Chase Freedom Unlimited Review: Is It the Right Card for You?

I remember when I got my first cash-back credit card. It was called the Chase Freedom, the previous version of Chase Freedom Unlimited. I feel so lucky that this card has improved a lot since I started using it. This card brings many benefits that travelers and cash-back lovers will like, such as high rewards rate and great perks. If you are looking for a simple rewards credit card, and you purchase from Chase Travel, restaurants or drugstores, this card may be good for you.

This card provides great cash back in some areas, but it does not give bonus rewards when you buy travel or groceries. Most people (like me) spend a lot of money on these two categories, so I recommend using Freedom Unlimited toghether with another Chase travel card to maximize your rewards.

Rewards Breakdown

• 5% cash back on travel you book through Chase Travel℠
• 3% cash back when you eat at restaurants
• 3% cash back on purchases at drugstores
• 2% total cash back on Lyft rides (until Sept. 30, 2027)
• 1.5% cash back on everything else

Expert Appraisal: Excellent - This card offers high rewards in everyday categories.

Welcome Bonus

Earn $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening the account.

Expert Appraisal: Average - The bonus is a good way to earn value quickly.

Intro APR

• Regular APR: 18.24% - 27.74% Variable APR
• Purchase intro APR: 0% for 15 months
• Balance transfer intro APR: 0% for 15 months
• Intro balance transfer fee: $5 or 3% of the amount you transfer (whichever is greater) during the first 60 days. After that, it increases to $5 or 5% (whichever is greater).

Expert Appraisal: OK - The intro APR is a usual thing.

Other Perks

• Free DashPass subscription
• Purchase protection & extended warranty
• Trip cancellation & interruption insurance

Expert Appraisal: OK - These are nice extras for a card with no annual fee.

Chase Freedom Unlimited: the Good and the Bad

Pros:

• The card gives nice cash back on specific categories and a good rate for everything else.
• You can use the intro APR to pay off debt or finance big purchases.
• For a card that doesn't charge you every year, the benefits are great. You get things like travel insurance and a free DoorDash DashPass for six months.

Cons:

• The usual 1.5% cash back is not as good as other cards which offer higher flat rates.
• You might find other cards that offer longer intro APRs.
• The APR is quite high versus other cards.

First-Year Card Value versus Ongoing Value

The Freedom Unlimited can give you more rewards than other cash-back cards, even though it has few perks. We think the average person could get about $325 a year with this card. Benefits and Costs First-Year Value Ongoing Value (No Welcome Offers) Yearly rewards* +$325 +$325 Welcome bonus $200 N/A Perks (of monetary value) +$59.94 (DashPass) N/A Annual fee -$0 -$0 Total value$584.94$325

*Based on spending $15,900 a year: travel ($1,300), dining ($2,100), drugstores ($600), and all other purchases ($11,900).

Who Should Get the Chase Freedom Unlimited?

The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a great card to have because of its welcome bonus, intro APR, and rewards program.

Rewards: Great cash back on everyday things

I wanted the Chase Freedom Unlimited(previously chase freedom) because the rules were easy to understand. It gave me back 1.5% for every purchase; this was exactly what I expected from credit card. As time went on, this card was improved by increase reward on specific category.

Not many cards give you 3% back at drugstores, and this card also gives 3% back when you eat out (including takeout and delivery). This card gives Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and you can use it as cash-back or transfer it to chase premium card to increase the value of the point.

With this card, you can get 2% back on Lyft (until Sept. 30 2027) and 5% back on travel through Chase Travel℠.

Rewards Program: Easy to Use and Very Valuable

With Chase Freedom Unlimited, there are many ways to get back your rewards. You can use your cash back for: statement credits, direct deposit, travel, gift cards, or online purchases made at Amazon.com.

You can also combine your rewards with a better Ultimate Rewards card such as Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. You have option to send reward to Chase's partner.

