Several major rotating-category cash back card issuers have posted their second-quarter 2026 bonus categories, opening activation windows in the final days of March, according to coverage from The Points Guy's credit card news team.
As is typical, most issuers require cardholders to manually activate the new quarter's bonus category through their online account or mobile app before purchases in that category will earn the elevated rate.
Coverage noted that activation windows and category rosters vary by issuer, reinforcing the importance of checking each specific card's app rather than assuming categories are identical across different rotating-category products.
Our quarterly cash back calendar framework outlines a simple system for tracking activation deadlines and spending caps across multiple rotating-category cards.
Industry data cited in the coverage continues to show that a meaningful share of eligible cardholders miss activation each quarter, leaving bonus-rate earnings on the table despite qualifying purchases still occurring.