The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is Chase’s take on the 5% rotating category card, offering increased rewards in limited-time categories that are announced quarterly. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has no annual fee.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers 5% back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter in rotating bonus quarterly categories. Categories have historically included purchases at grocery stores, Amazon.com, gas stations and big box retailers. In addition, the card offers 3% cash back on restaurants and drugstore purchases and 1% cash back on everything else. All rewards are earned as Ultimate Rewards points, but can be redeemed for cash back.
In addition to cash back rewards, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers a generous suite of benefits for a card with no annual fee. The card protects your purchases with Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty Protection, and Cell Phone Protection and it offers protection for your travels with secondary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ welcome bonus:
Before you apply through the link below, be sure to see our coverage of the best welcome bonus on this card. There may be a better offer in-branch.
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Click here to learn more and apply for the Chase Freedom Flex℠.
Our take on the welcome bonus: $200 after $500 is the standard welcome bonus on this card.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ at a glance:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% in rotating categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter). 5% travel through Chase. 3% dining. 3% drugstores. 1% other purchases.
Benefits: Extended warranty. Purchase protection. Cell phone protection.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ at a glance
Here’s what you need to know about the Chase Freedom Flex℠.
Rewards
| Travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® | 5% | |
| Lyft rides through March 31, 2025 | 5% | |
| Rotating categories. On up to $1,500 of combined spending each quarter, when you activate. | 5% | |
| Dining at restaurants, including eligible takeout and delivery | 3% | |
| Drugstore purchases | 3% | |
| All other purchases | 1% |
Rewards are earned as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which can be redeemed for cash back at one cent per point. You can get more than one cent per point of value from Ultimate Rewards if you hold an additional premium credit card. See below for more details.
Benefits
| Consumer insurance benefits Purchase protection Chase extended warranty protection Cell phone protection | |
| Travel benefits Secondary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance Trip cancellation/interruption insurance | |
| Third-party merchant benefits Complimentary 3 months of DashPass Complimentary 3 months of Instacart+ |
Other important terms
| Annual fee: $0 | |
| Foreign transaction fee: 3% |
My take on the Chase Freedom Flex℠
I have the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and think that it’s a great card for anyone to have in their wallet. The card is one of the best cards for drugstore purchases and it’s usually one of the best cards to use for rewards in its rotating categories, which are published each quarter. I also like the card for its excellent Chase Extended Warranty benefit and it’s a good choice for paying your monthly cell phone bill thanks to cell phone protection.
At publication, the card offered a 5% gas and grocery offer that stacked with the rotating categories, giving new cardmembers an opportunity to get 9% rewards on gas and groceries when they come up in the rotating categories.
Although the card is marketed as a cash back card, it earns Ultimate Rewards. When you transfer the Ultimate Rewards you earn with your Chase Freedom Flex℠ to a premium Ultimate Rewards card, they instantly become more valuable, since they can be used for the high-value redemption options available on the premium card.
Bottom line: If you don’t have the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card, you should pick this one up. It’s a great value no-annual-fee card.
Welcome bonus
Chase Freedom Flex℠ welcome bonus:
Before you apply through the link below, be sure to see our coverage of the best welcome bonus on this card. There may be a better offer in-branch.
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Click here to learn more and apply for the Chase Freedom Flex℠.
Our take on the welcome bonus: $200 after $500 is the standard welcome bonus on this card.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ at a glance:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% in rotating categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter). 5% travel through Chase. 3% dining. 3% drugstores. 1% other purchases.
Benefits: Extended warranty. Purchase protection. Cell phone protection.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ rewards
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers everyday rewards in bonus categories, plus 5% cash back rewards on quarterly rotating categories. Here’s what you need to know about the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card’s rewards.
Rotating category rewards
When you make qualifying purchases in rotating categories with your Chase Freedom Flex℠ card, you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in category spending each quarter.
