Generated October 20, 2026 from 261 researched cards · 15 cards and calendars listed
Every card whose bonus category changes, on one page. This quarter's categories, how to activate and by when, the cap, and next quarter once the issuer announces it. Have one of these cards? Add it to your wallet and the app applies the right category at the register.
Nobody pays us for this page. UseTheseCards has no affiliate links and no advertisers. Categories come from the issuer's own announcement where we could read it, and every card shows the date we checked it and where. A quarter the issuer has not announced says so. We never guess one.
These cards pay a bonus on categories the issuer announces each quarter. You usually have to activate. The cap is per quarter.
Chase Freedom Flex · Chase Freedom (original)
Chase · no annual fee · the issuer sets the categories each quarter
Q4 2026
Grocery Stores (excluding Walmart and Target)DiningAmerican Red Cross
5× on this quarter's categories, capped at $1,500 spend per quarter (each card has its own cap).
Activate by December 14, 2026. The bonus then counts back to October 1, the start of Q4 2026.
Dining quarters stack: 1% base + 2% dining + 4% quarterly bonus = 7% until the $1,500 quarterly cap, then 3% (Chase Q4 2026 release, verified 2026-10-05). Drugstore stacking is unverified, so every other overlap pays the higher rate
Q4 2026 (Chase release, verified 2026-10-05): activate by December 14, 2026 and the 5% is retroactive to October 1. The $1,500 cap is combined. Grocery excludes Walmart, Target, wholesale clubs and discount stores. The American Red Cross 5% covers direct donations through official Red Cross channels only, so the app shows it and never ranks it
Next: Q1 2027
Not announced yet.
Earlier quarters (3)
Q3 2026: Gas Stations & EV Charging, Public Transit (no rideshare), Select Live Entertainment, United Way
Q2 2026: Amazon + Whole Foods, Chase Travel, Feeding America
Q1 2026: Dining, American Heart Association, Norwegian Cruise Line
Discover it Cash Back · Discover it Student Cash Back · NHL Discover it closed to new applicants
Discover · no annual fee · the issuer sets the categories each quarter
Q4 2026
RestaurantsEntertainmentUtilities
5% on this quarter's categories, capped at $1,500 spend per quarter (each card has its own cap).
Activate before you spend. Activation is not retroactive: purchases before it earn the base rate.
Q4 2026 (Restaurants, Entertainment, Utilities) is confirmed by three independent sources: Doctor of Credit, NerdWallet and AwardWallet. Discover's own calendar page was not rendering on 2026-10-05. Entertainment excludes cable and digital streaming. Utilities includes mobile and landline phone service bought online or by phone. Not retroactive: activate before you spend
Next: Q1 2027
Not announced yet.
Earlier quarters (3)
Q3 2026: Gas Stations (incl. EV charging), Transportation (incl. airlines, transit, rail), Drug Stores
Citi Dividend Platinum Select Cardclosed to new applicants
Citi · no annual fee · the issuer sets the categories each quarter
5% on the quarter's categories, capped at $300 earned per calendar year.
Quarterly categories, activation required each quarter. 2026: Q1 Amazon + select streaming; Q2 grocery stores + Citi Travel (excl. air); Q3 gas stations + home improvement stores; Q4 (Oct-Dec) restaurants + Citi Travel hotels, car rentals and attractions (excl. air), per citi.com/credit-cards/dividend-quarterly-offer, verified 2026-10-05. $300 cap is on total bonus cash back per calendar year, not per quarter, and Q4 counts toward it.
These cards pay a bonus on a category you choose from the issuer's menu. Most of them need a fresh pick each month or quarter. Miss it and you earn the base rate.
Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards
Bank of America · no annual fee · you pick monthly
3% on the category you pick, capped at $2,500 spend per quarter.
Change once per calendar month; prospective only, effective same day CT
Menu
Gas & EV chargingOnline shopping (incl. cable/internet/phone plans/streaming)DiningTravelDrug storesHome improvement & furnishings
First-year new cardholders (opened after 2025-06-01) earn 6% for 12 months
5% on two categories you pick, capped at $2,000 spend per quarter.
Selections do NOT carry over. Window opens ~45 days before quarter, locks 5 days before; mid-quarter selection allowed but not retroactive. Unselected = 1% on everything.
Associated Bank · no annual fee · you pick each quarter
5% on two categories you pick, capped at $2,000 spend per quarter.
2% on the category you pick, no cap.
5% menu
TV, Internet & Streaming Services, Fast Food, Cell Phone Providers, Department Stores, Home Utilities, Furniture Stores, Electronics Stores, Recreation, Entertainment
Citi's list: Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, Pet Supply Stores. Change takes effect next day at midnight CT; defaults to Select Streaming Services.
Elan Financial Services · no annual fee · you pick each quarter
5% on two categories you pick, capped at $2,000 spend per quarter.
2% on the category you pick, no cap.
5% menu
TV, Internet & Streaming Services, Fast Food, Cell Phone Providers, Department Stores, Home Utilities, Furniture Stores, Electronics Stores, Recreation, Entertainment
Huntington Bank · no annual fee · you pick each quarter
3× on the category you pick, capped at $2,000 spend per quarter.
"You may select your category once within the first 30 days of opening a new account then again prior to the start of each quarter for the next quarter."
Langley Federal Credit Union · no annual fee · you pick monthly from a menu the issuer sets each month
5% on the category you pick, capped at $2,000 spend per month.
One 5% category per month, picked from a menu LANGLEY sets that month (recent menu: automotive services, dining, or Walmart & Target). Selection closes 5:00 PM ET on the last day of the month. Cap is stated as $100 bonus rewards per month, which is $2,000 of category spend at 5%.
Redstone Federal Credit Union · no annual fee · you pick each quarter
5% on the category you pick, capped at $1,500 spend per quarter.
5% menu
Restaurants, travel and Amazon are the options named by NerdWallet; Doctor of Credit adds home improvement 'plus others'. Redstone has not published the full Boosted Category list.
Rewards Program terms wording: '5% on the selected category; quarterly cap $1,500 spend (max $75 per quarter).' One Boosted Category per quarter. Known options reported by Doctor of Credit and NerdWallet: restaurants, travel, Amazon, home improvement, and others not enumerated.
No menu to manage. The card pays its bonus on whichever eligible category you spent the most on that cycle. One big purchase in the wrong category can take the slot.
Citi Custom Cash
Citi · no annual fee · the issuer picks each billing cycle
5% on your top eligible category, capped at $500 spend per billing cycle.
Menu
RestaurantsGas stationsGrocery storesSelect travelSelect transitSelect streamingDrugstoresHome improvementFitness clubsLive entertainment
5% on TOP eligible spend category each billing cycle, first $500 spend, then 1%. ONE category per cycle, chosen automatically by Citi from spend, NOT user-selected.
It is generated from the same card data the app ranks with, every time the site deploys. A calendar comes from the issuer's announcement where we could read it. Where the issuer's own page would not load, the sources line names the outlets we used instead. The next quarter stays "not announced yet" until the issuer publishes it. Wrong or stale? .