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Bottom line: The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great choice for credit card beginners and experts alike. With no annual fee and a high earnings rate, it’s worth considering as an everyday card — and it’s even better when you pair it with an annual-fee Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Review: Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited the best credit card for you?
If you’re looking for a no-annual-fee credit card that offers a solid return for your everyday spending, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is an excellent choice. You’ll earn at least 1.5% back on your purchases with no spending caps, and the card’s useful bonus categories can give your rewards earning a big boost.
Plus, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers a welcome bonus of Chase Freedom Unlimited®. That means you’ll receive at least 3% back on purchases during your first cardmember year.
Read more: The best Chase credit cards
You can find an alternate sign-up bonus for the Chase Freedom Unlimited if you apply directly with Chase — a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening, plus 5% cash back at gas stations during your first 12 months of account opening (on up to $6,000 in purchases, then 1.5%). You can read this post to decide which offer works best for you.
Here’s what this bonus 1.5% bonus means for your return rate:
6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards4.5% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases3% cash back on all other eligible purchases
While it’s marketed as a cash-back credit card, it actually earns rewards in the form of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which are worth 1 cent apiece when you redeem them for cash back. So earning 3% back is the same as earning 3 points per dollar.
Beyond redeeming points for cash back, you can also use them to book travel through the Chase portal, trade them in for gift cards, or pay with points at Amazon and other participating merchants.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Comparison: Chase Freedom Unlimited vs other Chase credit cards
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Annual fee
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Chase Freedom Flex℠
$95
Rewards rate
5% cash back (5x points) on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3% cash back (3x points) on dining and drugstore purchases
1.5% cash back (1.5x points) on everything else
5% cash back (5x points) on travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards
5% cash back (5x points) on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter in rotating bonus categories when you activate, then 1%
3% cash back (3x points) on dining and drugstore purchases
1% cash back (1x points) on everything else
5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
5x points on Lyft rides through March 2022
3x points on dining and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
3x points on select streaming services
2x points on all other travel purchases
1 point per dollar on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
$200 after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening
Chase Freedom Flex℠
(also earn 5% Cash back on gas station purchases on up to $6,000 spent the first year, then 1%, when applying directly through Chase)
60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening
Card benefits
Extended warranty
Car rental insurance (secondary in the US, primary otherwise)
Trip interruption/cancellation insurance
Travel and emergency assistance services
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, then a 14.99%–23.74% variable APR
Car rental insurance (secondary in the US, primary otherwise)
Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
Purchase protection
Extended warranty
Travel and emergency assistance services
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, then a Chase Freedom Flex℠ variable APR
Trip interruption/cancellation
Trip delay insurance
Baggage delay insurance
Lost luggage reimbursement
Extended warranty
Purchase protection
Travel and emergency assistance services
Travel accident insurance
Roadside dispatch
No foreign transaction fees
Review
Chase Freedom Flex card review
Chase Sapphire Preferred card review
Chase Freedom Unlimited vs other cash-back credit cards
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Discover it® Cash Back
Citi® Double Cash Card
Annual fee
$0
Discover it® Cash Back
$0
Rewards rate
5% cash back (5x points) on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3% cash back (3x points) on dining and drugstore purchases
1.5% cash back (1.5x points) on everything else
5% cash back in categories that rotate each quarter on up to $1,500 in combined spending when you activate (then 1%)
Discover It Cashback rotation
1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
1% cash back when you buy, plus 1% cash back when you pay your bill
Welcome bonus
$200 after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening
None, but Discover will dollar for dollar match all the cash back you earned after the first 12 months
N/A
Card benefits
Extended warranty
Car rental insurance (secondary in the US, primary otherwise)
Trip interruption/cancellation insurance
Travel and emergency assistance services
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, then a 14.99%–23.74% variable APR
No late payment fee on your first late payment (then up to $40)
0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 14 months, then a Discover it® Cash Back APR
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Citi Entertainment
0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, then 13.99% – 23.99% (Variable) APR
Discover it Cash Back card review
How to earn rewards with the Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has a straightforward earning structure, and no matter the category, you’ll earn at least 1.5% back (1.5x points) on every purchase.