In order to earn increased rewards, you must activate your Chase Freedom Flex card on Chase’s website each quarter. Chase typically sends a reminder email to cardmembers that allows you to activate your bonus categories with one click.
See below for more on this quarter’s category rewards.
2024 Chase Freedom cash back category overview
| Q1 2024 January – March | Q2 2024 April – June | Q3 2024 July – September | Q4 2024 October – December |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grocery Stores (excluding Walmart and Target), Fitness Clubs & Gym Memberships, and Self-Care & Spa Services | Amazon.com, Hotels, and Restaurants | Not yet announced | Not yet announced |
Ongoing category rewards of the Chase Freedom Flex℠
In addition to rotating category rewards, Chase offers ongoing rewards on the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card:
| 5% | Quarterly bonus categories. (Up to $1,500 in total purchases during the quarter.) | |
| 5% | Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025) | |
| 3% | Dining, including eligible takeout and delivery | |
| 3% | Drugstore purchases | |
| 1% | All other purchases |
Redeeming your Ultimate Rewards® Points
The Ultimate Rewards® points you earn with your card can be transferred between your cards. If you hold multiple cards that earn Ultimate Rewards®, you can earn points on one card and use the enhanced redemption options of another card.
Here are the best Ultimate Rewards® redemption options by card:
| Cards with no annual fee | Premium cards | High-tier premium cards | |
|---|---|---|---|
    |   |  | |
| Chase Freedom Flex Chase Freedom Unlimited® Ink Business Cash® Ink Business Unlimited® | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Ink Business Preferred® | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | |
| Cash back 1 cent per point | |||
| Travel through Chase Travel℠ | 100% of cash value | 125% of cash value | $150 of cash value |
| Transfers to travel partners See list of transfer partners below. | – | ||
| Gift cards 1 cent per point, with occasional sales on select brands |
The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card is marketed as an Ultimate Rewards® card, but it doesn’t allow you to transfer points to other cards, so it is not included in this table.
Ultimate Rewards Transfer partners
Point transfers to Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners are widely believed to be the best way to get the most value from your Chase points. When you transfer points to a partner, your Ultimate Rewards® become point in that partner’s loyalty program. You can then redeem your points for awards offered by a partner loyalty program. Point transfers cannot be reversed, so be sure you know what you’re going to use your points for before transferring them.
Here are the airlines and hotels you can transfer to if you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards® credit card:
| Transfer partner | Program highlights | |
|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Easy-to-use Star Alliance awards, with the option to spend extra miles to make flights cancelable. | |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | Great for monthly Flying Blue promo awards. | |
| Avios Aer Lingus AerClub British Airways Executive Club Iberia Plus | Distance-based programs with good value on shorter flights like USA-Ireland (AerClub) and short-haul flights on Oneworld partners (Executive Club). | |
| Emirates Skywards | One of the few ways to book Emirates first class with points. | |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | Reward prices tied to cash prices of tickets, usually around 1.3 cents per point. | |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | One of the few ways to book Singapore first class tickets with points. | |
| United MileagePlus | Good value off-peak international economy awards. Generous award change/cancel policies. | |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Some opportunities to book good-value premium cabin awards with partners. | |
| IHG One Rewards | Offers a fourth night free on point redemptions if you hold an IHG-branded credit card, but generally not a good use of Ultimate Rewards® points. | |
| Marriott Bonvoy | May be a reasonable use if you need just a few points to top off an award, but generally not a good use of Ultimate Rewards® points. | |
| World of Hyatt | Offers excellent redemption value at some properties due to its award chart. |
Redemptions options you shouldn’t use
The table above shows you the best Ultimate Rewards® redemption options. But there are some ways to redeem points that provide less value. Here are the redemption options you should avoid:
- Most gift card redemptions only offer 1 cent per point. You’re not getting any additional value and you’re giving up the flexibility of cash when you redeem for gift cards. Only redeem for gift cards when select brands are on sale.
