Our Verdict
While the Chase Freedom Unlimited®’s 1.5% cash back on most purchases falls behind rivals offering 2%, it compensates with elevated earnings on dining, drugstores and Chase Travel℠, an intro APR offer, an appealing welcome bonus and generous purchase and travel protections. All told, it’s still a superb choice for anyone seeking a robust all-purpose card for everyday spending.
Pros
- Generous welcome offer for a no annual fee card
- Unlimited 1.5% minimum earn rate for cash-back rewards
- No minimum redemption amount
- Introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers
Cons
- There’s a foreign transaction fee
- Ongoing balance transfer fee is high
- Other cards offer 2% or more as an ongoing rewards rate
Current Chase Freedom Unlimited Offers
- INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) – worth up to $300 cash back!
- Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
- After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% – 28.49%.
- No annual fee – You won’t have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Alternatives to the Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Table of Contents
- The Chase Freedom Unlimited: 1.5% Cash Back Is Just the Start
- What Is Chase Freedom Unlimited Best For?
- Chase Freedom Unlimited Rewards
- Chase Freedom Unlimited Benefits
- Chase Freedom Unlimited Rates, Fees & Regulations
- How To Maximize Chase Freedom Unlimited Rewards
- Chase Freedom Unlimited Transfer Partners
- Complementary Cards for the Chase Freedom Unlimited
- How the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card Stacks Up
- Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card a Good Credit Card?
- Methodology
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Chase Freedom Unlimited: 1.5% Cash Back Is Just the Start
At first glance, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card appears to be falling behind the times. Like the words “dab” and “bae,” the card’s 1.5% cash-back rate feels very 2017 – especially as more and more competitors now offer an enticing 2% on all purchases.
But despite rising pressure from two-percenters like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card and , there are several reasons why the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card has maintained permanent residence in my wallet for nearly a decade.
For one, it offers a comforting trifecta of purchase protection, extended warranty protection and even trip insurance. Plus, if you’re new to the Chase Freedom Unlimited you can score an additional 1.5% cash back on up to $20,000 spent in the first year, worth up to $300 cash back. Plus the card has a generous intro APR offer for purchases and balance transfers.
But for me, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card’s best “hidden” feature is the ability to transfer points to my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card where they’re instantly worth at least 25% more in travel redemption value through Chase.
So despite its dusty 1.5% cash-back rate, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® remains my everyday-use card of choice thanks to its robust purchase protection, excellent benefits and versatile redemption options.
What Is Chase Freedom Unlimited Best For?
The Freedom Unlimited is a solid option if you want to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® without juggling multiple cards. With its elevated earning rate on all spending and a handful of bonus categories, it ranks highly on these lists:
| List | Best For | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Best for Straightforward Earnings | The Chase Freedom Unlimited offers at least 1.5% cash back on all purchases. | |
| Best for Flat-Rate Cash Back | In addition to a blanket 1.5% cash back, the Freedom Unlimited offers a generous intro APR on purchases and balance transfers and charges no annual fee. | |
| Best for Dining and Flat-Rate Rewards | The Chase Freedom Unlimited offers 3% cash back on dining, restaurants and takeout in addition to the 1.5% base rate. | |
| Best Cash-Back Card for Tiered Rewards Categories | With the Chase Freedom Unlimited you’ll earn 3% cash back on dining and drugstore purchases, 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel and 1.5% on everything else. | |
| Best No Annual Fee Card for Earning Elevated Rewards | Beyond offering between 1.5% and 5% cash back on its own, the Chase Freedom Unlimited can transfer points to a premium Chase card account for 25% to 50% bonus redemption value through Chase Travel. |
Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited a good card for beginners?
Chris Butsch
Credit Cards Expert
Jerod Morales
Credit Cards Editor
Becky Pokora
Credit Cards Writer
Provided you have the requisite credit score to apply (likely at least 670 on the FICO scale) the Chase Freedom Unlimited is a superb card for beginners since it offers a lengthy intro APR offer, robust benefits, a hearty welcome bonus and simple-yet-generous rewards. And since it pairs so well with other Chase cards, it may become your go-to daily use card for years to come.
Credit Cards Expert
The Freedom Unlimited is an ideal starter card. It gets you into one of the most valuable rewards programs with Ultimate Rewards. It could also be a keeper with no annual fee, and it makes a solid pairing if you decide to get one of Chase’s premium cards.
