Chase Freedom Unlimited Vs Chase Freedom Flex
If you’re looking at the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, it’s logical to wonder how it compares with the similarly named Chase Freedom Flex.
Both Freedom-branded cards have an annual fee of $0, and both offer lucrative ways to earn cash back.
The choice mostly comes down to rewards: 5% quarterly rotating categories on the Chase Freedom Flex or the 1.5% everything else of the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
A quick evaluation:
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Chase Freedom Flex: The 5% cash back is enticing but complicated. Bonus cash back is also capped at $1,500 per quarter in spending before reverting to 1% back. Category activation is required all other purchases earn 1% cash back.
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Chase Freedom Unlimited®: The 1.5% back on everything else is less exciting but simpler and way more flexible.
Which is more valuable will depend on how well the rotating bonus categories of the Chase Freedom Flex match your spending. It also depends on how much you spend overall. Big spenders might get more value from 1.5% on everything else because its unlimited.
The table in the dropdown menu below highlights the differences in rewards between the two cards and the older Chase Freedom®, which is no longer accepting applications and has been effectively replaced by the Chase Freedom Flex.
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Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
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|---|---|
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1% cash back |
1% cash back |
For more information on which of these Freedom credit cards is right for you, see our full comparison story.
How To Increase Your Cash
All of Chases premium Ultimate Rewards cards have annual fees one even as high as $550. These fees help offset the cost of higher value redemption options, including transferring points to airlines and hotels.
Since the Freedom Unlimited card is a no-annual-fee card, its not too surprising that the Ultimate Rewards points it earns are somewhat limited in how you can use them.
Above, we outlined the listed redemption options if you only hold the Freedom Unlimited card, and each of them had a redemption value of $.01 per point.
Now, lets take a look at a few ways that you can redeem your points for higher values when you have another of Chases premium Ultimate Rewards credit cards to pair with your Freedom Unlimited card.
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Chase Freedom Visa Platinum Travel Insurance
The standard Visa Platinum offers protection up to $1,500 for each covered person per trip. Here are what its terms state:
Trip Cancellation and Interruption benefits reimburse non-refundable passenger fares charged by an airline, cruise line, railroad, or any other Common Carrier up to one thousand five hundred dollars for each Covered Person per Trip to a maximum of six thousand for all Covered Persons traveling together on the same Trip, if a Loss results in cancellation or interruption of the travel arrangements.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Review Summary
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® card is a great credit card for people with good credit or better who want solid rewards and the opportunity to save on interest. Chase Freedom Unlimited is easily worthwhile, considering it has a $0 annual fee.
When it comes to rewards, Freedom Unlimited offers 5% cash back on grocery store purchases , 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase, 3% back on dining at restaurants, and 3% back on drugstore purchases. All other purchases earn you 1.5% cash back. On top of all that, new cardholders can get an initial rewards bonus plus a 0% introductory APR on new purchases.
Below, well explore the best and worst parts of this offer in greater detail to help you decide whether or not to apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card.
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Top Chase Freedom Unlimited Benefits:
- Rental car insurance: Provides secondary coverage for up to 31 consecutive days against damage and theft, up to the actual cash value of rental vehicles paid for with the Chase Freedom Unlimited card. You’ll have to decline the rental agency’s insurance coverage to qualify, as well as file any claim within 60 days of theft or damage occurring.
- Roadside dispatch: Includes 24/7 towing, tire changes, jump starts, fuel delivery and lockout service. $59.95 per service call.
- Extended warranty: Extends U.S. manufacturer’s warranties on items purchased with Chase Freedom Unlimited by 1 year. Maximum coverage of $10,000 per claim, $50,000 per account. The original warranty can’t be longer than three years.
- Purchase protection: Reimburses cardholders up to $10,000 per claim for items purchased with the Chase Freedom Unlimited card that are damaged or stolen within 120 days of purchase.
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Pays up to $6,000 per trip cut short by sickness, severe weather or other covered events. Applies to travel expenses paid for with Chase Freedom Unlimited.
Other Chase Freedom Unlimited benefits include 24/7 fraud alerts and a $0 fraud liability guarantee, which protects you from having to pay for unauthorized charges to your account.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit score requirement is 700 or higher. That means people with good credit or better have a shot at getting approved for the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card.