- Pay with points usually offers less value than 1 cent per point. You can get more value from your points through a cash back redemption.
- Shop with Apple only offers 1 cent per point. If you use your points for cash back and charge your Apple purchases to your card, you can earn rewards for your purchases.
- Chase Dining only offers 1 cent per point. Use your points for cash back instead and get rewards on your dining purchases.
Cards that increase the value of your Freedom Flex℠ rewards
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ card is marketed as a cash back rewards card, but behind the scenes, the card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. Some Ultimate Rewards cards offer the ability to transfer points to travel partners or redeem them for increased value for travel.
Because Ultimate Rewards® points can be transferred between your Chase cards, if you hold one of these other cards, you can increase the value of the points you earn with your Chase Freedom Flex℠. Here are the cards that can increase the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards.
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | Annual fee: $95 | Annual fee: $550 | Annual fee: $95 Small business card. |
 |  |  | |
| Point transfers to travel transfer partners | |||
| Point redemptions for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards | 1 point = 1.25 cents of travel | 1 point = 1.5 cents of travel | 1 point = 1.25 cents of travel |
Ultimate Rewards® cards that compliment your Freedom Flex℠
Cards that earn bonus points and cash back in categories where the Freedom Flex℠ earns only 1% rewards can help increase the total amount of rewards you earn. You can compliment your Chase Freedom Flex℠ card with cards that earn Ultimate Rewards® points. Or you can look at cards from other banks that earn increased rewards on gas, cash back on groceries, bonuses on other rotating categories, or even 2% everywhere.
Personal Ultimate Rewards® credit cards
Here are Chase’s personal credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards® points and what they earn in each category:
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® | Chase Freedom Flex℠ | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | | | |
| Dining | 3x | 3x | 3x | 3x 10x on Chase Dining |
| Drugstores | 3x | 3x | ||
| Groceries (Online) | 3x | |||
| Streaming (Select providers) | 3x | |||
| Travel – Chase Ultimate Rewards | 5x | 5x | 5x | 5x on airfare. 10x on hotels and car rentals. |
| Travel – Lyft* | 5x* | 5x* | 5x* | 10x* |
| Travel – All other travel purchases | 2x | 3x | ||
| Rotating Categories c | 5xc | |||
| Everywhere Else | 1.5x | 1x | 1x | 1x |
c Bonus earning caps apply to these categories
- Chase Freedom Flex℠ Rotating Categories. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ card earns 5x in categories that rotate quarterly. You can earn 5x on up to $1,500 of combined spending each quarter, then 1x.
* Limitations apply to these categories.
- Travel – Lyft. Earn bonus cash back and points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.
Small Business Ultimate Rewards® credit cards
If you’re a small business owner, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards® points across both your personal and business cards. Here are Chase’s small business credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards® points and what they earn in each category:
| Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card | Ink Business Cash® Credit Card | Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category Name |  |  | |
| Advertising with select social media and search engines c | 3xc | ||
| Dining c | 2xc | ||
| Gas stations c | 2xc | ||
| Office supplies* | 5xc | ||
| Internet, cable and phone services c | 5xc | 3xc | |
| Shipping | 5xc | ||
| Travel – Lyft* | 5x | 5x | 5x |
| Travel – All other travel purchases | 3xc | ||
| Everywhere Else | 1.5x | 1x | 1x |
c Bonus earning caps apply to these categories
- Ink Business Cash Card – Office supplies and internet, cable, and phone services. The Ink Business Cash earns 5x on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases in these categories each account anniversary year.
- Ink Business Cash Card – Gas stations and dining. The Ink Business Cash earn 2x on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. The Ink Business Preferred® earns 3x points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases across the following categories: Shipping purchases; advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines; internet, cable and phone services; and travel.
* Limitations apply to these categories.
- Travel – Lyft. Earn bonus cash back and points on Lyft rides through March 31, 2025.