Credit Cards Editor
The Freedom Unlimited is a great card for beginners, thanks to its easy-to-understand cash-back rewards and no annual fee.
Credit Cards Writer
Chase Freedom Unlimited Rewards
Cash-Back Earning Rewards
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® earns
- 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3% cash back on eligible dining and drugstores
- 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
You’ll also earn a welcome bonus of: an additional 1.5% cash back on up to $20,000 spent in the first year, worth up to $300 cash back.
Reward Points Valuation and Redemption
You can redeem your Chase Freedom Unlimited rewards for:
- A statement credit or direct deposit at 1 cent per point
- Gift cards at 1 cent per point
- Travel booked through Chase at 1 cent per point
- Amazon purchases at 0.8 cent per point
- Purchases using Pay With Points at 0.8 cent per point
You can also combine your Chase Ultimate Rewards points with a premium Chase rewards card account like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® which would allow you to redeem your rewards for more when redeemed through Chase Travel or transferred to Chase’s travel transfer partners. Learn more in the section below on complementary cards.
Rewards Potential
To determine the rewards potential of the Chase Freedom Unlimited® card we looked at the bonus categories and calculated what an example American household might spend in those areas. Forbes uses data from various government and industry reports in order to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households bring in $118,438 annually and can reasonably spend $39,337 on a credit card. We base spending on that number.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Rewards Potential
| Category | Earning Rate | Estimated Annual Spend | Estimated Annual Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel (Booked Through Chase) | 5X | $8,573 | 42,865 |
| Dining | 3X | $4,622 | 13,866 |
| Drugstore Purchases | 3X | $781 | 2,343 |
| All Other Purchases | 1.5X | $25,361 | 38,041 |
| Total: 97,115 Ultimate Rewards Points |
Chase Freedom Unlimited Benefits
Here’s a quick breakdown of the Chase Freedom Unlimited cardholder benefits.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Travel Benefits
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Get reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for your prepaid, nonrefundable passenger fares, if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Hotel Benefits
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® does not have any hotel-specific benefits (aside from general travel benefits listed above). But you’ll still earn 5% cash back on hotels booked through Chase Travel.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Rental Car Benefits
- Auto rental collision damage waiver. Receive secondary coverage for damage due to collision or theft. To activate, complete the entire rental transaction with your eligible Visa card and decline the rental company’s coverage.
Other Benefits
- Purchase protection. Covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Extended warranty protection. Extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Rates, Fees & Regulations
Interest Rates
- Regular APR: 19.74% - 28.49% Variable
- Purchase intro APR: 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 15 months
- Balance transfer intro APR: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers for 15 months
Chase Freedom Unlimited Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Foreign purchase transaction fee: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
How To Maximize Chase Freedom Unlimited Rewards
Here are two tips for maximizing your Chase Ultimate Rewards once your Chase Freedom Unlimited® card arrives:
- Track your spending to maximize the welcome bonus. You’ll earn an additional 1.5% cash back on up to $20,000 spent in the first year, worth up to $300 cash back.
- Use your points. A point is only worth anything if you use it. All of your rewards (including your first-year welcome bonus) come in the form of highly versatile Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Even if you don’t have a premium Chase card to transfer them to, they’re still worth a penny a piece when you take them as cash back or use them as a statement credit against previous purchases.
To learn more about how to stretch your point values past a penny each, check out the Best Ways To Use Chase Points.
Chase Freedom Unlimited Transfer Partners
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® does not offer any air or hotel travel transfer partners on its own. But if you also hold an eligible premium Chase card, you can combine your points into one account to gain the ability to transfer your rewards to Chase partners.
Chase cards that allow 1:1 points transfer include:
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Another way to use your Freedom Unlimited points toward travel is to book directly through Chase Travel.
Complementary Cards for the Chase Freedom Unlimited
The hidden power of owning the Chase Freedom Unlimited card comes from pairing it with a premium Chase card, like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Matching the Freedom Unlimited with one of these allows you to pool your Ultimate Rewards together and redeem them for a value of up to 1.5 cents per point with the Sapphire Reserve or 1.25 cents per point with the Ink Preferred and the Sapphire Preferred for travel booked through Chase Travel℠.
