How to use rotating categories without forgetting

Cards like the Chase Freedom Flex and Discover it Cash Back rotate bonus categories every quarter. You can earn 5% on up to $1,500 in spend per quarter in the active categories, but you have to activate each quarter and remember which categories are live. Miss a quarter and you leave money on the table.

How rotating categories work

Each quarter has a set of categories (e.g. gas and streaming, or wholesale clubs and PayPal). You opt in once per quarter. Spend in those categories on that card earns 5% until you hit the cap ($1,500 combined for Freedom Flex). After that, you earn the base rate (1% or 1.5%).

Calendar and reminders

Set a reminder for the first day of each quarter (January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1). Check the issuer's site or app for the new categories and activate. Add a note to your calendar so you know which card to use where (e.g. "Q2: Freedom Flex 5% on gas and streaming").

Stack with fixed-category cards

Use rotating cards for the 5% categories when they're active. Use other cards for categories that don't rotate: dining (Amex Gold or SavorOne), groceries (Custom Cash or Blue Cash Preferred), Amazon (Prime Visa). You don't have to put everything on one card. The goal is to have the right card for each merchant. cashew shows your best card per merchant; when the Freedom Flex has gas at 5%, it may show up first for gas. When the quarter changes, your best card for gas might change too.

Don't force spend

If the quarter's categories don't match your normal spend, don't manufacture spend to hit the cap. Use the card where it wins. If you only spend $400 in the category that quarter, you still get 5% on that $400. That's $20. Not life-changing, but it's free money for using the right card.

How cashew handles this

cashew uses current category rates from your cards. If your Freedom Flex has a 5% category active for a merchant type, the app will rank it accordingly when you search that merchant or category. When the quarter ends and the category changes, your recommendations update. You don't have to remember the calendar; search the merchant and cashew shows your best option today.