Chime 2% Cash Back Categories: How I Pick My Winner Every Month

If you know me, I am a sucker for cash back offers. So when Chime gives their cardholders a choice every single month to pick a 2% cash back category, you already know I'm all in. Every month when it's time to choose, I am a kid in the candy store. I love having the ability to both have a choice AND get cash back at the same time.

Quick note for accuracy: the cash back rewards run on the Chime Card, the secured Visa credit card that works right alongside your Chime checking account, and the 2% rate comes with Chime Plus status. But it all lives in the same app, spends like the same money, and feels like one seamless Chime experience to me.

This has to be one of my favorite features from Chime, right up there with SpotMe, where they let you borrow money based on how much you deposit into your account every month. So I challenge myself every month to see how much cash back I can rack up. Last month I pulled in $4.41. That's not breaking the bank, but hey, that's free money for spending I was going to do anyway. This month, we're going to do better. We're going to make it work.

So here's how I made my choice for August. I went through a quasi process of elimination, working my way from the category I was never going to pick all the way down to the winner. Read down and see if you can guess where I landed before the reveal.

The Countdown: 6 Categories, 1 Winner

#6 — Travel

Mobile app service categories list with icons: Bills and streaming, Grocery stores, Gas stations, Restaurants, Rideshare, Travel (Select button below).

The first one to go, for sure, is Travel. This category covers flights, hotels, car rentals, and booking platforms. And listen, travel spending can add up pretty fast when you're actually doing it. But it's not something we use a lot, and definitely not this month. Easy elimination.

#5 — Restaurants

List of service categories with icons: Bills and streaming, Grocery stores, Gas stations, Restaurants (selected), Rideshare, Travel; a green Select button at the bottom.

Not a chance. We don't eat out that much right now. Maybe when the money flow gets better, that would be nice — to have at least one month or two where we paint the town red and run up some nice restaurant bills on purpose, just to collect that 2%. That month is coming. But it is not August.

#4 — Rideshare/Taxi

Bills and streaming services: Utilities, phone and internet (icon of bill cards) “Select” option to manage bill payments and streaming services setting likely right side icon shows cards authorizing payments.

Now this one made me stop and think. My wife uses a LOT of rideshare. Probably more than we actually realize. So we have to run the numbers on this one, but right now I'd estimate somewhere around $200–$300 a month. That's a nice chunk of change — 2% on $300 is $6 back just for riding around. A legit contender, but not ready to knock out the top dogs.

#3 — Monthly Bills

Screen shows a category picker for August with options like Bills and streaming services, Grocery stores, Gas stations, and Restaurants, each with an icon and subtitle.

This one is very tempting. I've got the phone bill, the utility bill, and a whole lot of other bills — even Hulu and Netflix count under this category. These bills can be large, and when you add them all up, they can recoup some super cash back sums. During football season, when I'm carrying something like a Sling subscription, this category becomes even more applicable and could seriously challenge the winner. It's close. But not this month.

#2 — Gas

Screen prompting to pick a category for August, showing options like Bills and streaming services, Grocery stores, Gas stations, and Restaurants with a green Select button at the bottom. — chime gas cash back categoryjpg

Here's where it got tough. I'm a delivery driver, and gas prices are elevated — and they should stay elevated for a while. Some experts say gas prices may stay elevated into 2027 if geopolitical issues don't get cleared up. I'm filling up twice a week at about $70 per fill-up, so that's at least $140 a week on gas. That's real money, and 2% back on it is real cash back. This was almost the winner. Almost.

#1 — THE WINNER: Grocery Stores 🏆

App screen to pick an August category; options include Bills and streaming services, Grocery stores, Gas stations, Restaurants, Rideshare; a green Select button at the bottom.

Here's the thing: I'm also going to spend at least $140 a week on food. We LOVE food around here in my household, and I'm in the grocery store constantly. So it came down to gas versus groceries, basically a dead heat on spending.

The tiebreaker? The rub for me is that with the grocery category, I can also get 2% cash back at convenience stores. I live in Wawa. I'm getting snacks at convenience stores, and honestly I could buy actual food there too — I love getting their bowls. I'm not 100% sure if the bowls count under the grocery category or not, but I'm going to find out this month and report back.

Plus, this month I'm going to be cooking a lot more and eating out a lot less, which pushes even more of my spending straight into the winning category. So no pun intended, but I'm putting my money on the food.

Grocery Stores it is for August. Let's see how we do.

AI Breakdown: The Facts on Chime

I asked my AI assistant to pull together some quick facts and numbers on Chime — how big they are, why people love them, and how this cash back program actually works under the hood. Here's the breakdown.

How big is Chime? Bigger than most people realize. Chime is America's largest digital bank by new checking account openings, with around 10.2 million active members as of early 2026 — and their members are engaged, averaging more than 50 transactions per month. The company was founded in 2012, went public on the Nasdaq in June 2025 under the ticker CHYM, grew revenue 31% in 2025 to $2.2 billion, and posted its first profitable quarter as a public company in early 2026. Roughly two-thirds of members call Chime their primary financial relationship. That's not a side app. That's people's main bank.

Why do people love them? No monthly fees, no minimums, early direct deposit, and features built for everyday people — SpotMe fee-free overdraft, the Credit Builder card, and MyPay early wage access. Chime makes most of its money from interchange (the small fee merchants pay when you swipe), not from charging YOU fees. That's a big reason the loyalty is so strong.

How the cash back program works. Chime now runs a tiered membership system. Chime Plus status (unlocked with $200+ in qualifying direct deposits) gets you 2% cash back on your chosen category. Chime Prime status ($3,000+ in monthly direct deposits) bumps you all the way up to 5%. Either way, you pick one category from six — grocery stores, gas, monthly bills, restaurants, rideshare/taxi, and travel — and cash back applies to up to $1,500 in eligible purchases each month. Two things to know: categories reset on the first of each month and you have to actively select one to earn, and your selection only counts for purchases made AFTER you pick it. So choose early in the month, like I do.

The referral angle. Chime also has a referral program where existing members can earn a bonus for inviting friends who set up qualifying direct deposits — another way members stack value on top of the cash back.

One insight worth chewing on: the average rewards rate across typical cards is about 1% back, so Chime's 2% (and especially the 5% Prime tier) is genuinely above market — as long as you're strategic about your category, which is exactly the game I play every month.

The Bottom Line

This is a great offer, and I really love it from Chime. It turns everyday spending — the gas I have to buy, the groceries we were getting anyway — into a monthly strategy game with a payout at the end. If you're into stacking cash back like I am, this pairs beautifully with cash back apps too. Check out my breakdown of shopping assistant cash back apps to see how I layer savings on top of savings.

I'll report back at the end of August with my grocery category results — and whether those Wawa bowls counted.

Make Something Happen.

757BizClick is not affiliated with or compensated by Chime. This post reflects my personal experience as a Chime member. Cash back program details, rates, and eligibility are set by Chime and subject to change — see chime.com for current terms.

Cedric

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