By combining your Freedom Unlimited card rewards with those from a premium Chase card, you can maximize the value of your points. Not only can your points be redeemed at a greater value this way, but you can also unlock greater travel rewards opportunities by transferring your rewards to Chase’s airline and hotel transfer partners at a 1:1 rate. The Freedom Unlimited Card alone does not offer that privilege.
With that in mind, cards that pair well with the Freedom Unlimited include, but certainly aren’t limited to:
| Complementary Card | Why It Pairs Well With Freedom Unlimited |
|---|---|
| The Freedom Flex earns 5% cash back up to $1,500 on quarterly rotating spending categories (for example, gas, Amazon purchases), and for everything else you can use your Freedom Unlimited to ensure you always get at least 1.5%. | |
| The Sapphire Preferred offers a smidge more rewards on travel (2% versus 1.5%), but moreover, you can move points from your Freedom Unlimited account to your Sapphire Preferred account for a 25% bonus multiplier when redeemed through Chase Travel. | |
| The Sapphire Reserve makes up for the Freedom Unlimited’s shortage of hotel perks by offering 10% cash back on hotels booked through Chase Travel (after $300 is spent on travel purchases annually), complimentary airport lounge access and a 50% redemption multiplier on all combined points used to book through Chase Travel. | |
| The Ink Business Preferred offers 3% cash back on various small business expenses (e.g. shipping, online ads, internet, cable and phone service) as well as a 25% bonus multiplier on all combined points redeemed through Chase Travel. |
For more of the best credit card combinations that pair together like steak and Cabernet, visit our feature on the best credit card combinations.
How the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card Stacks Up
Chase Freedom Unlimited® vs. Chase Freedom Flex®
The Chase Freedom Flex® is the Freedom Unlimited’s sibling. However, the Freedom Flex earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in categories that rotate quarterly (requires activation), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
The Freedom Flex runs on the Mastercard network and the Freedom Unlimited on the Visa network. Each comes with its own set of benefits. The Freedom Flex also requires quarterly activation to earn the full 5% in the designated bonus categories. Ultimately, the choice between the two cards will come down to your personal preferences and spending habits.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
If the travel gods set out to design a perfect travel card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card would be pretty close to heaven. For a relatively low annual fee of $95, the card comes packed with a solid rewards rate of 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. You can read a more detailed explanation of the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Freedom Unlimited to help you decide which one might be best for your needs.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® vs. Citi Double Cash® Card
If you’re searching for a straightforward rewards card without an annual fee, consider the Citi Double Cash® Card which offers 2% cash back on all purchases—1% when purchases are made and another 1% when they’re paid off, and earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. There are no categories to track—it’s the same earnings rate on everything you buy. However, the Double Cash only offers an intro APR on balance transfers.
To learn more about the differences between these two cards, read our detailed analysis of the Chase Freedom Unlimited vs. Citi Double Cash.
Evaluate Credit Cards Side By Side
Is the Chase Freedom Unlimited Card a Good Credit Card?
Yes, the Chase Freedom Unlimited®’s generous rewards structure and robust benefits makes it worthy of a spot in your wallet on its own. And you could squeeze even more value out of your Chase Freedom Unlimited® by using it in conjunction with at least one other Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card.
Methodology
Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. When we compare and contrast no-fee rewards cards like the Chase Freedom Unlimited, we grade the cards on numerous factors, including but not limited to:
- Estimated annual earnings
- Annual fees
- Welcome bonus offers
- Intro APR offers
- Regular APR
- Additional cardholder benefits
We give greater weight to the card features we believe cardholders will use most frequently. These factors combine to generate a star rating for each card.
To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates credit cards.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is it hard to get the Chase Freedom Unlimited?
If you have good or better credit, which is generally defined as a FICO Score of 670 or above, and you haven’t applied for five or more credit cards in the last 24 months, it may not be difficult to get approved for the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. Someone who has less-than-stellar credit and/or someone who is over Chase’s unofficial “5/24” rule may find that they are unlikely to get approved for the card.
What credit score do you need for the Chase Freedom Unlimited®?
There’s no official threshold for a credit score that guarantees approval for any card. Generally, someone with good or better credit is more likely to be approved for the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. The FICO scoring, the most widely known credit scoring model typically uses a scale of 300 to 850. On that scale, a FICO Score between 670 and 739 is generally considered “good.”
