Chase Freedom Flex vs.
Amex Blue Cash Preferred

The Chase Freedom Flex calendar for April through June lists Amazon & select streaming services as the bonus rewards categories for the quarter. Chase Freedom Flex cardholders can earn 5% on up to $1,500 spent each quarter in these rotating categories. Any purchases made over that limit will earn 1%. Once the quarter is up, Chase will offer a new set of bonus categories.

2025 Chase Freedom Flex Calendar

January – March: Grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), Norwegian Cruise Line, Fitness clubs & gym memberships, Hair, Nails, & Spa Services

April – June: Amazon & Select Streaming Services

July – September: Coming Soon

October – December: Coming Soon

Keep in mind that Chase requires cardholders to activate new categories each quarter before they can start earning the bonus rate. You can do that through your online Chase account.

Chase Freedom Flex has a referral bonus of $50 cash back per referral, with a limit of $500 cash back per year. It can take up to 8 weeks to receive your bonus after the person you refer opens their account.

How to Get a Chase Freedom Flex Referral Bonus

1. Log in to your Chase account.
2. Navigate to the "Explore Products" tab, then click "Just for you." Scroll down and click "Refer friends now" to...

The Chase Freedom Flex® Credit Card credit score requirement is 700 or better. That means people with good credit or better have a shot at getting approved for the Chase Freedom Flex.

Note that while your credit score is an important factor, there are plenty of other things that will impact your chances of being approved for the Chase Freedom Flex, too. Some other key criteria include your income, existing debt load, recent credit inquiries, number of open accounts, housing status, and...

No, Chase Freedom Flex does not offer cash back for department stores at the moment. Chase announced the bonus 5% cash-back categories for the first quarter of 2025 and they do not include any department stores. The categories for the second quarter, though, will be released soon.

Chase Freedom Flex Bonus Categories for September 2025

No, there is no Chase Freedom Flex 10% Amazon deal. There used to be a 10% cash back promotion on Amazon purchases a long time ago, but that was a one-time offer. It's not clear whether there will be a Chase Freedom Flex 10% Amazon deal in the future.

However, the Chase Freedom Flex card offered Amazon.com as a bonus category in the past. More specifically, the card offered 5% on the first $1,500 spent on Amazon.com purchases. Purchases above the...

You can only get pre-approved for the Chase Freedom Flex credit card if you have received an offer in the mail. However, you cannot check if you're pre-approved online, as Chase does not offer this tool through its website at the moment. So, anyone interested in applying for the Chase Freedom Flex credit card will have to do so without the benefit of checking for pre-approval beforehand.

Chase mails Chase Freedom Flex pre-approved offers to candidates who meet at least the minimum...

The stores that count as supermarkets for the Blue Cash Preferred card include Meijer, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Vons, Whole Foods, and Winn-Dixie. These U.S.-based supermarket chains all earn 6% cash back on the first $6,000 in combined purchases charged to the Blue Cash Preferred card each calendar year.

Online supermarkets such as FreshDirect also get 6% cash back, up to the combined limit. To qualify, purchases must be classified with the merchant category code for supermarkets and...

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express foreign transaction fee is 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars. This means American Express will add a 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars surcharge anytime you use the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express outside of the United States. The fee also applies to online purchases made through an internationally-based merchant.

To learn more, refer to our guide on foreign transaction fees and our editors' picks for the best credit cards without foreign fees.

The Blue Cash Preferred card annual fee is $0 intro 1st yr, $95 after the first year. Blue Cash Preferred's $95 annual fee that's charged from the second year on is higher than the average annual fee among new credit card offers right now. It is not the only fee you need to worry about with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, either.

Blue Cash Preferred Fees

• Annual Fee: $0 intro 1st yr, $95 after
• Balance Transfer Fee: 3% (min $5)
• Cash Advance Fee: 5% (min $10)
• Foreign Fee: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars
• Max Late...

Yes, both the Chase Freedom Flex and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® cards have restaurants as a bonus rewards category. More specifically, these cards give 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.

With very solid rewards and $0 annual fees, both the Chase Freedom Flex card and the Chase Freedom Unlimited card are great cash back options. Just keep in mind that you'll need at least good credit to get approved for these Chase credit cards. If...