5% Calendar for Q1 2022
With many credit cards in your wallet, keeping track of the best earning rates for each category is vital. 5% is usually as good as it gets. There are several credit cards out there that offer 5% on quarterly rotating categories. So let’s take a look at the 5% Calendar for Q1 2022, which kicked in a few days ago. But before we see where you can earn 5% back, let’s see how the earning works on each credit card.
Cards with 5% Rotating Categories
| Card | How 5x Works | Activate | |
| Chase Freedom Flex | 5X Ultimate Rewards points on $1,500 per quarter | Activate | LEARN MORE |
| 5X Ultimate Rewards points on $1,500 per quarter | Activate | No longer available | |
| 5% cashback on $1,500 per quarter | Activate | LEARN MORE | |
| Citi Dividend | 5% on up to $6,000 spend for the whole year, can be earned in any quarter | N/A | No longer available |
| US Bank Cash+ | 5% cashback on $2,000 per quarter | Activate | LEARN MORE |
| Vantage West Card | 5% on $1,500 per quarter | N/A | LEARN MORE |
5% Categories
Here are the categories where you can earn 5% with each one of these cards.
- Chase Freedom & Freedom Flex
- Grocery Stores (excluding Target and Walmart)
- eBay
- Discover It
- Grocery Stores
- Fitness Club & Gym Memberships
- Citi Dividend
- Amazon
- Streaming Services
- US Bank Cash+ lets you choose 2 of the following categories:
- TV, Internet, and Streaming Services
- Home utilities
- Select clothing stores
- Cell phone providers
- Electronic Stores
- Gyms/Fitness
- Fast food
- Ground Transportation
- Sporting goods
- Department Stores
- Furniture Stores
- Movie theaters
- Vantage West Visa Card lets you choose 1 of the following categories:
- Travel
- Restaurants
- Utilities [water, cell, electric, etc.]
- In-Store Wholesale Purchases [Costco, Sam’s Club, etc.]
- Department Stores
- Hardware & Home Improvement Stores
- Charitable Organizations
- Pharmacies & Drug Stores
- Amazon.com
The ABOC Platinum card no longer offers 5% categories.
Maximizing 5% Categories for Q1 2022
Chase Freedom and the new Freedom Flex have grocery stores as a 5% bonus category this quarter which is a great option as always. Target and Walmart are excluded from the eligible merchants, but most major grocery chains are eligible and they often carry gift cards. eBay is also a rare addition and probably useful for most people
The Discover it card also has grocery stores as a 5% category. Fitness Club & Gym Memberships are also included, but savings 5% for three months is probably not worth switching your form of payment and then switching back again.
Citi Dividend has something different with Amazon. That’s a popular merchant for most people but you can often save 5% there with an Amazon card, or by buying Amazon gift cards with a 5% card such as . Streaming Services is also part of this month’s 5% categories.
Then we have the US Bank Cash+ card and Vantage West Visa Card that let you choose two and one category respectively from a list of options. This gives you flexibility to choose a category that works best for you.
Guru’s Wrap-up
Some good categories are included, such Grocery Stroes, Amazon, eBay and more. Let me know what cards you have and how you plan on tackling this quarter’s 5% categories.
If you don’t have these cards, there are also some good welcome bonuses available. You can get $200 and 5% on groceries for one year when you apply for the Chase Freedom Flex card. U.S. Bank Cash+ is offering a $200 bonus when you spend $500 in eligible purchases within the first 90 days. Discover it currently has an increased $100 bonus and double cash back for the first year. Chase Freedom and Citi Dividend are no longer available for applications.