• Air France
• Air Canada
• British Airways
• Emirates
• IHG
• JetBlue
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Southwest Airlines
• United
• Virgin
• World of Hyatt

The Chase Freedom Unlimited can be part of the Chase trifecta. You can use it with another two cards to increase Ultimate Rewards.

Welcome Bonus: Good Perks for Spending

The welcome bonus of Freedom Unlimited is good. You will get $200 cash back when you spend at least $500 within first 3 month from opening the account.

This offer is lower than older offer. The old bonus would gave you $300 on eligible rewards rate for first year. The new point is easier for the people to earn instead of losing some value.

Card Perks: Great if You Do Not Want Pay Every Year

Do not expect to find much perks on chase freedom unlimited especially versus travel or luxury card. However, this card still provide money saving benefits that rare on no fee credit cards.

You will get free subscription to DoorDash's membership which is DashPass. After you sign up DashPass, you are able to get free delivery fee on order over $12. The freedom Unlimited provide free 6 month of DashPass membership. This offer only valid if you confirm before Dec, 31 2027.

This credit card provide protection purchase in case that you lost item within 120 days from purchase. You can get repay up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. Also, you can extend manufacture warranty for one year of the product when buying with the card.

With insurance of trip cancellation, you are able to retrieve money back when the trip is cancelled due to sickness and weather. Chase might pay you for $1500 per people and $6000 per trip when retrieve prepaid ticket.

Intro APR: Saving on purchase

Beside of rewards program, freedom unlimited provide intro APR on balance transfer.

Remember that some rewards cards can give you even longer time for intro APR, and dedicated balance transfer cards will give highest intro APR that available. If it is important to you, check other options.

Why You Might Want a Different Cash Back Card

the chase freedom unlimited is great to use in wallet. But, you may consider downside to taking into action.

Maximizing Rewards: It is not that easy thing.

Earning rewards on Chase Freedom Unlimited is not that hard because there is new rotating categories to worry about. You should know chase travel portal when you want to gain value to maximize cash back rate and enter Chase offer program.

For you to maximize value of chase ultimate rewards, you need take chase premium travel card such as Sapphire preferred along with chase sapphire reserve. You are allowed to transfer point to travel partner which can double value point.

Rates and Fees: It is common thing.

Chase freedom unlimited provide thing that you expect from reward card. There is no hidden fees of the card.

It charges you 3 percent for foreign transaction fee, which will cut back cash back when you buy international purchase.

Beside that, chase charges you for balance transfer depending on the amount that you transferred.

This card interest average from 30 percent which cause carrying balance really expensive. I recommend using this card for everyday purchase, set up auto-pay for balance in full each month to prevent high interest charge.

What We Think

The chase freedom unlimited is so great that most staff in Bankrate enjoy using it.

Bankrate staff insights

This card gives me outstanding value for card without annual fee. I use this card as part of overall chase portfolio to earn point with sapphire reserve and transfer it to travel partner to increase value point. I think it is the best no fee card on the market.

Ryan Flanigan, Bankrate credit cards writer

I found out that chase freedom unlimited is versatile by researching the best reward card. I think that cash back credit card is right for me due the expenses does not fall into category. The 3 percent of restaurant and drugstore will be more profitable than 2 percent of cash rewards.

Garrett Yarbrough, Bankrate credit cards writer

Best Cards to Pair with the Chase Freedom Unlimited

Chase freedom unlimited can pair with variety types of rewards card. But, you need to put chase freedom flex and chase sapphire preferred on priority list after opening freedom unlimited.

Do not forget chase 5/24 rules. You will not be eligible to open credit card if your account have five or more cards in the past 24 months.

• Chase Freedom Flex
• Chase Sapphire Preferred

How the Chase Freedom Unlimited Compares to Other Cash Back Cards

There are lots of cash back credit cards, and you don't have to pay much for credit card fee.

We rate credit card by using card scoring system. After we analyzed cost, value our card, we can give the final score.

We analyzed over 150 rewards card to where value and cost will be. Here are some of the factors below:

• Rewards value
• Rates and fees
• Flexibility
• Perks

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