholesale clubs.
Citi Dividend Card 2016 bonus categories
Q1: Home Depot, home furniture stores.
Q2: Drugstores, fitness clubs.
Q3: Car rentals, Hilton hotels.
Q4: Best Buy, department stores.
2015 credit card bonus categories
Click to view
Discover cards 2015 bonus categories
Q1: Gas, ground transportation.
Q2: Restaurants, movies.
Q3: Home improvement stores, department stores, Amazon.com.
Q4: Amazon.com, department stores, clothing stores.
Chase Freedom® 2015 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores, movie theaters, Starbucks.
Q2: Restaurants, Bed Bath & Beyond, H&M, Overstock.com.
Q3: Gas stations, Kohl's.
Q4: Amazon.com, Audible.com, Diapers.com, Zappos.com.(Note: In a special promotion offered in 2015 only, the $1,500 quarterly limit on spending eligible for bonus rewards was reset on Nov. 23, meaning that Chase Freedom® cardholders got a "fresh" $1,500 to spend for bonus cash back. Further, from Nov. 23 to Dec. 31 of that year, Amazon.com spending earned 10% cash back, rather than 5%.)
Citi Dividend Card 2015 bonus categories
Q1: Macy's, home furniture stores.
Q2: Home Depot, home and garden stores.
Q3: Airlines, Hilton hotels.
Q4: Best Buy, department stores.
2014 credit card bonus categories
Click to view
Discover cards 2014 bonus categories
Q1: Restaurants, movies.
Q2: Home improvement stores, furniture stores, Bed Bath & Beyond.
Q3: Gas stations.
Q4: Online shopping, department stores.
Chase Freedom® 2014 bonus categories
Q1: Grocery stores, movie theaters, Starbucks.
Q2: Restaurants, Lowe's.
Q3: Gas stations, Kohl's.
Q4: Amazon.com, Zappos.com, select department stores.
Citi Dividend Card 2014 bonus categories
Q1: Macy's, drugstores, fitness clubs.
Q2: Home Depot, home furniture stores, home and garden.
Q3: Car rentals, Hilton hotels, theme parks, movie theaters.
Q4: Best Buy, department stores, toy stores.