Cardholders earn:
5% back (5x points) on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal (including airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities)3% back (3x points) on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services)3% back (3x points) at drugstores 1.5% back (1.5x points) on everything else
But new cardholders will receive a 1.5% supercharge on all purchases (for up to $20,000 in spend per year), meaning you’ll receive between 3% and 6.5% for spending.
Read more: Cash-back card face-off: The Citi Double Cash versus the Chase Freedom Unlimited
How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points
One of the reasons the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is so popular is because the rewards it earns are so flexible. Chase Ultimate Rewards redemption options include:
Cash back (1 cent per point)Gift cards (1 cent per point)Airfare, hotels, car rentals, and more through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal (1 cent per point)Apple purchases (1 cent per point)Pay Yourself Back (1.25 cents per point toward eligible charities through December 31, 2022)PayPal and Amazon purchases (0.8 cents per point)
The last option should be avoided — you’re better off paying for an Amazon or PayPal purchase with your card and using points at 1 cent apiece for a statement credit. Otherwise, you’ll get inferior value.
Even if you’re staying close to home right now, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a good card to keep if travel is on your radar for the future. In the meantime, there are plenty of ways to use Chase points that don’t involve travel, and your points won’t expire as long as your card is open and in good standing.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a great card on its own, but you can actually boost the value of your rewards when you pair it with certain other Chase credit cards, including the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Chase allows you to transfer Ultimate Rewards points between accounts, and by moving your points to one of these cards, you’ll unlock more valuable redemption options — including the ability to transfer points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners. You’ll also have more ways to redeem points through Chase’s Pay Yourself Back program.
For example, with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, your points are worth 1.5 cents apiece when you book travel through the Chase travel portal or redeem through Pay Yourself Back. Pairing a Chase Freedom card with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the best ways to get the most from your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, especially if you like to use points for travel.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth, on average, 1.8 cents apiece based on Insider’s points and miles valuations— primarily because you can get outsized value when you transfer points to airline and hotel partners for award travel.
Benefits and features
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® comes with good purchase and travel protection benefits, some of which you don’t normally see from cards with no annual fee.
Purchase protection
When you pay for an eligible new purchase with your Chase Freedom Unlimited®, you’ll be covered for damage or theft for 120 days, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Extended warranty
Eligible items you purchase with the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, with a manufacturer’s warranty of three years or less, can receive an additional year of extended warranty coverage.
Car rental insurance
When you decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card, you’re covered for theft and collision damage on most cars. In the US, coverage is secondary to your personal insurance — otherwise, it’s primary insurance.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
If you pay with your Chase Freedom Unlimited®, you’re covered for up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip if your trip is canceled or shortened because of illness, severe weather, or other eligible events.
Read more: The best credit cards with travel insurance
Bonus points on Lyft purchases
You’ll earn 5% cash back (5x points) on purchases made with Lyft through March 2022.
Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership
Chase Freedom Unlimited® cardholders receive a complimentary three months of DashPass, which gets you $0 food delivery fees and reduced service fees on orders of $12 or more with DoorDash and Caviar. After that, you’ll receive a 50% discount on your DashPass membership for the next nine months. Activation is required by March 31, 2022.
Travel and emergency assistance services
If you’re away from home and run into trouble, you’ll have access to a travel and emergency assistance hotline that can help arrange things like legal and medical referrals, prescriptions, translation services, and more. Keep in mind any third-party costs are your responsibility.
Monthly Gopuff credits
Through December 31, 2023, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers $10 per month in Gopuff credits when you add your card as the default payment method to your Gopuff app. Gopuff is a service that offers fast delivery of everyday items like food, alcohol, electronics, and medicine.
You’ll receive the credit automatically when you make a qualifying purchase with Gopuff. There’s a minimum order amount of $10.95, and a flat $1.95 delivery fee per order.
Fees and costs
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® has no annual fee, but you will pay foreign transaction fees, so it’s not a good choice for international purchases.
Read more: The best no-annual-fee credit cards
New cardholders can take advantage of an introductory 0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (then a 14.99%–23.74% variable APR). This is handy if you have a large purchase coming up you want to pay for over time without incurring big interest charges. You should only do this if you have the means and a plan to pay off the balance before the introductory APR period expires, otherwise, you could end up with a bunch of high-interest debt.
As with most other cards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® charges fees for late and returned payments, cash advances, and balance transfers.
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