Different Types Of Freedom Cards
The Chase Freedom cards come in two forms: the standard version and the upgraded Visa Signature version. You cant apply for one version and instead you will be approved for one or the other when you apply based on Chases standards. If you are approved for a Visa Signature version, youre usually given a minimum credit line of $5,000.
These different versions of Visa cards come with different types of benefits and travel insurance and Ill go into detail below.
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Chase Freedom Flex Vs Chase Freedom Unlimited
| Chase Freedom Flex | ||
|---|---|---|
| 0% for the first 15 months on purchases | 0% for the first 15 months on purchases | |
| Rewards | 5% cash back on up to $1500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate 5% cash back on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® 3% cash back on dining at restaurants and at drug stores 1% cash back on all other purchases | 5% cash back on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® 3% cash back on dining at restaurants and at drug stores 1.5% cash back on all other purchases |
| Welcome bonus | $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening | $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening |
Still Not Sure About This Card Consider These Options
If you’re still undecided about getting the Chase Freedom Unlimited credit card, consider some of the other cards that offer substantial benefits. If you don’t want a cash back card, a balance transfer or rewards card with no annual fee and limitless rewards on purchase categories other than those covered by the Chase Freedom Unlimited may reap you the best benefits.
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Tips For Maximizing Your 5% Cash Back In Q4
- Make sure to do as much of your shopping as you can at Walmart, using your Freedom or Freedom Flex card.
- Buy gift cards at Walmart for purchases throughout the year this will help you meet the spend cap.
- Stock up on items from Walmart that you can use throughout the year, such as non-perishables or cleaning supplies.
- If youre shopping online, see if you can pay through PayPal and use your Freedom or Freedom Flex card .
- With merchants that dont give the option to pay with PayPal, use PayPal Key.
- Consider making PayPal your top spend category since its easy to maximize with many kinds of online purchases, so you can earn the generous 9% cash back.
- Alternatively, if you have travel plans, consider making travel your top spend category and book through the Ultimate Rewards portal to earn 9% back.
Here Are The Chase Sapphire Preferred’s Benefits:
- Initial Bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred offers one of the best bonuses on the market.
- Travel Insurance: Chase Sapphire Preferred has the best overall travel insurance among credit cards, according to WalletHub’s editors. Pay for travel with Chase Sapphire Preferred, and you’ll get coverage for delayed, cancelled, or interrupted trips as well as for lost luggage.
- Rental Car Insurance: Paying for your vehicle rental with your Chase Sapphire Preferred card automatically gives you coverage for damage or theft. Chase’s policy ranks second among major issuers.
- Extended Warranty: If you buy something that has a manufacturer’s warranty, Chase may add a year to your coverage. Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve® are tied for 17th in this category.
- Purchase Protection: You may be eligible for at least a partial refund if certain items purchased with a Chase Sapphire card are damaged or stolen. WalletHub ranks Chase Sapphire Preferred 6th in this category. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card takes 1st place.
- International Travel Perks: WalletHub’s editors analyzed major issuers’ perks and policies for international travelers, including travel rewards, foreign transaction fees, emergency assistance and more. Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve tied for 7th best.
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Wells Fargo Active Cash Card Vs Chase Freedom Unlimited
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A cashback credit card can help you get back a percentage of your daily spending, but how to maximize your cashback value varies from card to card. Some cashback cards offer a flat rate on every purchase regardless of the category, and other types of cashback credit cards have reward categories that earn boosted reward rates.
Of any type of reward card, fixed cashback rewards are often the simplest, but they also offer great value. Two of our favorite cashback cards available today the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card and Chase Freedom Unlimited are in this card category. But while they both have fixed cash bonuses, they do have some distinct differences when it comes to bonuses, bonuses, and more.
If you are considering adding a cashback card to your wallet, either one can make a solid decision. Before you decide, heres what you need to know to choose the right card for your spending habits and credit goals.
Freedom Unlimited Earning Potential
For many, $1,000 per month is an expensive grocery budget. But, even if you don’t reach the spending cap, the 5X earning rate makes the Freedom Unlimited the best credit card for groceriesand it’s always a good thing to maximize your earning in an essential category.