How to apply:
Chase Freedom Flex℠ welcome bonus:
Before you apply through the link below, be sure to see our coverage of the best welcome bonus on this card. There may be a better offer in-branch.
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Click here to learn more and apply for the Chase Freedom Flex℠.
Our take on the welcome bonus: $200 after $500 is the standard welcome bonus on this card.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ at a glance:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% in rotating categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter). 5% travel through Chase. 3% dining. 3% drugstores. 1% other purchases.
Benefits: Extended warranty. Purchase protection. Cell phone protection.
A few notes on applying for Chase cards
- 5/24 rule. Chase generally won’t approve you if your credit report is showing 5 or more new credit card accounts opened in the last 24 months. This rule is knows as the 5/24 rule. If you’re unsure if you are “under 5/24” you should check your 5/24 status before applying for a Chase card. Note that recently this rule seems to have softened, especially for Ink cards. See our coverage about Chase 5/24 for more.
- Only one Sapphire-branded card. You can only hold one Chase Sapphire-branded card at a time. This means you can have either a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, but not both.
- You can get a welcome bonus on a Chase card, even if you’ve had the card previously. How often you can earn a welcome bonus on a Chase card varies by card family.
- Most cards allow you to earn a welcome bonus if it has been at least 24 months since your last received a welcome bonus on the same card.
- Chase Sapphire-branded cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can only earn a welcome bonus once every 48 months. (We published a separate article to help you determine if you can get a Sapphire welcome bonus.)
- Marriott cards have their own special rules.
- Chase will match an increased bonus. If you apply for a Chase card and the bank offers a higher bonus within 90 days, you can send Chase a secure message or call them to have your welcome offer matched.
- In-branch offers are sometimes better. Chase sometimes has better credit card welcome offers in-branch than it will publish on its own website or through affiliate networks. Check all channels to make sure you’re getting the best bonus.
- Chase business cards do not report to personal credit reports and do not impact your 5/24 status as long as they are current.
Should you keep the Chase Freedom Flex℠ after the first year?
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has an annual fee of $0. Even if you don’t use the card, keeping it open and occasionally putting spending on a no-annual-fee credit card can help you build your credit. However, there are still a number of reasons to keep the Chase Freedom Flex open. Here are the benefits that might make this card worth keeping after the first year.
- 5% cash back earning on rotating categories
- Increased earnings in bonus categories like travel, dining and drugstore purchases
- Purchase protection and extended warranty benefit
Benefits of the Chase Freedom Flex℠
In addition to earning rewards on a variety of bonus categories, the Chase Freedom Flex comes with a slate of additional benefits. Details on relevant benefits are below.
Consumer insurance benefits
Many cards offers consumer insurance benefits that can protect the things you buy. Terms and restrictions apply to all benefits.
Purchase protection – Purchase protection protects the things you buy with your card from damage or theft for a certain amount of time after you buy them. Chase 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 – Extended warranty protection provides additional warranty coverage on items you purchase with your card. Chase 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.
Cellular telephone protection – Cell phone protection can cover the cost of repairing or replacing your phone if it is damaged or stolen when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card. Chase will cover up to two claims within 12 months, up to $800 per claim, and $1,000 per year, subject to a $50 deductible per claim.
Travel insurance benefits
Auto rental collision damage waiver – Car rental loss and damage insurance protects you against damage or theft to your rental vehicle. For coverage to apply, you need to reserve and pay for your vehicle using your card and decline your car rental company’s collision damage waiver. The coverage provided by your Chase Freedom Flex is secondary to your personal auto insurance. This means that you will be required to make a claim against your personal auto insurance before this policy will pay. Additional terms apply. See your card’s guide to benefits for details.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance – Trip cancellation and interruption insurance can reimburse you for prepaid travel expenses if your trip is canceled or you must cut your trip short for a covered reason. Chase will cover up to $1,500 per person of prepaid, nonrefundable passenger fares, if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations.