Outside of the bonus on grocery spending, you’ll earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining at restaurants and drugstores, and 1.5% on all other purchases, delivered to your account as Ultimate Rewards points .
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Combining The Chase Freedom Flex And The Us Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card
Since both the Chase Freedom Flex and U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature® Card have a $0 annual fee, a valid strategy involves applying for both. This way, you can combine the 5% cash back you could earn across a wider variety of spending categories and earn more rewards on the majority of your spending in all other categories. Provided you meet the spending requirements on both cards, you could take advantage of both sign-up bonuses as well.
Bank Of America Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card Vs Chase Freedom Unlimited
Another option worth a look if you are wanting a no-annual-fee credit card earning generous cash back is the Chase Freedom Unlimited. The Freedom Unlimited matches the Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards cards 1.5% cash back earnings, but then goes further with additional earnings in bonus categories.
In addition to earning 1.5% back on general purchases, the Freedom Unlimited awards 3% on purchases at drugstores and restaurants. Those card members booking travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards will be further rewarded with a generous 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase.
Finally, Chase rounds out their Freedom Unlimited offering by throwing in several consumer protection benefits, including purchase protection, extended warranty protection, auto rental collision damage waiver and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
If you spend heavily at restaurants, order takeout frequently, find 3% cash back at drugstores appealing or are intrigued by the addition of the consumer protection benefits, take a look at the Chase Freedom Unlimited card.
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What Are The Categories For The Us Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card
The U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature® Card’s 5% earning categories include: fast food home utilities TV, internet and streaming services department stores cellphone providers electronics stores sporting goods stores movie theaters gyms/fitness centers furniture stores ground transportation.
Which Card Is Better Chase Freedom Unlimited Or Chase Freedom Flex
There are two Chase Freedom cards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex. The two card offers are comparable, but the Chase Freedom Flex offers higher rates of cashback rewards.
The information related to Chase Freedom Unlimited® and the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature® Card has been independently collected by ValuePenguin and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.
These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Advertiser Disclosure: The products that appear on this site may be from companies from which ValuePenguin receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site . ValuePenguin does not include all financial institutions or all products offered available in the marketplace.
How We Calculate Rewards: ValuePenguin calculates the value of rewards by estimating the dollar value of any points, miles or bonuses earned using the card less any associated annual fees. These estimates here are ValuePenguin’s alone, not those of the card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer.
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What Is Included And Excluded In The Walmart Category
This category includes Walmart in-store purchases, including purchases made at Walmart Discount Stores, Walmart Neighborhood Markets, Walmart SuperCenters, Walmart branded gas stations and any other Walmart-branded and operated stores. You can also earn 5% back on online purchases at www.walmart.com and purchases made with Walmart Pay.
The category doesnt apply to purchases you make at third-party merchants that operate within Walmart stores for example, fast food restaurants, gas stations or beauty services. Walmart affiliates, such as Shipt and Sams Club, are also excluded.
Chase Freedom Unlimited: Is It Worth Getting
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great deal for consumers especially for those who already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
It comes with a sky-high sign-up offer, useful bonus rewards categories and plenty of options for cashing in rewards. Its not as simple as a flat-rate cash-back card, but its versatility and value make it a strong choice.
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Transferring Rewards To A Different Chase Card
If you have another Chase card in the Ultimate Rewards program, you can transfer the cash back you earn with the Freedom Unlimited over to it. Every cent of cash back will be worth 1 point in the Ultimate Rewards program. This could end up giving you a better rewards value overall.
There are three other Chase cards that you can use to get a better value for your cash back. These cards provide a bonus when redeeming through Ultimate Rewards:
These cards also allow you to transfer points to a number of traveler loyalty programs at a 1:1 rate, including both airline and hotel partners. You can often get a better value by converting to airline miles or hotel points.
So, the basic strategy here is:
If you put all the rewards you earn through this process, youll effectively be getting more than 1.5% cash back for non-category purchases with the Freedom Unlimited. If you end up getting a 25% point bonus you would get a cash back equivalent of 1.875%. And if you get a 50% point bonus, your cash back equivalent would be 2.25%.